Small and medium places of assembly - up to 300 people
If you have, own, run or manage premises where 300 or less people can assemble, you must carry out a fire risk assessment. This is the law.
It applies to a building, or part of a building, and includes '...public houses; clubs; dance halls/schools; village halls; community centres; churches; other places of religious worship or study and associated premises; temporary structures and marquees/tents'.
Your Fire Risk Assessment must be carried out by your Responsible Person - this is the person who has control of the premises. This can include employers, managers, occupiers and owners. Alternatively, you may employ a professional Fire Risk Assessor to do the assessment for you.
What is a fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is an assessment of the possible fire risks in your premises and what can be done to remove or reduce them. You must record the required information and keep it up to date.
Every premises where up to 300 people can assemble has a legal responsibility to do and maintain a fire risk assessment. It is there to help keep you, your customers, staff, visitors, and building safe from fire.
The Government produces a guide which tells you how to carry out a fire risk assessment. While it is possible to do the fire risk assessment yourself, you may prefer to employ a fire risk assessor to undertake the assessment for you.
Martyn's Law - the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
Martyn's Law is named after Martyn Hett who tragically died in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. It is intended '... to strengthen the security of public premises and events [and] will improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring that those responsible for certain premises and events consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack'.* * Home Office media
Martyn's Law will be implemented over the next two years, allowing time for those who are responsible for premises and events to understand what is required.
If you expect at least 200 people (including staff) to be present on the premises simultaneously, Martyn's law will apply. To find out more please go to our Martyn's Law page. (If you expect more than 300 people to be present you may also wish to go to our Large places of assembly information).
If you want to employ a fire risk assessor to do your Fire Risk Assessment...
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 premises where up to 300 people can gather, and make sure that you have appropriate fire safety in place. This is to help protect you, your building, your customers, visitors, staff and anyone who uses the building, from the risk of fire.
Our Inspector will make sure that your premises comply with the government guidance found in 'Fire Risk Assessment for small and medium places of assembly' 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 risks, and by removing or reducing those hazards and risks
- that you keep records of what you do and keep your Fire Risk Assessment updated