How to conduct a professional fire risk assessment

The Essentials: Fire Safety Law

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every business in the UK is legally required to carry out a fire risk assessment (FRA). If you have five or more employees, this assessment must be written down. The core requirement is to identify fire hazards, evaluate the risks to people on-site, and implement measures to reduce those risks to an acceptable level.

Choosing a 'Competent Person'

The law states that the assessment must be carried out by a 'competent person'. While for very small, low-risk premises you may be able to do this yourself using government-provided checklists, most commercial facilities—especially those with complex layouts or stored goods—require a professional fire risk assessor. A professional will have the technical knowledge to spot hidden risks that an untrained eye might miss.

Tip: Look for assessors registered with a professional body, such as the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) or those on the Tiered Programme for Fire Risk Assessors.

The Five Steps of a Fire Risk Assessment

Whether you hire a professional or do it yourself, the process generally follows these five steps:

1. Identify fire hazards: Look for sources of ignition (heaters, lighting, electrical equipment) and fuel (packaging, stored goods, chemicals).
2. Identify people at risk: Consider who is on-site. Are there staff working alone? Do you have customers who are unfamiliar with the building layout?
3. Evaluate, remove, or reduce risks: Take action to eliminate hazards where possible. For example, moving flammable materials away from heat sources.
4. Record findings and create an action plan: Document what you found and what safety equipment you have installed (such as alarms and extinguishers).
5. Review regularly: Your assessment is a living document. You must update it if you change the building layout or after a 'near miss'.

Installing Essential Safety Measures

Based on your assessment, you will likely need to install and maintain specific safety equipment. The table below outlines the common types of fire extinguishers you might need based on the materials in your facility:

Beyond extinguishers, you must ensure you have a functional fire alarm system with smoke or heat detectors positioned correctly. Emergency exit signage must be clearly visible, even in a power cut, and all fire doors must remain unobstructed and capable of closing automatically if an alarm sounds.

Maintenance and Training

Simply having the equipment is not enough; it must work when needed. Ensure you have a service contract in place for an annual inspection of your extinguishers and alarms. Additionally, you should provide basic fire safety training to all staff so they know how to evacuate safely and where the assembly point is located.