The Fire Risk Assessment Process Explained
This comprehensive guide will walk you through each phase of the Fire Risk Assessment process, ensuring a thorough understanding of what is involved and how it contributes to maintaining a safe environment.
Your Guide to Ensuring Safety and Compliance
Fire risk assessments are essential for maintaining safety and compliance in various settings. This detailed guide takes you through each step of the process, ensuring a comprehensive approach to fire safety.
Stage 1: Pre-Assessment
Before the assessment begins, initial contact is made to understand your specific needs. This includes a pre-visit questionnaire to gather essential information and documents for a thorough assessment.
- Initial Contact: We receive your enquiry through our website, phone, or email.
- Understanding Your Needs: We learn about your role and responsibilities and understand the basics of your premises, including size and usage.
- Assessment Type: For residential premises, we establish the needed assessment type, be it Type 1 or Type 3.
- Quotation: We issue a quote for a non-invasive assessment and upon acceptance, confirm when the assessment is required and its urgency.
- Booking Confirmation: We confirm your booking, providing details of the assessor and the service booked.
- Preparation for Visit: We send you a pre-visit questionnaire to gather essential documents and information, helping us prepare for the assessment day.
Stage 2: Assessment
An on-site meeting allows for a detailed inspection of your premises, reviewing fire safety documents, and addressing any concerns you may have. This hands-on approach ensures all potential risks are identified
- On-Site Meeting: We meet with you on-site to review your fire safety paperwork.
- Visual Inspection: Our assessors conduct a thorough visual inspection of all your areas of responsibility, documenting findings with notes and photos.
- Access Requirements: For flats’ communal areas, we ensure access to a sample of flat front doors, and in larger premises, we sample at least 15 fire doors, focusing on high-risk areas and escape routes.
- Interactive Process: You have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the assessment.
- Invoice Issuance: Following the assessment, we issue an invoice for our services.
Stage 3: Post-Assessment
Following the on-site assessment, a detailed report is compiled and validated, outlining key findings and recommendations. This report is then shared with you, guiding you through necessary actions for compliance.
- Report Creation: We write and submit the fire risk assessment report.
- Quality Assurance: The report undergoes a thorough quality check and validation process.
- Report Issuance: Upon receiving your payment, we issue the final report to the Responsible Person, along with a Logbook, and if necessary, an emergency plan or fire safety policy template. This typically occurs within 7-10 working days, or less if our fast-track service has been arranged.
- Review by Responsible Person: The Responsible Person should review the report for accuracy and work through the recommended actions, using the action summary as a guide.
- Support Available: If any queries or need for clarity arise, our customer service is available to assist.
Stage 4: Renewals
To maintain ongoing safety and compliance, annual reminders for review or new assessments are sent, ensuring that your fire safety standards are consistently up-to-date.
- Annual Reminder: Each year, we send out a reminder for an annual fire risk assessment review.
- Review or New Assessment: The Responsible Person can then decide to conduct an internal review or book a new Fire Risk Assessment to ensure ongoing compliance and safety.
What We Don’t Do
It’s important to understand the limitations of the assessment. Certain aspects like external wall construction inspection or full fire door surveys are not included. Clear communication about these boundaries ensures a focused and effective assessment.
External Wall Inspection
We do not inspect external wall construction and cladding. The duty holder should inform us of any known concerns regarding external walls.
Access to Voids
We only access voids above false ceilings or loft spaces if necessary and safe. Our assessors perform visual inspections from floor height but may sample these areas if accessible and safe.
Fire Door Survey
Our assessment does not include a full fire door survey. We sample fire doors, focusing on high-risk areas and escape routes, and may recommend a full survey based on this.
Assessment During Construction
We cannot assess premises undergoing construction. A cancellation fee applies if work is ongoing and an assessment cannot be conducted.
Report Issuance
Reports, logbooks, and other documents are issued only after payment is received, typically within 7-10 working days.