In the United Kingdom, non-domestic property owners are legally mandated to conduct regular fire risk assessments.
These assessments are essential not only for compliance, but also to ensure the safety of both employees and premises from potential fire hazards.
Fire Safety Responsibility
The UK's guidelines specify that individuals responsible for fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises include employers, owners, landlords, occupiers, and any person in control of the premises, such as facilities managers, building managers, managing agents, or risk assessors.
These individuals are identified as the 'responsible person.' When multiple responsible persons exist, collaboration is necessary to fulfill these duties.
Duties of the Responsible Person
A responsible person at a commercial property is required to conduct and regularly review a fire risk assessment, inform staff or their representatives about identified risks, implement and maintain appropriate fire safety measures, plan for emergencies, and provide essential fire safety information, instructions, and training.
Steps in a Fire Risk Assessment
Conducting a fire risk assessment involves five critical steps: identifying fire hazards, identifying people at risk, evaluating and mitigating risks, documenting findings, preparing an emergency plan, providing training, and periodically reviewing and updating the assessment.
Frequency of Review
While no specific law dictates the frequency of these assessments, reviews are necessary when significant changes occur.
Such changes might include modifications to work processes or building structures, the introduction of hazardous substances, or a notable increase in occupancy.
Challenges in Conducting Assessments
The responsibility of conducting fire risk assessments can be taxing and time-consuming
The responsibility of conducting fire risk assessments can be taxing and time-consuming, especially for those without experience in this field.
It may distract from daily business operations, and complexities can increase when managing large properties or multiple sites. In such cases, leaving room for potential oversights, professional assistance can be beneficial.
Fire Risk Assessment Methodology
Total Fire Group offers assistance with their developed methodology, template, and approach refined over 16 years in the industry. Their services help responsible persons identify significant findings that may breach the Fire Safety Order, assigning priority, risk, and time frames for action.
Additionally, their process highlights fire risks that might extend beyond this order but could pose a risk to property or business continuity. Total Fire Group collaborates with businesses across various sectors.
It’s a legal requirement for non-domestic properties to have regular risk assessments carried out. This ensures that any fire safety risks are flagged and dealt with accordingly before they have a chance to do any damage.
Not only are they legally required, but fire risk assessments are vital in ensuring the long-term safety of both staff and premises from potential fire damage.
Fire safety responsibility
The UK government outlines that:
Those responsible for fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises, if they are:
- An employer
- The owner
- The landlord
- An occupier
- Anyone else with control of the premises, for example, a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent, or risk assessor
Responsible person
This person is known as the ‘responsible person’. If there’s more than one responsible person, people have to work together to meet their responsibilities.
For a responsible person at a commercial property, it is their responsibility to:
- Carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly
- Tell staff or their representatives about the risks one has identified
- Put in place and maintain appropriate fire safety measures
- Plan for an emergency
- Provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training
Fire risk assessment
There are five key steps people need to include when carrying out the fire risk assessment:
- Identify the fire hazards
- Identify people at risk
- Evaluate, remove, or reduce the risks
- Record the findings, prepare an emergency plan, and provide training
- Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly
Frequency
Whilst there is no specific law that states how often an assessment must be carried out, the government states that a site must review, if there have been substantial changes since the previous assessment was carried out.
Reasons for review can include, but are not limited to:
- Changes to work processes, e.g, the introduction of new equipment
- Alterations to the building
- The introduction of hazardous substances
- A significant increase in the number of people present
Heavy burden
As the person responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments, it can be a heavy burden
As the person responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments, it can be a heavy burden.
Fire risk assessments take time when they’re done properly, and so those responsible often find that it takes them away from the day-to-day running of their business.
Additionally, if someone has no experience in this field, it can seem like a daunting task. Plus, it’s all too easy to miss something, especially if they have a very large property or multiple sites to consider. That’s where Total Fire Group comes in.
Fire risk assessment methodology
Total Fire Group’s fire risk assessment methodology, template, and approach to fire risk have been developed, reviewed, and adapted over the last 16 years in business. They can assist the Responsible Person in identifying significant findings that are clear breaches of the Fire Safety Order, with priority, risk, and time scales recorded to action the findings.
Their process will also identify fire risks that may be outside the scope of the Fire Safety Order, but could present a property or business continuity risk. They work with businesses across all sectors.
