What to check
- Establish who employs people at the site and who controls its use.
- Identify the owner, landlord, occupier and managing parties.
- Map shared spaces alongside the relevant contractual interfaces.
- Record named contacts and arrangements for cooperation.
Plan the next decision
Assess duties against actual control of the building. Instructing a contractor for defined tasks does not automatically transfer the responsible person’s duties to that contractor.
Name the decision-maker who can approve work, specify access arrangements and set the required outcome. Safety, security and compliance decisions need competent assessment supported by information about the particular premises.
Records and follow-up
Retain the instruction, findings and completed actions together with completion evidence. Assign each outstanding recommendation an owner and a due date in the site records.
Related work
Review compliance and specialist risk and maintenance, then contact the responsible business with the requirement for the building concerned.
Source
Consult current official guidance when identifying those with responsibility. Relate the guidance to actual control of the premises and check current requirements before using time-sensitive information.
Frequently asked questions
Can there be more than one responsible person?
Yes. People with control of different parts of a building may share responsibilities. They need to cooperate and coordinate fire safety measures.
Does appointing a contractor remove my responsibilities?
Commissioning help does not remove the responsible person’s duties. Make sure the assessment, action plan and arrangements for maintaining measures are understood.
