THE ANSWER, FIRST
If you are responsible for fire safety in premises covered by the England and Wales framework, you need a fire risk assessment, a written record and action on its findings.
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Who is responsibleYour next stepsBefore spending moneyWhat you can do yourselfPutting it into practiceRecords to keepWhen to reviewCommon questionsOfficial sourcesWho is responsible?
Employers and people with control of non-domestic premises, including landlords and managing agents. Shared premises can have more than one responsible person.
The responsible person must assess fire risks, keep a written record, maintain suitable fire precautions and plan for emergencies. Staff need relevant information and training.
START HERE
Your next three steps
- 1
Identify the responsible person and agree responsibilities for shared areas.
- 2
Check that the written assessment reflects the building and everyone who uses it.
- 3
Give each action an owner and check that it has been completed.
BEFORE YOU PAY
Make sure you’re buying the right job
- Find the existing assessment and its outstanding actions before paying for a replacement.
- Tell the assessor about the building’s use, opening hours, occupants and any sleeping accommodation.
- Agree the areas included, access needed, report format and how urgent findings will be raised.
Watch out: Buying a report does not complete your duties. Act on its findings. A new report every year is not a universal substitute for reviewing risks and changes.
Compare the whole cost of two quotesWhat can you do yourself?
GOV.UK provides premises-specific guides to help with an assessment. Whether you can do the work yourself depends on having the necessary competence for your building and its risks.
When to get competent help
Appoint a competent person if you do not have the time or expertise. Complex buildings, sleeping accommodation and people needing assistance deserve particular care when choosing an assessor.
Bring the building manager and occupier into the same conversation
Before you commission work
Before the assessment, collect the previous action list and identify who can answer questions about shared areas. Explain changes in layout, use and occupancy, including activities outside normal opening hours. Give the assessor access to the people who understand how the premises actually operate, not only the person authorised to pay the invoice.
Follow through on the result
When the report arrives, separate actions your organisation controls from those requiring the landlord or another occupier. Record who has received each shared-area concern and who is following it up. Ask the competent assessor to explain unclear priorities; forwarding the report to another organisation is not evidence that a problem has been resolved.
Compare costs and decide what to buy
Use these buying guides to prepare your brief, check exclusions and compare the whole price.
Keep a useful record
Aim for information that helps the next person make a sound decision.
- Your written assessment and the information used to produce it.
- A record of actions, their owners and follow-up.
- Relevant training, checks, maintenance and arrangements with other responsible people.
When to review it
Review regularly and when the building, its use or the risks change. Set a suitable review date for your premises.
Ask a supplier to distinguish a legal deadline, a recommendation based on risk and a condition in your contract or insurance. They are not interchangeable.
Questions to put to a provider
- What experience do you have with premises like ours?
- Will the report include prioritised actions and explain what we can do ourselves?
- What information do you need about our building and its occupants?
Common questions
Does a business with fewer than five staff need a written fire risk assessment?
Yes, where the England and Wales fire-safety framework covered here applies, the fire risk assessment must be recorded. Do not confuse this with the separate five-employee threshold for recording a general workplace risk assessment.
Is the landlord always responsible?
No. Employers, owners, landlords, occupiers and others with control can have responsibilities. In shared premises, responsible people need to cooperate.
Must I buy a new fire risk assessment every year?
The assessment needs regular review and must remain suitable. A fixed annual replacement purchase is not the same as an effective review and action process.
Check the official sources
Read the current guidance for the place where you operate. A link is not an endorsement of this website by the regulator.
Source-checked guidance. Specialist editorial sign-off is pending; this is not an assessment of your business. It does not cover every specialist activity or replace competent, case-specific advice.
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