Irish law does not use the words "fire warden", but it requires every employer to have emergency plans and procedures and to designate employees to carry them out. The fire warden is that designated employee for fire. This guide explains where the role comes from, what a warden actually does, what training should cover, and where an online course such as Lift College's Fire Warden Training (Ireland) fits alongside the walk-through and the drill.
Where the role comes from
Section 11 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to prepare and revise adequate plans and procedures for emergencies and serious and imminent danger, to provide the necessary measures for fire fighting and evacuation, and to designate employees to implement those plans, in sufficient numbers and with adequate training and equipment, taking account of the size of the workplace and the hazards. The HSA's fire page, read on 9 November 2026, adds section 8 (information, instruction, training and supervision, and a competent person where needed), section 12 (people who are not employees), section 15 (landlords and safe access and egress) and section 19 (the fire risk assessment recorded in the safety statement).
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007) set out the requirements for emergency routes and exits, fire detection and fire fighting equipment and signage. Section 18 of the Fire Services Act 1981 places a separate duty on the person in control of premises to guard against the outbreak of fire and to ensure the safety of persons on the premises if fire breaks out; the local authority fire service inspects under that Act.
What a fire warden does
Before anything happens:
- Routine checks of escape routes, fire doors, signs, emergency lighting, call points and extinguishers, and reporting faults.
- Knowing who in their area needs help to evacuate and what the personal emergency evacuation plan says.
- Taking part in drills and helping new starters learn the procedure.
When the alarm sounds:
- Sweeping their area, including toilets, meeting rooms and stores, and directing people to the nearest safe exit.
- Closing doors behind them, never using lifts, and not re-entering.
- Reporting to the assembly point co-ordinator: area clear, or who is unaccounted for and where they were last seen.
- Meeting the fire service with information about the building if that is their role.
Tackling a fire is the last item, not the first. A warden uses an extinguisher only on a small fire, with a clear exit behind them, after the alarm has been raised.
What an online course can do
Lift College's Fire Warden Training (Ireland) is 2 hours in 5 modules, written for Ireland with the 2005 Act, the 2007 Regulations, the Fire Services Act 1981 and the HSA. It covers the role, how fire and smoke behave, the routine checks, the evacuation sequence and when it is and is not safe to tackle a fire, with a check after each module and a dated, verifiable certificate. It is priced in euros. It costs €22.99, pay once, with 14-day money back. Lift College recommends a refresh every 3 years, free; most Irish employers also run an annual drill.
What still happens on site
- The building walk-through: this building's exits, call points, extinguishers, isolation points and assembly point.
- The drill, which is how section 11 procedures are tested.
- Hands-on extinguisher practice, where the employer provides it; the course explains the types and when not to use them.
- The fire risk assessment, which decides how many wardens a workplace needs.
Where to go next
- See the course: Fire Warden Training (Ireland).
- Everyone else: Fire Safety Training (Ireland).
- Browse all Ireland courses, priced in euros.
- Workplaces in the UK should take Fire Warden Training, which covers UK law.