Fire Risk Assessments

Who needs a fire risk assessment?

Under the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person for almost any non-domestic premises, and for the common parts of multi-occupied residential buildings, must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, or have one carried out by a competent person.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 made clear that the Order covers a building's structure, external walls and flat entrance doors. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, different fire safety legislation applies, and our assessments work to it.

What does a fire risk assessment cover?

• Fire hazards: sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen
• People at risk, including those with additional needs and anyone sleeping on the premises
• Means of escape, fire detection and warning, emergency lighting and signage
• Fire-fighting equipment
• Compartmentation, fire stopping and fire doors
• Fire safety management: training, procedures, testing and records

The assessor records significant findings and the action the Responsible Person should consider.

Who carries out the assessment?

Fire risk assessments are carried out by competent assessors, with the knowledge and experience to assess the type of building concerned. As with our surveyors, assessors are vetted before we send them to site.

The assessment is a separate service from our surveys. In a fire risk assessment, the assessor makes judgements about risk; in our surveys, we report what we find.

How do fire stopping findings feed into the assessment?

A fire risk assessment is normally a non-intrusive walk-round. It may not look into every riser or above every ceiling. A fire stopping survey or compartmentation survey does, by arrangement, and records each observation with photographs and locations.

Giving the assessor that record means the assessment can take account of the condition of the fire stopping, rather than noting that it could not be inspected. The assessor and Responsible Person then decide priorities with full information.

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

The Fire Safety Order requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid, or there has been a significant change. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add specific duties for multi-occupied residential buildings. Your assessor will recommend a review date suited to the building.