A fire can destroy work, property and lives within minutes. That is why fire protection is governed by law and concerns everyone, not only the employer. This lesson explains which regulations apply, how activities are divided by fire risk and what you have to do.
Which regulations apply
- The Fire Protection Act (zákon o požární ochraně, Act No. 133/1985 Sb.; "Sb." stands for Sbírka zákonů, the Collection of Laws). This is the main law. It places duties on employers and on individuals.
- The Fire Prevention Decree (vyhláška o požární prevenci, Decree No. 246/2001 Sb.). It sets out in detail how training is done, which documents are kept and how extinguishers are inspected.
- The Government Regulation on safety signs (nařízení vlády, No. 375/2017 Sb.). It sets the colours and form of signs, including fire signs.
- The Labour Code (zákoník práce, Act No. 262/2006 Sb.). Under it the employer ensures safety at work, including the risk of fire.
Compliance is supervised by state fire supervision (státní požární dozor). It is carried out by the regional fire and rescue service (hasičský záchranný sbor kraje, HZS kraje).
Three categories of activity
The Act (§ 4) divides activities by fire risk into three categories:
- without increased fire risk, for example ordinary office work,
- with increased fire risk,
- with high fire risk.
Increased risk includes, for example, activities where one room or fire compartment holds more than 1,000 kg of solid or 250 litres of liquid flammable substances, or more than 100 litres of flammable gases in containers. It also covers work with an open flame next to flammable materials, some buildings for trade, accommodation and large gatherings of people, and buildings with seven or more floors above ground. High risk applies to large plants and very tall buildings.
The employer decides the category and records it in the classification documentation. You do not need to know it. Ask which category your workplace falls into, because the scope of training and documentation depends on it. If the employer classified itself wrongly, the regional fire and rescue service decides the correct category.
What the Act requires of the employer
Every employer (§ 5) must, among other things:
- obtain and maintain fire extinguishers and other equipment,
- keep escape routes and emergency exits clear,
- mark the workplace and the places with extinguishers with safety signs,
- regularly check compliance with fire protection rules,
- report every fire that occurs at its workplace to the fire service.
Employers with activities of increased or high risk have further duties under § 6: to set the organisation of fire protection and the conditions of fire safety. Under § 16 they must also provide regular training for employees. That is the topic of the next lesson.
What the Act requires of you
Under § 17 of the Fire Protection Act, every individual must in particular:
- act so that no fire starts. This applies when using heaters, electrical and gas appliances, and when working with flammable materials and open flame,
- keep access clear to electrical switchboards and to the shut-off valves for gas, water and heating,
- obey orders and prohibitions in marked places, for example a ban on smoking,
- keep access clear to extinguishers and other fire protection equipment.
An individual must not:
- call the fire service without reason or misuse the emergency line,
- carry out work that may lead to a fire without the required professional qualification (for example welding),
- damage or prevent the use of extinguishers and other equipment.
Under § 18, everyone must also, in a fire, rescue people in danger, put out the fire if possible, and report the fire without delay. The lesson on what to do in a fire covers this in detail.
Fines
Breaking these duties carries penalties:
- An employer can be fined by the regional fire and rescue service up to CZK 250,000 (activity without increased risk) or up to CZK 500,000 (activity with increased risk), for example for missing training, missing documentation or extinguishers that do not work. Blocked escape routes can cost up to CZK 500,000 in every category. For high risk the ceiling is CZK 1,000,000.
- An individual can commit a misdemeanour (§ 78). The fine is up to CZK 10,000 for breaking a prohibition in a marked place, up to CZK 20,000 for example for damaging an extinguisher or misusing the emergency line, and up to CZK 25,000 for example for work with a fire risk without the required qualification or for causing a fire by your own conduct.
Summary
- The basis is Act No. 133/1985 Sb. and Decree No. 246/2001 Sb.
- Activities are divided into those without increased, with increased and with high fire risk. The employer does the classification.
- Everyone must prevent fires (§ 17) and, in a fire, help and report it (§ 18).
- Both the employer and the individual face a fine for breaking the rules.