A schemes fire risk assessment should be specific to the way the premises is used, managed and occupied. It should consider staff, visitors, contractors, users, shared areas, escape routes, storage, equipment, plant rooms and day-to-day management. The finished report should identify significant findings, prioritise practical actions and help the responsible person show that fire safety is being actively managed rather than treated as a generic checklist.
- Reflect the actual layout, occupancy, opening hours and management arrangements.
- Identify who may be at risk, including visitors, contractors and people needing assistance.
- Check both physical fire precautions and day-to-day management controls.
- Produce a clear action plan with proportionate priorities and realistic timescales.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
For schemes premises, the responsible person is usually the employer, owner, occupier, operator, landlord, managing agent, licence holder or another person with control of the premises or activity. Duties include identifying fire hazards, reducing risk, maintaining suitable general fire precautions, recording significant findings where required and reviewing the assessment when circumstances change.
- Confirm who controls the premises, shared areas, events, contractors and fire safety systems.
- Check whether responsibilities are split between occupier, landlord, operator or organiser.
- Record significant findings, people especially at risk and the action plan where required.
- Coordinate with other responsible persons where escape routes, systems or common parts are shared.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
The assessment should explain how people in schemes premises would become aware of a fire and reach a place of safety. It should consider normal use, peak periods, out-of-hours activity and less obvious users such as contractors, cleaners, delivery drivers, visiting members of the public or people who may need assistance.
- Review travel distances, exit capacity, door operation, route condition and final exits.
- Consider visitor information, staff roles, assembly points and emergency plans.
- Check arrangements for disabled people or anyone who may need assisted evacuation.
- Look at how evacuation would work during busy periods, unusual layouts or changed use.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
Common risks in schemes premises include electrical risks, heaters, cooking or welfare areas, combustible storage, blocked escape routes, damaged fire doors, missing records and unclear procedures. The assessor should judge each issue in context because the urgency of a defect depends on who uses the building, how quickly people can escape, whether fire can spread and how reliably the premises is managed.
- Identify ignition sources, fuel sources and oxygen or ventilation factors.
- Check housekeeping, storage, waste, contractors and temporary activities.
- Look for defects that could delay warning, evacuation or firefighting response.
- Prioritise matters affecting life safety, escape routes, compartmentation or fire spread.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
The assessment should consider whether fire precautions are suitable for the risk and properly maintained. For schemes premises, this usually means checking escape routes, alarm arrangements, emergency lighting, fire doors, compartmentation, extinguishers, signs, maintenance records and staff procedures. Where specialist systems are present, the report may need to recommend further inspection by a competent contractor or specialist consultant.
- Check fire detection and warning arrangements against the building use and occupancy.
- Review emergency lighting, signs, notices and firefighting equipment.
- Inspect fire doors, compartmentation, service penetrations and protected routes where relevant.
- Confirm that maintenance records match the systems and fire precautions found on site.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
A useful compliance guide should answer a practical question: what evidence should the responsible person keep? For schemes premises, useful records normally include the current assessment, action plan, alarm tests, emergency lighting checks, extinguisher servicing, fire door checks, staff training, contractor records and remedial tracking. Records should show that fire safety is being managed between formal assessment reviews, not just inspected once and forgotten.
- Keep the current fire risk assessment, significant findings and action plan available.
- Maintain testing and servicing records for alarms, lighting, extinguishers and other systems.
- Record staff training, evacuation drills, briefings, contractor controls and management checks.
- Track remedial actions through to completion so defects do not remain unresolved.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
A schemes fire risk assessment should be reviewed when it may no longer be valid. Triggers include changes to layout, occupancy, opening hours, processes, staffing, ownership, contractors, fire precautions or relevant guidance. A review is also sensible after a fire, near miss, enforcement visit, insurer request, repeated false alarm problem or significant defect.
- Review after refurbishment, fit-out, new equipment, changed activity or changed occupancy.
- Review after changes to tenants, staffing, vulnerable occupants, contractors or opening hours.
- Review after incidents, complaints, enforcement comments, insurance findings or system defects.
- Use each review to update the action plan and confirm completed remedial work.
This guidance is general. The assessment for an individual premises should be based on the actual building, occupants, activities, fire precautions and management arrangements found on site.
