Who Can Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment In the UK

Workplace accidents are a serious concern for the authorities responsible for the safety of people and properties. Fire accidents at workplaces are more serious, which may result in huge losses to businesses in the shape of loss of assets and fatalities.

The official statistics released by the UK authorities reveal that the fire incidents showed an upward trend in the year ended September 2022, as compared to the same period in 2021. It shows a 28% increase in total fire incidents in the UK in 2022 compared to 2021. Unfortunately, the fire-related fatalities also registered an increase of 11% in the same period. 276 persons lost their lives in 2022, against 249 in the year 2021. That’s why fire accidents have been a real concern for the authorities over the years.

Although the overall trend in fire-related accidents reflects an increase, it is worth noting that it would have been much more in numbers had there been no fire safety regulations. So, fire safety rules play a vital role in controlling fire accidents in general, especially in workplaces.

Fire Safety Rules and Regulations

The Regulatory Reforms (Fire Safety) Order 2005, commonly known as FSO, is the basic set of rules and regulations that governs fire safety at workplaces. It is also applicable on residential blocks having two or more residential premises. This law imposes responsibility for fire safety on the person, referred to as the Responsible Person, either the owner or anyone in control of these buildings, to ensure the following:

• To undertake a fire risk assessment on the building under his control.
• To record his findings after conducting the fire risk assessment.
• To put in place precautionary measures against the possibility of a fire incident.
• To ensure maintenance and continuity of these fire safety measures in the property under his control.

After an amendment in the law in 2021, outer walls, entrance doors, and building structure were also included under the legal duty of responsible persons for the purpose of fire risk assessment. Another amendment was brought in under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. This mainly deals with section 156 of the Fire Safety Order. Under this regulation, the legal duties of a responsible person under section 156 are increased, such as recording full details of a fire risk assessment conducted by him.

Who Can Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment?

The law requires the responsible person to be legally authorized to conduct a fire risk assessment. However, it does not clarify the term “Responsible Person”, especially regarding his qualifications and experience. It might be because the scope and quantum of fire risk assessment varies considerably based on the type and size of the building.

The expertise required to conduct fire risk assessment of a large commercial property may be entirely different as compared to that of a small block of flats. So, it has been left at the discretion of the property manager to decide who can be responsible for his building when it comes to fire risk assessment. But in general, the responsible person must have a basic knowledge of fire safety.

Basics of Fire Risk Assessment

The concept of fire safety includes identifying fire hazards and controlling them so that the premises can be saved from any possible fire risk. It is not just the identification of fire hazards but it also includes the placement of a comprehensive fire safety system in the building under reference.

So, a complete fire risk assessment should invariably include the following basic elements:

Identification of Fire Hazards

The first thing that a responsible person has to do is to identify the fire hazards in the premises. A fire hazard is something that may increase the risk of a fire eruption. Fire hazards in a workplace or any other building may include sources of ignition such as an electric spark, a heater or any other electrical appliances.

The second category of fire hazards is the fueling sources that help spread the fire, such as paper, plastic, wood or gasoline. Also consider the main catalyst of a fire, Oxygen. All these factors must be considered while identifying the fire hazards. The emphasis should be on how to reduce the impact of these fire hazards.

Identification of the People at Risk

The second important factor of a fire risk assessment is the identification of people who are or might be at risk of being affected by the fire. This may differ on a case-to-case basis. However, generally, elderly people or children might be the most vulnerable in case of a fire incident. Similarly, people with any type of disability are under more risk.

The visitors, who might not be aware of the escape routes in case of a fire are even more susceptible. Likewise, there may be some employees who work in an environment that is prone to fire eruption. Such people might be at more risk than others. Hence, the fire risk assessor must keep in mind all these people when conducting a risk assessment.

Evaluation and Improvements

Once the basic work of identification of hazards and people and risk is done, the next step is to evaluate the risks and suggest ways to minimize the chances of a fire. Remember, you cannot expect zero risk under any circumstances, so the emphasis should be on reducing the risks to the minimum possible level.

Remove or reduce the fire hazards and plan ways to save the people identified as “at risk.” Installation and effective monitoring of fire safety gadgets is also a part of improving the fire safety level of your premises. Evaluate the risks by categorizing them into low, medium and high risk factors and then put in place a workable solution to them.

Take Action to Remove or Lower the Risks

This step is even more crucial for your success. Take appropriate steps to minimize the fire risks and implement your safety plan. Ensure that all the suggested measures are in place and workable in case of a fire incident.

Record your Findings and Suggestions

After completing the fire risk assessment, you must record your findings, suggestions, and plans in a document. It should include the identified fire hazards, the identified people at risk, your suggestions on how to reduce or remove these hazards and finally, your plans on how you can implement these suggestions.

Train the People

Impart basic training to the employees on how they can avoid fire hazards and how they should react in case of a fire incident. Such training sessions should be repeated more often so the employees should be able to understand what is expected from them.

Review your Assessment

Fire risk assessment is not a one-time exercise. You need to review it periodically, at least once a year. But it is more advisable if you can do it repeatedly after short intervals. It is necessary because the circumstances may change and employees and their roles may also change frequently.

Redo the Fire Risk Assessment

While it is necessary to review the fire risk assessment at least once a year or if possible, more often than once a year, a complete and comprehensive new fire risk assessment must be done every three or four years. For the low-rise buildings, you must redo the fire risk assessment after four years. For buildings higher than three levels the fire risk assessment has to be redone comprehensively after three years.

Conclusion

The safety of people and properties against a possible fire is of much importance. Fire can occur at anytime, anywhere. You cannot expect zero risk, but with the implementation of the provisions of the relevant rules and regulations, the risk can be minimized to the maximum possible extent.

The law binds the responsible persons to carry out a fire risk assessment of the buildings under their control. This needs to be done at least once a year but more frequently to avoid any fire risk. And more importantly, the employees must be trained to understand the risks and get prepared to face any such situation.