What Is A Fire Risk Assessment?

In law, each flat block and every business establishment is obliged to perform a risk assessment. However, not all have the knowledge of this vital measure to prevent fire.

Many people ask “what is an assessment of fire risk?” A fire risk assessment should be at the heart of your building’s fire safety plan.

Risk assessments for fire Unfortunately, they are often ignored. The result is structures being exposed unnecessarily to the risk of fire, and even the loss of life in some instances.

An assessment of fire risks is a study conducted on a building to evaluate the risk of fire and provide recommendations for making the building more secure, should it be necessary.

If there are less than five occupancy per week in the building there is no need to have the fire risk assessment to be recorded. This means that it’s not always a requirement to have a written document.

However, we do advise that fire risk assessments must be written down, because it is the most efficient method for the results to be shared and make sure that any recommendations are implemented.

Are there any laws or guidelines in relation to fire risk assessments?

Risk assessments for fire have certain specific guidelines.

It is recommended that the Fire Risk Assessment must be regularly reviewed. It is suggested to include the following during the review:

Each year for 12 months following the initial assessment has been completed
Every five years, a new assessment is required
If the function of the building significantly changed
If the building’s structure like the layout is changed,
If there is an extensive change in residents

The layout of a structure and how it is used, or the types of people living in the building could dramatically alter your plans for fire safety. Therefore , it is crucial to review your risk assessment for fire be performed if any of these has occurred.

If there are five regularly occupied occupants and more,, the assessment of the risk of fire must be written.

If your apartment block or commercial property typically has more than 4 residents Then you are legally required to document your safety assessment of fire risks to be recorded.

As previously mentioned It is highly recommended that you record your findings written down, regardless of how big your space is.

There are other scenarios where you’ll require an assessed fire risk report written even if you have less than five regular residents. The most common include:

You’ve been instructed to follow the instructions of your fire department (for instance, following an inspection)
If your establishment is required to have a license

The most important results and actions that are to be taken need to be documented.

If or not it’s written down the fire risk assessment is composed of two components that have to be created.

The first is the actual review which evaluates the building’s fire safety in relation to a variety of factors.

The other part is a list with requirements to be followed to ensure that the building to meet fire safety standards.

It is crucial to follow these guidelines and be followed up on as this is what will keep your building secure in the long run.

Who is responsible for ensuring that a Fire Risk Assessment is conducted?

In law, each building, including flats and businesses, must have a person named”the “Responsible Individual” who is accountable for the fire safety of the building.

The responsibility of the person designated as Responsible is to make sure that all necessary fire safety procedures are carried out and that the appropriate action is taken to stop fires from happening and to avoid the possibility of injury or death in case an incident of fire occurs.

The person who is responsible is thus, the one who must ensure that a legitimate assessment of fire risks is conducted for your building.

Small business owners are generally the responsible person for their business premises, unless else in the group is appointed.

In towers and blocks of flats the responsible person is typically the managing agent or the landlord but it may also be an association member also.

The responsible person in flat blocks is accountable for common areas such as corridors and stairwells. Residents are accountable for ensuring that their apartments are protected from fire.

What can I do to obtain an exact duplicate of the Fire Risk Assessment for my property?

As an occupant of a building has the right to have access on your Fire Risk Assessment on your property if you would like to have it.

It is best to first speak with the Responsible Person of your building. If you’re not sure who they are, the best place to start is with the owner of the business the managing agent, the Facilities department, or the landlord.

If you find that there isn’t any legitimate fire risk assessment that is valid for your home, you must ask the responsible person to get one completed immediately.

If you believe that your concerns aren’t being taken seriously by the person who is responsible who is responsible for the building you live in, make sure you should contact your emergency services of your local agency as the last alternative.

However firefighters and rescue service shouldn’t be called for minor issues because they are busy. The emergency number 999 is not to be used. It is possible to locate the general enquiry number for your local fire brigade on the internet.

What are the elements that are reviewed as part of a risk assessment?

The Fire Risk Assessments must be thorough, and many fire risk factors must be considered.

The amount of detail that is included in a review is dependent to a large extent on the complexity of the building. For instance, a single compartment building, such as the kiosk or small shop will be able to contain little to be examined compared to a large block of flats or a huge office blocks.

While each fire risk assessment is unique, these fire prevention and risk factors should be examined by the assessor in the course of the assessment

The structure’s design, construction and usage
The type and quantity of occupants, as well as any possibly vulnerable occupants
The electrical equipment at the site, which could be a ignition source
If the building has an incident history with any losses from fire
Security against arson
Smoking areas and preventive measures have been implemented to prevent smoke-related fires that result from smoking
Protection from fires caused by light
Heating devices that are portable and installed that could trigger fires
Fire dangers that were caused by outside contractors or construction works
Housekeeping, general and important areas that are kept free of any combustible material
The design as well as the maintenance of escape route
Storage solutions for any hazardous and flammable liquids
The emergency lighting is correctly installed and is working properly
The measures are in place for the prevention of fire spread
Affordable methods are in place to signal alerts in the case of fire.
Signs for fire safety are placed at the right places and properly used
Other devices, such as sprinklers, have been installed and maintained.
The correct fire extinguishers are at the proper locations.
If there are fire safety drills and evacuation drills training that is conducted on a regular basis
Who oversees the building’s fire safety , and how is it managed
Documentation and records are being kept for the fire precautions
Proper testing procedures and proper maintenance is in place to protect against fire systems.

Who is qualified to conduct an Fire Risk Assessment?

In accordance with the legal guidelines that a risk assessment for fire can be carried out by an “competent” person. However, that doesn’t mean an experienced Fire Risk Assessor has to be employed.

What it really means is that anyone who is conducting the fire risk assessment should be able to evaluate your premises or building against the various aspects described above.

They should also be able to perform these things:

Note all their important results thoroughly and concisely
Make sure you have a fire safety actions plan in place if any changes are needed and write these actions in writing
Make sure that the action plan is implemented If one is required
The assessment of fire risk should be updated constantly

A certified fire risk assessor receives a lot of in-depth training and is well-versed in the most current guidelines and regulations, as well as how to apply them to various kinds of structures.

What are the penalties in the event of not having an assessment of fire risk?

If you don’t have a risk assessment for fire and, more specifically, do not have the correct fire safety measures put in place, then the result is prosecution which results in serious penalties. The punishment could be the incarceration of a person in severe negligence instances.