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• The term "responsible person" is used in the context of the Fire Safety Order 2005, which is a piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that outlines the fire safety requirements for non-domestic premises.

• According to the Fire Safety Order 2005, the responsible person is the person who has control over the premises, or who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems within the premises. This could be the owner of the building, the employer, or anyone else who has control over the premises, such as a facilities manager.

• The responsible person has a legal obligation to ensure that the premises meet certain fire safety standards, and to take steps to prevent fires from occurring. This includes carrying out a fire risk assessment, implementing appropriate fire safety measures, and ensuring that all occupants of the building are provided with adequate fire safety information and training. If a fire does occur, the responsible person is also responsible for ensuring that everyone in the building is able to evacuate safely.

• In the context of the Fire Safety Order 2005, the term "responsible person" generally refers to the body corporate, which is the legal entity that owns or manages the building in question. This could include a company, a partnership, or another type of organisation.

The duties of the Responsible Person under the RRFSO include the following:

• Undertaking a fire risk assessment - The Responsible Person must carry out a fire risk assessment and identify any potential fire hazards and risks in the premises.

• Implementing appropriate measures - The Responsible Person must implement appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate the risks identified in the fire risk assessment. This may include installing fire alarms and detectors, ensuring that fire doors are kept closed, and providing fire extinguishers and signage.

• Ensuring that systems are in place to manage fire safety - The Responsible Person must ensure that systems are in place to manage fire safety, including maintaining equipment, providing staff training, and ensuring that escape routes are kept clear.

• Ensuring that employees are provided with information, instruction, and training - The Responsible Person must ensure that employees are provided with information, instruction, and training on the measures in place to manage fire safety in the premises.

• Co-operating and co-ordinating with other Responsible Persons - Where there is more than one Responsible Person, they must co-operate and co-ordinate with each other to ensure that the requirements of the RRFSO are complied with.

• Failure to comply with the requirements of the RRFSO can result in serious consequences, including fines and imprisonment. It is therefore important that the Responsible Person takes their responsibilities seriously and ensures that appropriate measures are in place to manage fire safety in the premises.

EWS stands for external wall system. The EWS of a building is all the materials within external walls including insulation, coverings, fixtures, and fittings.

An EWS1 certificate is confirmation of the kind of external walls that a building has. This confirmation is done via a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) which is conducted by a qualified professional.

Outcomes of this assessment can range from A1 down to B2:

• A1 – There are no attachments whose constructions includes significant quantities of combustible materials.

• A2 – There is an appropriate risk assessment of the attachments confirming that no remedial works are required.

• A3 – Where neither of the above two options apply, there may be potential costs of remedial works to attachments.

• B1 – The conclusion is that the fire risk is sufficiently low that no remedial works are required.

• B2 – The conclusion is that the fire risk is sufficiently high that remedial works are required.

An EWS1 is usually requested by a bank or an insurance company. The most common reasons for needing an EWS1 is for a loan, or for insurance purposes.

An EWS1 is the responsibility of building owners. Sometimes another authority, for example property managers, have been passed the responsibility for the building in which case they can request an EWS1. Individual leaseholders can’t ask for an EWS1 without engaging permissions from whoever is in control of the building.