What Should a Fire Risk Assessment Include?

In England and Wales, the Fire Safety Order requires the Responsible Person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to relevant people.

The purpose is to identify the general fire precautions needed to comply with the legislation and protect people from fire.

A suitable and sufficient assessment should:

• Reflect the size, use and complexity of the premises
• Consider everyone who could be affected
• Identify significant hazards and deficiencies
• Evaluate whether existing precautions are adequate
• Recommend proportionate improvements
• Record how conclusions were reached
• Explain any areas that could not be inspected
• Be capable of supporting practical action

A small ground-floor office will not require the same level of analysis as a hospital, warehouse, high-rise residential building or complex mixed-use development.

The correct scope depends on the premises rather than the use of a standard report template.

The report should begin by identifying exactly what has been assessed.

This should include:

• Building address
• Premises type and use
• Number of storeys
• Approximate floor area
• Operating hours
• Typical and maximum occupancy
• Areas included and excluded
• Shared or adjoining premises
• Responsible Person or equivalent dutyholder
• Person who provided access and information
• Date of inspection

In multi-occupied buildings, the assessment should identify the boundaries between the landlord, employers, tenants and other organisations with control.

Unclear scope can leave escape routes, shared systems or plant areas outside every party’s assessment.

The report should also explain whether the assessment covers the whole building, an individual unit, common areas or a defined portfolio of premises.

A fire risk assessment must identify the people who could be affected and consider why some may face greater risk.

This can include:

• Employees
• Residents
• Customers and visitors
• Contractors
• Lone workers
• People sleeping in the premises
• Children and young people
• Older people
• People with physical, sensory or cognitive impairments
• People unfamiliar with the building
• Anyone working in isolated or higher-risk areas

The assessment should consider how people receive a warning, how quickly they can respond and whether they can reach a place of safety.

It should not simply record that disabled people may be present. It should consider whether the building’s actual arrangements are suitable for them.

In residential buildings, the assessor may also need to consider the evacuation strategy, resident information and whether individual support arrangements are required. See Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats.

The assessor should identify circumstances that could start a fire, allow it to grow or increase its consequences.

Potential ignition sources include:

• Electrical equipment and installations
• Heating appliances
• Cooking
• Smoking
• Hot work
• Machinery
• Deliberate fire-setting
• Battery charging
• Contractors’ activities

Potential sources of fuel include:

• Furniture and furnishings
• Packaging and waste
• Stock and stored goods
• Flammable liquids and gases
• Linings and insulation
• Combustible construction
• Decorations and displays

The assessment should consider how these hazards are controlled, whether they are separated appropriately and whether housekeeping or storage arrangements increase the risk.

Official guidance commonly presents the assessment as five connected stages: identifying hazards, identifying people at risk, evaluating and reducing risk, recording and planning, and reviewing the assessment.

The assessment should evaluate whether people can leave the premises or reach a suitable place of relative safety.

This may include:

• Number and location of escape routes
• Travel distances
• Exit capacity
• Door direction and security
• Stair protection
• Emergency lighting
• Fire-safety signs
• Obstructions
• Final exits
• Arrangements for people needing assistance
• Alternative escape routes
• Evacuation lifts or refuges where provided

The assessor should consider the premises at its busiest or most demanding time, not only the conditions seen during the inspection.

A locked final exit, unsuitable door fastener or blocked route may require urgent action even where the rest of the building appears well managed.

The report should consider whether the fire-detection and warning arrangements are appropriate for the premises, occupants and evacuation strategy.

This can include:

• Manual alarm points
• Automatic detection
• Audible warning devices
• Visual or vibrating alerts
• Alarm zoning
• Remote monitoring
• Domestic smoke and heat alarms
• Testing and maintenance records

The FRA is not normally a detailed alarm-system inspection or design certificate. Where technical compliance, coverage or system condition cannot be established, a specialist survey may be recommended.

The assessment should also consider:

• What people are expected to do
• Who calls the Fire and Rescue Service
• How staff assist with evacuation
• Arrangements outside normal hours
• Fire drills
• Assembly points
• Responsibilities during an emergency
• Procedures for vulnerable occupants

The assessor should consider whether the building has adequate measures to limit the spread of fire and smoke.

This may involve reviewing:

• Communal and protected-route fire doors
• Flat entrance doors where relevant
• Compartment walls and floors
• Service risers
• Service penetrations
• Cavity barriers
• Fire and smoke dampers
• Roof and ceiling voids
• External walls where applicable

A general FRA is normally based on visible and reasonably available evidence. It does not automatically include destructive opening-up or a detailed inspection of every fire door.

Where concerns cannot be resolved through the FRA, a dedicated Fire Door Survey or compartmentation investigation may be required.

See Fire Risk Assessment vs Compartmentation Survey for guidance on where the two services differ.

The assessment should consider the suitability and condition of relevant fire-safety facilities, including:

• Portable fire extinguishers
• Hose reels where present
• Sprinklers and suppression systems
• Smoke-control systems
• Dry or wet risers
• Firefighting shafts and lifts
• Fire-service access
• Emergency power supplies

The FRA does not replace routine inspection, testing or maintenance.

The assessor should review available records and identify obvious gaps, but specialist contractors remain responsible for inspecting and certifying systems within their competence.

Physical precautions alone do not make an assessment suitable and sufficient.

The report should examine how fire safety is managed, including:

• Allocation of responsibilities
• Staff information and training
• Fire drills
• Contractor control
• Housekeeping
• Inspection routines
• Defect reporting
• Maintenance arrangements
• Resident or tenant communication
• Co-operation between dutyholders
• Record keeping
• Procedures for reviewing changes

A well-constructed building can still present significant risk where fire doors are wedged open, alarms are not tested or staff do not understand the emergency plan.

The report should explain what is satisfactory, what requires improvement and why action is needed.

Each recommendation should ideally include:

• A clear description of the issue
• Its location
• The risk or consequence
• The required outcome
• A proportionate priority
• Any need for specialist investigation
• Supporting photographs where useful

Recommendations such as “upgrade fire doors” or “improve fire stopping” are often too vague to price or manage effectively.

The assessment should distinguish:

• Urgent precautions
• Short-term corrective work
• Planned improvements
• Further investigation
• Routine management actions

See Understanding a Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan for guidance on assigning responsibilities, setting priorities and recording completion.

In England and Wales, Responsible Persons must now record their completed fire risk assessment in full, along with their fire-safety arrangements. This applies regardless of the size or purpose of the premises.

A professional report should normally record:

• Client and premises details
• Assessment date
• Name and organisation of the assessor
• Assessor competence or credentials
• Information and documents reviewed
• Inspection scope and methodology
• People at risk
• Hazards identified
• Existing precautions
• Findings and recommended actions
• Assumptions and limitations
• Areas not accessed
• Photographic evidence where appropriate
• Recommended review arrangements

Where another person assists with completing or reviewing the assessment, their identity should also be recorded in England and Wales.

Requirements differ across the UK, so organisations operating nationally should also use Fire Risk Assessment Legal Requirements Across the UK.

Unless specifically commissioned, a general fire risk assessment may not include:

• Destructive compartmentation inspections
• Opening walls or ceilings
• Detailed fire-door asset surveys
• Electrical testing
• Fire-alarm servicing
• Emergency-lighting testing
• Sprinkler servicing
• Structural fire-engineering calculations
• External-wall appraisals
• Measured remedial specifications
• Contractor-ready schedules of work

The assessor should identify where additional investigation is needed rather than making unsupported assumptions.

Clients should confirm these boundaries before requesting prices. Different assumptions about specialist surveys, flat sampling or intrusive work can produce quotations that are not genuinely comparable.

The person completing the assessment should have sufficient competence for the premises and risks involved.

When comparing Fire Risk Assessment Companies, consider:

• Experience with the building type
• The named assessor
• Relevant qualifications and registration
• Report examples
• Professional indemnity insurance
• Technical-review arrangements
• Proposed inspection time
• Exclusions and assumptions
• How recommendations will be prioritised

A tender should describe the premises, areas included, occupants, existing information and required report format.

See What Clients Should Include in a Fire Risk Assessment Tender Pack for a fuller appointment checklist.

Where quotations contain different scopes or reporting methods, use How to Compare Fire Risk Assessment Quotes.

Assessors responding to opportunities should explain their methodology, competence and deliverables clearly. Common submission weaknesses are covered in Why Fire Risk Assessors Lose Tenders.

For the wider procurement process, see How Commercial Fire Protection Tendering Works and Fire Protection Tenders in the UK: The Complete Guide.

Receiving the report is the start of the action process, not the end of the duty.

The client should:

• Address urgent findings
• Assign each action
• Obtain specialist advice where required
• Procure remedial work using clear scopes
• Retain completion evidence
• Update the FRA after significant work or changes

See What Happens After a Fire Risk Assessment for the route from report receipt to completed remedial work.

Common problems include:

• Using a generic checklist with little building-specific detail
• Failing to define the assessment boundaries
• Listing equipment without evaluating its suitability
• Ignoring people who may need assistance
• Omitting inaccessible areas and limitations
• Providing vague remedial recommendations
• Failing to consider management arrangements
• Treating specialist inspections as included when they were not completed
• Producing an action list without priorities
• Failing to explain when the assessment should be reviewed

A useful FRA should allow another competent person to understand the premises, the significant risks and the basis for the recommended actions.

For clients and dutyholders

Use Fire Risk Assessment Companies to compare providers with relevant experience of your building and occupancy.

Give every provider the same premises information, expected scope and report requirements so their services and prices can be compared fairly.

For fire risk assessors and consultancies

View Fire Risk Assessment Tenders for opportunities with defined building and reporting requirements.

What should a fire risk assessment include?

It should identify fire hazards, people at risk, existing precautions and any improvements required. It should also record the premises scope, emergency arrangements, limitations and review requirements.

What makes a fire risk assessment suitable and sufficient?

It must reflect the actual premises and provide enough detail to identify the precautions needed to protect people. A generic checklist without meaningful evaluation is unlikely to be sufficient.

Does an FRA need an action plan?

The findings must be capable of supporting action. A clear action plan helps the dutyholder assign responsibilities, priorities and completion dates.

Does a fire risk assessment include testing fire-safety equipment?

Not usually. The assessor may review records and identify obvious issues, but detailed testing and certification normally require specialist contractors.

Must every fire risk assessment be recorded?

In England and Wales, Responsible Persons must record the completed assessment in full. Recording requirements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are governed by their respective legislation.