What Responsibilities Does A Fire Warden Have?

In your business, you’ll need to appoint at least one person to be the fire warden. This person will be responsible for taking over the fire safety plan in the building and should manage preventative and protective measures to help avoid fire risks. But what are they really supposed to do?

Who Should Be A Fire Warden?

The first step is to determine who should take on the role of a fire warden. If your business is over ten people, you should consider appointing more than one person. Ideally, they will be:

Responsible

Anyone who shirks their duties will not do well in this role.

Able-Bodied

As the fire warden is responsible for making sure everyone gets out of the building if there is a fire, they will need to be able to help others get out if needed.  

Calm Under Pressure

In the event of a fire, you need to rely on this person and that means you want someone who can handle the pressure. They should be able to get everyone else out before leaving themselves.

The person selected should also be well respected by those throughout the business, as they will need people to listen when they advise them.

Main Responsibilities Of A Fire Warden

The fire warden has several responsibilities, but the most important ones are to ensure everyone evacuated the building in an emergency. They will also need to check the building and area to ensure no one stays back. They’re responsible for getting everyone out.

However, there are other things that the fire warden will need to do, including:

Fire Briefings

Ensuring everyone knows what the emergency protocols are, where the evacuation routes and fire escapes are, and where the assembly points are.

Evacuation

Running drills, checking for security along the evacuation route, and resolving any issues that may pose a problem during the evacuation.

Monitoring

Checking fire safety and visually inspecting signage, fire escape routes, fire equipment, and fire alarms. They should also check that the fire alarms are audible to all employees.

Reports

If there are any unsafe practices or fire risks happening, the fire warden needs to report these.

Planning

Helping HR and occupational professionals with personal emergency evacuation plans.

In the event of an emergency, the fire warden will ensure people understand there is a fire alarm going off, have everyone check their area for smoke or fire, and evacuate them. They’ll also do a full sweep of their area and check toilets, cupboards, and other rooms on the way to the escape route, to ensure no one is missed.



It’s helpful to have your fire warden undergo training so they know exactly what is expected of them. At Ace Fire and Safety, we offer this course to help your fire wardens know what to do. Book today.