Fire risk assessments are inspections carried out by a responsible person that specifically look at the areas of your premises that are, or could become, fire hazards. The assessment will highlight these areas to identify what your business needs to put in place to prevent a fire and keep those within and around your premises safe.
Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement in the UK for almost all premises where people could be working. The assessments must be carried out to a competent standard and you must keep a written record of your assessment if you have five or more people within your business.
Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?
This depends on your preferences and the size of your building. If your premises are small, you or an occupier can carry out the risk assessment, but you’ll need to have read and understood the relevant guidance, which you can find on the UK Government’s website.
The larger or more complex the premises, the more advanced and intricate the assessment needs to be, which is why we always recommend you hire a professional. It’s worth bearing in mind that not all fire risk assessors are of the same standard. Some will review your building and recommend upgrading parts of the premises that do not comply with set standards, while more experienced fire risk assessors, like ours, will be able to make reasoned judgements.
Who is a responsible person?
A responsible person (as defined in the RRFSO) is the name given to an individual who is responsible for managing all or part of any building, employer or small business owner. The person is known as a duty holder in Scotland and appropriate person in Northern Ireland. Regardless of their title, this person has a duty of care to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out to verify adequate fire safety measures are in place.
What are the consequences of not carrying out a fire risk assessment?
There is an undeniable threat to life where fire is concerned, which could be prevented by assessing fire risks. Aside from the moral aspect of keeping those who work for you safe, failure to have carried out a fire risk assessment and the necessary associated works could lead to prosecution. You could be fined or go to prison if you don’t follow fire safety regulations.
How do we arrange a fire risk assessment?
If you’ve decided to go down the route of employing a specialist to carry out your fire risk assessment, contact us today. We’ll arrange for one of our highly experienced consultants to carry out the risk assessment for you, who’ll then discuss their findings with you and plan the necessary work going forward. You can enquire about our fire risk assessments through our contact page or call us on 0333 3359982, 01908 632087 or 01487 479554.
For more information about the legal requirements for fire risk assessments in a workplace, take a look at the following information relevant to your location:
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - England and Wales
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 – Scotland
Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 - Northern Ireland
The Alarm Hub – specialist fire safety services for London, Milton Keynes and Cambridge