Fire Risk Assessment

Fire safety risk assessments are a legal requirement and should be reviewed annually. In addition, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, requires a fire risk assessment to be reviewed if there are changes in the business. For example, structural alterations, change of building use and increase in occupancy. For this reason, a new fire risk assessment should be completed.

If you’re in need of an updated fire assessment or aren’t sure whether you are, get in touch. After that, one of our Fire Protection Consultants can answer all of your questions.

In England and Wales, you may be responsible for fire safety and are known as the ‘responsible person’. Certainly, if you’re an employer, a person who has control of the premises or the owner of the building/business other than a single domestic dwelling.

Since October 2023, legal changes require all Responsible Persons of these types of premises to:

1. 1. record their fire risk assessment in full (previously only the significant findings needed to be recorded and only in specific circumstances); and
   2. record the identity of the individual (their name and/or if applicable, their organisation) engaged by them to undertake and/or review a fire risk assessment.

Additionally, all fire risk assessments for premises covered under the Fire Safety Order are required to be in writing. The previous requirement for a written fire risk assessment applied only when there were five or more employees.

In order to properly carry out the assessment, the assessor should have a minimum understanding of the following:

• Fire alarm system categories and design standards
• Emergency lighting design standards
• Fire extinguisher and fire safety sign and notice standards
• Fire risk guidance documents
• Current building regulations
• Effects of fire on people and behaviour of people in fire situations
• Means of escape
• Fire prevention
• Management of fire safety
• Subsequently, the assessment should be carried out by a suitably trained, qualified and experienced fire risk assessor.

At OHEAP Fire & Security, all of our Fire Risk Assessors are experts in their field and can take on the mantle of the “responsible person”. In conclusion, you can be confident that your assessment has been completed diligently and accurately.

Your fire risk assessment of the premises ensures you stay compliant with fire safety laws, specifically article 9 of the Fire Safety Order. This will prevent you from facing prosecution from the fire and rescue service. And then there is the desire to keep people safe when they are in your premises.

The assessment is only the start though, the safety elements only really pecome apparent when you look at the report and create a fire risk management strategy. This is basically where you look to reduce all fire risks to as low as reasonably practicable.

Elements usually included in your action plan are;

• your evacutation plan and escape routes,
• your fire detection system and how frequently it requires servicing,
• the relevant fire suppression systems you may need to integrate into your environment,
• and your passive fire protection such as fire doors and emergency lighting.