Do I need a fire risk assessment for my building?
Yes, if you own, manage or have any level of control over non-domestic premises in England or Wales. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the "responsible person" to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, keep it under review, and act on what it finds. This applies to offices, retail units, warehouses and shared parts of multi-occupied buildings, not just higher risk premises like industrial sites.
Who counts as the responsible person?
Usually the employer, or the owner, landlord or managing agent where there's no single employer in control. On a multi-tenanted building this can mean several responsible persons with overlapping duties, which can be a source of confusion for landlords managing property across London and the wider South East.
What does the assessment actually have to cover?
A fire risk assessment examines ignition sources, escape routes, fire doors, fire alarm and detection systems, and how vulnerable occupants would be evacuated. There's no fixed legal review interval, but it must stay current. Refurbishing an office, changing the layout, or altering occupancy numbers are all things that should trigger a review, something we see missed regularly across Surrey and Hampshire where the fire strategy isn't revisited once the building's layout or use changes.
Who enforces the Fire Safety Order?
The local fire and rescue authority for the area the premises sits in, not the Health and Safety Executive. This is a distinction worth knowing, since HSE enforces most construction site health and safety duties, but fire safety in a completed building falls to a different regulator with its own inspection and enforcement programme.
What happens if the assessment is missing or inadequate?
Fire and rescue authorities can issue an enforcement notice requiring specific improvements, or a prohibition notice restricting use of the premises until issues are fixed. Serious breaches can lead to unlimited fines and imprisonment. Since October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 has also required responsible persons to record their fire risk assessment in full, not just the significant findings, and to name who carried it out. That record must be shared with any incoming responsible person when management or ownership of the building changes.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small office need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The duty applies regardless of size, provided the premises is non-domestic. A single-floor office with a handful of staff has the same legal obligation as a large, multi-tenanted commercial property, though the assessment itself will be proportionately simpler.
How often does a fire risk assessment need to be reviewed?
There's no fixed statutory interval, but it must be reviewed whenever circumstances change, including refurbishment, a change of use, or after any fire safety incident or near miss. The widely accepted guidance for most premises is twelve months, but higher risk premises such as hospitals and care homes should be reviewed more frequently.
Can the fire risk assessment be done by anyone, or does it need a specific qualification?
The responsible person can carry it out themselves if competent to do so, but for anything beyond a simple, low-risk premises it's generally carried out by someone with proper fire safety training and experience.
PPT Health & Safety Consultants supports building owners, landlords and fit-out contractors across Surrey, Hampshire and London with fire risk assessments as a standalone service and as part of a wider health and safety retainer. If your building's use or layout has changed since the last assessment, get in touch.
