Duty to take general fire precautions

8.—(1) The responsible person must—

(a)take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and

(b)in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.

What the Enforcement Guidance says:

 
This article imposes on the responsible person the duty to implement the preventive
and protective measures which have been evaluated in the risk assessment. This article
reflects the principles of the European Framework and Workplace Directives – to assess
the likelihood of fire and its consequences for those in the workplace and to take
appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate such risks.
By virtue of this article, the responsible person is under a duty to ensure that general
fire precautions are in place to ensure the safety of any of his employees, or of any
relevant persons who are not his employees.
The duty imposed is very similar to that imposed by the general duties of the Health
and Safety at Work Act 1974. Employers, self employed persons and other responsible
persons must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that general fire precautions
are in place for the safety of any of their employees and other relevant persons.
Commentary