What Actually Happens During a Fire Risk Assessment? (Spoiler: No Clipboards Were Harmed)
If you've been told your premises needs a fire risk assessment, your first question is probably: what does that actually involve?
Fair question. Most people picture someone with a clipboard walking around ticking boxes. And while there is a certain amount of walking around involved, a proper fire risk assessment is considerably more useful than that — and a lot more important.
Here's what actually happens, step by step, when a competent fire risk assessor walks through your door.
Before the Visit — It Starts With a Conversation
A good assessor doesn't just turn up and start measuring things. Before the on-site visit, they'll want to understand your premises and your operation. That means a brief conversation or questionnaire covering the basics: what the building is used for, how many people work there, what your opening hours look like, and whether there are any known issues.
This isn't busywork. It helps the assessor plan the visit efficiently and ensures they're looking for the right things when they arrive.
The Walk-Through — Eyes Open, Brain Engaged
The on-site assessment is the main event. The assessor walks through every part of your premises — and yes, that includes the bits you'd rather they didn't see. The dusty storeroom, the kitchen nobody cleans properly, the fire door propped open with a bin.
What are they actually looking at? Five things, mainly:
1. Fire hazards — what could start a fire? Sources of ignition (heaters, electrical equipment, cooking, hot works), sources of fuel (paper, cardboard, chemicals, fabrics) and sources of oxygen (ventilation, oxidising chemicals). The assessor is looking at how these three elements interact in your specific premises.
2. People at risk — who could be harmed? Employees, visitors, contractors, anyone sleeping on the premises (care homes, hotels, HMOs), people with disabilities, and anyone who might be especially vulnerable. A fire risk assessment isn't just about the building — it's about the people in it.
3. Existing fire safety measures — what have you got? Fire detection and alarm systems, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, fire doors, compartmentation, signage, sprinkler systems. The assessor checks what's there, whether it's adequate, and whether it actually works.
4. Means of escape — can everyone get out safely? Travel distances, number and width of exits, escape routes, signage, emergency lighting along escape routes, assembly points. This is often where the most significant findings come from — blocked exits, locked doors, inadequate signage, or escape routes that are simply too long for the risk.
5. Management and maintenance — is anyone actually in charge? Fire safety training records, fire drill records, maintenance logs for alarms and extinguishers, documented fire procedures, nominated fire wardens. You can have the best fire safety hardware in the world, but if nobody's trained to use it, it counts for very little.
The Uncomfortable Bit — Findings
After the walk-through, the assessor documents their findings. This is the bit where some premises managers start sweating, but it shouldn't be a surprise — and it definitely shouldn't be a shock.
Findings are typically categorised by risk level: high, medium and low. A propped-open fire door on a main escape route? High. A missing fire action notice in a low-occupancy area? Low. Each finding comes with a recommended action and a timescale for completion.
The aim isn't to catch you out. It's to give you a clear, prioritised list of what needs fixing and in what order.
The Report — Your Compliance Evidence
You'll receive a written fire risk assessment report. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, this is the document that demonstrates you've met your legal duty. It should include:
- Identification of fire hazards
- Identification of people at risk
- Evaluation of existing fire safety measures
- Findings and risk ratings
- A prioritised action plan with timescales
- Recommendations for ongoing management
Keep this document. It's your evidence of compliance. And when the fire service turns up for an inspection — which they can do unannounced — it's the first thing they'll ask for.
How Long Does It Take?
Depends on the premises. A small office might take a couple of hours. A large warehouse, multi-storey hotel or care home could take a full day or longer. The complexity of the building, the number of occupants and the nature of the activities all affect the time needed.
What matters is that the assessment is thorough. A 30-minute fire risk assessment for a care home is not a fire risk assessment — it's a liability.
How Often Should It Be Reviewed?
There's no fixed legal interval, but the general guidance is to review your fire risk assessment at least annually, and immediately after any significant change: building works, change of use, new equipment, a fire or near-miss, or changes to the number or type of occupants.
The Bottom Line
A fire risk assessment isn't a box-ticking exercise. Done properly, it's a structured evaluation of the fire risks in your premises that gives you a clear, actionable plan to protect the people who work there and the business you've built.
And no clipboards are harmed in the process.
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York Green Safety Partners provides expert fire risk assessments for commercial premises, landlords and employers across the UK. Based in Cheshire, covering the whole country.