Small non-domestic premises
If you have, own or run small non-domestic premises, you must carry out a fire risk assessment. This is the law.
You can learn what a fire risk assessment is below. This applies to small non-domestic premises which are those '...that have simple layouts, low fire risk, with limited fire hazards and a small number of employees, customers and visitors'. This type of premises will have 'no more than a basement, ground and first floor' and do not exceed 280m2. There should be no hazardous processes - for example cutting, welding - carried out, and no one sleeping on the premises.
Your Fire Risk Assessment must be carried out by your Responsible Person - examples of a responsible person are an employer, building owner, landlord, building manager or agent. You can also employ a professional Fire Risk Assessor to do the assessment for you.
Fire safety and your small non-domestic premises
If you own or run a small non-domestic premises you will need carry out a Fire Risk Assessment. This is an assessment of the possible fire risks in your premises and what can be done to remove or reduce them. The assessment should be carried out by your Responsible Person and the required information recorded and kept up to date. It is possible to do the fire risk assessment yourself, particularly if your premises are small or low risk. Alternatively you can employ a Fire Risk Assessor to the Assessment for you.
The Home Office produce a guide which tells you what you need to know and how to carry out a fire risk assessment. It also contains helpful checklists, examples of accommodation layouts and more.
If you don't want to do the fire risk assessment yourself
If you cannot carry out the Fire Risk Assessment yourself, you can employ someone to do it for you.
You will still be legally responsible for your Fire Risk Assessment and so it is important that you use or employ a person who can do the job correctly. Take a look at the things you should check before employing someone to do your Fire Risk Assessment
When we inspect your premises
Kent Fire and Rescue Service are legally required to inspect business premises and make sure that you have appropriate fire safety in place. This is to help protect you, your building, your staff, customers and anyone who uses the building from the risk of fire.
Our Inspector will make sure that your premises comply with the Home Office guidance found in 'Making your small non-domestic safe from fire' referred to above. This means the things you need to do to make sure that:
- if there is a fire, the building will hold back fire and smoke to allow enough time for people to escape
- the building has the appropriate fire alarm(s) and warnings, signage, lighting and other requirements referred to in the government guidance to assist people to evacuate if there is a fire
- that you know what to do if there is a fire, and that this information has been passed onto your staff and other relevant people
- you are doing everything to stop fire in the first place by identifying fire hazards and people at risk, and by removing or reducing those hazards and risks
- that you keep records of what you do and keep your Fire Risk Assessment updated