Premises details
Premises address
Responsible person Usually the employer for a workplace; otherwise whoever has control of the premises
Assessor name and competence Qualifications or experience relevant to premises of this type
Date of assessment
Number of people usually on the premises Include visitors, contractors and the realistic maximum
Floors, construction and use e.g. two-storey brick office over retail, open plan, no sleeping risk
Step 1 - Identify the fire hazards
Fire needs ignition, fuel and oxygen. Walk the whole premises, including storerooms, plant rooms and outside areas, and tick everything present.
- Electrical equipment and wiring, including overloaded sockets and extension leads
- Heaters, boilers and hot processes such as cooking or hot work
- Smoking areas and discarded smoking materials
- Arson exposure: unsecured bins or storage against the outside of the building
- Paper, cardboard and packaging allowed to build up
- Flammable liquids, aerosols and gases, in storage and in use
- Furniture, textiles, displays and decorations
- Waste storage inside and outside the building
- Voids, ducts and shafts that could spread fire and smoke
- Oxygen cylinders or oxidising substances
- Ventilation paths that could feed a fire
- Contractor activity that introduces new ignition sources
Step 2 - Identify the people at risk
Who is on the premises and when Employees, shift and out-of-hours workers, contractors, visitors, members of the public
People especially at risk Anyone sleeping on the premises, people with mobility, hearing or vision impairment, lone workers, children, anyone unfamiliar with the building
Where they are relative to escape routes
Who needs a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP)
Step 3 - Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect
For each hazard, judge how likely a fire is and what would happen if one started. Remove or reduce the hazard first, then check the protective measures below. Every gap becomes a row in the action plan.
- Ignition sources kept separated from fuel
- Electrical installation tested (EICR current) and portable appliance testing in place
- Flammable materials stored in suitable containers, with quantities kept to a minimum
- Waste removed regularly and bins secured away from the building
- Fire detection and alarm system suits the premises and is tested weekly
- Emergency lighting covers the escape routes and is tested
- Escape routes and exits are clear, unlocked when the building is occupied, and sufficient for the numbers
- Fire doors close fully, are never wedged open, and are signed
- Extinguishers suit the risks, are wall-mounted and serviced within the last 12 months
- Signage in place: exits, assembly point, fire action notices
- Openings through fire-resisting walls and floors are sealed
- Smoking, hot work and contractor controls are in place
| Finding | Action required | Priority | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 4 - Record, plan, instruct and train
- Significant findings and actions are recorded; since October 2023 the assessment must be recorded in full
- A written emergency plan covers raising the alarm, evacuation, assembly point and roll call
- Fire drills are held at least annually and logged, and problems found are fixed
- All staff receive fire safety training at induction, with regular refreshers
- Fire wardens are appointed and trained for each area and shift
- PEEPs are written for everyone who would need help to evacuate
- Contractors and visitors are briefed on the evacuation arrangements
- A log records tests and maintenance of the alarm, emergency lighting, extinguishers and fire doors
Step 5 - Review
Review the assessment regularly, and immediately after a fire or near miss, an alteration to the building, a change in occupancy, use or processes, or new storage of flammable materials.
Record the date of each review even when nothing has changed. An assessment with a review trail is evidence the fire and rescue service will recognise; a dusty one is evidence of the opposite.