Fire Certificates (Special Premises) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991

Explanatory Note

This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations provide that a fire certificate issued by the Department of Economic Development shall, subject to exceptions. be required in respect of premises of the kind specified in Schedule 1. They make provision as to applications for and the issue of such certificates. their contents and the conditions which they may impose. They specify the steps to be taken where material changes are proposed or have occurred and provide for the variation or cancellation of fire certificates. They provide that, subject to exceptions persons are not to work on premises for which a fire certificate is required unless such a certificate is in force and the conditions attached to it are being complied with or an application has been made for a fire certificate and it has not been refused or withdrawn. The Regulations also make provision for appeals in specified cases, including a refusal to issue or vary a fire certificate modify local Acts, give power to the county court to modify agreements and apportion expenses, and provide for the granting of exemptions. Transitional provisions include the provision that fire certificates issued under the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 which are in force immediately before a fire certificate becomes required under these Regulations are deemed to have been issued under these Regulations.

A person who contravenes the Regulations is guilty of an offence under Article 31 of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding 52.000, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine.