Fire Risk Assessments Explained: A Complete Guide (UK)

What is a fire risk assessment?

A fire risk assessment is a careful look at your premises and the people who use them, from a fire safety perspective. Its purpose is to identify what could cause a fire, who would be at risk if one started, and what needs to be done to reduce those risks and keep people safe.

A suitable and sufficient assessment considers three things: how likely a fire is to start, how it would be stopped from spreading, and how everyone would escape safely if it did. The findings are recorded in a written report, along with an action plan that sets out what needs to be done and in what order of priority.

It is not a box-ticking exercise. A good fire risk assessment is the foundation of your whole approach to fire safety, and it is the document your local fire and rescue authority will ask to see if they inspect your premises.

The legal duty

Fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales is governed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, often called the Fire Safety Order. Under the Order, a designated Responsible Person must make sure a fire risk assessment is carried out, kept up to date and acted upon.

The Responsible Person is usually the employer, but it can also be the owner, the landlord, an occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, such as a facilities manager or managing agent. If more than one person meets the definition, they must work together to meet their duties. GOV.UK explains who is responsible for fire safety in the workplace in more detail.

The duty cannot be delegated away. You can appoint a professional to carry out the assessment on your behalf, but legal responsibility for fire safety stays with the Responsible Person. Our guide to fire risk assessment legal requirements covers your obligations, and the penalties for non-compliance, in full.

Does your building need one?

In short, almost every building that is not a single private home. The Fire Safety Order applies to all workplaces and commercial premises, all premises the public have access to, and the common areas of buildings containing two or more homes.

That includes offices, shops, restaurants, hotels and guest houses, schools, care homes, medical practices, places of worship, charities, warehouses, and the communal areas of flats and HMOs. If you take paying guests, run a business from a premises or manage shared residential space, the law applies to you. Our guide to who needs a fire risk assessment covers the full list.

Every type of building carries its own risks, which is why we tailor each assessment to the premises in front of us. You can read more about our fire risk assessments for care homes and fire risk assessments for landlords and HMOs, or explore all the sectors we carry out fire risk assessments for.

The five steps of a fire risk assessment

Every assessment follows the five steps set out in government guidance:

• Identify the fire hazards. Anything that could start a fire, and anything that could fuel one.
• Identify the people at risk. Everyone who uses the premises, with particular attention to anyone especially vulnerable, such as lone workers, children, or people who would need help to evacuate.
• Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks. Weigh up how likely a fire is and how serious it would be, then act to bring the risk down.
• Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training. Keep a written record of the assessment, plan how everyone would respond to a fire, and make sure people know what to do.
• Review and update the assessment regularly. A fire risk assessment is a living document, not a one-off exercise.

In practice, when your assessor works through these steps they will examine your premises across three core areas:

• Fire prevention. The measures that stop a fire starting in the first place, such as the condition of electrical equipment, how flammable materials are stored, and housekeeping around ignition sources.
• Fire protection. The measures that protect people if a fire does start, including fire detection and alarms, emergency lighting, escape routes, fire doors and firefighting equipment.
• Fire safety management. How fire safety is run day to day, including staff training, fire drills, testing and maintenance, and your emergency plan, with evidence of all of it logged.

Your assessor will document their findings with notes and photographs, and you will have the chance to ask questions throughout the visit.

What happens when you book with us

Our process is designed to be straightforward from first contact to final report.

• Before the visit. We learn about your premises and your role, confirm the type of assessment you need if the check involves a residential premise, and send you a short pre-visit questionnaire so your assessor arrives prepared.
• On the day. Your assessor meets you on site, reviews your fire safety paperwork, and carries out a thorough visual inspection of all the areas you are responsible for.
• After the visit. We write up your report and put it through a quality assurance check before issuing it, typically within 7 to 10 working days, or sooner with our fast-track service.

You can read a full breakdown of each stage in our fire risk assessment process guide.

What you receive

Your fire risk assessment report details the findings of the assessment, including a prioritised action plan, so you know exactly what to address first.

Alongside the report itself, we include several extras at no additional cost:

• A logbook for recording your fire safety checks, training and maintenance.
• An emergency plan template and a fire safety policy template, if required.
• Free basic online fire safety training, accessible for 12 months.

Training is included as standard because a report can only tell you what to fix. Trained staff are what keep a premises safe every day after the assessor leaves. If you want to go further, we also provide dedicated fire warden training across the UK.

Fixed prices with no hidden costs

We work on fixed prices starting from £435 + VAT, with absolutely no hidden costs. The price you are quoted is the price you pay, confirmed before your assessment is booked, and it depends on the size, type and complexity of your premises. Because we do not sell or service fire safety equipment, any recommendations in your report are genuine requirements rather than a sales pitch.

Visit our fire risk assessment cost page for a full breakdown of what affects your price, or request a fixed price quote for your premises.

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

A fire risk assessment is not a one-off exercise. The Fire Safety Order requires the Responsible Person to keep it up to date, and government guidance is to review it regularly.

As a general rule, we recommend the assessment is reviewed every year. It must always be reviewed sooner if something significant changes: an alteration to the building, a change in how the premises are used, a change in occupancy, or a fire incident or near miss. For very low risk premises, a review every two to three years may be acceptable, but no later than that.

To help you stay compliant, we send an annual reminder so you can decide whether to review the assessment internally or book a fresh one.

Frequently asked questions