What are Fire Risk Assessments (FRA’s)?
A fire risk assessment is a review undertaken of a building to assess its fire risk and to provide recommendations to make the building safer if needed. If there are less than five occupants regularly in the building, then it is not required for the assessment to be written down, even if that would be a wise step to confirm awareness.
Are fire risk assessments a legal requirement?
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is a legal requirement. It is your duty to identify fire risks and hazards in your premises and take appropriate action.
What is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?
It replaced most fire safety legislation with one simple order. It means that any person who has some level of control in premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire.
Where does the order apply?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space.
For example, it applies to:
Planning a fire strategy
- offices and shops;
- premises that provide care, including care homes and hospitals;
- community halls, places of worship and other community premises;
- the shared areas of properties several households live in (housing laws may also apply);
- pubs, clubs and restaurants;
- schools and sports centres;
- tents and marquees;
- hotels and hostels; and
- factories and warehouses.
It does not apply to:
- people’s private homes, including individual flats in a block or house.
Who is responsible for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?
You are responsible for fire safety in a business or other non-domestic premises if you are:
Under the order, anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be a ‘responsible person’. For example, it could be:
- the employer for those parts of premises staff may go to;
- the managing agent or owner for shared parts of premises or shared fire safety equipment such as fire-warning systems or sprinklers;
- the occupier, such as self-employed people or voluntary organisations if they have any control; or
- any other person who has some control over a part of the premises.
What are the main rules under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order?
You must:
- carry out a fire-risk assessment identifying any possible dangers and risks;
- consider who may be especially at risk;
- get rid of or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably possible and provide general fire precautions to deal with any possible risk left;
- take other measures to make sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored;
- create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, keep a record of your findings; and
- review your findings when necessary
More about Fire Risk Assessments.
A fire risk assessment is a review undertaken of a building to assess its fire risk and to offer recommendations to make the building safer if needed. If there are less than five occupants regularly in the building, then it is not required for the assessment to be written down, even if that would be a wise step to confirm awareness.
If you are completing a fire risk assessment here are the elements that you will need to consider:
Fire log books are essential to manage your risk
- emergency routes and exits.
- fire detection and warning systems.
- fire-fighting equipment.
- the removal or safe storage of dangerous substances.
- an emergency fire evacuation plan.
- the needs of vulnerable people, for example the elderly, young children and those people with disabilities.
- providing information to employees and other people on the premises
- staff fire safety training.
In addition to these, consideration will also have to be given to the following, when carrying out the assessment,
Fire Risk Assessment – Process
- Identify the fire hazards. Such as sources of ignition such as naked flames, heaters or some commercial processes; sources of fuel such as built-up waste, display materials, textiles or overstocked products; and sources of oxygen such as air conditioning or medicinal or commercial oxygen supplies.
- Identify people at risk. Such as people working near to fire dangers; people working alone or in isolated areas (such as in roof spaces or storerooms); children or parents with babies; and the elderly or infirm and people who are disabled.
- Evaluate, remove, or reduce risks. You should remove or reduce any fire hazards where possible and reduce any risks you have identified. For example, make sure you separate flammable materials from sources of ignition; and have a safe-smoking policy.
- Record your findings, prepare an emergency fire-plan and provide training. You need to record, plan, instruct, inform and train. You will need to record the dangers and people you have identified as especially at risk in step 1 and step 2. You should also record what you did about it in step 3. A simple plan can help you achieve this.
- Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly. You should make sure your fire-risk assessment is up to date. You will need to re-examine your fire-risk assessment if you suspect it is no longer valid.
How often are fire risk assessments required?
The recommendation is that the responsible person completes a Fire Risk Assessment at least once per year, but it can be sooner, if for example where there has been a significant change in the environment that is being assessed, any changes to either the property, or to legislation that has been updated. For lower risk properties this could be every 2 to 3 years.
Who can complete a fire risk assessment?
You can undertake the Fire Risk Assessment yourself with the help of standard fire safety risk assessment guides if you have the correct training and experience.
If you do not have the expertise or time to do the fire risk assessment yourself you need to appoint a ‘competent person’ to help, or to appoint a professional risk assessor.
Your local fire and rescue authority might be able to give you advice if you are not sure your risk assessment’s been carried out properly. However, they cannot carry out risk assessments for you.
However, the risks for getting it wrong can be severe, so why not call in the experts?
How much does a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) cost?
How much does a FRA cost?
The cost of a Fire Risk Assessment will depend on several factors, which will include do I get a Fire Risk Assessor to do the job for me, to complete the survey and to update and maintain the records, or do I do the job myself, or nominate a competent person? The other factors that need to be considered is the size of the area to be assessed or any problems that someone who is not trained may miss, or not fully understand the significance.
What is included in a Fire Risk Assessment?
The content of the Fire Risk Assessment will be influenced by several factors, depending upon the nature and use of the building, where it is located if it is a shared premises and if is a building undergoing alterations or extensions.
Areas that need to be considered in almost all fire risk assessments are fire detection systems, emergency exits and routes (including evacuation plans), firefighting equipment and the availability of information and advice to the building’s occupants.
Issues such as the specific needs of vulnerable people and the safe storage of any dangerous substances must also be considered. However, these may not always be a relevant factor for the fire risk assessment depending on the use of the building.
You must carry out regular checks to make sure that:
No smoking sign as part of a fire safety policy
- all fire alarm systems are working.
- the emergency lighting is working.
- you record any faults in systems and equipment.
- all escape routes are open for use and the floor is in good condition.
- all fire escapes can be opened easily.
- automatic fire doors close correctly.
- fire exit signs are in the right place.
- emergency routes and exits.
- fire detection and warning systems.
- fire -fighting equipment.
- the removal or safe storage of dangerous substances.
- an emergency fire evacuation plan.
- the needs of vulnerable people, for example the elderly, young children or people with disabilities.
- providing information to employees and other people on the premises.
- staff fire safety training.
Fire risk assessments in shared premises and HMO’s :
In shared premises it is likely there will be more than one responsible person. You will need to co-ordinate your fire safety plans to make sure people on or around the premises are safe.
For common or shared areas, the responsible person is the landlord, freeholder or managing agent.
What about alterations, premises extensions and new buildings?
When building new premises or doing building work on existing premises, you must comply with building regulations. This includes designing fire safety into the proposed building or extension.
Having completed a FRA, what do I need to do next?
You need to start converting your risk assessment to an Emergency Evacuation Action Plan (EEAP), which is always well supported by a plan of the premises which will show all relevant details of fire doors, escape routes, fire fighting equipment, emergency lighting, staff training and fire assembly points.
Your plan must show how you have:
Fire safety training is an essential part of a fire strategy
- a clear passageway to all escape routes
- clearly marked escape routes that are as short and direct as possible
- enough exits and routes for all people to escape
- emergency doors that open easily
- emergency lighting where needed
- training for all employees to know and use the escape routes
- a safe meeting point for staff
Penalties and enforcement for not having an FRA in place?
You could be fined or go to prison if you do not follow fire safety regulations.
Local fire and rescue authorities do and will inspect premises and can issue fire safety notices, telling you about changes you need to make.
How can Summit Environmental help you?
We keep you safe, compliant, and up to date with current legislation. We can assist you with our assessments, consultancy and emergency fire action plans. Need more information, we can help, we provide solutions that solve our clients’ problems.
