RRO 2005
The Fire Safety Order 2005: evacuation and accountability duties
Updated 2026
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes a named responsible person accountable for fire safety in almost all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. They must carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment, put in place appropriate fire precautions and an emergency plan, and make sure staff are trained. Accounting for people at muster points is part of an effective evacuation, and a live, timestamped head count is the clearest way to show the plan works.
- 1. legislation.gov.uk
- 2. RRO 2005
- 3. RRO 2005
Who is responsible
The Order applies to virtually all non-domestic premises, workplaces, shops, hotels, care settings, warehouses and the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings. It places the duty on the responsible person, usually the employer, owner or occupier who has control of the premises.
That person must carry out a fire risk assessment, keep it up to date, and act on its findings. The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022 clarified and extended how the Order applies to higher-risk and multi-occupied residential buildings.
Emergency plans and evacuation
Article 15 requires procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger, including the steps to evacuate the premises. For anything larger than a small office, that means a workable plan for getting people out and confirming they are out.
Traditional roll-call at an assembly point is slow and hard to audit, especially where the building is large, the public is present, or occupants cannot self-evacuate. A live muster count removes the guesswork about who is still inside.
How real-time accountability helps
The Salvus Network detects each person's safety tag at Safety Detection Points on exits and muster points, producing a live SAFE / EVACUATING / MISSING picture the moment the alarm sounds, and a record of when each person reached safety.
For the responsible person, that turns the evacuation part of the fire risk assessment from an assertion into evidence, useful for training reviews, insurers and, if it is ever needed, a fire authority audit.
The Salvus Safety Desk
HSE research & compliance team
The Salvus Safety Desk is our in-house health, safety and compliance team, drawing on frontline experience across COMAH, DSEAR and CDM sites to translate regulation into practical, real-time controls.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Fire Safety Order require an electronic muster system?+
No specific technology is mandated. The Order requires suitable evacuation procedures and that they are effective. An electronic, timestamped muster record is a robust way to demonstrate that your procedure works.
Does the Order apply to residential buildings?+
It applies to the common parts of multi-occupied residential buildings, not to the inside of individual private dwellings. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that structure, external walls and flat entrance doors are within scope.
Book a live evacuation demo
A guided live walk-through of what the platform can do.