The Environment and Safety Information Act 1988 requires fire services and local authorities to maintain a publicly available register of information concerning the service of prohibition, alteration and enforcement notices, which must be open to inspection by the public, free of charge.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service issues notices under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Publication of this register also fulfills our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- Alterations Notices – served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the premises may constitute a serious risk to relevant persons if an alteration is made. Such a notice requires that the enforcing authority is contacted prior to making any alterations to the premises.
- Enforcement Notices – served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the responsible person has failed to comply with any of the provisions of the legislation. These are only served in cases where a serious failure (or numerous less serious failures) is evident. An enforcement notice will have a date by which compliance of the specified items is required. The articles listed within the register refer to areas of non-compliance with the Fire Safety Order e.g. A9 (Article 9) – indicates that the fire risk assessment may not be suitable and sufficient. Full details of any building defect are not provided in the interests of public safety.
- Prohibition Notices – served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that there is a risk to relevant persons, so serious in case of fire, that the use of all or part of the premises should be restricted or prohibited. The commentary within the register details the nature of the deficiency and reason for the restriction.
In order to discharge our statutory duty, we publish the required information on the website of the National Fire Chiefs Council, click here to view the register (opens a new window) For further information, please contact us via [email protected]
The main national register of notices served has now recently been moved to a new site; the link above has been amended to reflect this change. Please be aware that work is being undertaken to reorganise the register and refresh it with new and updated information.