Partner Article

A Guide To Fire Risk Assessments For Businesses

A fire risk assessment is something that all businesses have to complete to remain legally compliant. However, if you are a new business owner, you might not know what the fire risk assessment entails. A basic guide to fire risk assessments for businesses is important because it will ensure that you are compliant.

Who Needs A Fire Risk Assessment?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order is the legal regulation that details who needs to have a fire risk assessment. The Order will also detail what needs to be evaluated. However, this Order does not detail the exact responsible person, but will state who should be considered as such.

If you have a business with more than 5 employees, including part-time employees, you will need to have a fire risk assessment. You will also need to complete a fire risk assessment if your business is open to the public. If you are a self-employed person who has business premises, you will be in charge of the fire risk assessment for the building.

If your business owns property, you will also need to complete a fire risk assessment. This will need to be done when you have control over the premises or when you have an HMO premises. If you have tenants in a commercial property, they will generally be responsible for the fire risk assessment.

What Does The Fire Risk Assessment Entail?

Once you know that you have to complete a fire risk assessment for your business, you need to look at what this entails. The risk assessment will need to cover the entire business premises. There are certain points that you need to consider when completing your fire risk assessment.

You will have to look at the condition and age of the building. The layout of the building will also need to considered. Once you have done this, you have to look at the content of the building to identify any potential fire hazards.

When looking at potential fire hazards, you should also consider any sources of ignition. These sources will include any open flames in the building or any hot surfaces which could cause a fire. Combustible materials will also need to be looked at and you have to make note of where they are. The placement of these materials will play a large role in how safe your business is.

Another point you will have to consider is the escape routes which employees will use in the event of a fire. These escape routes will need to be clearly signposted and you will need to have protocols in place to enable an evacuation. You should also check that all escape routes can easily be accessed and that they all work correctly.

The Fire Assessment Report

When you finish your fire risk assessment, a report will need to produced. The report will need to include any areas of concerns and what has been done to remedy them. This could be to remove the hazards or reduce the impact they will have in the event of a fire.

The report should also include information about the fire safety procedures that your business has in place. There are some people who include a copy of the fire safety training manuals they have in the report. These manuals need to be created and maintained as well as distributed to all staff members. Drills and training schedules can also be included in the report.

Who Is Responsible For The Fire Risk Assessment?

The fire risk assessment for your business can be completed by anyone who is competent to do so. This could be you as the owner of the business, a member of staff or a third-party provider. There are many businesses that hire third-parties to complete their fire risk assessment as this ensures they are fully compliant with the regulations.

How Long Does The Fire Risk Assessment Last?

There is no expiry date on a fire risk assessment, but the Order regulating this does state that it needs to be reviewed regularly. The frequency of the review is at the discretion of the responsible person in the business. It is recommended that you complete a new fire risk assessment yearly to ensure that you are still fully compliant.

Fire Risk Assessment Network

Office 34 67-68 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8JY

020 3322 3829

service@fire-risk-assessment-network.com

https://fire-risk-assessment-network.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Smith .