Fire risk assessments are a legal obligation for certain commercial properties in the UK.
Professional fire risk assessments help make sure that fire safety measures are put in place to protect lives, prevent injury, and keep property from being damaged.
Failure to comply with fire safety legislation can result in legal repercussions, so it is important to follow the law and have a fire risk assessment on your property or premises.
Conducting a Fire Risk Assessment can seem to be quite a complex process for many people, but don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll cover the 5 steps for a fire risk assessment checklist and how to approach them, to help you stay safe and compliant.
Who is responsible for completing a fire risk assessment?
In most cases, the responsibility for arranging a fire risk assessment falls on the owner, manager, controller of a premises.
This person is usually referred to as the ‘responsible person’ and is required to make sure that all potential fire risks are identified, evaluated, and mitigated in order to protect the lives of all occupants.
Depending on the risk level of the property, a fire risk assessment can be carried out by any ‘competent person’ who has relevant knowledge or training on fire risks and safety measures.
However, many people prefer to hire a professional fire risk assessor to make sure their property is completely assessed, and all legal and safety standards are met.
So, now you know the options for arranging a fire risk assessment, but how do they actually work? Let’s get into the five steps of a fire risk assessment!
1. Identify fire hazards
The first step in a fire safety risk assessment is to identify fire hazards.
Think about how a fire could be started in the property; fire starts when a source of ignition (heat) meets combustible materials. You may have heard this referred to as the fire triangle
Some sources of ignition may be obvious, such as electrical metres, heaters, naked flames, cooking equipment etc.
However, some sources of ignition might not be so obvious, for example, such as overloaded electrical sockets.
It is important to consider what is plugged in to extension leads, how items such as laptops/phones are being charged, and how long they are being left plugged in, as this can lead to overheating.
Consider which materials are combustible or flammable and would burn easily. Some examples of this may include rubbish, furniture, textiles, and cardboard/wooden furniture.
More recently, the increased use of hand sanitiser has introduced a flammable substance into areas which may not normally house anything combustible, for example entrance lobbies.
Recognising these fire hazards is crucial for any fire risk assessment and plays a vital role in establishing a safe environment.
2. Identify people at risk of fire
One really important step in the fire risk assessment process is identifying people who might be at risk. This includes all occupants who might be on the property at some point, such as workers, contractors, and guests.
In reality, all people are at risk in the event of a fire breaking out. Think about who is in the building or nearby, and what time of day or night they will be there.
You should always consider: who might be most vulnerable if a fire starts?
Some people will be at higher risk than others; for example, those with mental or sensory impairments or those with mobility issues. Those at greater risk may also include contractors and visitors who are not familiar with the property.
People who live and sleep on a premises are also at higher risk, as it takes longer to alert a sleeping person during a fire emergency, and then there is additional time for them to react to the warning.
3. Take action to prevent fire
After thinking about potential hazards and who may be affected, think about what kind of preventative action can be taken.
What can be done to eliminate these risks or prevent accidental fires from happening?
For example, you can make your space safer from fire by cleaning up messes, keeping flammable things in safe places, and making sure that escape routes are always clear.
Education and regular fire risk training is vitally important. The more understanding occupants of a building have on how fires can start, the more they can do to help to prevent them.
You also need to protect people in the building should a fire break out. In the event of a fire occurring, consider:
- How will people be alerted?
- How will they escape?
- Are the escape routes safe?
- Will the fire safety equipment work?
Regularly testing and maintaining fire safety equipment should be an important part of the fire safety regime.
4. Record findings, plan, and train
In the case of fire risk assessments, documentation is just as important as the assessment itself.
Make sure that you keep a record of any hazards found on your property, as well as the actions taken to reduce or remove them.
Recording findings helps to highlight recurring areas of concern, which in turn may highlight training or maintenance requirements. Having a written record, also shows you’ve taken every precaution to mitigate the risks, should a fire occur. .
You should have a clear plan on what everyone should do if a fire does break out.
If you share the building with other businesses or occupants, you may have to coordinate your fire emergency procedure with theirs.
If you employ persons on the premises, you must carry out at least one fire drill a year and in some cases, you may have to train staff as fire wardens or marshals, to help maintain fire safety and ensure evacuations carried out in a timely manner.
5. Review and update regularly to reduce the risk of fire
The last part of the fire risk assessment 5-step process is to regularly review and update your fire risk assessment.
Over time, the risks or hazards in a building may change, such as occupancy levels at different times of day or night, or the addition of new equipment or appliances which could cause additional risks to pop up.
Fire safety management could have changed, it could have become more robust or it may have lapsed.
Fire safety equipment may have become less efficient over time and require replacement.
Regularly check to make sure that everything is still up to date, no significant changes have been made, and all hazards/risks have been suitably addressed.
If any significant changes are made to the building, including a new layout or the use of the building, a new fire risk assessment should be conducted.
Understanding the fire risk assessment process
Overall, the takes into considerationconsiders all aspects of both the potential for fire to start and the overall risk this poses to the occupants.
Having a high risk of a fire starting on your premises does not always mean it is unsafe!
Risks can be mitigated by having a very robust fire safety management system in place, alongside some very effective fire protection equipment.
On the flip side, there may be a very low risk of fire occurring on the premises, but due to lack of any fire safety management or out of date fire protection equipment, the risk to persons n the premises could be quite high.
The cost of a fire risk assessment varies depending on the size and complexity of the building, but investing in a comprehensive assessment can significantly reduce risks to people and property.
Find out how we can carry out a fire risk assessment for you and what your report will include – get a free quote from FireRiskAssessments.com to protect your occupants and property today!
