How to create a specific fire risk assessment

Your top priority is safety, and a fire risk assessment is a legal must-have for your food truck. It is a formal process of checking for fire hazards, figuring out who might be harmed, and putting sensible safety measures in place. This isn't just a box-ticking exercise; it's a crucial plan to protect your business, your team, and your customers. You must keep a written record of your assessment if you have five or more employees.

The 5 Steps to a Fire Risk Assessment

The process can be broken down into five straightforward steps. Work through them methodically to create a comprehensive assessment for your food truck.

1. Identify the fire hazards
   

   Walk around your truck and think about what could start a fire. Be thorough. Look for potential sources of ignition (heat), fuel (something that burns), and oxygen. For a food truck, common hazards include:

   • Cooking appliances like deep fat fryers, griddles, and hobs
   • Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and associated pipework
   • Electrical equipment, wiring, and generators
   • Flammable liquids such as cooking oils and cleaning products
   • Rubbish and packaging materials that can easily catch fire
2. Identify people at risk
   

   Now, think about who could be harmed if a fire broke out. This includes:

   • You and any staff working inside the truck
   • Customers queuing nearby
   • People in adjacent properties, stalls, or vehicles
   • Emergency services personnel who would attend an incident

   Consider how a fire might affect vulnerable people, such as those with disabilities or children.

3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks
   

   For each hazard you've found, decide what you need to do about it. The goal is to make a fire less likely to happen and to ensure people can escape safely if it does. Your actions could include:

   • Ensuring cooking equipment is well-maintained and cleaned regularly to prevent grease build-up.
   • Storing LPG cylinders upright, in a well-ventilated location away from ignition sources and exits.
   • Getting electrical equipment professionally installed and regularly tested (PAT testing).
   • Having the right fire-fighting equipment on hand, such as a Class F ‘wet chemical’ extinguisher for cooking oil fires and a CO2 or dry powder extinguisher for other types.
   • Installing a fire blanket near your cooking area for smothering small pan fires.
4. Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training
   

   Write down what you've found and what you're doing about it. This is your formal risk assessment. Your document must also detail your emergency procedures. What should staff do if they discover a fire? What is the escape route? Where is the safe assembly point? Everyone who works in the truck must be trained on this plan.

5. Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly
   

   This isn't a one-time job. You should review your assessment at least once a year, or whenever there's a significant change to your business. This could be when you get new cooking equipment, change the layout of your truck, or hire new staff.

Make it specific: Don't just download a generic template. Your assessment must be tailored to your specific food truck, equipment, and layout.

Involve your team: If you have staff, ask for their input. They work in the space every day and might spot hazards you miss.

Keep it handy: Store a copy of the assessment in your food truck where it can be easily accessed.