What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

A Fire Risk Assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the activities carried out there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises.

The aims of a Fire Risk Assessment are:

To identify the Fire Hazards.
To reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonably practicable.
To decide what physical Fire Precautions and Management Arrangements are necessary to ensure the safety of people in your premises, if a fire does start.

A Fire Risk Assessment will identify what you need to do to prevent fire and keep people safe.

Does my business need a Fire Risk Assessment?

The law applies if you are:

Responsible for a business premises.
An employer or self-employed with business premises responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes.
A charity or voluntary organisation.
A contractor with a degree of control over any premises.
Providing accommodation for paying guests.
The Landlord of a building.

There are five key steps in a Fire Risk Assessment:

Identify fire hazards – e.g. How could a fire start? What could burn?
Consider the people who may be a risk – e.g. employees, visitors to the premises, and anyone who may be particularly vulnerable such as children, the elderly and disabled people.
Evaluate and act – think about what you have found in steps 1 and 2 and remove and reduce any risks to protect people and premises.
Record, plan and train – keep a record of what risks you identified and what actions you have taken to reduce or remove them. Make a clear plan of how to prevent fires and, should a fire start, you will keep people safe. Make sure your staff know what to do in the event of a fire and if necessary that they are trained for their roles.
Review – regularly review your risk assessment to ensure it remains up to date and reflects and changes that may have occurred.

Want to know more about what a Fire Risk Assessment is?

Head here for some more information about fire risk assessments.

Bear in mind that you must keep a written record of your Fire Risk Assessment if your organisation employs five or more people, if your premises are licensed or an Alterations Notice is in force, (following a visit from the Fire Service).

How do I get a No-Obligation Free Business Survey?

Call us on 01933 677125 or fill in the quick online form to book your fire risk assessment today!