Under current health & safety legislation all organisations, whether run for profit or not, including charitable organisations, are required to appoint a 'competent person(s)' to assist the organisation in discharging those duties imposed upon it under any relevant health & safety statutory provisions. This is inclusive of The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 and the 1999 Amendment. If the organisation has no appropriate 'competent person' employed, or the appointed employee lacks knowledge and/or experience in a particular area of health & safety which needs to be addressed, then it must appoint someone external to the organisation to provide that assistance.