Fire Warden Training in Ireland: What the Official Guidance Says

Searching for fire warden training in Ireland usually starts with one question: does the law actually require you to have fire wardens? The short answer from the official sources we read is that no provision we found uses the term "fire warden" or "fire marshal". What the law does require is that an employer plans for emergencies, designates employees to carry the plan out, and makes sure those employees are trained and equipped. This guide sets out where each of those duties comes from and where the law is silent, so you can decide what is proportionate for a Dublin office, shop or site. For the broader picture on fire safety training, see our workplace fire safety training guide.

What the law says about emergency plans and designated employees

The main duty sits in section 11 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (we read the Law Reform Commission's Revised Acts version, which is marked "Updated to 9 April 2026"). It requires every employer to prepare, and revise as necessary, adequate plans and procedures for emergencies and serious and imminent danger. The plans must include:

• measures suited to the place of work for first aid, fire-fighting and evacuating employees and anyone else present, depending on the nature of the work and the size of the workplace;
• arrangements for contact with the appropriate emergency services, particularly for first aid, emergency medical care, rescue work and fire-fighting.

To put the plans into effect, section 11 says the employer must designate the employees who are required to implement the plans, procedures and measures. The employer must also ensure there are enough designated employees, that they are trained, and that they have adequate equipment, judged by the size of the workplace and its specific hazards.

This is the closest the legislation we read comes to describing what many workplaces call a fire warden. The Act speaks of "designated employees", not of a job title. It does not set a ratio of wardens to staff, a course length or a refresher interval.

Duties that apply to the premises themselves

Two further sets of rules shape what a fire warden is actually doing day to day.

Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's page on its Fire Safety Guide for Building Owners and Operators explains that section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 places fire safety duties on the person having control of most premises. We also read section 18 as it was originally enacted on the Irish Statute Book, and the later amending provision. Together they describe a person in control of covered premises, which now includes any workplace, as someone who must:

• take all reasonable measures to prevent fire;
• provide reasonable fire safety measures and prepare and provide appropriate fire safety procedures to protect people on the premises;
• ensure those measures and procedures are applied at all times; and
• ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety of people on the premises if a fire breaks out.

Note that the person in control may be an owner, occupier, lessee or hirer, according to the gov.ie page. In a multi-tenant Dublin office building, that can mean more than one party has duties. The gov.ie page shows no publication or last-updated date, and the guide document itself was not reviewed for this post, so we cannot tell you what it says about wardens.

General Application Regulations 2007

Regulation 12 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 covers emergency routes and exits: they must be kept clear at all times and lead as directly as possible to the open air or a safe area, emergency exit doors must open outwards, and doors must not be locked so that they cannot be easily and immediately opened. Regulation 13 requires suitable fire-fighting equipment and, as necessary, fire detectors and an alarm system, with equipment inspected and maintained and serviced by a competent person. Neither regulation, as we read them, refers to a fire warden or fire marshal.

What Dublin Fire Brigade says about records and drills

Dublin Fire Brigade's "Fire Safety at Work" page (published 18 May 2018, last modified 13 November 2025) says all workplaces must have a Fire Safety Register. It lists items the register should cover, including management functions and assigned duties, safe assembly areas, a procedure to ensure the premises is vacated, and staff training and fire drills. It also says to prepare an evacuation plan and practise it regularly. The page does not mention fire wardens, and it does not set a drill frequency. The Brigade's separate page on the fire safety duties of businesses (published 10 May 2018, last modified 13 November 2025) quotes the section 18 duty to prepare and provide appropriate fire safety procedures and to apply them at all times; it does not mention wardens or training.

What the sources do not say

Being plain about the gaps matters, because training providers and insurers sometimes describe requirements that go beyond the text:

• No source we opened names a legal minimum number of fire wardens.
• None sets a required course, certificate or syllabus for wardens.
• None sets a refresher interval for warden training. Section 10 of the 2005 Act does say employee training must be updated for new or changed risks and repeated periodically, and must be given on recruitment and on a change of task, but it does not give a number of months or years.
• The Health and Safety Authority's fire pages could not be read in full (only menus loaded), so we do not rely on them here. Check the HSA's own pages for any guidance beyond what we describe.

A practical approach for employers

What follows is our suggestion, not a legal requirement.

• Start from the risk, not the title. Section 11 ties the number of designated employees to the size of the workplace and its hazards. A single-floor office and a multi-storey building with public access will need different arrangements.
• Write down who does what. Name the people who will raise the alarm, check areas are clear, direct people to the assembly point and meet the fire service. Record these assigned duties in your Fire Safety Register, which the Dublin Fire Brigade page lists as a register item.
• Cover absences. Designate enough people, including deputies, so that leave, part-time patterns and hybrid working do not leave floors uncovered.
• Train and equip them. Section 11 expects designated employees to be trained and to have adequate equipment. Keep dated training records and repeat training periodically, as section 10 provides, as appropriate, in general terms.
• Include visitors and shared spaces. Section 11 refers to evacuating employees and "any other individual present in the place of work", so plans should account for visitors, contractors and tenants in shared buildings.
• Practise and review. Hold drills, note what went wrong, and update the plan when layouts, headcount or processes change.

Where training needs sit alongside other statutory topics such as first aid and manual handling, our overview of HSA training requirements for Irish employers helps you plan the full year.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is a fire warden legally required in Ireland?

We found no provision that uses the title. Section 11 of the 2005 Act requires the employer to designate employees to implement emergency plans and ensure they are trained and equipped. Whether you call them wardens, marshals or fire leads is your choice.

How many fire wardens does a workplace need?

None of the official pages we read sets a number or ratio. Section 11 says the number of designated employees must be enough, judged by the size of the workplace and its specific hazards. Document your reasoning.

How often should fire warden training be repeated?

The sources we read give no fixed interval for wardens. The 2005 Act says training must be adapted for new or changed risks and, as appropriate, repeated periodically. Many employers choose a set cycle; if you do, treat it as your own policy and keep records.

Who is responsible if a building has several tenants?

The duty under the Fire Services Acts falls on the person having control of the premises, which the gov.ie page says may be an owner, occupier, lessee or hirer. Employers also keep their own duties under the 2005 Act. Agree and record who covers what.

Check the current official pages before you finalise your arrangements, and take advice on complex buildings.