What Does RRO Mean? A Guide for Business Owners and Responsible Persons
If you’ve been researching fire safety legislation or received correspondence from the Fire and Rescue Service, you’ve likely come across the abbreviation RRO – or sometimes RRFSO.
But what does it actually mean, and why does it matter for your business?
RRO Stands for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, commonly shortened to the RRO or RRFSO, is the primary piece of fire safety legislation governing non-domestic premises in England and Wales.
It replaced over 70 separate pieces of fire safety law that had built up over decades, consolidating them into a single, unified framework.
In short, if you own, manage, or have control over a non-domestic building, the RRO almost certainly applies to you.
What Does the RRO Require?
The central requirement of the RRO is that a “Responsible Person” must be identified for every non-domestic premises.
That person, whether an employer, building owner, landlord, or managing agent, is legally required to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and implement appropriate fire safety measures based on its findings.
The fire risk assessment must identify the fire hazards present on the premises, evaluate the risks to the people who use or occupy the building, and put in place measures to either remove those hazards or reduce the risks they pose to an acceptable level.
For premises with five or more employees, the significant findings of the assessment must be recorded in writing.
The RRO also requires the Responsible Person to ensure that fire safety measures are maintained, that staff receive adequate fire safety training, and that emergency procedures and escape routes are clearly established and kept operational.
Who is the Responsible Person?
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of the RRO.
The Responsible Person is not always the building owner. It can be the employer of people who work in the building, the person who has control of the premises, such as a facilities manager or managing agent, or in some cases, the occupier.
Where multiple parties share responsibility for a building, all of them have duties under the RRO and are expected to cooperate with each other.
If you are in any doubt about whether you are the Responsible Person for a premises, the safest assumption is that you are — and to seek professional advice accordingly.
What Premises Does the RRO Cover?
The RRO applies to virtually all non-domestic premises in England and Wales.
This includes offices, shops, warehouses, factories, hotels, care homes, schools, places of worship, and shared areas of residential buildings such as blocks of flats.
It also covers vehicles, vessels, and temporary structures used for work purposes.
There is no minimum size threshold. A small independent business operating from a single room is subject to the same legal framework as a large commercial complex.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Failure to comply with the RRO is a criminal offence.
The enforcing authority, typically the local Fire and Rescue Service, has powers to inspect premises, issue enforcement notices requiring improvements within a set timeframe, issue prohibition notices restricting or stopping the use of a premises, and in serious cases, prosecute the Responsible Person.
Convictions can result in unlimited fines and, in the most serious cases, imprisonment.
Beyond the legal consequences, non-compliance means people’s lives are at risk.
The RRO exists because fires in workplaces and public buildings can be catastrophic, and most are preventable with the right measures in place.
Has the RRO Changed Recently?
Yes.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have strengthened and extended the original RRO framework, introducing additional responsibilities, particularly for the responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings.
If you manage or own a block of flats, it is worth ensuring you are up to date with these more recent requirements.
Do You Need a Fire Risk Assessment?
If your premises falls within scope of the RRO — and for most businesses and building managers, it will — then yes, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement. It is not something that can be delegated away or treated as a box-ticking exercise. It must be suitable, sufficient, and kept up to date.
At Fire Risk Assessment Surrey, we carry out professional fire risk assessments for businesses and building managers across Surrey and the surrounding areas, fully in line with the requirements of the RRO.
Whether you need an assessment for the first time or an existing one reviewed and updated, our qualified assessors are here to help.
Further Reading:
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in full: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made
- HSE Fire Safety at Work guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/fire.htm
- GOV.UK Fire Safety guidance for businesses: https://www.gov.uk/fire-safety-law
