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Kerem IsmailA sound starting point is at least one trained fire marshal for every floor, on every shift, plus a deputy for each. For a small single-floor office, that's two people. That's a working rule, not a legal ratio, because UK fire law doesn't set one. It asks for a "sufficient number" of competent people, so your fire risk assessment sets the figure. Here's how to work out yours and defend it.
What UK fire law says about how many fire marshals you need
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts the duty on the employer. The marshal's job comes from Article 15, which says you must "nominate a sufficient number of competent persons to implement those procedures in so far as they relate to the evacuation of relevant persons from the premises".
Article 13 adds a similar duty for firefighting, where it's needed. For fire safety help in general, Article 18 says you must "appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the preventive and protective measures", in a number "adequate having regard to the size of the premises, the risks to which relevant persons are exposed and the distribution of those risks throughout the premises".
"One or more", "sufficient" and "adequate" are the only numbers the law gives you. It doesn't say fire marshal or fire warden, two names for the same job. Home Office guidance for England says that outside small premises, the evacuation duty usually means wardens who shepherd people out and check their area is clear.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 cover blocks of flats. Neither changes the number.
The ratios you'll see online, usually one marshal per 50 staff at low risk, one per 20 at medium risk and one per 15 at high risk, are a training-provider convention. They aren't in the Order or in Home Office fire safety guides.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own law, the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, with the same "sufficient number" wording and no ratio.
How to work out how many fire marshals you need
A marshal's job is to sweep an area and get everyone out, so start with areas, not staff.
| Factor | What it does to your number |
|---|---|
| Floors, wings and separate buildings | Each area to sweep needs its own marshal on duty |
| Floor size and layout | Long corridors and small rooms take longer to check |
| Visitors and the public | They don't know your exits and need a named marshal |
| Risk level in your fire risk assessment | Flammable stock or hot work means less time to sweep |
| Shifts and opening hours | Nights, weekends and early starts each need cover |
| Sleeping accommodation | Sleepers react slowly, and nights carry the fewest staff |
| People who need help to evacuate | Gov.uk says to have people ready to help wheelchair users downstairs |
| Absence | Holidays, sickness and training days take marshals away |
Count the areas, multiply by the shift patterns and add deputies. That gives a number you can defend at inspection.
Worked examples: four workplaces, four numbers
These apply the working rule above. They're illustrations, not legal minimums.
A single-floor office with 20 staff
One low-risk floor, open Monday to Friday, needs one marshal on duty. Train two, so one is always in. Answer: 2.
A three-storey office with 100 staff
One marshal per floor is three on duty, with the ground-floor marshal also covering reception. Add a deputy per floor. Answer: 6.
How many fire marshals for 50 residents in a care home?
Residents usually can't get out unaided, so staff do the evacuating. The Home Office residential care guide says all staff, agency staff included, need full evacuation training, planned around the fewest staff awake, normally at night. So train every carer and name a fire lead on each shift. Assume two shifts a day and each lead working four a week. Four people only just cover those 14 shifts, so allow for leave and sickness. Answer: 5 or 6 trained leads, on that assumed rota.
A warehouse or construction site on shifts
A warehouse with a main floor, mezzanine and yard on two shifts has six marshal posts. Add a deputy for each. Answer: 12. On a construction site, recount whenever a new floor opens or hot work starts.
The mistake most people make is counting heads, not cover
One trained marshal who works Monday to Friday leaves the building uncovered at weekends and on annual leave.
To turn cover into a headcount:
- Count the marshals you need on duty at once.
- Multiply by the separate rotas, such as days, nights and weekends.
- Add a trained deputy for each post.
HSE's construction fire guidance says to train deputies for key people who are off sick or on holiday. Then test your number against your quietest shift. If a floor has nobody to sweep it, you're short.
Who can be a fire marshal, and is it a legal requirement?
Having competent people is a legal duty, even though the number isn't fixed. Anyone competent can be a fire marshal. The Order defines competence as "sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities" to do the job properly. It names no course or qualification. The employer appoints, and the Order prefers a competent employee to an outsider. If some marshals also hold first aid training, check nobody has to sweep a floor and treat a casualty at once.
Ignore claims that the duty starts at five employees. In England and Wales, that figure came from Article 11, which once limited written fire safety arrangements to employers with five or more staff. It never applied to appointing marshals, and the Building Safety Act 2022 removed it from 1 October 2023. Scotland and Northern Ireland keep it for written records only.
How often fire marshals need retraining
No law sets a date. Article 21 says employees' safety training must "be repeated periodically where appropriate", whatever a certificate says.
The Home Office guide for England calls staff fire training at least once a year recognised practice. It says care homes might need more frequent refreshers, and permanent night staff where people sleep will.
The three years printed on many marshal certificates is a training-provider convention, not a legal expiry date. It doesn't pause your duty to repeat training. A yearly refresher and drill, with the full course again within three years, is a sensible habit, not a legal rule.
Put a name against every post
Once you have your number, name the people, deputies included. Our fire marshal training course runs online on any device, at the learner's own pace. It covers fire prevention, emergency procedures and practical guidance on fire risk assessments, and it's open to anyone over 16 with valid ID. For your wider duties, see our health and safety courses, and for site teams, our construction courses.
Frequently asked questions
How many fire marshals does a workplace need?
One per floor on every shift, plus a deputy for each, is a sound working rule, so a small single-floor office needs two. That's practice, not law. UK fire law sets no ratio, so your fire risk assessment sets the figure.
How many fire marshals do I need for 50 residents?
It depends on your rota. Home Office guidance says every carer, agency staff included, needs evacuation training, planned around the night shift. With two shifts a day, one fire lead per shift and each working four shifts a week, expect five or six trained leads.
Is a fire marshal a legal requirement in the UK?
Yes, in effect, though the law doesn't use the title. In England and Wales, the Fire Safety Order requires employers to nominate enough competent people to run an evacuation. Scotland and Northern Ireland's own regulations use the same wording, with no ratio.
Is a fire marshal the same as a fire warden?
Yes. They're two names for the same role, and employers use whichever they prefer. UK fire law uses neither. It talks about "competent persons", and HSE's construction guidance says the title isn't important, as long as the role and its responsibilities are clearly defined.
Who can be appointed as a fire marshal?
Anyone the employer judges competent, with enough training and experience or knowledge, plus the other qualities the job needs. The law names no qualification. Good choices are on site most days, know the building and stay calm. A competent employee comes before an outsider.
How many fire marshals do I need per floor?
At least one on duty per floor whenever it's occupied. Large floors, floors split into many rooms and public floors may need two, so each area gets swept quickly. Add a deputy for each so absences never leave a floor uncovered.
Do I need a fire marshal on every shift?
Yes, whenever the building is occupied. A marshal who's gone home can't sweep a floor, so nights, weekends and early starts each need their own. Home Office guidance for England also expects more frequent refreshers for permanent night staff in premises where people sleep.
How long does a fire marshal certificate last?
Many providers date fire marshal certificates for three years, but that's their convention, not a legal expiry, and it doesn't limit your duty. The law says training must be repeated periodically where appropriate. Home Office guidance for England calls yearly staff fire training recognised practice.
Can fire marshal training be done online?
Yes. The law asks for competence, not a classroom. Online training can't give hands-on extinguisher practice, so higher-risk sites may add a practical session. The Builders Academy's fire marshal training course runs online on any device. New marshals still need a walk-round of their building.
What happens if a workplace has no trained fire marshal?
You're likely to be breaching the Fire Safety Order. Fire and rescue authorities inspect premises and can issue enforcement or prohibition notices. Gov.uk says major penalties can bring unlimited fines and up to two years in prison. Worse, nobody is trained to run an evacuation.
Kerem Ismail is Managing Director of The Builders Academy and has been helping people secure work in the construction industry since 2016.
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