Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement for businesses in the UK and a crucial part of maintaining a safe working environment. By identifying hazards, understanding who is at risk, and putting appropriate controls in place, organisations can reduce the likelihood of fire and protect people, property, and operations.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 stipulates that all commercial premises in the UK must have a full fire risk assessment carried out at regular intervals in order to identify and minimise any potential fire hazards in the workplace.
Ensuring that this assessment is performed by a competent person is important, both for legislative compliance and the safety of your staff and any other people on your site.
A fire risk assessment is a structured and legally required means of assessing a workplace to: identify and reduce fire risks; identify the best means of detecting and controlling a fire; plan for the safe evacuation of any occupants; and identify the actions needed to ensure all the above.
This includes examining factors such as electrical systems, equipment, building layout, and how the space is used. It also involves identifying who may be at risk, including employees, visitors, and customers, and understanding how different areas of the building may expose them to hazards. Carrying out a thorough assessment ensures that risks are recognised early and appropriate action can be taken.
Fire risk assessments are absolutely crucial to the safety of a building and those within it. They save lives by identifying and rectifying hazards, vulnerabilities and areas where improvements need to be made that might otherwise go unnoticed until too late.
Just as importantly, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement and failure to follow regulations could result in substantial penalties. Your premises are likely to be checked by your local fire and rescue service at some point, and if you don't have a current fire risk assessment, you'll probably be fined. If those within your premises are considered to be at risk, your business could even be closed down until it has been made safe.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all commercial premises in the UK must have a current fire risk assessment. For businesses with five or more employees, findings must be recorded in writing.
A fire risk assessment follows five key stages:
People could be at risk because of the nature of their work, their location within a building or any mobility issues they may have.
Things like fuel sources, ignition sources (flammable substances) and sources of oxygen.
Assess the preparedness of staff, the presence of appropriate fire safety equipment (alarms, extinguishers, fire doors), the adequacy of escape routes and the regularity of fire drills. Determine whether or not steps have been taken to minimise fire safety risks.
All findings from a fire risk assessment must be recorded so that remedial action can be taken where necessary. This is a legal requirement for businesses with five or more employees and provides evidence of compliance.
Fire risk assessments should be reviewed regularly to ensure a building's fire safety measures remain adequate and effective. It is recommended that a fire risk assessment should be reviewed every 12 months.
In addition to annual reviews, a full reassessment is typically recommended every five years. However, in higher-risk environments, more frequent reassessments may be necessary. Any changes to the building, equipment, or working practices should also prompt a review to ensure that new risks are properly managed.
Scutum is a leading provider of thorough and compliant fire risk assessments to businesses and organisations across a wide range of sectors, including education, healthcare facilities, offices, letting agents, retail and data centres.
Our assessors are fully trained to conduct fire risk assessments to PAS79, the Publicly Available Specification for Fire Risk Assessment and its Methodology, issued by the British Standards Institute. This means you can be assured that the assessment you receive from us is fully compliant with all current fire safety legislation.
As one of the UK's leading fire safety companies, we can work with you to rectify any faults or weaknesses we find through a fire risk assessment. This will ensure that your premises are fitted with the highest quality equipment, your staff are fully trained in fire safety procedures and your building is as safe as possible from the risks of fire.
PAS79 is the British Standards Institution's Publicly Available Specification for fire risk assessments. It sets out best practice methodology for carrying out and documenting fire risk assessments in non-domestic premises. Choosing an assessor trained to PAS79 gives you confidence that the assessment follows a recognised, structured and legally defensible approach.
Contact Scutum today to arrange a fire risk assessment at your commercial premises. Our PAS79-trained assessors operate across the UK, covering businesses of any size across all sectors.
