How many fire marshals should be appointed in the workplace?

If you own a business with premises where there are buildings and people to protect, there’s no doubt you need to appoint a fire marshal as part your fire safety protocol.

If you’re the person in charge, how many fire marshals you assign is a fundamental part of your responsibility, but it’s not always obvious, either from expert advice or the legislation, exactly how many personnel that should be.

Types of workplaces vary hugely, from small private premises to large public buildings, as does their risk of fire incidents, which is why there’s no one-size-fits-all rule.

Here we look at what you need to consider when determining how many fire marshals you appoint in your organisation. 

What is a fire marshal and what do they do?

A fire marshal – also known as fire warden – is a designated staff member who oversees fire safety in the workplace.

This includes fire risk assessments and safety measures to reduce the threat of fire, as well as co-ordinate evacuations and emergency protocol should fire break out.

Employers in the UK are legally obliged under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety (Scotland) to ensure this role, or roles, are filled and adequate training is provided.

An example of duties include:

• Determining effective fire safety measures needed in the unique workplace, ensuring they are put in place, monitored and updated as necessary.
• Communicate with the workforce with regards to fire safety awareness and protocol, including fire drills, escape plans and exits.
• Take charge in an emergency, including leading evacuations, liaising with fire crews, accounting for personnel, assisting anyone in need and using fire extinguishers where necessary, if full training has been carried out.

Appointing fire marshals

There is no official recommendation for the exact number required, with the law stating that the person in charge should ascertain the needs, based on a risk assessment.

While this may seem vague, there is criteria that can help determine whether your company falls into low, medium or high risk of fire, and it will depend on several factors, including:

• The size of your workforce and site.
• How many hazards are present.
• What type of work goes on there (for example, construction sites with hot work activities and large kitchen areas or plants using chemicals are going to pose more risk of fire than an empty warehouse or a small office.)
• Are there people with disabilities to consider? Any vulnerable occupants, be it staff or visitors, you may need to dedicate a warden to them during an evacuation, and a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) should be drawn up.
• How many floors, rooms and buildings are within your premises? Larger premises will need extra wardens for each distinct working area, including canteens, reception areas and stores. It is generally recommended (but not a legal requirement) that there should be one fire warden for each floor, no matter how many staff there are.
• What kind of cover will you need for illness, annual leave or shift patterns? Businesses operating shift work will need to ensure there are enough fire wardens to cover every area during every shift (for example, if you have three shift patters, you will need to appoint three sets of fire wardens.)

How to know the risk level at your workplace

No two premises will be entirely the same, however, here is a general guide so you can see which risk category your business may fall into.

Low risk premises include: Small shops and offices with few staff.

Threat level: No heat sources, very few flammable materials or combustibles. No vulnerable occupants. Well maintained and solid buildings. Well maintained fire safety measures in place.

Medium risk premises (average) include: Larger shops and offices, leisure facilities, light manufacturing and warehouses.

Threat level: Sources of heat present, with some highly flammable materials. Unconventional building. Small number of vulnerable occupants. Evacuation likely to be successful with either slow spreading fire or flame confinement. Adequate, well maintained fire measures in place.

High risk premises include: Restaurants, heavy manufacturing and industrial premises, along with schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.

Threat level: Serious risk to life in the event of fire. Large number of combustibles or highly flammable materials, with easy ignition. Exits make evacuation difficult. High chance of fire spreading speedily. Some vulnerable occupants (young, elderly or impaired). Poor fire safety measures in place.

How many fire marshals should there be in your workplace?

With the help of the general guidance below, you should be able to determine the number of wardens you need after completing your unique risk assessment for your business and setting the risk levels based on your individual circumstances.

Low risk

• 1 fire warden for up to 50 people
• 2 fire wardens for 50 -100 people
• 1 fire warden for every additional 100 people

Medium risk

• 1 fire warden for up to 20 people
• 2 fire wardens for 20 -75 people
• 1 fire warden for every additional 75 people

High risk

• 1 fire warden for up to 15 people
• 2 fire wardens for 15 – 50 people
• 1 fire warden for every additional 50 people

You must add 25-50% to the number of nominated fire wardens shown above to allow for holidays, sickness and other absences.

Why does a high risk environment require more fire wardens?

There are a few specific reasons why more fire wardens should be assigned to high risk areas – essentially it means more trained hands on deck during an emergency, which reduces the risk to lives and buildings.

For example, high risk workplaces may contain chemicals or flammable substances, meaning fire can spready rapidly and leave less time to evacuate. Areas with machinery or complex layouts may also mitigate safe exits. Extra support should also be on hand for situations where there may be more vulnerable people presents in the case of fire. For example, children in schools or elderly people in care homes.

How to decide who will be fire marshal

It is sensible to look at who naturally and practically fits this (or these) roles in your organisation, for example, facilities or buildings managers, care takers or admin staff.

However, anyone who is competent, willing and able to undertake training and carry out necessary tasks in a calm and effective manner would be a good fit.

Often staff members nominate themselves voluntarily for these positions, but all appointments should be made in consultation with individuals and their direct managers, if applicable.

They don’t need to be fully trained as this can come after.

What training should fire marshals receive?

Having enough trained and competent staff reduces the risk of fire – and its impact – on workplace and staff dramatically.

Official fire warden training would provide formal qualifications that are valid for three years, also fulfilling an employer’s legal obligation to comply with current fire regulations.