If you run a small business with fewer than five employees, you may be wondering whether you’re legally required to carry out fire drills. After all, the fire safety rules often mention written risk assessments for businesses with five or more staff, but what does that mean for your fire procedures?
The short answer is: yes, you do need to conduct fire drills, even if you have fewer than five employees. In this post, we’ll explain why, what the law actually says, and what you should be doing as a small employer to stay compliant and keep people safe.
Fire Safety Law Applies to All Workplaces
The key piece of legislation that governs workplace fire safety in England and Wales is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, often shortened to the Fire Safety Order.
Under this law, if you are responsible for a business premises (as an employer, owner, landlord, or occupier), you must:
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Carry out a fire risk assessment
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Put in place appropriate fire safety measures
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Provide suitable training and information to employees
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Plan for emergencies and maintain safe evacuation procedures
None of these duties are waived just because you have fewer than five staff. The only real difference is that you aren’t legally required to keep the fire risk assessment in writing, but you still have to do one, and act on it.
Are Fire Drills Legally Required?
The Fire Safety Order requires all businesses to plan for emergency evacuation and ensure everyone on the premises knows what to do in the event of a fire.
According to the UK Government’s fire safety guidance:
“You should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results.”
This is best practice for any organisation, and although the written record of a fire drill may not be mandatory for very small businesses, the drill itself absolutely is.
What If My Team Is Just Me and One Other Person?
Even if you only have a couple of people working for you, or even if you’re a sole trader operating from a shared space, you still need to:
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Know your fire exit routes
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Understand the evacuation procedure
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Be aware of any hazards or alarm systems
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Communicate this clearly to any staff, contractors, or visitors
A “fire drill” in a micro-business might be as simple as walking through the escape route and confirming how you’d evacuate. But it should still be done at least annually, and whenever:
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The layout changes
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New staff join
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There’s a significant change in your fire risk
What If I Rent a Unit in a Shared Building?
If your business operates from a shared premises, like an office block or industrial estate, the building manager or landlord may already coordinate a fire drill for the entire site. In this case, you should:
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Take part in the building-wide fire drills
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Make sure your staff attend and understand the procedure
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Keep a note of when the drill took place and any issues encountered
Even if you’re only renting a small office or workshop, you still have responsibilities for the areas you control, and for making sure your team knows what to do.
Fire Drills Are About More Than Compliance
While meeting your legal duties is important, fire drills offer real-life benefits too:
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Confirm your fire exits are clear and practical
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Identify potential confusion or hesitation during evacuation
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Give staff confidence in what to do during a real emergency
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Check alarm audibility and route signage
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Reveal issues like doors that stick or routes that are poorly lit
In small businesses, fire safety can easily be overlooked, but a short, simple drill once a year could make all the difference in an emergency.
Quick Checklist for Small Employers
Here’s what you should be doing, even if you have fewer than five staff:
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Carry out a fire risk assessment (written or verbal)
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Identify escape routes and final exits
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Ensure fire extinguishers and alarms are in place and maintained
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Explain the evacuation plan to your staff
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Carry out and document a fire drill at least once a year
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Review your procedures if anything changes
Final Thoughts
Even the smallest businesses are not exempt from fire safety duties. If you have fewer than five employees, you may not need to document everything, but you are still responsible for planning, communicating, and practising how you and your team would evacuate in an emergency.
Fire doesn’t discriminate by company size, and neither should your safety procedures.
For expert advice on fire protection and prevention measures, contact Martyn Young Fireproofing Consultancy on 07585 896648