You’ve recruited new employees, arranged their contracts and organised their first shifts. But have you considered their fire safety training? The law requires more than simply showing somebody where the fire exits are, and you shouldn’t wait until the next scheduled training course.
January is a popular time for businesses to take on new employees.
Perhaps you’ve recruited additional staff for your restaurant, appointed somebody to your office team or taken on temporary workers to help with a busy period.
You’ve arranged their employment contracts, payroll details, uniforms and induction paperwork. Their manager has explained what they’ll be doing, and they’re ready to get started.
But there’s one question worth asking before they begin work.
If the fire alarm activated during their first shift, would they know what to do?
Would they recognise the alarm?
Do they know where the emergency exits are, including the one they don’t normally use?
Could they open the exit doors, find the assembly point and explain who they should report to?
And if they’re working an evening shift, do they know what to do when their manager isn’t there?
These might sound like straightforward questions, but they’re important ones. A new employee doesn’t automatically understand your building’s fire safety arrangements simply because they’ve worked somewhere else.
So when does fire safety training need to take place, what should it cover, and how can an employer demonstrate that suitable training has been provided?
Is Fire Safety Training a Legal Requirement for New Employees?
Yes. And the requirement starts when somebody joins your business, not when your next training course happens to be scheduled.
Under Article 21 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, employers must ensure that employees receive adequate fire safety training when they are first employed.
The training must provide suitable and sufficient instruction about the precautions and actions employees need to take to protect themselves and others.
It must also be appropriate to the risks identified by the building’s fire risk assessment.
Article 19 of the Fire Safety Order requires employers to provide employees with comprehensible and relevant information about fire risks, preventive and protective measures, emergency procedures and the people nominated to carry out particular fire safety duties.
In other words, employers have responsibilities both to inform their employees and to provide the training necessary for them to respond appropriately.
That doesn’t necessarily mean every new employee needs to attend a formal fire safety course before they can start work. In a small, straightforward workplace, an appropriate site-specific induction may be sufficient for somebody with no additional fire safety responsibilities.
However, the essential fire safety information and instruction should be provided from the beginning of their employment, before they are exposed to situations where that knowledge may be needed.
A new employee shouldn’t be left working alone, closing the premises or supervising customers without understanding the relevant emergency arrangements.
What Should a New Starter’s Fire Safety Induction Include?
The starting point should be the workplace’s fire risk assessment and emergency procedures.
Every building is different. A small office has different fire risks from a commercial kitchen, workshop, care home or warehouse containing flammable materials.
However, there are some fundamental things every new employee should understand.
Fire Alarms and What to Do When They Activate
Employees should know what the fire alarm sounds like, how to raise the alarm if they discover a fire and what action they must take when the alarm activates.
That includes explaining whether the workplace has a particular evacuation procedure, who contacts the fire and rescue service and whether staff have any responsibilities for assisting customers or visitors.
It’s also worth explaining when the routine weekly fire alarm test takes place, so staff understand the difference between a planned test and an unexpected alarm activation.
Escape Routes and Emergency Exits
Showing somebody a fire exit sign isn’t the same as making sure they know how to escape.
During induction, a manager should walk the employee through the relevant escape routes, including suitable alternatives where available.
They should understand where those routes lead, how the emergency exit doors operate and why escape routes must remain clear.
The Home Office’s fire safety guidance for offices and shops specifically recommends physically walking escape routes as part of staff training.
An employee who normally enters through the front door might never have used the rear emergency exit. Discovering how it opens during a genuine fire isn’t an acceptable substitute for familiarisation.
Assembly Points and Evacuation Procedures
Employees should know where to go after leaving the building and how the organisation establishes whether everybody has escaped.
They should understand who coordinates the evacuation, how to report to the appropriate person and why they must not re-enter the building until authorised.
They also need to know the rules concerning lifts, fire doors and the safe evacuation of customers and visitors.
For example, ordinary passenger lifts shouldn’t be used during a fire unless they form part of a specifically designed and authorised evacuation arrangement.
The importance of keeping fire doors closed and reporting damage to them should also be explained.
Does Everyone Need Fire Marshal Training?
No. There is a difference between general fire safety awareness training and the additional training required by somebody appointed to carry out specific fire safety duties.
Every employee needs appropriate information and training relevant to their work.
However, an employee appointed as a fire marshal or fire warden may need additional knowledge about evacuation procedures, checking designated areas, assisting occupants and communicating with the person coordinating an evacuation.
The required number of fire marshals and their responsibilities should be determined by the fire risk assessment and the building’s emergency arrangements.
Not every workplace needs the same staffing arrangement, and simply appointing somebody as a fire marshal doesn’t demonstrate that they’re competent.
Additional training may also be necessary for keyholders, duty managers and staff responsible for opening or closing premises.
For example, a restaurant manager might need to understand how to isolate cooking equipment safely, who calls the emergency services and what information should be given to firefighters.
A warehouse supervisor might need specific instruction about hazardous substances or shutting down machinery.
These responsibilities should be understood before the employee is expected to carry them out.
What About Agency Workers and Temporary Staff?
This is an area where misunderstandings can occur.
A business might assume that because somebody has been supplied by an employment agency, the agency is responsible for their fire safety training.
But that’s not the complete position.
Under Article 20 of the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person must provide appropriate instructions and comprehensible, relevant fire safety information to people working in their undertaking who aren’t their employees.
The legislation also requires relevant fire safety information to be shared with employers of outside workers, together with information about those nominated to implement evacuation procedures.
The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on agency and temporary workers explains that day-to-day health and safety responsibilities during an assignment generally rest with the business directing the work, because it is best placed to manage the workplace risks.
The employment relationship determines which duties apply, but the practical message is straightforward.
Don’t assume the recruitment agency has explained your building’s fire alarm, escape routes and emergency arrangements.
A temporary employee working a single shift still needs appropriate information about what to do if there’s a fire.
The same principle applies to relevant contractors, cleaners and other people working on the premises.
What About Staff Working Nights and Weekends?
These employees are sometimes the easiest to overlook.
A business might organise its inductions during office hours, when managers and senior staff are available.
But what happens to somebody whose first shift starts at 6pm, or a cleaner who works alone after the building has closed?
The fire safety arrangements must take account of the times when people actually work.
The Home Office recognises that employees working permanent night shifts, particularly in premises where people sleep, may require more frequent training.
For businesses operating multiple shifts, it’s important to make sure everybody receives the necessary instruction, not just employees who attend daytime meetings.
Fire drills should also be organised so that the effectiveness of arrangements for different shifts can be assessed.
A new starter shouldn’t miss essential training simply because their working hours don’t coincide with the manager’s normal schedule.
What if a New Employee Needs Help to Evacuate?
A fire safety induction should also consider whether the employee can use the building’s evacuation arrangements safely.
Some people may require assistance because of a disability, medical condition, temporary injury or another circumstance affecting their ability to evacuate.
Employers should provide an appropriate, confidential opportunity for new employees to identify any assistance they may need.
Where necessary, suitable individual evacuation arrangements should be developed before the person is expected to work in circumstances where those arrangements might be needed.
This may involve a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, commonly called a PEEP, or another suitable documented arrangement.
The approach should be based on the person’s needs, the building and the risks involved, rather than assuming everybody requires the same solution.
Information about personal circumstances should be handled sensitively and in accordance with data protection requirements.
Importantly, employers shouldn’t wait until a fire drill reveals that somebody cannot evacuate safely.
How Often Does Fire Safety Training Need Refreshing?
This is another question where it’s important to distinguish the law from guidance.
Article 21 requires fire safety training to be repeated periodically where appropriate, adapted to changed risks and provided again when employees are exposed to new or increased risks.
However, the legislation doesn’t prescribe a universal twelve-month refresher interval for every workplace.
The Home Office’s guidance on fire safety training explains that recognised practice is for refresher training to take place at least annually, with more frequent training where necessary.
The appropriate frequency should be considered within the fire risk assessment.
For example, a business with high staff turnover, complex evacuation procedures or significant fire hazards may need more frequent instruction and refresher sessions.
Training may also need to be repeated when employees change roles, new equipment is introduced, working practices change or the building’s emergency arrangements are revised.
An employee who becomes a duty manager, starts working alone or takes on fire marshal responsibilities may need further training even if they completed their last refresher course only a few months earlier.
The same applies when the premises change. If a refurbishment alters the escape routes, employees need to understand the new arrangements before they rely on them.
Is Online Fire Safety Training Enough?
Online training can be a useful way of providing general fire safety awareness, particularly where organisations need to train employees across several locations.
It can cover common causes of fire, fire prevention, evacuation principles, the purpose of fire doors and the responsibilities of employees.
However, completing an online course doesn’t automatically mean somebody understands the arrangements in their own workplace.
They still need to know where the emergency exits are, how the local alarm operates, where to assemble and what responsibilities apply to their role.
That’s why we recommend combining appropriate general fire safety training with a practical, site-specific induction.
For larger organisations, this can be an effective approach: consistent core training supported by a short induction at each workplace.
How Can You Prove Your Staff Have Been Trained?
This is where record keeping becomes important.
Article 21 doesn’t prescribe a particular training certificate or induction form. However, the Home Office guidance recommends that fire safety training should be verifiable and explains that enforcing authorities may ask to examine training records.
Simply showing that somebody was sent a training video doesn’t necessarily demonstrate that they understood the information.
It’s worth checking their understanding.
Can the employee identify the nearest suitable exit? Do they know the alternative route? Can they explain where they should assemble and what they should do if they discover a fire?
These don’t need to be complicated assessments. A short conversation and practical walk-through can establish whether the employee has understood the essentials.
A suitable induction record might include the employee’s name, the date, who provided the instruction, the topics covered, the escape routes demonstrated and any additional training required.
It should also record that understanding was checked.
There are real consequences when businesses cannot demonstrate suitable fire safety arrangements.
In September 2025, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service reported the successful prosecution of a takeaway company director following multiple serious breaches of the Fire Safety Order.
Among the findings was a lack of evidence of sufficient staff fire safety training, alongside inadequate fire detection, escape arrangements and maintenance.
The case wasn’t solely about missing training records, but it demonstrates why fire safety training forms part of a business’s wider legal responsibilities.
A training record should demonstrate what was provided, not simply that somebody signed a form.
What Should Employers Do Before Their January Starters Arrive?
A little preparation can make the process straightforward.
Before a new employee starts, check that the workplace’s emergency procedures are current and that the person responsible for delivering the induction understands them.
Make sure there is time during the employee’s first shift to explain the relevant fire safety arrangements and walk the escape routes.
Consider whether they will be working alone, supervising customers, using particular equipment or undertaking tasks that introduce additional fire risks.
Where necessary, arrange further training before those responsibilities begin.
And don’t forget to retain an appropriate record of the instruction provided.
For most straightforward workplaces, a well-organised induction doesn’t need to be complicated. It does, however, need to be relevant, understandable and delivered at the right time.
Fire Safety Training Isn’t Something to Leave Until Later
When somebody joins your business, there is a great deal for them to learn. Fire safety might seem like a relatively small part of their induction, particularly when there’s pressure to get them working.
But a new employee doesn’t know your building, your fire alarm or your emergency procedures simply because they’ve worked somewhere similar before.
The law requires appropriate fire safety training from the start of employment, with additional instruction when responsibilities or risks change.
General awareness training, practical familiarisation, refresher sessions and suitable records all have a part to play.
The important question isn’t whether your new starter has been given a fire safety certificate. It’s whether they know what to do if there’s a fire, and whether you can demonstrate that you’ve prepared them properly.
Fire Safety Training and Consultancy from ESI: Fire Safety
At ESI: Fire Safety, we help businesses understand their fire safety responsibilities and provide practical training appropriate to their premises and activities.
Our training includes fire safety awareness, fire marshal and fire warden instruction, fire extinguisher training and workplace fire safety briefings.
We also undertake fire risk assessments and provide consultancy to help employers identify the training and emergency arrangements appropriate to their workplace.
You can read more about our approach to fire safety training and learner support.
We work with businesses throughout Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, South West London and the wider South East.
Whether you’re recruiting new employees, reviewing your induction process or need to arrange refresher or fire marshal training, we can help you establish what’s appropriate for your business.
ESI: Fire Safety — No Shortcuts in Safety.
Contact ESI: Fire Safety or call 01276 300 351 to discuss your workplace fire safety training requirements.
This article focuses on fire safety legislation applicable to workplaces in England and Wales. Training arrangements should reflect the risks, people and emergency procedures relevant to each premises.
