Fire Risk assessments

Why employ an independent Fire Risk Assessor?

I offer a completely impartial service, ensuring you receive accurate and honest Fire Risk Assessments. I am not affiliated to any fire company so I will not identify failings and unnecessary remedial works to line my own pocket from any remedial works required – the risk assessment is totally impartial and I do not benefit from any remedial works required to keep you compliant.

In simple terms what is a Fire Risk Assessment?

I prefer to compare it to an MOT on a car. The MOT is there to ensure the car is as safe as can be, to be driven on the road to protect the occupants and other persons from accidents and injury. It is a legal requirement to have an MOT on a car (over 3 years old) and without it, your car insurance is invalid and you may be prosecuted for failing to comply with the law. You cannot carry out your own MOT unless you are suitably qualified and trained.

If the MOT fails you will be given remedial works to be completed to ensure you can obtain a valid MOT and this must be completed before you receive your full MOT certificate.

It is a similar situation for a Fire Risk Assessment, if you fail to have one, or it is completed by someone who is not suitably qualified and trained, then you are potentially leaving yourself open to prosecution and your business / property insurance being invalid.

Similar with an MOT it is required to be completed annually (please see news article on Fire Risk Assessment from Kent Fire by choosing the news tab at the top) and it may identify items that make your site non compliant to current standards.  As with an MOT you are required to ensure these remedial works are completed or you again could be open to prosecution.

How much does a Fire Risk Assessment cost?

There is no hard and fixed price, it is based on many factors such as size of the premises, how many staff are employed, what the business does e.g. high risk engineering, standard office, sleeping risks, high rise building etc. I will base the price of your risk assessment on these factors, but I constantly aim to offer competitive quotes but more importantly, a quality product and suitable and sufficient report to help you keep compliant and keep you on the right side of the law.

Over 85% of the risk assessments I have seen from other companies are not compliant and therefore not suitable and sufficient, having a risk assessment that is not suitable and sufficient is a waste of your money and could still leave you open to prosecution and your premises being closed down, please do not make decisions on price alone when choosing a Fire Risk Assessment as it could be false economy.

Which premises or businesses require a Fire Risk Assessment?

Many different properties require a Fire Risk Assessment. These include the following as an example:

Every commercial business in the United Kingdom

Blocks of flats

Sheltered Housing

Charitable establishments

Healthcare Facilities

HMO's

Since October 2023 all premises no matter how many persons are employed, self employed or visit the premises must have a documented fire risk assessment.  The previous rule where a building that was occupied with less than 5 staff did not require a documented fire risk assessment has now been revoked.    Please do not get caught out by these new changes!  

How is a Fire Risk Assessment completed?

I will attend the specific property to be assessed and undertake a rigorous visual inspection and ask numerous questions from a person onsite to ascertain all the information required to complete the report.

Once the visit is completed a report will be completed off site and this can, in some cases, take days to complete and write up.

I cross references the current legislation against the visual inspection and information obtained onsite to identify any failings, or confirm compliance to the standards and current best practices.

Once the report is complete it will be sent to you via email and a hard copy in the post. In this report it will detail the findings and identify any remedials works required to keep you compliant and in most cases how this work can be carried out.

The report will advise the time frames for any remedial works to be completed, some actions are immediate and some you will have some time to complete them.

What does the Fire Risk Assessment report cover?

The report is a detailed report and assesses many items including the building itself, the structure, walls, doors, compartments, escape routes, electrical and gas risks, working practices, equipment used within the premises, processes, procedures, staff training and communication, staff and other persons safety, safety systems such as fire alarms, emergency lights, fire fighting equipment and many more.

Do I need to complete all the actions in the Fire Risk Assessment report?

Yes, unfortunately. The risk assessment is a legal report provided for ‘The Responsible Person’ to ensure the property, staff, residents or customers are as safe as possible. The Fire Service have the powers to close the premises and to prosecute ‘The Responsible Person’ for failing to adhere to the Fire Risk Assessment report,.