What is a Fire Risk Assessment? A Guide for Business Owners (2026)
If you run a business, manage a property, or employ staff, a fire risk assessment isn't optional — it's a legal requirement. Yet many business owners are unclear on exactly what one involves, who needs to carry it out, and what happens if they don't have one in place.
This guide covers everything you need to know about fire risk assessments: what they are, what the law says, what the process involves, and how to make sure your premises are properly protected.
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Table of Contents:
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a structured inspection and review of your premises, carried out to identify fire hazards, evaluate the risk they present, and determine what measures are in place — or need to be put in place — to protect people from fire.
The assessment isn't just about ticking boxes. Its purpose is to give the responsible person a clear picture of fire risk across the premises and a practical action plan for reducing it. A good fire risk assessment should be a working document, not something filed away and forgotten.
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?
Yes — in England and Wales, fire risk assessments are a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005).
The RRO 2005 applies to virtually every non-domestic building, including:
Workplaces and offices
Shops and retail premises
Warehouses and industrial buildings
Schools and educational establishments
Care homes and healthcare facilities
Hotels and hospitality venues
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)
Places of worship and community buildings
The law places responsibility on the responsible person — typically the employer, building owner, or occupier — to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place and kept up to date.
Failure to comply with the RRO 2005 is a serious matter. The Fire and Rescue Authority has powers to issue enforcement notices, prohibition notices, and in the most serious cases, to pursue prosecution. Penalties can include unlimited fines and, in cases of gross negligence, imprisonment.
Who needs a fire risk assessment?
If you are responsible for a non-domestic premises — whether as an employer, landlord, managing agent, or licence holder — you need a fire risk assessment. This includes:
Employers: if you employ anyone, even a single member of staff, your workplace must have a fire risk assessment.
Landlords: HMO landlords and those letting properties with communal areas must have a current assessment in place. The requirements become stricter as the size and complexity of the property increases.
Business owners: any premises open to customers, clients, or members of the public requires an assessment, regardless of size.
Facilities managers: if you manage or control a building on behalf of others, the responsibility typically falls to you.
It is worth noting that residential homeowners are not required to have a formal fire risk assessment under the RRO 2005; however, landlords of rental properties and HMOs are.
What does a fire risk assessment involve?
A fire risk assessment is a thorough, documented inspection of your premises. It is not simply a visual check or a conversation. A properly conducted assessment involves examining your building in detail, reviewing your current fire safety arrangements, and producing a written report with findings and recommendations.
The assessment should cover:
All potential sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen within the premises
The people who use the building and those who may be particularly at risk
Existing fire detection systems, emergency lighting, escape routes, signage, and extinguishers
Staff training and fire safety procedures
Maintenance records for fire safety systems
The output is a written report identifying any gaps in your current arrangements, prioritised by risk level, with a clear action plan for addressing them.
The five steps of a fire risk assessment
The government's guidance on fire risk assessments sets out five key steps. A competent assessor will work through each of these systematically.
Step 1: Identify the fire hazards
The first step is to identify everything in the premises that could start a fire or allow one to spread. This means looking at sources of ignition (heaters, electrical equipment, cooking appliances), sources of fuel (paper, packaging, furniture, flammable liquids), and sources of oxygen (air conditioning, storage of oxidising materials).
Step 2: Identify people at risk
Not everyone in a building faces the same level of risk. The assessor will consider everyone who uses the premises — employees, customers, contractors, and visitors, with particular attention to those who may be at greater risk, such as people working alone, those with mobility impairments, or anyone unfamiliar with the building's layout.
Step 3: Evaluate, remove, or reduce the risks
Having identified the hazards and the people at risk, the assessor evaluates the overall level of risk and considers what can be done to reduce it. This might mean recommending changes to storage practices, upgrading fire detection equipment, improving escape route signage, or installing emergency lighting in key areas.
Step 4: Record, plan, inform, instruct, and train
The findings of the assessment must be recorded in writing. The responsible person must then ensure that staff are informed of the risks identified, that a clear emergency plan is in place, and that appropriate training is provided. This step is where many businesses fall short; the assessment itself is sound, but the follow-through is incomplete.
Step 5: Review regularly
A fire risk assessment is not a one-off task. It must be reviewed regularly and updated whenever there is a significant change to the premises, its use, or the people who occupy it.
How often should you review your fire risk assessment?
There is no single fixed timescale set out in law, but the RRO 2005 requires that assessments are reviewed whenever they may no longer be valid. In practice, this means reviewing at a minimum once per year, and immediately following any of these triggers:
A change in the use of the building
Structural alterations or refurbishment
A change in the number of people using the premises
A change of responsible person (new owner, new employer, new tenant)
Following a fire, near miss, or false alarm
A significant change in the type of work carried out
Best practice is to treat your fire risk assessment as a living document — something that is reviewed at least annually and updated promptly whenever circumstances change.
Can you do a fire risk assessment yourself?
Technically, yes. The RRO 2005 requires that the assessment is carried out by a competent person, and if you have sufficient knowledge of fire safety legislation, your premises, and risk assessment methodology, you may be able to carry one out yourself.
However, for most business owners, this is not straightforward. A self-conducted assessment that misses a significant hazard, underestimates a risk, or fails to meet the required standard provides no legal protection, and in the event of a fire, the consequences could be severe.
Using a professional, BAFE-accredited assessor provides independently verified evidence that your assessment meets the required standard. This matters not just for regulatory compliance, but for insurance purposes too — many insurers require evidence that assessments have been carried out by a competent third party.
If you choose to use a professional service, look for a company that holds BAFE SP205 accreditation, which is the recognised certification scheme for fire risk assessment in the UK.
How long does a fire risk assessment stay valid?
A fire risk assessment does not have a fixed expiry date; there is no legal requirement to renew it every year as a matter of course. However, it must remain suitable and sufficient at all times. In practice, most businesses treat an annual review as the minimum standard.
The assessment ceases to be valid when it no longer accurately reflects the current state of the premises. If you have carried out building works, changed what the premises is used for, taken on new staff, or experienced any of the triggers listed above, the assessment should be reviewed immediately.
Common mistakes to avoid
Even businesses that have a fire risk assessment in place sometimes make avoidable errors:
Treating it as a one-off exercise. The most common mistake. An assessment carried out three years ago and never reviewed is unlikely to still be suitable and sufficient, particularly if anything has changed on the premises.
Filing it away without acting on the recommendations. A fire risk assessment report with an action plan that has never been actioned provides limited protection. The point of the assessment is to improve fire safety, not to produce a document.
Using an unqualified assessor. Not all fire risk assessment providers are equal. An assessment carried out by someone without appropriate qualifications or accreditation may not be accepted by insurers or the Fire and Rescue Authority.
Failing to involve staff. Fire safety is not just a management responsibility. Staff should be informed of the risks identified, trained in emergency procedures, and aware of their responsibilities. An assessment that sits in a folder in the manager's office serves no one.
Not updating after changes. Any significant change to the premises, a new layout, a new activity, a change in occupancy, should prompt an immediate review of the assessment.
Conclusion
A fire risk assessment is one of the most important documents your business can have. It is a legal requirement, a practical tool for reducing risk, and a demonstrable commitment to the safety of everyone who uses your premises.
Carried out properly and kept up to date, a fire risk assessment gives you confidence that your building is as safe as it can be and gives your staff, customers, and insurers confidence in you.
If you are unsure whether your current assessment is up to date, or if you need a first assessment carried out, GMSE Fire & Security's BAFE-accredited assessors cover Kent, London and East Sussex and can arrange a visit at short notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A fire risk assessment involves a thorough inspection of your premises to identify fire hazards, evaluate the risks they present, and review your existing fire safety arrangements. The assessor will produce a written report with findings and a prioritised action plan for addressing any shortfalls.
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Yes — under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. This includes offices, shops, warehouses, schools, care homes, HMOs, and any premises where people work or visit.
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You can, provided you are competent to do so. However, most businesses benefit from using a professional, BAFE-accredited assessor, whose findings carry greater weight with insurers and regulators. A poorly conducted self-assessment provides no legal protection if challenged.
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There is no fixed legal timescale, but best practice is to review your assessment at least once per year. You should also review it immediately following any significant change to the premises, its use, or the people who occupy it.
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There is no expiry date, but the assessment must remain suitable and sufficient at all times. If circumstances change - building works, change of use, new staff - the assessment should be reviewed immediately. An annual review is the recommended minimum.