The Fire Services (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1993

Duties as regards safety pending determination of applications for fire certificates

10.—(1) Article 26 of the principal Order (applications for fire certificates)—

(a) in paragraph (2), after “the Authority”, there shall be inserted “shall notify the applicant of his duties under paragraph (2A) and”; and

(b) after paragraph (2) there shall be inserted—

“(2A) Where an application is made for a fire certificate with respect to any premises it is the duty of the occupier to secure that, when the application is made and pending its disposal—

(a) the means of escape in case of fire with which the premises are provided can be safely and effectively used at all material times;

(b) the means for fighting fire with which the premises are provided are maintained in efficient working order; and

(c) any persons employed to work in the premises receive instruction or training in what to do in case of fire.”.

(2) In Article 28 of the principal Order (offences)—

(a) after paragraph (3), there shall be inserted—

“(3A) If, pending the disposal of an application for a fire certificate with respect to any premises, the premises are put to a designated use, then, if any requirement imposed by Article 26(2A) is contravened by reason of anything done or not done to or in relation to any part of the relevant building, the occupier shall be guilty of an offence.”; and

(b) after paragraph (5), there shall be inserted—

“(5A) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (3A) shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.”.