How To Choose A Competent Fire Risk Assessor

Choosing a competent fire risk assessor is one of the most important decisions a Responsible Person can make. Under UK fire safety law, a fire risk assessment must be suitable and sufficient, and the competence of the assessor directly affects whether that legal standard is met.

A poorly chosen assessor can leave you with an assessment that fails to identify real risks, does not stand up to enforcement scrutiny, and ultimately exposes you to legal and safety consequences.

This guide explains how to choose a competent fire risk assessor, how to verify competence using current frameworks such as the National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR), and how to ensure the assessment you commission is robust, defensible, and fit for purpose.

Why Choosing the Right Fire Risk Assessor Matters

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person must ensure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept under review.

While you may appoint a third party to carry out the assessment, legal responsibility always remains with you. Enforcing authorities will look not only at the assessment itself, but also at whether you took reasonable steps to appoint a competent assessor.

Choosing the right assessor helps ensure that:

• Fire risks are properly identified
• People are adequately protected
• Recommendations are practical and prioritised
• Your assessment stands up to inspection and enforcement
• You can demonstrate due diligence if challenged

Can You Carry Out Your Own Fire Risk Assessment?

Yes — provided you have the required knowledge, experience, and understanding of fire safety law and risk assessment principles.

For low-risk, simple premises, some Responsible Persons choose to conduct the fire risk assessment themselves. If you do this, you must be able to:

• Identify fire hazards (sources of ignition, fuel, oxygen)
• Identify people at risk, including vulnerable occupants
• Evaluate existing fire safety measures
• Assess remaining risk and need for further precautions
• Record significant findings and required actions
• Keep the assessment updated and under review

However, if you are not confident in your understanding of fire safety legislation, building hazards, or risk evaluation, or lack time to complete a thorough assessment, it is often advisable to appoint a specialist.

What “Competent” Really Means

The law requires that a fire risk assessment be carried out by a competent person. This means someone with sufficient:

• Knowledge of fire safety principles and law
• Training and experience in identifying fire hazards and evaluating risk
• Understanding of the types of premises they are assessing
• Ability to produce a report that is clear, prioritised, and actionable

It is important to note that competence is not a single qualification — it is a combination of education, experience, and continuous professional development (CPD).

Competence should be judged in relation to the specific premises and context you want assessed.

Authoritative UK guidance on choosing assessors commonly recommends benchmarking competence against recognised sector competency criteria and using established procurement guidance when appointing a fire risk assessor. In practice, this means checking that the assessor’s knowledge, experience and output aligns with recognised competence expectations, and that you can evidence reasonable due diligence in how you selected them.

What to Look for When Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor

When selecting a fire risk assessor, consider the following key criteria:

Relevant Experience

Look for assessors who have direct experience with premises like yours. Experience matters — a hotel, school, industrial unit, residential block, or care home all involve different fire risk challenges.

Ask:

• Have you carried out assessments for similar buildings?
• Can you provide examples or references?

Clear Evidence of Competence

Competence may be evidenced through:

1. National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR)

The National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) is a recognised industry register maintained by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers. Assessors listed here have been assessed against established competence criteria and are subject to ongoing monitoring, including:

• Verified experience and qualifications
• Continuous professional development
• Valid insurance
• Periodic competency reviews

NFRAR categorises competence into levels (e.g. Foundation, Intermediate, Advanced) based on the complexity of premises the assessor is qualified to handle. You can search the register to verify an assessor’s status before appointment.

NFRAR can be a useful way to verify competence and compare assessors, alongside third-party certification, relevant experience, and evidence of report quality.

2. Third-Party Certification Schemes

Check for certification or registration with reputable schemes, such as:

• BAFE SP205 (third-party certification for fire risk assessment providers)
• Professional body memberships (e.g. Institution of Fire Engineers)

These schemes involve independent assessment and are widely regarded as a mark of competence.

UKAS is the UK’s national accreditation body and it accredits certification bodies (organisations) to audit against recognised schemes. In other words, UKAS typically supports confidence in the certification process itself, rather than “approving” individual assessors directly.

It is also helpful to distinguish between company-based certification and individual competence. Some schemes primarily assess a company’s systems, governance and quality management (including assessor competence controls), while professional body registration and registers focus on the individual. In practice, a strong appointment usually combines both: a competent assessor with relevant experience, working within a provider that has robust quality and oversight.

Qualified, Professional, and Insured

Ensure the assessor (and their employer) has:

• Appropriate qualifications in fire engineering, fire safety, or risk management
• Adequate professional indemnity insurance
• Appropriate public liability insurance

Insurance is vital — it protects you in the event of errors or omissions.

Practical, Clear Reporting

Competent assessors should produce reports that are:

• Easy to understand
• Prioritised by risk
• Linked to practical actions
• Clearly tied to legal requirements

A report that reads like a generic checklist is usually not sufficient.

References and Reputation

Ask for references from previous clients with similar premises. Contact those clients to check whether the assessor:

• Identified relevant hazards
• Provided actionable recommendations
• Delivered a report that stood up to scrutiny

Questions to Ask Before You Appoint

Use these as a short vetting checklist:

• What relevant experience do you have for premises like mine?
• Are you listed on NFRAR — and at what level?
• Are you certified under any third-party accreditation schemes (e.g., BAFE SP205)?
• What qualifications and training do you hold?
• Can you provide examples or references?
• How do you structure your assessment report?
• Do you carry professional indemnity and public liability insurance?

Red Flags When Choosing an Assessor

Be cautious of assessors who:

• Offer very low prices with vague scope
• Do not provide a clear, written scope of work
• Do not insist on a physical site visit
• Use generic template reports
• Cannot explain how their assessment meets legal requirements
• Cannot provide evidence of relevant experience

Competence is about real skills and judgement, not cheapest service.

Responsibility and Liability — You Are Still Responsible

Even when you appoint a specialist, the Responsible Person remains legally liable for ensuring the fire risk assessment is suitable and sufficient.

This means:

• You must satisfy yourself that competence is real
• You should keep records of how you chose the assessor
• You must act on the assessor’s recommendations where required

Competence checks are part of your legal due diligence — auditors and enforcing authorities will expect to see them.

Why NFRAR and Accreditation Matter

NFRAR and third-party certification schemes like BAFE SP205 are not legal requirements, but they are among the best indicators of competence recognised by industry and enforcement bodies.

They provide:

• Independent verification of skills
• Ongoing monitoring and CPD
• A searchable public directory
• Clear levels of competence

Checking these registers should be a key step before appointment.

Summary: How to Choose a Competent Fire Risk Assessor

To choose a competent fire risk assessor:

1. Understand what competence means in law and practice
2. Prioritise experience relevant to your premises
3. Check registers such as NFRAR
4. Look for recognised certification (BAFE SP205, professional membership)
5. Verify qualifications and insurance
6. Ask for references and check them
7. Ensure clarity, proportion, and practicality in reporting

A competent assessor gives you confidence in compliance, reduces risk, and supports fire safety for all building users.

Why Clients Choose Fire Risk Assessment Network

At Fire Risk Assessment Network, we help Responsible Persons meet their legal duties with confidence.

Our fire risk assessments are:

• Carried out by competent, experienced assessors
• Proportionate to the premises and level of risk
• Fully aligned with current UK fire safety law
• Clear, practical, and prioritised
• Designed to stand up to enforcement scrutiny

We work with commercial, residential, and public sector clients across the UK, providing assessments that are not only compliant, but genuinely useful for managing fire safety.

If you want reassurance that your fire risk assessment is suitable, sufficient, and defensible, we can help.

Conclusion

Choosing a competent fire risk assessor is not just a procedural step — it is a critical part of protecting people and meeting your legal responsibilities.

By checking experience, competence, registration, and report quality, and by using recognised tools such as NFRAR, you can make an informed and defensible choice.

If you would like professional advice or a compliant fire risk assessment carried out by experienced assessors, contact Fire Risk Assessment Network today.