Do I need a Fire Risk Assessment? A Guide for UK Businesses

In the course of assisting companies across the Greater Midlands with their fire alarm provision, we carry out numerous surveys. In fact, every project effectively starts with a survey.

But here’s the thing. On at least half of those site visits, it quickly becomes evident that the company in question has never had a fire safety assessment carried out at the premises.

A commercial Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is one of the most important legal responsibilities for anyone managing business premises. Far from being optional, for any commercial or business operation, achieving strict fire safety compliance is a legal requirement.

If you are unsure where your building currently stands, reviewing our Essential Fire Safety Checklist for Commercial Buildings is an excellent first step.

Who Needs a Commercial Fire Risk Assessment?

Almost every non-domestic building requires a commercial Fire Risk Assessment. The law requires that the following premises must have an active FRA in place:

• Any building used as a workplace, office, shop, restaurant, pub, hotel, or school.
• Healthcare facilities or care homes (for high-risk environments, find out Why Care Homes & HMOs Must Upgrade to Addressable Fire Alarms
  
• Factories, warehouses, construction sites, and places of assembly.
• Faith buildings, community centres, or voluntary sector premises.

This legal obligation only excludes private single dwellings, though these may sometimes be used to run a business (such as a home office). However, if people who aren’t part of your immediate household use, visit, or live in the building, then there remains a strict legal requirement to have an FRA.

What is supposed to happen is that when our survey team attends your site, you should be able to produce a copy of your completed FRA. If you don’t have one in place, please read on to understand your fire safety responsibilities and how to arrange one.

What is a Workplace Fire Safety Assessment?

A fire safety assessment is a systematic appraisal of a building, designed to identify potential hazards, locate ignition sources, and flag any combustible materials present on-site.

It is also designed to assess risks to the people who work in or visit the premises. This includes evaluating protection for vulnerable occupants or individuals who may not be familiar with the physical layout of the building, such as wheelchair users.

A comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) evaluates how effectively a fire can be detected, contained, and controlled. In doing so, it looks closely at your active fire protection systems to ensure your detectors are functioning correctly and are up to date - industry standards dictate that you should Replace Commercial Smoke Detectors Every 10 Years to avoid sensor failure.

The Core Elements of a Current FRA:

An FRA will evaluate your evacuation measures and how easily people can safely exit the building in an emergency. A standard commercial fire risk assessment consists of five key elements:

1. Identify the fire hazards: Locating ignition, fuel, and oxygen sources.
2. Identify people at risk: Evaluating who is in the building and identifying anyone particularly vulnerable.
3. Evaluate, remove, or reduce the risks: Actively taking steps to prevent a fire from starting.
4. Record your findings: Preparing a clear emergency plan, keeping a written record of the FRA, and providing regular fire training for staff.
5. Review and update regularly: Keeping the assessment live and reactive to operational changes.

Who Should Carry Out the Fire Risk Assessment?

The FRA should be carried out by the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

This "responsible person" is typically the individual legally accountable for commercial fire safety within the building, such as the employer, business owner, tenant, landlord, or building manager. It is their duty to ensure that the assessment is conducted by a competent fire risk assessor who possesses the necessary skills, training, and industry knowledge.

Help with the Fire Risk Assessment

You can technically perform the assessment yourself using standard safety guides, but it is highly recommended to have your initial assessment handled by an accredited professional who is fully versed in current fire safety regulations. For instance, keeping up with recent compliance shifts, like the Changes to BS 5839-1:2025 Fire Safety Regulations, requires specialised technical knowledge to ensure your business remains legally protected.

If you read this and realise you do not have an FRA in place, or you aren’t sure whether your previous assessment was completed by a competent specialist, please let us know.

How Justice Fire & Security Can Help:

Although Justice Fire & Security does not carry out Fire Risk Assessments directly, we work closely with trusted fire safety specialists and can recommend a competent assessor before designing the most appropriate fire alarm system for your premises.

Please note: While your local fire and rescue authority can offer general guidance, they are legally unable to carry out risk assessments for you.

Next Steps for Your Business

If your building has yet to undergo a formal assessment, and you are at the point where you intend to have a fire alarm system installed, please let us know immediately.

It is always recommended that the assessment is carried out before our engineering team arrives for a site survey. Having the completed FRA to hand enables us to conduct a highly precise fire alarm survey and make definitive recommendations as to the most appropriate setup for your premises, leaving absolutely no stone unturned.

If your FRA is already complete and you are looking to plan the specific hardware needed for your premises, please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation site survey for our tailored Commercial Fire Alarm Systems.

Alternatively, if your current system is not being maintained, or if you feel the time has arrived to upgrade and switch your provider, we are highly experienced in managing seamless, disruption-free Fire Alarm Takeovers. Once your system is updated, we can also provide continuous, proactive Fire Alarm Service & Maintenance alongside 24/7 Fire Alarm Monitoring to ensure your premises are protected around the clock.

Partner with the Midlands' Commercial Fire Experts

Justice Fire & Security has been established for over 40 years, handling fire safety and security infrastructure for commercial sites of all sizes.

Our experienced, customer-focused engineers are active throughout Birmingham, the wider West Midlands, and Warwickshire, as well as Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire.

For all enquiries regarding system takeovers, upgrades, and compliance surveys, call us today on 0845 468 9077.

For further reading, we would suggest the following link: Fire safety in the workplace: Fire risk assessments - GOV.UK