The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 contains provisions which deal with the law relating to fire prevention and safety in Scotland. The Act replaced old legislation, and modernised the operation of the Fire and Rescue Service. Parts of the Act relate to the powers and duties of the Fire and Rescue Service, as well as introduced a new fire safety regime in Scotland, and consolidated and rationalised the existing fire safety legislation by replacing the Fire Precautions Act 1971, and a variety of other regulations. Furthermore, the Act specifies general duties in relation to workplaces and other premises and determines the enforcing authorities of the legislation, setting out their duties and powers.
In addition, the Act sets out the fire safety duties for relevant premises in Scotland. The expression "relevant premises" is clearly defined in the Act: most premises, apart from private homes, and specifically exempted premises such as those occupied by the armed forces, are included in the definition. As a result, all sectors of business in Scotland, including the self-employed, the voluntary sector and charities, will be subject to the new single fire safety regime. The Act will also apply to all workplaces with one or more employees, and will also apply to houses licensed as Houses in Multiple Occupation and those subject to certain control orders or management orders.
