FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the “Responsible Person” (RP) of most non-domestic premises to carry out a fire risk assessment.

A Fire Risk Assessment is an organised and methodical examination of a premises, the activities and processes being carried out and the likelihood of a fire starting and causing harm to those in and around the premises (relevant people).

The aim of Fire Risk Assessment is to facilitate:

• Identification of fire hazards
• Fire Prevention: Reducing the risk of identified fire hazards and therefore reducing harm to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) 
• Fire Protection: Deciding what physical fire protection and management arrangements are required to ensure people’s safety if a fire does occur
• Management process to protect people from fire: Policies, emergency planning, training, clarifying roles and responsibilities, reviewing and taking action. 

When assessing risk consideration should be given to:

• Characteristics of the occupancy
• Areas of particularly high or low risk
• Building use
• Fire loading  
• Age and construction of the premises
• Active/passive fire safety measures already in place 

The person responsible for the fire risk assessment is generally the employer at a business premises or in the case of a block of flats the landlord.  They have a duty to ensure the fire risk assessment is current and properly accounts for all of the fire risks in the premises.  To achieve this the risk assessment needs to be regularly reviewed. 

Where five or more people are employed the significant findings of the assessment, including the measures which have been or will be taken by the responsible person and any group of persons identified by the assessment as being especially at risk must be recorded and available for inspection by the Fire Authority upon request. 

The legislation states that the risk assessment must be carried out by a competent person who: 

• understands basic fire safety principles,
• is competent in fire risk assessment, and
• has the requisite knowledge relating to the particular premises.

Someone will be ‘competent’ for the purpose of the Fire Safety Order, if he or she “has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them to properly assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures”. 

Competence must be judged in the context of the size and complexity of the premises.