Fire Risk Assessment

There are around 20,000 commercial fires in the UK every year, further proof that it is crucial to have a risk assessment in place to help you to establish the risks and take appropriate action.

The occupier of a commercial building has a responsibility to keep an up-to-date fire risk assessment.

For help with your fire risk assessment in West Yorkshire, or any other part of the Yorkshire region, you can contact Robinsons Facilities Services. We offer a wide range of fire safety services, including planned preventative maintenance.

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

A fire risk assessment is a process of identifying, evaluating and taking action to control the risks arising from a fire in the workplace, from potential electrical issues to lightning strikes, and the protective and suppressive measures that should be put in place to help.

The person responsible for completing the fire risk assessment will need to take into account a number of factors, including:

• The layout of the building
• The use of the building
• The occupants of the building
• Specific equipment that could pose a fire risk
• Fire safety legislation

The risk assessment must outline provision that is in place to prevent fire, and the action plan in the case of a fire. This includes:

• Fire detection and warning systems
• Fire fighting equipment such as extinguishers provided on the premises
• A fire evacuation plan
• Any substances that could be affected by a fire, or be volatile in the event of a fire

The purpose of the fire risk assessment is to identify any potential fire hazards and to take appropriate action to remove or reduce the risks.

Who is Responsible for Completing a Fire Risk Assessment?

The government is clear on who is responsible for fire risk assessments in business or other non-domestic premises, and this can include:

• 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.

It is crucial to ensure that you have a fire risk assessment completed by a competent person. If you have a business employing five or more people, you are also obliged to keep a written record of your fire risk assessment.

Fortunately, this isn’t a job that you have to undertake on your own. Help from professionals such as fire risk assessors can help you to ensure you have an adequate risk assessment.

How Often Are Fire Risk Assessments Needed?

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 it is vital that you have an updated fire risk assessment. In extreme cases, this may mean annual checks.

In other cases, it may be that less frequent checks are required to see if your risk assessment is still up to scratch. However, with significant changes in the workplace it is your duty to ensure that your risk assessment is still compliant and appropriate.

For instance, if you have greatly changed your premises, or have a different occupancy or new equipment installed, it may be appropriate to get a new or updated fire risk assessment.

Whether you’re looking for a South Yorkshire fire risk assessment for a new premises or you’ve made significant changes to your building in West Yorkshire, our team can help. Our accredited fire professionals can give you guidance on all aspects of fire safety, including the risk assessment.

Fire Risk Assessment Templates

You might have come across some fire risk assessment templates, as there are plenty of them out there providing a rough framework.

A fire risk assessment template is a pre-designed form or document that can be used to guide the process and ensure that necessary information is captured. Templates can vary in complexity and detail, but they typically include sections for identifying potential fire hazards, evaluating the level of risk associated with each hazard, and outlining the measures that your business can take to reduce or eliminate those risks.

Using a fire risk assessment template can be a useful tool for owners of small businesses and property owners who are conducting a fire risk assessment for the first time, or for those who want to ensure that they are following a consistent and thorough process. It is worth mentioning that they are not perfect.

However, it’s important to note that fire risk assessments should be tailored to the specific property and the activities that take place there. A template can provide a useful starting point, but it should be customised to reflect the unique features and hazards of the property being assessed.

It’s also important to ensure that the person or team conducting the assessment has the necessary knowledge and expertise to identify and evaluate potential fire hazards. Handing your admin assistant a template to fill in is simply not going to cut it.

Fire Safety Equipment and Plans

Your risk assessment should inform other aspects of your fire safety, such as what equipment is in place to help suppress potential fires, such as sprinkler systems and extinguishers.

Robinsons Facilities Services can also help you to create a full plan for what to do in the event of a fire. This should be tailored to your workplace and specific needs, as well as helping you to comply with the law, and will help you to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do if the alarm sounds.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all breakdowns and repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.