Fire Risk Assessments Explained: What UK Businesses Must Do

If your business uses any premises that aren't a single private home, the law expects you to have a fire risk assessment. Not a certificate on the wall. A live document that shows you have looked at how a fire could start, who it would put at risk, and what you have done about it.

Most owners assume the fire brigade signs this off, or that the landlord has it covered. Neither is usually true. The duty sits with you.

What a fire risk assessment actually is

A fire risk assessment is a structured look at your premises to spot fire hazards, judge the risk to people, and put controls in place. It covers ignition sources, fuel, escape routes, alarms, emergency lighting, signage and how you would get everyone out.

If you employ five or more people, it must be written down and kept up to date. Smaller employers should still record it. A verbal "we've thought about it" will not stand up if the fire authority inspects or something goes wrong.

Who is legally responsible

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the duty falls on the responsible person. In a workplace that is normally the employer. It can also be the owner, the landlord, or anyone who has control of the premises, such as a managing agent or a facilities manager.

In many buildings more than one party holds duties at once. A landlord may be responsible for shared stairwells and the main alarm, while each tenant covers their own unit. You cannot assume someone else has it in hand. Confirm in writing who does what.

The responsible person must make sure a "suitable and sufficient" assessment is carried out, act on what it finds, and review it when things change.

The five steps

The recognised method follows five steps:

1. Identify the fire hazards. Sources of ignition, anything that burns, and sources of oxygen.
2. Identify people at risk. Staff, visitors, contractors, and anyone more vulnerable, such as lone workers, night staff or people with reduced mobility.
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risk. Decide what controls you need, from alarms and extinguishers to clear escape routes.
4. Record your findings and make a plan. Write down the significant findings, the actions, and your emergency plan. Train your staff so they know it.
5. Review and update. Revisit it regularly and after any change: a new layout, new equipment, a refit, or more people on site.

Common failings

These are the issues that come up again and again:

• The assessment exists but was done once and never reviewed. The building has changed; the document hasn't.
• Escape routes blocked by stock, deliveries or furniture.
• Fire doors wedged open or painted shut.
• Alarms and emergency lighting never tested, with no log to prove it.
• A generic template downloaded online that names another building and ignores your real risks.
• No plan for staff who could not get out on their own.

A weak assessment can be worse than none. It gives false comfort and shows an inspector you knew the duty existed and still got it wrong.

When to get help

You can carry out your own assessment for a simple, low-risk premises. But if your building is complex, has sleeping accommodation, holds the public, or you simply aren't sure it is suitable and sufficient, bring in someone competent. Getting it wrong carries real penalties, and more importantly it puts people at risk.

If you would like a straight answer on where your fire risk assessment stands, book a free health and safety review and we will tell you plainly what is in good shape and what needs work.