About Fire risk assessments
What is a fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is a review of the fire safety of your business premises. As part of the assessment you will need to identify any fire hazards in your business and people that may be at risk. You will also need to evaluate, remove or reduce those risks and record your findings, make an emergency plan, train people and keep your assessment up to date.
Which premises need a Fire Risk Assessment
All 'non-domestic' premises must carry out a fire risk assessment - this means any premises that are not private residential dwellings. These include:
- workplaces
- commercial premises
- premises that the public can access
- common areas in residential buildings with multiple occupants eg the common public areas of a block of flats, but not the flats themselves
- premises with paying guests, for example, bed and breakfast accommodation, holiday lets and guesthouses
- houses with multiple occupants (HMOs)
To learn what you need to do for your type of business premises, go to our 'Choose your business type' section and select your business type.
Who is responsible for carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment
Every business must appoint a 'Responsible Person' (RP). This is the person who is responsible for fire safety in your business and/or building. Part of their role is to carry out and maintain your Fire Risk Assessment. Examples of who is responsible may include an owner, a landlord, an occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, for example a facilities manager, building manager, or managing agent.
A Responsible person will carry out - or employ a competent person to carry out - the fire risk assessment and regularly review it, keep everyone informed, make sure there's suitable fire safety measures, plan for an emergency and ensure people are trained and instructed.
To learn more about Responsible persons and other people who have responsibility for fire safety in your premises, take a look at our 'Who is responsible' section.
Other useful guidance
Depending on your type of business and premises, there may be other helpful guidance available. Please take a look at our 'Law, guidance and enforcement' section where you will find links to helpful information such as the government Guide for persons with duties under fire safety legislation, the National Fire Chiefs Council guidance for specialised housing, and the LACORS information regarding multiple occupation and shared houses and bedsits.
You can also find the government 'Fire Risk Assessment 5-step Checklist' and other helpful tools in our Free resources section.