Who Is Responsible for Completing a Fire Risk Assessment?
The Importance of a Fire Risk Assessment
If you prioritise your fire safety, you’ll consistently be keeping on top of your fire risk assessments so you’re aware of any dangers to your property, workforce and visitors. Hazards aren’t always clear to see; you may need to rely on a professional to identify potential fire risks that you might not be aware of.
Fire risk assessments need completing, so we’re going to provide an overview of who the responsibility falls upon to make sure they are completed. Whether you’re new into a position of responsibility or you need a refresher, we’ll provide you with the information that assures you of who must ensure fire risk assessments are sufficiently carried out.
Fire risk assessments bear so much importance that they are required by law. It is necessary for fire risk assessments to be carried out and for results to be recorded.
Legal Requirements for Fire Risk Assessments
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that a fire risk assessment must be completed in premises that are not single private dwellings. Places where a fire risk assessment isn’t required includes offshore installations, ships, agricultural land, aircraft, a mine or a borehole site. It is also required for the findings of fire risk assessments to be recorded. In the next section we touch on who is responsible for keeping that information.
Whilst Fire Risk Assessments are conducted in fine detail, there are five main steps that any fire risk assessment followers, regardless of the assessor.
First, any fire hazards are identified. These may or may not be easy to spot by someone who is not a professional and has little experience in identifying fire risks.
Next, people who are at risk are identified. This helps identify who is in potential danger, with measures prioritised to maintain safety.
The risks are evaluated, then reduced or removed. This is a key step in maintaining fire safety.
Findings are then recorded, with any emergency plans created and training provided. This ensures that everyone is well-informed to deal with any potential emergency situation.
Your fire risk assessments will then be reviewed and updated regularly. Situations change, so you should be able to easily adapt. Whilst there aren’t any strict rules on how often a fire risk assessment should be updated, you should take your own judgement based on if there is a reason to suspect the old one is no longer valid, or if there have been significant changes to the premises.
Fire Risk Assessments – Who’s Responsible?
In terms of the responsibilities that need to be addressed, these expand further than ensuring fire risk assessments are completed. Communication and implementation from fire risk assessments are priorities that need to be acted upon. You must tell staff about risks that have been identified, initiate and maintain fire safety measures, plan for any potential emergency and provide staff with information and training as necessary.
Do You Need Help with Your Fire Risk Assessment?
It can come to a point when you’ll require professional assistance when carrying out fire risk assessments. Identifying risks and putting emergency plans in place can be quicker, more efficient and more accurate with a professional fire risk assessor.
With relevant qualifications and certifications, a fire risk assessor will be able to keep you as safe as possible, identifying possible risks that could pass on the untrained eye.
At Fire and Electrical Safety, our priority is to keep you safe. That’s why we offer fire risk assessment services if you need experienced professionals to provide you with peace of mind that your premises has been assessed from top to bottom. Whether you need assistance with your fire risk assessment, you don’t have the time to do it yourself or if you prefer a professional approach to safety, we’re available to assist you with your fire risk assessment needs.
It’s important to note that our services and capabilities doesn’t end with a fire risk assessment. If you require emergency fire equipment such as extinguishers or fire alarm systems, we’re able to help you identify the correct equipment you need and source them for you. Also, if you believe that your staff will benefit from work-based training, we’re available to provide your team with hands-on training that will issue them with fantastic information on how to deal with emergency situations, keep everyone safe, and how to adhere to your fantastic fire escape plan as set out from your fire risk assessment.
If you’re looking for more fire risk assessment-related information or would like to see how we can make your premises safer, we’d love to have a non-obligation chat to understand your needs, requirements and how we can help.