With frequent headlines asking whether the UK is becoming a surveillance society, the related question also arises about how open our society is, says Ron Alalouff. In the fire safety community, I sometimes get the impression that people are reluctant to come forward and air their views openly.

Whether this is because they are worried that they are alone in those views, or they are just concerned not to upset the apple cart, is not always clear. But there are now clear signs that more people are finding their voices and what's more, they are finding that they are not alone.

It is now becoming abundantly clear that fire safety practitioners need more help understanding and applying the UK's fire safety legislation – in the the shape of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order in England and Wales, and similar provisions in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are now numerous examples of confusion, inconsistency and ambiguity in the provisions of the legislation and its application in practice. Sometimes it is a matter of building owners or managers having more confidence in themselves, or the people they employ, in coming up with sensible fire safety precautions and risk assessments. If they can show that they have considered the risks carefully and can justify the conclusions and actions they have taken, they are much less likely to be caught out. But often it is the legislation itself, with its liberal use of terms such as ‘competent person' and ‘reasonable and practicable' that causes people to tear their hair out.

Reviewing the situation
Last year, the government started a review of how the legislation in England and Wales is bedding down but as yet, we have not heard of any conclusions or proposed action. But in publishing additional guidelines for the independent paid accommodation sector, CLG (the Communities and Local Government department) tacitly acknowledged that this sector at least – as well as the fire and rescue services enforcing it – needed ‘further and better particulars', as the lawyers say.

Judging from some of the forthright and heartfelt pleas I have heard, what is now needed from CLG is a clear an open response to these wider concerns and, where appropriate, better and more consistent guidance on everyone's respective fire safety roles.