There is no legal number of fire wardens. The law says “a sufficient number of competent persons” — and your fire risk assessment decides what sufficient means. The rule of thumb most workplaces use is one warden per floor and one per 20 staff, but that is a starting point, not a legal minimum, and it is wrong for plenty of premises.
This guide explains how many fire wardens you actually need, what the role involves, whether “fire marshal” is different, and what the law requires.
What the law actually says
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to virtually every non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It places duties on the responsible person — usually the employer, owner or occupier — who must:
- Carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment (Article 9)
- Appoint a sufficient number of competent persons to implement fire safety measures, including evacuation (Article 18)
- Provide adequate fire safety training to staff (Article 21)
Note what is absent: any number. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent fire safety legislation.
So how many do you need?
A common starting point for a straightforward, low-risk workplace is one fire warden per floor, and roughly one per 20 members of staff. Then adjust upwards for your actual premises:
- Higher fire risk — kitchens, workshops, flammable materials, hot works
- Sleeping accommodation — care homes, hotels, HMOs need considerably more
- Members of the public present, who don’t know your building
- Complex or large layouts, multiple exits, poor sightlines, basements
- People needing assistance — each person with a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) may need dedicated support
- Lone or night working, and multi-shift operations
The most-missed factor is cover. You need enough wardens that trained people are present on every shift, allowing for holidays, sickness and turnover. One warden for a floor is nobody on the day they are off.
Fire warden or fire marshal — is there a difference?
In UK law, no. The terms are used interchangeably and the same training covers both. Where organisations do separate them, “fire warden” tends to describe the everyday preventative role and “fire marshal” the evacuation role. What matters legally is not the title but whether the person is competent for the duties they have been given.
What the role involves
Day to day: spotting fire hazards, keeping escape routes and final exits clear, checking fire doors are shut and not wedged, confirming extinguishers are in place and unobstructed, and reporting defects.
In an emergency: raise the alarm, sweep their designated area, direct people to the nearest safe exit, assist those with PEEPs, take a roll call at the assembly point, and report to the fire and rescue service.
They do not fight fires. A warden may tackle only a very small fire if trained, if it is safe, if their escape route is clear behind them and the alarm has been raised. In any doubt: get out.
Frequently asked questions
How many fire wardens does a workplace need?
There is no legally fixed number. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to appoint a sufficient number of competent people to implement fire safety measures, and the fire risk assessment determines what 'sufficient' means for your premises. A widely used starting point is one fire warden per floor and one per 20 staff for a low-risk workplace, increasing for higher risk, sleeping accommodation, members of the public, complex layouts or vulnerable occupants — and you must have enough cover for holidays, sickness and every shift.
What is the difference between a fire warden and a fire marshal?
In UK practice there is no legal distinction and the terms are used interchangeably — the same training covers both. Where an organisation does separate them, 'fire warden' usually describes the day-to-day preventative role (checking extinguishers are in place, escape routes clear, fire doors shut) while 'fire marshal' describes the evacuation role. What matters legally is not the job title but whether the person is competent for the duties they have been given.
What does a fire warden actually do?
The role has two halves. Day to day: watching for fire hazards, keeping escape routes and fire doors clear and unobstructed, checking firefighting equipment is present and unobstructed, and reporting defects. In an emergency: raising the alarm, sweeping their designated area, directing people to the nearest safe exit, assisting those who need help under their personal emergency evacuation plan, taking a roll call at the assembly point, and reporting to the fire service on arrival.
Is fire warden training a legal requirement?
The Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person to appoint competent persons to help implement fire safety measures and to provide adequate fire safety training to staff. It does not name a specific course, but a person cannot be competent for the warden role without suitable instruction, so training is how that duty is met in practice. Fire authorities and insurers will ask what training your appointed people have received.
Do fire wardens fight fires?
No — a fire warden's priority is safe evacuation, not firefighting. They may tackle only a very small fire with the correct extinguisher if they have been trained, it is safe to do so, their escape route is clear behind them, and the alarm has already been raised. If there is any doubt at all, the correct action is to leave and let the fire and rescue service deal with it.
Further reading
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Gov.uk — Fire safety in the workplace
- National Fire Chiefs Council
Fire warden training
At a glance: Nexis CPD offers a £9 CPD-accredited online Fire Warden / Fire Marshal course — 100% online and self-paced, with an instant, verifiable e-certificate on passing.
Our Fire Warden / Fire Marshal course covers the legal duties, the warden’s day-to-day and emergency role, evacuation procedures and assisting people who need help.
Related: Fire safety training and UK law · Fire risk assessment · Fire extinguisher types · Fire door regulations
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100 % online, verifiable e-certificate on completion. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
Please note: this is a CPD-accredited awareness course and general information, not a fire risk assessment or a substitute for premises-specific instruction, live evacuation drills and practical extinguisher training where your risk assessment requires them. The number of wardens needed must be determined by your own fire risk assessment. It is not an Ofqual-regulated qualification.