Fire Risk Assessments

Does my business need a fire risk assessment?

Every business in the UK with premises needs a Fire Risk Assessment, regardless of size or number of employees. This is a legal requirement under the Fire Safety (Scotland) Act 2005 for business premises in Scotland, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which applies in England and Wales. Under Fire Safety Legislation, if you are responsible for a building, for example an employer, owner or occupier of premises that aren't a 'single private dwelling' (a private home), you need to make sure a suitably competent person completes a Fire Risk Assessment. You are also required to ensure that the Fire Risk Assessment is kept up to date.

Failure to complete a Fire Risk Assessment may lead to proceedings being taken against you by the enforcing authority (usually the local Fire Authority).

What does a Fire Risk Assessment involve?

A Fire Risk Assessment involves not only a comprehensive physical audit of your business premises, but also a review of relevant documentation and procedures which you may be required to have in order to demonstrate compliance with your statutory duties.

The Fire Risk Assessment will examine the following aspects of your business:

• Physical layout and construction of the building

• Building occupancy and the activities taking place within it

• Persons at risk from fire, both within the building and in the immediate vicinity

• Sources of ignition which may give rise to fire

• Sources of fuel and oxygen which may support fire growth within the premises

• Measures to limit fire spread and development

• Means of escape from fire

• Fire detection and warning systems

• Firefighting measures

• Procedures for the management of fire safety

The resulting report will provide you with a complete Fire Risk Assessment for your business which will include a prioritised action plan to help you focus on areas of current non-compliance with relevant Fire Safety legislation and guidance.

How do i find a suitably competent person?

When choosing a suitably competent person to undertake your Fire Risk Assessment, the UK Government strongly advises businesses to choose assessors who have third party accreditation through professional bodies such as the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), the Fire Risk Assessors Certification Scheme (FRACS) or other similar schemes.

Paul is an Associate Member of The Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and a Registered Fire Risk Assessor on the IFSM Tiered Fire Risk Assessors register.

Access Audits

What is an Access Audit?

An access audit is a comprehensive review of a building’s accessibility for people with disabilities. The audit will examine both external and internal accessibility and provide you with a detailed report describing both areas of compliance with relevant guidance (e.g. building regulations and relevant British Standards) and also areas where your business currently does not comply. A detailed, prioritised action plan will be provided within the report to enable you to decide where best to concentrate your efforts in order to improve accessibility within your premises.

Why should I have an Access Audit done?

It is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that your business is accessible to people with disabilities. The Equality Act not only requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments to their premises to ensure that they are accessible to people with disabilities (this may include providing ramps, lifts, accessible toilets, and other facilities that enable people with disabilities to access the building and its services), but also to their policies and procedures to ensure that they are inclusive and accommodating to people with disabilities. If your business has a website you should also ensure that it is accessible to people with disabilities. Additionally, your staff should be trained to provide assistance to people with disabilities.

Providing accessible facilities demonstrates that you value all of your customers, regardless of their abilities. Providing accessible facilities can also be good for business. An audit can help you identify areas where your business can improve its accessibility, which may attract new customers and improve customer loyalty.

You can also let your customers know that you are committed to improving disabled access by displaying your Accessibility Plan on your website or within your premises. A draft accessibility plan will be provided for you within your Access Audit report. You can then decide which parts of your plan to prioritise in order to improve accessibility within your business.