What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

A Fire Risk Assessment evaluates a building, facility, or workplace to identify potential fire hazards, assess the likelihood of a fire occurring, and analyse the potential consequences if a fire breaks out.

 

Steps of a Fire Risk Assessment

Step 1: Recognise Potential Fire Hazards

The first step involves identifying potential fire hazards. This means examining the premises for potential sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen:

  • Ignition Sources: Faulty electrical equipment, open flames, hot surfaces, spars from mechanical processes or static electricity.
  • Fuel Sources: Flammable liquid and gasses, combustible materials, accumulated waste or overstocked items, furniture and decorations, or flammable chemical and cleaning products.
  • Oxygen Source: Natural airflow, air conditioning units, medical or commercial oxygen supplies, or oxidising chemicals.

 

Step 2: Determine Who Might Be at Risk

In this step, you consider all the individuals who might be affected by a fire on the premises if it were to break out.

This can include:

  • Employees: Especially those working alone or in isolated areas.
  • Visitors or Contractors: Those who are unfamiliar with the premises.
  • Vulnerable Groups: People with disabilities or mobility issues, elderly, or young children.
  • Language Barriers: Individuals who may not understand emergency instructions due to language differences.
  • Other Occupants: Seasonal workers, temporary staff, members of the public, etc.

 

Step 3: Assess, Eliminate, or Mitigate Fire Risks

This step requires you to assess the possibility of a fire occurring and perform measures to reduce or eliminate the risk.

For example, replacing highly flammable materials with less flammable alternatives, separating flammable materials from ignition sources, installing additional fire-fighting equipment, improving fire detection or warning systems, etc.

 

Step 4: Document Results, Develop an Emergency Plan, and Conduct Training

You then need to formalise the findings and prepare for emergencies. You do this by:

  • Documenting Findings: Record identify hazards and risks and take note of the actions implemented to mitigate risks.
  • Developing an Emergency Plan: Create evacuation procedures, designate assembly points outside the building, and assign roles to assist during emergencies.
  • Conducting Training: Provide regular training for all employees and give specialised training to those with emergency roles like fire wardens or marshals.

 

Step 5: Regularly Reassess and Update the Fire Safety Plan

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 imposes that your assessment should be reviewed regularly, however the frequency will be dependant on the risks observed.

How often you review your first risk assessment depends on whether you think it’s no longer valid or changes have happened to the structure or occupants of the building.

As a general rule, you should review your fire risk assessment annually, this may be reduced to 6 months in higher risk environments, or increased to 2 or 3 years in low risk environments.

 

Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan

A Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan is a document used to outline the steps that need to be taken to address any fire safety issues identified during a Fire Risk Assessment.

The action plan typically includes:

  • Identified hazards or risks
  • Specific actions required to address each hazard
  • Priority level for each action
  • Person or people responsible for implementing the action
  • Target completion date
  • Actual completion date
  • Current status of the action

This Action Plan aims to systematically address all fire safety concerns, ensure accountability, and provide a clear improvement timeline.

 

Hire a Fire Risk Assessor Today

If you’re untrained in fire risk assessment, hiring a fire risk assessor can ensure that you meet the legal requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and keep your people and property safe.

That’s where Fire Safety & Compliance steps in. We’re the leading providers of Fire Risk Assessment in the UK, and each professional holds accreditation from The Institute of Fire Safety Managers. For more information on how we can help, contact us.