Fire Risk Assessment FAQs

All businesses, no matter how big or small, must have a written fire risk assessment in place. This has been a requirement since October 2023, when new legislation was introduced.

Our fire risk assessments are suitable for any business premises and organisations, however big or small. Different industries and building types, including public facilities, educational facilities, small community premises, care homes, public houses and restaurants, offices and warehousing facilities, retail premises, HMOs, and small blocks of flats can all be covered by our fire risk assessments.

There is no definitive answer to how often you should carry out a fire risk assessment, or how long a fire risk assessment is valid for. Government guidelines state that your risks should be regularly reviewed. Our recommendation is that you should review your fire safety, in particular the fire risks, annually and carry out a full fire risk assessment if there are any changes within your business or organisation. This should include if there is a change to someone’s role or if someone new has started, if new equipment is introduced, or if the structural plan or the intended use of the building changes.

Not everyone requires a fire strategy plan. A fire strategy plan is often used as a means for gathering a package of fire safety information required by Building Regulations (Regulation 38) for new buildings or premises undergoing a change of use. A retrospective fire strategy can also be used as a basis for informing all other decisions about fire safety in older or more complex buildings.

A fire strategy plan must be developed by a fully qualified and competent assessor, preferably someone accredited as a fire risk assessor or fire engineer. They should possess an appropriate level of expertise for assessing complex buildings or those requiring a more engineered approach. Competency can be demonstrated through high-level memberships to organizations like the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), or by being a Chartered Fire Engineer or a Tier 3 Risk Assessor.

For new buildings or those undergoing a change of use, the fire strategy is usually created before construction begins, alongside the architects’ drawings. This plan plays a crucial role in shaping decisions about the building's structure, ensuring fire safety features like adequate escape routes, detection and warning systems, access points for firefighters, and sufficient passive fire protection are in place.

Moreover, fire strategies can also be retroactively applied to older buildings to assess how fire might spread and to inform further fire safety planning and mitigation measures. The fire strategy will serve as a foundation for an accompanying Fire Risk Assessment, which is legally required for all businesses and organizations, regardless of size. Regular assessments ensure that all firefighting and warning systems, as well as preventative measures, are up to standard in regards to fire safety. By using both the fire strategy and fire risk assessment together, a comprehensive approach to fire safety is achieved.