Your Risk Assessment

Under current fire safety legislation, you as a responsible person, must carry out, and regularly review a fire risk assessment of the premises. This will identify what you need to do to prevent fire and keep your employees and others who may be affected by your work or business safe.

Following the introduction of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act, from 1 October, 2022 changes in legislation apply. Regardless of the size or purpose of the business premises, you will be required to complete and record a fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full.

Other changes in legislation are as follows:

• There are increased requirements for cooperation and coordination between RPs in multi- occupied buildings or those where the occupier and owner are not the same person.
• In residential buildings with two or more domestic premises residents must be provided with information on the risks from fire and the fire safety measures in place to keep them safe. This requirement expands upon legislation introduced earlier this year that required responsible persons to provide residents with information on emergency procedures and the importance of fire doors.

Carrying out the assessment

A fire risk assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises.

This is split into five steps…

1. Identify fire hazards
2. Identify people at risk
3. Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk
4. Record, plan, inform, instruct and train
5. Review

Our printable fire fire safety risk assessment chart 5 step checklist gives more detailed information about these steps.

Help with the assessment

To help you do this, we offer a variety of risk assessment templates especially for small or low-risk premises.

Using the templates – We would remind you that:

• The responsible person is responsible for the content of the risk assessment and the identification and addressing of any significant findings.
• The use of any risk assessment template will not prejudice any enforcement action that may be taken by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service as a result of significant fire safety deficiencies found during an audit.
• The responsible person will need to decide if the completed template will provide suitable and sufficient detail to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Fire risk assessment templates

• Fire risk assessment template for small and medium sized businesses

• Fire risk assessment template for food concessions – this risk assessment can be used for burger vans, food and hot drinks outlets
• Fire risk assessment template for traders and market stalls – this risk assessment can be used for market stalls and marquees.
• Fire Safety Logbook to help the ‘responsible person’ to maintain a fire safety record keeping system

If you feel, having read the guidance, that you do not have an appropriate knowledge or understanding of fire safety and the risk to people from fire to comply effectively with the legislative requirements you will need to appoint a ‘competent person’ to help, for example a professional risk assessor.

The following guide may help you A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor – A nationally recognised guide to identify a fire risk assessor with the appropriate skills to help you.

Your local fire and rescue authority cannot carry out risk assessments for you.