The fire risk assessment involves identifying the potential sources of ignition in the workplace and also the combustible materials that are present as part of the business operations, the furnishings and the structure in which the business is carried out. The aim is to reduce these to a minimum. Opportunities may be taken to eliminate, substitute, avoid or transfer the various hazards that have been identified. Once this has been done the residual sources of ignition and combustible materials that form the core of the day-to-day patterns of work must be separated as far as is practicable.

The people who use the premises must also be considered. These include staff, customers, visitors or members of the public. The means of escape, equipment for detecting and giving warning in case of fire and firefighting apparatus must be appropriate for the premises and the numbers of people present. Consideration also has to be given to the age, agility and health of the people who may be on the premises. Different factors have to be considered, for example, for crèches, residential care homes, remote warehouses and out-of-town shopping centres.

Primarily, a fire risk assessment will ensure that satisfactory escape routes are identified and kept available for use, that suitable arrangements are made to detect and give warning of a fire, and that appropriate fire-fighting equipment is strategically located around the workplace. The Workplace Regulations also require that:

• employers make sure that employees are trained in appropriate action to take when a fire breaks out, or if one is suspected,

• employees know how to use the firefighting equipment provided,

• adequate records are kept of all staff training, and

• records are kept of tests and maintenance of fire equipment.
  

While a number of existing publications offer detailed advice on how to undertake a fire risk assessment, this simple guide has been designed to help you fulfil your minimum obligations under the law. It is, however, most important that you set aside some time to do this rather than risk the lives and wellbeing of your employees, serious disruption to your operations, or indeed experience the penalties which could be imposed under the Regulations if you fail to do so!

The checklist in this site will provide a useful prompt when undertaking a fire risk assessment. First of all, we recommend that you read the following sections, which should help you to identify some of the main workplace hazards and the precautions to take against them. An understanding of these sections and the recommended safety measures should, in any event, help you to reduce the likelihood of a fire on your premises, with its attendant harmful effects on your business and livelihood.