A risk assessment is a careful look at your premises and the people who use them, from a fire prevention perspective. It's about understanding the potential risks, then improving your fire safety precautions to keep people safe.
A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement. If you are the Responsible Person of a building you need to make sure a suitable competent person completes a Fire Risk Assessment. It is your duty to identify fire risks and hazards in your premises and take appropriate action.
In addition, if five or more people work at your premises or your business has a licence under enactment in force, you’ll need your Fire Risk Assessment to be a written record. Make sure you review your Risk Assessment regularly and whenever significant changes have been made that would have an impact on it. It’s good business sense as well as a legal requirement- often businesses don’t recover after a fire, and effective fire prevention starts with properly understanding the risks.
The Fire Risk Assessment process consists of a comprehensive inspection of the premises to identify potential hazards. It also involves ensuring there are adequate measures to prevent fire from starting and that there are adequate fire protection measures in place to protect all occupants of the building.
Fire hazards are present in every commercial premises. When conducting a fire risk assessment, it’s essential to know what could be considered a fire hazard.
You will need to survey the whole property and take note of any fire risks. A fire hazard is anything that can be used as fuel or a source of ignition. Some common fire hazards include:
Pay close attention to detail and ask yourself what could easily catch fire on the premises and whether there is anything that could create a spark or overheat.
Once you have identified what could cause a fire, you should focus on who at the property is at risk.
Fire poses a significant risk to all occupants in a building, but the risks are greater for certain groups of people. This is why it’s important to identify who is most at risk and what measures should be taken to protect them.
Certain employees, for instance, could be more at risk than others because they use specific electrical equipment or have to deal with flammable substances.
You also need to think about people with mobility issues, disabilities or impaired vision and hearing. They will need more time to evacuate in the event of a fire, so it’s crucial to provide the necessary measures. Those could include access lifts, emergency lighting and passive fire protection elements that limit the spread of flames and smoke.
The next step is to put an action plan in place. This is a very significant part of the process as you will need to decide what fire safety measures are required and where based on the identified hazards.
At this stage it’s beneficial to get a professional involved as they would be able to make appropriate recommendations. There are two types of fire protection - passive and active. If your building already has passive fire protection, it’s essential to get it surveyed to ensure everything is up to standard.
Failing to comply with the fire safety regulations leaves you open to legal implications in the event of a fire. Which is why it's so important to have all the necessary measures in place.
Some of the fire protection equipment that should be present at your premises include:
The next crucial step is creating a safety plan and providing sufficient training for your staff. You need to make sure all of your staff know how to use the equipment available on-site, run emergency drills and ensure everyone knows where the emergency exits are located.
You should also appoint capable individuals to lead the evacuation process and take necessary actions during a fire.
The latest changes to the Fire Safety Regulations also require you to keep a record of all your findings during your fire risk assessment.
A fire risk safety assessment is not something you should rush. The fire safety of your building depends on it, so you should note everything down to the last detail.
You should review your FRA regularly as circumstances change to make sure that your fire protection is up to date. It’s also recommended that you keep on top of the latest amendments to the fire safety legislations, so you don’t miss any changes that would affect your building.
You can visit the government website for a detailed fire risk assessment form you can use when you have to assess the compliance of your building.
It is considered standard best practice to review your Fire Risk Assessment annually and document any findings. In addition, in line with the latest regulations, you are required to get a qualified inspector to complete a biannual fire door inspection of your property.
If you need help with your fire risk assessment or your passive fire protection requirements, Crossfire are here to assist. Our team of engineers can conduct your fire risk assessment, our survey your existing passive fire protection, fire compartmentation and your fire doors. We can also complete any remedial works necessary to ensure you and your building are safe in the event of a fire.
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