How Many Fire Marshals Do You Need?

Appointing the right number of fire marshals is one of the most practical decisions an employer makes under UK fire safety law. There is no single magic number — the answer depends on the size of your workplace, its fire risk level, the building layout and your shift patterns. As a starting point, guidance commonly ranges from one fire marshal for every 50 employees in a low-risk office to one for every 15 employees in a high-risk environment, but each workplace must confirm its own figure through a fire risk assessment.

This guide explains the legal duty, the recommended risk-based ratios, the workplace factors that push the number up or down, and how to make sure you always have enough trained marshals on site — even when people are on holiday or working nights.

Quick answer: the risk-based ratios

The number of fire marshals you need is driven primarily by your fire risk level. These widely used ratios are a sensible starting point, but they are a guide — not a legal minimum set out in the legislation itself.

• 1 per 50 employees in low-risk premises such as standard offices and shops.
• 1 per 30 employees in medium-risk premises such as restaurants and light manufacturing.
• 1 per 15 employees in high-risk environments such as chemical plants, care homes and hospitals.
• Minimum of 2 fire marshals regardless of staff numbers, so cover never depends on one person.
• Double your number to allow for holidays, sickness, training and meetings.
• One per floor at minimum in multi-storey buildings, plus extra for complex layouts.

Understanding the role of a fire marshal

Fire marshals carry out essential duties that protect employees and visitors. Day to day, they monitor fire safety equipment, keep escape routes unobstructed, identify and report fire hazards, and maintain fire safety documentation. During an emergency, they lead the evacuation, guide people to assembly points and carry out a headcount to confirm everyone is out.

The terms "fire marshal" and "fire warden" are often used interchangeably. Where organisations do distinguish between them, fire wardens tend to focus on day-to-day safety and assisting with evacuations, while fire marshals receive more comprehensive training and take on broader fire safety management duties such as risk assessment and equipment oversight. Both roles need people who stay calm under pressure, communicate clearly and know the building layout well.

The legal duty to appoint enough marshals

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the primary legal framework for fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It requires the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment and to appoint a sufficient number of competent persons to implement fire safety measures and assist with evacuation.

Crucially, the Order does not specify exact numbers. Instead, it places the duty on the employer to appoint as many marshals as are needed to carry out emergency evacuation effectively, and to be able to demonstrate that the number is sufficient for the premises size, layout and identified risks. That is why a documented fire risk assessment — not a rule of thumb alone — must drive your final figure.

Insurers add a further layer. Many require specific fire marshal ratios as a condition of cover, often in the range of one marshal per 15 to 50 employees depending on risk and premises type. Failing to meet those conditions can leave a business exposed, so it is worth checking your policy alongside your assessment.

Workplace factors that change the number

The ratios are only a baseline. Several workplace factors push the required number of marshals up or down, and your fire risk assessment should weigh each of them.

• Fire risk level. Premises with flammable materials, machinery or hot processes need more marshals than a quiet office. Manufacturing and warehousing with combustible goods sit at the higher end of coverage.
• Building size and layout. Larger premises, multi-storey buildings, long corridors, dead ends and many separate rooms all demand additional marshals so every area is covered. Open-plan offices with clear sightlines may need fewer.
• Occupancy and visitors. More people means more marshals. Public-facing premises such as retail and reception areas need extra cover at peak times, and large events may need temporary appointments.
• Shift patterns. 24-hour operations need trained marshals on every shift. Night shifts often run with skeleton staff, so proportionally more marshals per employee may be required.
• Vulnerable occupants. Care homes and hospitals need higher marshal-to-occupant ratios because of mobility limitations and the need for assisted evacuation.

Recommended ratios by risk level

The table below summarises the common starting-point ratios for each risk level. Always confirm the figure that applies to your specific premises through a fire risk assessment.

Building type also matters within a risk band. Single-storey offices typically sit around one marshal per 30–50 employees, multi-storey offices nearer 1 per 25–40, manufacturing facilities 1 per 15–25, and warehouses 1 per 20–30. Whatever the calculation, keep a minimum of two marshals so cover never rests on a single person, and add marshals for each additional floor or separated section of the building.

Covering shifts, holidays and absence

A ratio that works on paper fails the moment your only marshal is on annual leave. Continuous cover is a core part of compliance, so plan for the days when marshals are unavailable.

A widely used rule of thumb is to double your calculated number to absorb holidays, sickness, training and meetings. Appoint deputy marshals to cover planned absences, and cross-train staff across departments and shifts to build a larger pool of qualified people. Maintaining records of marshal availability and reviewing them regularly helps you spot coverage gaps before they become a problem.

Appointing and training your marshals

Choose people with good knowledge of the building, the physical ability to assist with evacuation, reliable attendance, and the authority and respect of colleagues. Volunteers usually perform better than reluctant appointees, but someone must take responsibility if no one comes forward. Appointing marshals from different departments and shifts helps ensure familiarity with local risks and routes.

Under the Fire Safety Order, competent persons must receive appropriate training. Core elements include fire risk assessment principles, evacuation procedures and routes, use of fire safety equipment, and clear communication during emergencies. Marshals should also know how to run an effective fire drill and understand the different extinguisher types and their uses. Regular refresher training keeps skills current and reflects any changes to the workplace.

Ongoing duties: drills, equipment and prevention

Appointing marshals is the start, not the end. UK workplaces should carry out at least one fire drill a year and record the results, and marshals play a central role in organising them — timing the evacuation, identifying blocked routes, recording attendance at assembly points and noting issues to feed back into the plan.

Marshals also help keep fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency lighting and exit signs in good order through routine visual checks, with professional servicing arranged annually and faults reported immediately. On prevention, regular walkabouts help catch hazards early — overloaded sockets and damaged cables, blocked escape routes, poor storage of flammable materials and the fire risks created by new equipment or layout changes.

Vulnerable occupants and special considerations

Where people may need extra help to evacuate, marshals should support Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), be designated to assist specific individuals, know how to use evacuation chairs, and understand the location of refuge areas and alternative routes for wheelchair users. Disability-awareness training and regular practice with the people involved help ensure these procedures work in a real emergency.

During an evacuation, marshals coordinate by sweeping their designated areas, managing crowd flow at exits to prevent bottlenecks, reporting progress to the chief fire warden and accounting for everyone at the assembly point. High-visibility clothing, torches and a means of communication all help them stay visible and pass information quickly.

Sources & references

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — the primary legal framework for fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) — guidance on fire safety and recommended marshal ratios
• Gov.uk — Fire safety equipment, drills and training

Mark McShane

Fire Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace fire safety, compliance and accredited training for Fire Marshal Training, part of Online CPD Academy.