Can you do your own fire risk assessment?

Yes, you can carry out your own fire risk assessment, but it must be suitable and sufficient under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In practice, this means the assessment must be completed by someone competent, with the right level of fire safety knowledge, training, experience and understanding of the building being assessed.

For very simple, low-risk premises, a responsible person may feel able to complete a basic fire risk assessment themselves. However, for most commercial buildings, residential blocks, HMOs, healthcare settings, schools, warehouses, hospitality venues, industrial premises and multi-occupancy buildings, it is usually safer and more appropriate to use a competent fire risk assessor.

A fire risk assessment is not just a paperwork exercise. It should identify fire hazards, assess the risk to people, review existing fire safety measures and recommend actions to reduce risk to life and property.

What Does the Law Say About Fire Risk Assessments?

Fire risk assessments are required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This legislation applies to most non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including workplaces, communal areas of residential buildings and premises used by the public.

The law requires the responsible person to make sure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out. The responsible person may be an employer, landlord, building owner, managing agent, occupier or anyone with control over the premises.

The assessment should consider:

• Fire hazards within the building
• People who may be at risk
• Existing fire precautions
• Means of escape
• Fire detection and alarm systems
• Emergency lighting
• Fire doors and compartmentation
• Fire safety management procedures
• Evacuation arrangements
• Actions required to improve safety

For further guidance, the UK Government provides information on workplace fire safety responsibilities and fire risk assessments.

What Does “Suitable and Sufficient” Mean?

A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment must be detailed enough to identify the main fire risks within the premises and provide practical recommendations to reduce those risks.

It should not simply be a generic checklist downloaded from the internet. It needs to reflect the actual building, the people who use it, the activities taking place and the fire safety measures already in place.

A proper assessment should consider the layout of the premises, occupancy levels, escape routes, fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, fire doors, fire stopping, compartmentation and fire safety management arrangements.

If a fire risk assessment misses important hazards or fails to recommend appropriate action, the responsible person may still be exposed to enforcement action, prosecution or serious safety consequences.

Who Is Competent to Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment?

A competent person is someone with the knowledge, training, experience and understanding needed to carry out the fire risk assessment properly.

Competence may include:

• Fire safety training
• Knowledge of current fire safety legislation
• Experience assessing similar buildings
• Understanding of passive fire protection
• Awareness of means of escape requirements
• Ability to identify fire hazards
• Ability to produce clear, practical recommendations

For simple premises, competence may be relatively straightforward. For complex buildings, higher-risk premises or multi-occupancy sites, the level of competence required is much greater.

This is where many responsible persons choose to appoint an external fire risk assessor or third-party accredited fire safety consultancy.

When Might You Be Able to Do Your Own Fire Risk Assessment?

You may be able to complete your own fire risk assessment if the premises is very small, low risk and simple to understand.

This might include a small office or shop with:

• Low numbers of occupants
• Simple escape routes
• Minimal fire hazards
• No sleeping accommodation
• No complex building layout
• No vulnerable occupants
• No unusual processes or high-risk activities

Even then, the assessment must still be suitable, sufficient and properly recorded where required.

If there is any doubt about the complexity of the premises or the adequacy of the assessment, professional advice should be considered.

When Should You Use a Professional Fire Risk Assessor?

A professional fire risk assessor should usually be used where the building or occupancy creates greater fire safety risk.

This may include:

• Apartment blocks and communal residential buildings
• HMOs
• Care homes and healthcare premises
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Hotels and hospitality venues
• Warehouses and industrial premises
• Large offices
• Retail premises
• Mixed-use developments
• Buildings with complex escape routes
• Premises with vulnerable occupants
• Buildings with known fire door, fire stopping or compartmentation concerns

Professional assessors can identify issues that may be missed by someone without specialist fire safety knowledge. This may include defects relating to passive fire protection, fire compartmentation, emergency lighting, evacuation planning, fire doors, fire alarm coverage and management procedures.

What Are the Risks of Doing It Yourself?

The main risk of doing your own fire risk assessment is that important hazards may be missed.

A responsible person may not always recognise problems with:

• Fire compartmentation
• Fire stopping
• Fire door compliance
• Escape route protection
• Travel distances
• Fire alarm coverage
• Emergency lighting
• High fire loading
• Vulnerable occupants
• Maintenance records
• Staff fire safety training

If a fire occurs and the assessment is found to be inadequate, the responsible person may face enforcement action, legal consequences, financial penalties or reputational damage.

The most serious risk, however, is that people may not be adequately protected in the event of a fire.

Why Use an Accredited Fire Risk Assessment Provider?

Using a competent and accredited fire risk assessment provider can give responsible persons greater confidence that the assessment has been carried out properly.

An external fire safety consultant can provide:

• Independent professional judgement
• Knowledge of current legislation and guidance
• Experience across different building types
• Clear reporting and action plans
• Practical recommendations
• Support with compliance and future reviews

Pyro Fire Services is third-party certificated under the BAFE SP205 scheme for fire risk assessments. This provides additional assurance that assessments are carried out through a recognised quality management process by competent professionals.

Can You Use an Online Fire Risk Assessment Template?

Online templates can sometimes help responsible persons understand the basic structure of a fire risk assessment, but they should not be treated as a substitute for competence.

A template cannot fully assess the specific risks within a building. It will not inspect fire doors, review compartmentation, assess escape routes, check fire safety management procedures or identify site-specific issues.

Templates may be useful for very simple premises, but they can create a false sense of security if used for buildings that require a more detailed and competent assessment.

How Often Should a Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?

A fire risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to the premises.

This may include:

• Building alterations
• Changes in occupancy
• New work processes
• Changes to escape routes
• Fire incidents or near misses
• New fire safety concerns
• Changes in legislation or guidance
• New vulnerable occupants
• Significant changes to staffing or building use

Many organisations review their fire risk assessment annually, although higher-risk premises may require more frequent reviews.

Professional Fire Risk Assessments

While it is possible to complete your own fire risk assessment in some circumstances, the key question is whether the person completing it is genuinely competent to do so.

For most businesses, landlords, managing agents and organisations responsible for more complex premises, appointing a professional fire risk assessor is the safest and most reliable option.

Pyro Fire Services provides professional fire risk assessments for commercial, residential and multi-occupancy buildings across the UK. Assessments are carried out by experienced fire safety professionals who understand current legislation, building risk, passive fire protection, fire safety management and practical compliance requirements.

A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment helps protect people, reduce risk and support compliance with UK fire safety law.

Frequently Asked Questions About Doing Your Own Fire Risk Assessment

Can I legally do my own fire risk assessment?

Yes, you can legally do your own fire risk assessment, but only if you are competent to do so. The assessment must be suitable and sufficient for the premises.

What makes someone competent to carry out a fire risk assessment?

A competent person should have suitable fire safety knowledge, training, experience and understanding of the type of building being assessed.

Is a fire risk assessment template enough?

A template may help with basic structure, but it is not enough if the person using it does not have the competence to identify fire hazards and assess risk properly.

Who is responsible if a fire risk assessment is inadequate?

The responsible person remains legally accountable for fire safety within the premises, even if they complete the assessment themselves or appoint someone else to do it.

Should landlords do their own fire risk assessments?

Landlords may be able to assess very simple, low-risk premises, but professional support is usually recommended for HMOs, apartment blocks, communal residential areas and more complex buildings.

To see if we can help, fill in the online form or call us on 0330 133 2150 today.