Fire safety risk assessment

  • Pre-filled to make it easy
  • Customisable to your needs
  • Action points to help you fix any problems

This fire safety risk assessment forms a vital part of your health and safety compliance if you have any kind of business premises.

It is important to take fire safety seriously and carry out regular risk assessments at your business premises focusing on it.

This fire safety risk assessment template makes compliance easy. It covers the most common fire safety hazards that you might find in your business premises. It includes suggested actions that you can take to help reduce the risks that those hazards pose or even remove them altogether. Every workplace is different, so this fire safety risk assessment also contains space for you to fill in any fire hazards specific to your type of business premises or systems of work.

Q&A

  • When should I use this document?

    This fire safety risk assessment template is suitable for any type of business premises. If you are an employer and you have any type of business premises (eg office, shop, cafe, warehouse etc), you must carry out regular fire safety risk assessments.

    This fire safety risk assessment template is designed for regular use. There are no set rules about how often you need to do this sort of risk assessment, what is appropriate for your business will depend on the seriousness of the fire risks at your business premises.

    You should review your fire safety risk assessment regularly, and in particular whenever anything changes in your business that affects fire safety, whether that is a new internal configuration, a change to your systems of work or the addition of some new equipment. A review could also be prompted by an incident or near miss.

  • What does this document cover?

    The fire safety risk assessment is a pre-filled form that takes you through the performance of a comprehensive fire safety review step by step. It helps you identify possible fire risks from rubbish and packaging collection areas to cooking equipment, and to make sure you have proper firefighting and escape plans in place should something happen.

    Fire safety risk assessments are not just a paper exercise or box-ticking process. To make it really easy for you, this fire risk assessment template includes:

    • guidance notes to help you find any fire hazards that are specific to your particular business; and
    • suggested action points for you to follow up on your findings, covering everything from regular checks of your escape routes to staff training and firefighting equipment checks.
  • Why do I need this document?

    If your business has any employees or business premises, you are legally required to carry out regular fire safety risk assessments. It is also vital that you do not just treat them as a task to complete on paper, but action any issues that you find to minimise the risks of fire as much as possible.

    You have to keep careful written records of the fire safety risk assessments that you carry out, even if you have fewer than five employees.

    This template fire safety risk assessment, once properly filled in and stored, is a convenient way to stay within the law.

  • Where can I find out more?

    To check whether your current approach to health and safety is covering all the bases, or for help with the basics if you are just starting out, you can download our convenient Health and safety annual action plan.

    For detailed guidance on how to carry out a proper fire safety risk assessment, see Doing a fire safety risk assessment.

    You will also need to carry out a general risk assessment for your business premises. See Risk assessment for an office or Risk assessment for a shop or other business open to customers.

    If any of your team regularly work away from your business premises eg if they spend time making deliveries or visiting clients, you can use our specific Risk assessment for remote workers.

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