The Responsible Person is generally the employer for a workplace, but owners, landlords, occupiers and others with control of premises may also have duties. In shared buildings, relevant Responsible Persons must cooperate and coordinate so that gaps between leases or management responsibilities do not create fire-safety gaps.
Start with who controls what
The Fire Safety Order links responsibility to employment, occupation and control. A tenant may control its demise and staff procedures, while a landlord or managing agent may control common escape routes, shared alarm systems, fire doors, plant areas or building-wide maintenance.
There can be more than one Responsible Person
Multi-occupied commercial buildings commonly involve several Responsible Persons. One party's duties do not automatically remove another party's responsibilities for the parts of the premises or fire precautions that they control.
Cooperation and coordination matter
Responsible Persons sharing premises must cooperate and coordinate where their duties overlap. This is particularly important for common escape routes, shared alarm systems, fire strategies, evacuation arrangements, maintenance and information about significant risks.
The lease is important but is not the whole answer
Lease terms, service-charge arrangements and management contracts help establish who has contractual responsibility for work, but statutory duties also depend on actual control. A contractual dispute should not leave a known fire-safety issue unmanaged.
Create a clear responsibility record
For shared buildings, it is useful to record who is responsible for each key fire-safety measure, who arranges testing and maintenance, how defects are escalated and how information is shared between occupiers and the building manager.