Why fire protection at all?
In addition to the legal requirements – and the resulting liability risks – the economic consequences of fires should always be considered:
- Fun can only come from (outliving) customers.
- Image
- loss of business
- missing insurance benefits
So in addition to the responsibility for your guests and customers, responsible parties also bear the risk of possible personal penalties for themselves and economic damage for the company. For example, according to previous statistics, nearly three-quarters of businesses that have been affected by major fires no longer exist three years after them. Reasons include customer churn during the business downtime, lack of confidence in safety, or insurance companies denying benefits due to identified deficiencies.
Why fire safety officers?
Fire protection officers bring together corporate goals and safety interests. As part of their involvement in fire protection, their most important task is to protect people. However, they not only check and monitor fire protection measures in the company, they also actively cooperate and advise the company management. In this way, fire protection officers can develop fire protection measures that are optimized for operational processes or compensatory measures in the event of disruptions (construction measures, partial outages or similar). In this way, they can promote physical safety and financial gain at the same time. One of their other tasks is to consult and coordinate with authorities, fire departments and insurers, which helps relieve the burden on managers just as much as taking on other tasks such as drawing up evacuation plans and organizing mandatory evacuation drills (see § 4 ArbSchG).
Why is a fire safety officer legally required?
In principle, there are various requirements regarding the obligation for companies to appoint a fire protection officer. These are based on occupational health and safety, building law and also on the requirements of insurers. As is often the case, the requirements depend on the local and company-specific circumstances. In terms of building law, the type and use of the building are decisive, but this can vary from state to state. In Berlin, for example, the function of a fire safety officer is mandatory in sales premises (§ 9 para. 2 Betriebs-Verordnung Berlin [BetrVO]) and in high-rise buildings in (§ 43 BetrVO]). In Berlin places of assembly, on the other hand, according to § 36 (1) BetrVO, the necessity must be defined and checked accordingly in advance. In lodging establishments, the operator can delegate the tasks to a representative (§15 (5) BetrVO). However, fire protection officers can also be required by brewery law beyond the threshold of special construction if they are part of the building permit.
Furthermore, the Occupational Health and Safety Act obliges employers to prepare a risk assessment. This in turn can result in the specific appointment of a fire protection officer. In addition, a fire protection officer can also be appointed to ensure that traffic safety obligations are met.
Insurers can also make fire protection measures a requirement. This can also include the appointment of a fire protection officer.
In short: fire safety officers increase safety and support the responsible persons decisively in harmonizing fire safety with company objectives in a legally compliant manner. Many companies in the MICE industry have to appoint a fire safety officer. Those above and beyond are recommended to do so.
Do we need a fire safety officer or can he facilitate the operation?
What tasks must a fire safety officer perform in our company?
Who is suitable for the function?
Feel free to contact us with your questions:
Marco Paul
A.V.B.-Akademie GmbH. & Co. KG
(Occupational safety, event safety, visitor safety, evacuation, panic prevention)
Berlin branch:
Rosenthaler Weg 15
13127 Berlin
Phone: 015209210125
E-mail: Paul@AVB-Akademie.de
Internet: www.avb-akademie.de
Cooperation partner of:
www.jastrob.de
Expert office for event safety,
Visitor safety and occupational safety