The ‘Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’ legislated that employers are obligated to understand the inherent risks relating to the work that they may be carrying out, and also (so far as is reasonably practicable) put measures in place to safeguard their workforce and anyone else who may be affected by their undertakings, seeking competent advice where appropriate.

These duties were further enhanced by ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Act 1999’ and ‘The Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005’, which both make specific requirements on business owners and ‘responsible persons’, in particular the need to assess any risks that may be present, and put suitable control measures in place to deal with them.

There is also a duty under all three regulations to assess the risks involved with the storage, use and transportation of hazardous or dangerous substance, particularly from a fire safety point of view.