How to conduct a fire risk assessment

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

You must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment of your business premises. This is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and it's designed to protect you, your employees, your customers, and your business from the devastating impact of fire. The process involves identifying potential dangers, figuring out who is at risk, and taking practical steps to prevent fires and ensure everyone can escape safely if one occurs.

For many small, simple businesses, you can complete this assessment yourself. However, for larger or more complex premises, you may need to hire a professional fire risk assessor.

The 5 Steps of a Fire Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment is a practical, hands-on process. The best way to approach it is by following these five logical steps. Grab a notepad and walk around your entire premises, inside and out, looking at it with fresh eyes.

1. Identify the fire hazards
   A fire needs three things to start: a source of ignition, fuel, and oxygen. Your first step is to find potential examples of these in your workplace. Look for:
   • Sources of ignition: Heaters, cooking equipment, naked flames (like candles), faulty or misused electrical equipment, cigarettes, or even arson.
   • Sources of fuel: Anything that can burn easily. This includes packaging, paper and cardboard waste, furniture, textiles, flammable liquids (like solvents or cleaning products), and even built-up dust or grease.
   • Sources of oxygen: This is generally the air around us, but you should also consider air conditioning systems or specific medical or commercial gases.
2. Identify people at risk
   Next, think about who might be harmed if a fire broke out. Don't just think about your staff; consider everyone who might be on the premises. Pay special attention to:
   • People working near fire hazards.
   • Lone workers or those in isolated areas.
   • Customers, visitors, and contractors.
   • Anyone with mobility issues, disabilities, or children who may need extra help to escape.
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks
   Now you have your lists of hazards and people at risk, you need to take action to make things safer. For each hazard, your priority should be to remove it completely. If you can't, you must do everything possible to control the risk. This means:
   • Keeping ignition sources and fuel sources far apart.
   • Ensuring good housekeeping to avoid build-up of rubbish.
   • Having electrical equipment properly installed and tested (PAT testing).
   • Making sure you have the right fire safety equipment, such as fire alarms, smoke detectors, and appropriate fire extinguishers.
   • Ensuring escape routes are short, clear, well-lit, and unlocked.
4. Record your findings, create an emergency plan, and provide training
   If your business has five or more employees, you are legally required to record the significant findings of your assessment. This record should show the hazards you found, the actions you've taken to reduce them, and who is at risk. You must also create a clear emergency plan that details how people will be warned of a fire, what they should do, where the assembly point is, and who is responsible for calling 999. Finally, you must provide training to your staff on the fire safety procedures.
5. Review and update regularly
   A fire risk assessment is not a one-off task. It's a living document that you must keep up to date. You should review it at least once a year, or whenever there is a significant change in your business. This could include hiring new staff, changing the layout of your premises, or starting to store different types of materials.

Top Tip: The government and local fire and rescue services provide free templates and guides to help you conduct your assessment. Using one of these can help ensure you don't miss anything important. Involve your staff in the process—they often have a great understanding of the day-to-day risks in their work areas.