Fire Risk Assessment UK: What the Law Requires and How to Do One (2026 Guide)

What is a fire risk assessment, and do I legally need one?

Yes. If you run or control a non-domestic premises in the UK, you must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, and since 1 October 2023 in England and Wales you must record it in writing, whatever your size. The legal duty sits with the Responsible Person, usually the employer, owner or occupier. It doesn’t transfer to your landlord, your fire alarm engineer or a consultant you hire. Fire and rescue services enforce the rules, and breaches can lead to enforcement notices, prohibition of use, unlimited fines and, in serious cases, prison.

Definition: A fire risk assessment (FRA) is a structured review of your premises and activities that identifies fire hazards, works out who could be harmed, decides whether your precautions are adequate, and sets out what you must fix and when.

Quick answers

• Who needs one? Every workplace, from a corner shop to a 500-person factory, plus the shared parts of blocks of flats.
• Who does it? A competent person. That can be you for a simple premises, or a professional assessor for anything complex.
• How often? Review it regularly. There’s no fixed legal interval, but annually is standard practice, and sooner after any significant change.
• Does it need to be written down? In England and Wales, yes, always (since 1 October 2023).

Which laws apply to fire risk assessments in the UK?

Fire safety law is devolved, so the legislation depends on where your premises is.

Nation	Main legislation
England and Wales	Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order), as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Scotland	Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006
Northern Ireland	Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Three parts of the Fire Safety Order matter most:

• Article 9 requires the Responsible Person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of fire risks.
• Article 18 requires you to appoint competent people to help you meet your fire safety duties.
• Article 32 sets out the offences and penalties.

If your site also stores or processes flammable liquids, gases or combustible dust, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) apply alongside the Fire Safety Order. This is a big deal for factories and is covered below.

Who is the Responsible Person?

The Responsible Person is whoever has control of the premises in connection with a trade, business or other undertaking.

• Single-occupier business: the employer.
• Multi-tenant building: each employer is responsible for their own area. The landlord or managing agent usually covers shared areas. Everyone must co-operate and share information (Article 22).
• Corporate offices: typically a director or senior manager, even if facilities management is outsourced. You can delegate the tasks. You can’t delegate the liability.

Example: A logistics firm leases a unit from a landlord. The firm employs the staff and controls the warehouse, so it is the Responsible Person for the unit and must have its own FRA. The landlord covers the roof and shared yard, and both must exchange information.

Do small businesses need a fire risk assessment?

Yes. Before October 2023 the written-record requirement applied mainly to businesses with five or more employees, or where a licence or alterations notice was in force. That threshold has gone for England and Wales. A one-person café, a salon, a shop with a flat above, or a start-up in a shared office all need a recorded assessment.

For very small, low-risk premises, you may be able to do it yourself using the government’s fire safety risk assessment guides. If you have sleeping accommodation, public access, flammable materials or vulnerable occupants, a professional is the safer route.

How do you carry out a fire risk assessment? (The 5 steps)

Government guidance uses a five-step approach. Here’s how it works in practice.

Step 1: How do you identify fire hazards?

Look for the three things a fire needs:

• Sources of ignition: heaters, electrical equipment, hot work (welding, cutting), cooking appliances, smoking areas, machinery that overheats, battery charging.
• Fuel: paper, packaging, pallets, textiles, plastics, flammable liquids, dust, waste.
• Oxygen: air handling, gas cylinders and oxygen-enriched areas.

Action: Walk the site room by room with a floor plan and mark every hazard you find.

Step 2: Who is at risk?

List everyone who could be affected: employees, contractors, visitors, customers, lone workers, night shift staff and people who may need extra help to escape, such as wheelchair users, people with hearing or sight impairments, or people with cognitive conditions.

Action: For anyone who can’t evacuate unaided, prepare a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).

Step 3: How do you evaluate, remove or reduce the risk, and protect people?

Work through this order of priority: remove the hazard, reduce it, then protect against it.

Check each of these:

• Detection and warning: fire alarm system (BS 5839-1) suitable for your premises category.
• Means of escape: clear routes, enough exits, doors that open easily, signs, no locked or obstructed exits.
• Emergency lighting: BS 5266-1 for escape routes and open areas.
• Firefighting equipment: extinguishers (BS 5306-8), hose reels or sprinklers where needed.
• Fire doors and compartmentation: doors that close properly, intumescent seals intact, no wedged-open doors, no unsealed service penetrations.
• Housekeeping and storage: waste, packaging and stock kept away from ignition sources and escape routes.

Step 4: How do you record, plan, inform, instruct and train?

Write down your findings, the actions you will take, who owns each action and by when. Then:

• Create an emergency plan and fire procedures.
• Train staff on induction and at least annually.
• Appoint and train fire wardens (sometimes called fire marshals) in proportion to your size and risk.
• Run evacuation drills, usually at least once a year, and record them.
• Share relevant fire safety information with other Responsible Persons in the building.

Step 5: When should you review a fire risk assessment?

Review it regularly, and immediately after any of these:

• A fire, near miss or false-alarm pattern
• Layout changes, refurbishment or new tenants
• New machinery, processes or stored materials
• A significant change in headcount or occupancy
• A change in the Responsible Person
• Findings from a fire inspection or insurer visit

What should a fire risk assessment report include?

A good report is usable, not just a certificate. Look for:

1. Premises description, occupancy, hours and number of people
2. Hazard identification (ignition sources, fuel, oxygen)
3. People at risk, including vulnerable occupants
4. Existing fire precautions and their condition
5. Findings and a prioritised action plan (for example high, medium and low priority, with timescales)
6. Evidence of testing and maintenance (alarm, emergency lighting, extinguishers, fire doors)
7. Emergency plan, training and drill records
8. Assessor’s name, competence evidence, date and review date
9. Assumptions and limitations (for example, areas not accessed)

Many professional assessors follow PAS 79-1:2020 (premises other than sleeping accommodation) or PAS 79-2:2020 (sleeping accommodation) as a methodology. Ask which one they use.

How much does a fire risk assessment cost?

There’s no fixed price. Cost depends on floor area, number of floors, process complexity, sleeping accommodation and travel. A simple small premises costs far less than a multi-building industrial site. Treat any single flat-rate quote for every property type with caution, and always ask what’s included: a site visit, a written report, an action plan, and a review or follow-up call.

Tip: Get at least three written quotes and compare the scope, not just the price.

Who is a competent fire risk assessor?

The Fire Safety Order defines competence as having sufficient training and experience, or knowledge and other qualities, to do the job properly. It doesn’t currently demand one mandatory qualification route, which is why assessor quality varies widely.

Two developments are changing this:

• BS 8674:2025 is the first British Standard framework for the competence of individual fire risk assessors. It sets three levels: foundation, intermediate and advanced.
• Government consultation (26 March to 18 June 2026) on the fire risk assessors profession followed the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendation to introduce mandatory accreditation. The outcome and any resulting legislation should be checked on GOV.UK before you rely on any specific date.

How to check an assessor before you hire:

• Ask for evidence of competence against BS 8674 or an equivalent recognised scheme
• Look for third-party certification from a UKAS-accredited scheme (for example, schemes run by BAFE or similar bodies)
• Ask for professional indemnity insurance details and sample redacted reports
• Confirm experience in your type of premises (factory, office, warehouse, care setting)
• Be cautious if the quote is unusually cheap, or the assessor won’t visit in person

The Responsible Person stays legally accountable even when an assessor is appointed.

Fire risk assessment for factories and industrial sites: what’s different?

Factories carry higher fire loads and more ignition sources, so generic templates often miss the big risks. Make sure your assessment covers:

• DSEAR compliance: flammable liquids, gases, vapours and combustible dust (flour, wood, metal, plastics, chemicals) can create explosive atmospheres. Hazardous-area classification and explosion protection may be needed.
• Hot work control: a permit-to-work system for welding, grinding and cutting.
• Lithium-ion batteries: charging areas for forklifts, e-bikes, scooters and power tools. Separate, ventilated, monitored charging with no charging overnight in unmanned escape routes.
• Machinery and electrical maintenance: planned preventive maintenance, thermal imaging where appropriate, and periodic electrical inspection.
• Storage: racking heights, stock separation, sprinkler clearance, and flammable goods segregated in suitable cabinets or stores.
• Waste: skips and compactors kept away from buildings.
• Large-site evacuation: multiple assembly points, noise-affected areas, shift patterns and contractors.
• Insurer requirements: many industrial insurers expect specific fire protection standards. Check your policy conditions.

Fire risk assessment for corporate offices and multi-tenant buildings

Offices look low risk, but they have their own gaps:

• Multi-occupancy: shared escape routes, shared alarm systems and unclear ownership. Agree who does what in writing.
• Hybrid working: fluctuating headcount means your fire warden cover and evacuation plans must work on both the quietest and busiest days.
• Serviced and co-working space: transient visitors who don’t know the building.
• Plant rooms, server rooms and comms cabinets: often stuffed with storage.
• Change of use and fit-outs: partitions that interrupt compartmentation or alarm coverage.
• PEEPs and disabled refuge or evacuation lifts: often neglected until an incident.

What are the penalties for not having a fire risk assessment?

Fire and rescue authorities (and in some cases local authorities or the HSE) can issue:

• Informal advice or action plans
• Alterations notices, enforcement notices and prohibition notices (which can stop you using all or part of the premises immediately)
• Prosecution: unlimited fines and, for serious offences, imprisonment. Penalties under Article 32 were increased for offences from 1 October 2023.

Beyond legal action, expect knock-on effects: insurance claims disputed, reputational damage, business interruption, and, most importantly, risk to life.

What do the fire statistics say?

• Fire and rescue services in England attended 13,679 fires in “other buildings” (non-dwellings such as workplaces and commercial premises) in the year ending March 2026, up 3.7% on the previous year (MHCLG, Detailed analysis of fires and response times).
• Fire false alarms made up about 40% of all incidents attended in England in the year ending March 2026 (MHCLG, Fire and rescue incident statistics), which is why alarm design, maintenance and management matter.
• The fire-sector estimate is that around three million buildings in England have a legal duty to carry out, record and act on a fire risk assessment.
• Responsibility for fire policy in England moved from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on 1 April 2025.

What maintenance and testing should sit alongside your assessment?

An assessment is only as good as the equipment and habits behind it. Typical good-practice routines are:

Item	Typical frequency
Fire alarm call point test	Weekly (rotate points), logged
Emergency lighting flick test	Monthly
Emergency lighting full-duration test	Annually
Fire alarm servicing	Typically every 6 or 12 months by a competent engineer
Fire extinguisher service	Annually
Fire door checks	Regular visual checks and periodic inspection by a competent person
Escape route checks	Daily or at the start of each shift
Fire drill	At least annually

Follow your system designer’s, installer’s and the relevant British Standard’s recommendations, which may differ.

What are the most common fire risk assessment mistakes?

1. Using a generic template that ignores your actual site
2. Hiring an unqualified assessor on price alone
3. Writing the assessment, then never reviewing it
4. No action plan owners or deadlines, so findings sit unfixed
5. Fire doors wedged open or damaged
6. Blocked escape routes and overloaded storage
7. Forgetting contractors, visitors and night-shift staff
8. Skipping drills and training records
9. Ignoring false alarm patterns
10. Treating the assessment as a one-off compliance exercise

Your 10-point fire risk assessment action checklist

1. Confirm who the Responsible Person is for each area of your premises.
2. Locate your current written FRA and check its review date.
3. Check the assessor’s competence evidence.
4. Walk the site and confirm the assessment matches reality.
5. Prioritise open actions (high, medium, low) and assign owners and dates.
6. Test and service alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers, and keep records.
7. Inspect fire doors and escape routes.
8. Train staff and wardens, and run a recorded drill.
9. Prepare PEEPs for anyone who needs help escaping.
10. Share fire safety information with other Responsible Persons on shared sites.

Frequently asked questions

Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement in the UK?

Yes. In England and Wales it’s required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent laws.

Does a fire risk assessment have to be written down?

In England and Wales, yes. Since 1 October 2023 all Responsible Persons must record their assessment, regardless of how many people they employ.

How often should a fire risk assessment be done?

There’s no fixed legal interval. Review it regularly, typically at least once a year, and whenever your premises, processes or occupancy change significantly.

Can I do my own fire risk assessment?

Legally you can, if you are competent. That’s realistic for small, simple, low-risk premises. For complex sites, shared buildings, sleeping accommodation or hazardous processes, use a professional.

How long does a fire risk assessment take?

A small premises can take an hour or two on site. A large factory can take several days, plus report writing time.

Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?

A competent person with enough training, experience and knowledge for your type of premises. Look for BS 8674-aligned competence and third-party certification.

Do landlords need a fire risk assessment?

Yes, for non-domestic premises they control and for the communal parts of residential buildings. Tenant employers also need assessments for the areas they control.

What happens if I don’t have a fire risk assessment?

You risk enforcement and prohibition notices, prosecution, insurance problems and, most seriously, harm to people.

Who enforces fire safety law?

Fire and rescue authorities enforce in most workplaces. Local authorities and the HSE are the enforcing authority for certain premises types, such as some construction sites, so check which applies to you.

Do home-based businesses need a fire risk assessment?

Generally, the Fire Safety Order doesn’t apply to private domestic premises. It can apply if your home is partly used for business with employees or the public, or if parts are shared. Check with your local fire and rescue service.

Does my insurer need to see my fire risk assessment?

Many insurers ask for it, and some policy conditions require specific fire protections. Check your policy wording and keep your assessment accessible.

Will fire risk assessors need to be accredited in the future?

The UK Government consulted on the fire risk assessors profession in 2026 following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation of mandatory accreditation. Check GOV.UK for the latest position.