How to conduct a fire risk assessment (FRA)

You are required to complete a fire risk assessment (FRA) to protect your staff and workplace from fire risks.

An assessment will help you to identify hazards, implement the correct safety measures and determine the necessary steps to prevent or mitigate fires. It ensures the safety of people, property and businesses by outlining preventative actions and emergency procedures

Not only must you complete a fire risk assessment to comply with fire safety regulations in the UK, but You must record the fire risk assessment in full (including all the findings) and the fire safety arrangements for your premises in all circumstances.

How to conduct a fire risk assessment

As a legal requirement for workplaces, conducting a fire risk assessment must be done correctly. With this step-by-step guide we’ve covered all the essentials so you can tick them off your checklist:   

Step 1 – Identify fire hazards in your workplace

Fire hazards are anything you will find in your workplace that can increase the chances of a fire starting and spreading. Common examples of fire hazards can be as simple as the everyday electrical equipment you use at your desk.

Common fire hazards in workplaces

• Hot work (any task or activity that produces an open flame or ignition)

• Electrical devices and cables

• Heating systems

• Sources of fuel

• Combustible materials

• Flammable liquids

• Dust

• Cooking equipment

• Faulty equipment

Step 2 – Evaluate the risks

Identify the risks associated with these hazards and prioritise them.

Consider whether certain hazards are more likely to create fire and cause harm than others. In this process you should also identify who is at risk, for example:

• Workers completing hot work tasks

• Kitchen staff working with open flames

• Maintenance staff who fix heating systems

• Employees operating electrical machinery

With this information you can determine the likelihood of a fire starting on in your building and who would be a risk. Allowing you to move onto the next step…

Step 3 – Identify and implement fire safety measures

Which is to identify and implement safety measures. These fire safety measures must ensure that the risks associated with the hazards identified are mitigated and staff are kept safe from the possible risk of a fire.

For some industries and individuals these safety measures may be crucial for daily tasks. For example, a construction worker exposed to flammable materials will require PPE. Whereas a member of kitchen staff will need to be provided with direct access to a fire extinguisher.

Other fire safety measures you can implement across your business include:

• Proper storage of flammable materials

• Installation and maintenance of fire detection systems (smoke alarms)

• Clear emergency escape routes and lighting

• Fire suppression systems (sprinklers)

Step 4 – Create a plan of action for emergencies

If a fire breaks out, you must have a clear procedure in place.

Once you have identified the hazards in your workplace, a proactive approach to is to establish a plan of action for emergencies, even if they never occur.

This includes having a plan in writing and training your staff regularly, so they know what to do if a fire breaks out.  

A fire emergency plan example:

A fire emergency plan may look like a document that details the steps everyone must follow to safely evacuate the building.

• Activate all alarms and call the local fire brigade via 999.

• Use the nearest fire safety exit, not using the lifts.

• Assign designated assembly points for staff (in large organisations these may differ depending on department)

• Assign the role of fire wardens across the business. These individuals can ensure everyone is safely evacuated and the correct procedures are followed.

• Ensure additional support is in place for workers who require extra assistance.

• Provide regular training such as fire drills and fire safety training demonstrations for new staff.

• Regularly revisit the plan. Keeping up to date in accordance with the law, changes to the building, or for new members of the team.

Step 5 – File a report

Once your fire risk assessment is complete you should document and file your reports. Keeping this stored in an accessible and secure location. A digital copy will allow easy access for all who need to access it. With BrigthSafe you can store all your essential documents, including records of any safety risk assessments.

Step 6 – Review regularly

Your FRA needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure it is up to date and aligns with any developments. This could be a change in the law, an update to your business or the person’s responsible for managing fire safety across the business.

An updated fire risk assessment is one that is compliant with regulatory requirements and aims to protect staff.

Who is responsible for completing an FRA?

The “Responsible Person (RP)” is the person responsible for fire safety across a building. And is therefore the person responsible for completing the fire risk assessment. Also ensuring that this is kept up to date and regularly reviewed.

Usually, in a workplace, the owner, manager, or someone with complete access to the building would be the assigned “Responsible Person”.

This individual has a range of fire safety responsibilities including the implementation of fire safety measures, so having access to all areas of the building is key.

Provide staff regular fire safety training

As part of measures to prevent fires at work, all staff must be trained on fire safety. From the use of a fire extinguisher to simple fire safety awareness, training courses cover a wide range of topics to raise awareness of the risks and to ensure compliance with legislation while at work.

With BrightSafe, you gain access to ours online health and safety training courses. With e-learning covering topics such as:

• Fire safety awareness and warden duties

• Fire resistance in buildings

• Fire extinguisher use

It’s the one-stop solution for fire safety training for all staff and mangers across your business.

Build your fire risk assessment with a risk assessment template

With BrightSafe all-in-one health and safety software, access hundreds of health and safety templates to build your very own fire risk assessment.

Backed by health and safety experts and with 24/7 advice available from our team, not only can you create a fire risk assessment document that aligns with your business operations but is also legally compliant too.

When you’re done completing your fire risk assessment, BrightSafe also provides handy storage tools so you can electronically store and access your most recent FRA in just a few clicks.

Want to see all that BrightSafe can offer your business?

Book a free demo of our health and safety platform today.