Why the wording causes confusion
People often use the words law, regulation, guidance, standard, and best practice as if they all mean the same thing. They do not, but they do interact.
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 creates legal duties for fire safety in many non-domestic premises. British Standards such as BS 5839 help show what good practice can look like for specific systems.
The Fire Safety Order
The Fire Safety Order places duties on the responsible person. That person must carry out and review a fire risk assessment, put suitable fire safety measures in place, maintain them, and provide information and training where required.
The exact measures needed depend on the premises and the risk. That is why the fire risk assessment is central.
Where British Standards fit
British Standards are not always law by themselves, but they are often used to demonstrate recognised good practice. For fire alarms, BS 5839 is commonly used when designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining systems.
If a system departs from recognised standards, there should be a clear and competent reason. A responsible person may need to justify why the arrangements are still suitable.
What responsible persons should do
- Carry out and review a suitable fire risk assessment
- Maintain fire alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers, and other precautions
- Keep records of tests, servicing, drills, training, and defects
- Act on faults and significant findings
- Review arrangements when the premises, occupancy, or use changes
Practical compliance
Compliance is not just owning equipment. It is a management system: assess, plan, maintain, train, record, review, and improve.
The safest approach is to use recognised standards and competent people where technical judgement is needed, while keeping day-to-day records clear enough to show what has actually been done.