Procedures for serious and imminent danger and for danger areas

15.—(1) The responsible person must—

(a)establish and, where necessary, give effect to appropriate procedures, including safety drills, to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger to relevant persons;

(b)nominate a sufficient number of competent persons to implement those procedures in so far as they relate to the evacuation of relevant persons from the premises; and

(c)ensure that no relevant person has access to any area to which it is necessary to restrict access on grounds of safety, unless the person concerned has received adequate safety instruction.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1)(a), the procedures referred to in that sub-paragraph must—

(a)so far as is practicable, require any relevant persons who are exposed to serious and imminent danger to be informed of the nature of the hazard and of the steps taken or to be taken to protect them from it;

(b)enable the persons concerned (if necessary by taking appropriate steps in the absence of guidance or instruction and in the light of their knowledge and the technical means at their disposal) to stop work and immediately proceed to a place of safety in the event of their being exposed to serious, imminent and unavoidable danger; and

(c)save in exceptional cases for reasons duly substantiated (which cases and reasons must be specified in those procedures), require the persons concerned to be prevented from resuming work in any situation where there is still a serious and imminent danger.

(3) A person is to be regarded as competent for the purposes of paragraph (1) where he has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable him properly to implement the evacuation procedures referred to in that paragraph.

What the Enforcement Guidance says:

The responsible person is under a duty to provide appropriate procedures to be
followed in the event of serious and imminent danger from fire to relevant persons.
He must nominate a sufficient number of competent persons to implement these
procedures to ensure the safety of all relevant persons. The procedures must be
supported by appropriate training and instruction including safety drills (see articles
16 and 18–21). The Order defines a place of safety as “in relation to premises, means
a safe area beyond the premises.” This definition is intended to make it clear that an
area such as an internal courtyard enclosed by a building from which no further escape
can be made without re-entering the building should not be regarded as a place of
safety. However, it is recognised that where further movement is possible from an area
which offers temporary protection from the fire to a place where relevant person will
no longer be affected by the fire at all, ie a place away from the premises, that area may
be regarded as a place of reasonable safety (the area away from the premises where
relevant persons are no longer at risk being regarded as places of total safety). These
phrases are explained in the published guidance documents listed in the section about
article 50.
It is for the enforcing authority to make a judgement as to whether the responsible
person has established an adequate emergency plan. Such a plan (which may include
diagrams or drawings) will include requirements to inform persons of the nature of
the hazard and of the steps to be taken to protect them, to stop work immediately and
proceed to a place of safety, and to prevent the resumption of work where a serious
danger still exists.