A fire risk assessment identifies fire hazards, the people at risk and the precautions needed to protect them. This guide focuses on the Fire Safety Order in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes. For premises covered by the Order, the responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment and keep it under review. The assessment examines escape routes, warning systems, occupants’ needs and emergency procedures.
Key points at a glance
- Fire risk assessments are legally required for premises covered by the Fire Safety Order in England and Wales.
- The process follows five steps: identify hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate and reduce, record findings and review.
- The responsible person — usually the employer, owner or occupier — carries the legal duty to arrange the assessment.
- A full written record of the assessment and fire safety arrangements is required under the Fire Safety Order, regardless of employee numbers.
- Assessments need regular review, particularly after significant changes or when there is reason to doubt their validity; no universal annual interval is set by the Order.
- Specified serious offences can attract unlimited fines and up to two years’ imprisonment at the Crown Court.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment identifies hazards and evaluates how people will be protected. Its scope includes escape, detection and warning, firefighting equipment, information, training and assistance for anyone who needs help to evacuate. The legal requirements depend on the premises and the UK nation; the Fire Safety Order is the relevant framework for most non-domestic premises in England and Wales.
Premises covered by the Order include offices, shops, factories, warehouses, hotels, care homes, schools and healthcare premises, as well as relevant common parts of residential buildings. Building type, occupancy and evacuation needs all affect the assessment. A large assembly venue requires different precautions from a small office; the assessment must reflect the actual premises.
Key terms you need to know
A handful of defined terms underpin the whole process, and getting them right is the first step to compliance.
- Responsible person — the person with the duty to arrange a suitable assessment and keep it under review, usually the employer, owner or occupier with relevant control.
- Competent person — someone with the training, knowledge and experience to assist where the responsible person lacks the necessary expertise. This can be the responsible person themselves or an external specialist.
- Fire hazards — ignition sources, combustible materials and structural features that could start or spread a fire, such as electrical faults, heating equipment and poor housekeeping.
- People at risk — everyone who might be present during a fire, including employees, visitors, contractors and anyone who needs assistance to evacuate.
Legal duties and the Fire Safety Order
The Fire Safety Order is the main framework for most non-domestic premises in England and Wales. The responsible person must assess the risks and implement appropriate precautions. Changes effective from 1 October 2023 require every responsible person to record the full assessment, all findings and the fire safety arrangements, regardless of staff numbers. Keeping only selected significant findings is no longer sufficient under these duties.
Two more recent pieces of legislation extend the Order. The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that external walls, flat entrance doors and building structure must be included in assessments for multi-occupied residential buildings, and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added further duties for certain residential buildings.
Who is responsible?
The responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment and remains accountable when using a consultant or managing agent. Other people with control can have duties too, and shared premises require cooperation. Use someone with skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to the premises; where you lack the expertise, seek suitable competent assistance.
Penalties for non-compliance
Non-compliance can result in notices and prosecution. Government sanctions guidance explains that specified serious Fire Safety Order offences can attract an unlimited fine and/or up to two years’ imprisonment at the Crown Court. The offence and circumstances determine the penalty; other offences may apply in a fatal case. Insurance consequences depend on the policy and facts, so do not assume that every recording defect automatically invalidates cover.
The five steps of a fire risk assessment
The government’s five-step checklist provides a useful structure for assessing fire risks. The assessment still needs to reflect the premises, the people present and any specialist advice required.
1. Identify fire hazards
Identify sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen. Consider electrical equipment, heating, cooking, hot work and smoking; combustible stock, waste and furnishings; and oxygen supplies or processes that can intensify combustion. Include deliberate ignition and the conditions that could allow fire or smoke to spread. The government five-step checklist provides a structured starting point.
2. Identify people at risk
Consider everyone who may be present, including children, older people, disabled people, visitors, temporary staff and lone workers. Assess their actual needs, familiarity with the premises and ability to receive a warning and reach safety, without making assumptions based on age or disability. Include occupancy levels, night work and other shifts, and ensure temporary staff and visitors receive appropriate information. Agree assistance arrangements with the people concerned.
3. Evaluate, eliminate and reduce the risks
This step examines your existing measures and identifies the gaps. Escape route assessment covers the number and width of exits, travel distances, the protection given by fire doors and stairways, accessibility, and emergency lighting. Detection and alarm systems are checked for coverage, audibility, integration and maintenance. The core risk-reduction principle is separation — keeping ignition sources away from combustible materials through good storage, regular maintenance and staff training. Extinguisher type and placement should match the identified hazards, and staff need training in safe use. Emergency procedures must account for every identified risk and vulnerable person, with regular drills to test them.
4. Record your findings
Record the full assessment, including all findings, the action needed and the fire safety arrangements. Under the Fire Safety Order this applies regardless of the number of employees. Keep the record available and update it when the assessment or arrangements change.
5. Review regularly
Keep the assessment current through regular review and whenever there is a significant relevant change or reason to suspect it is no longer valid. Government guidance recognises an annual review as good practice for small, simple premises, rather than a universal statutory deadline.
Competence levels for assessors
Simple premises may be assessed in-house where the person has appropriate knowledge and experience; complex risks may require specialist help. BS 8674:2025 describes Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced competence levels for individual fire risk assessors. These are competence categories, not statutory building-height or occupancy limits. Confirm that the assessor’s experience matches your premises and the assessment scope.
| Level | Typical buildings | Indicative scope |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Simple, low-risk buildings | Relevant competence for straightforward premises and limited complexity |
| Intermediate | Buildings of moderate complexity | Broader experience matched to the premises, occupancy and fire precautions |
| Advanced | Complex or high-risk environments | Specialist competence for the particular systems, occupants and assessment scope |
When appointing an assessor, check relevant experience, qualifications, references and the scope of any professional registration or third-party certification. Verify claims directly with the issuing organisation. Certification can help assess competence, but the responsible person still needs to ensure that the assessment is suitable for the premises.
Documentation and record-keeping
Keep a full written assessment and a record of the fire safety arrangements. Under the Fire Safety Order, the duty applies regardless of employee numbers. Record who completed or assisted with the assessment, the findings and actions, and arrangements for implementing and reviewing precautions. Make the information accessible to those who need it to manage fire safety.
An emergency plan forms part of the fire safety arrangements. It should cover the assessed evacuation strategy, escape routes, raising the alarm, calling the emergency services, assistance and any assembly point. Identify who will carry out each role. Practise where necessary and record the findings: government guidance generally recommends annual workplace drills, but resident drills are not recommended for ordinary blocks of flats or HMOs.
Training records complete the picture, covering induction briefings for new staff, refresher training, specialist training for fire wardens, and drill participation. Records should include dates, attendees and the topics covered.
Reviewing and updating your assessment
The Fire Safety Order requires regular review, especially if an assessment may no longer be valid or a significant relevant change has occurred. It does not set a universal 12-month interval. Agree a review programme suited to the premises, and bring it forward when incidents, changes or identified defects warrant it.
Changes to the premises can invalidate an existing assessment. Building alterations or layout changes, new furnishings or stored stock, the failure of alarms or sprinklers, new processes involving hazardous substances, and significant increases in occupancy all require a fresh look. People-related factors matter too — staff with new mobility needs, changes to shift patterns, and new contractors or visitors. Any near miss or actual fire should prompt immediate reassessment to identify the cause.
Fire safety management is continuous. Set checks and servicing for each system using the risk assessment, relevant guidance and manufacturers’ instructions. For typical workplace systems, government guidance describes weekly alarm tests, monthly emergency-lighting function tests and annual full-duration tests, with specialist maintenance at the appropriate intervals. Routine checks of escape routes and doors may need to be more frequent.
Make sure your workplace has trained fire wardens in place to support your fire risk assessment.
Explore the Fire Warden / Fire Marshal Course →Sources & references
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — current legislation
- GOV.UK — Recording duties from 1 October 2023
- GOV.UK — Assessment reviews and fire safety duties
- BSI — BS 8674:2025 assessor competence framework
- GOV.UK — Enforcement and sanctions
- GOV.UK — Five-step fire risk assessment checklist
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service — Fire risk assessments in Scotland
- Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service — Fire risk assessments
Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and online training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.