Accredited Fire Safety Training
Fire safety training and qualifications
Fire marshal training, fire door and extinguisher courses, and regulated fire risk assessment qualifications from Level 2 to Level 5. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person accountable for fire safety in every non-domestic premises in England and Wales.
Fire marshal to Level 5
ProQual, SFJ, NEBOSH & IFE
Accredited fire safety training for fire marshals, responsible persons, facilities managers and all workplace employees. The RRFSO requires the responsible person to ensure staff receive appropriate fire safety training, and to carry out or arrange a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Courses cover fire marshal and warden training, fire risk assessment, DSEAR explosion risk assessment for combustible dust and for flammable gases and liquids, fire door inspection and installation, fire stopping, fire extinguisher use and inspection, and recognised qualifications from ProQual, SFJ Awards and NEBOSH.
Awareness training and a fire risk assessment are different duties. Every employee needs fire awareness. The fire risk assessment is a separate obligation on the responsible person, and it must be carried out by someone competent for the premises in question.
For a simple office that may be a trained manager. For sleeping accommodation, high-rise, healthcare or heritage buildings it normally means a recognised qualification — which is what the ladder below is for. Appointing a consultant does not transfer the duty; the responsible person remains accountable.
Jump to a course
Fire Marshal — St John Ambulance
Fire Marshal — British Red Cross
Fire Marshal — St Andrew’s
Fire Extinguisher Use
Fire Extinguisher Inspection
Fire Safety Inspection
Fire Door Inspection
Fire Door Inspection Competency
Fire Door Installation
Fire Door Maintenance
Fire Stopping
DSEAR Dust Explosion Risk Assessment
DSEAR Gas & Liquid Explosion Risk Assessment
ProQual Level 2 FRA
ProQual Level 3 FRA
ProQual Level 4 FRA
ProQual Level 5 Award
ProQual Level 5 Diploma
SFJ Level 3 FRA
SFJ Level 4 Fire Safety
NEBOSH Fire Certificate
NEBOSH International Fire
Fire marshal and warden training
Fire marshal and fire warden mean the same thing. The RRFSO does not use either term — it requires the responsible person to nominate competent people to assist with fire safety measures.
Legal requirement
Fire Marshal Training (Online)
Awareness level — e-learning
Fire prevention, fire behaviour, evacuation procedures, marshal responsibilities and use of firefighting equipment. Suits dispersed teams and quick rollout.
St John Ambulance
Fire Marshal — St John Ambulance
Half day — certificate valid 3 years
Fire safety legislation, prevention strategies, evacuation procedures and extinguisher use. Classroom and on-site delivery across the UK.
IFE accredited
Fire Marshal — British Red Cross
Half day — certificate valid 3 years
Accredited by the Institution of Fire Engineers. Covers fire behaviour, risk assessment, evacuation, emergency procedures and extinguisher use.
Scotland
Fire Marshal — St Andrew’s First Aid
Classroom and on-site
Fire prevention, evacuation procedures and marshal responsibilities, primarily serving Scotland where the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 applies.
Fire risk assessment qualifications
A regulated progression from Level 2 to Level 5. Match the level to the buildings you assess, not to how long you have been doing it — the higher levels exist for complexity, not seniority.
Rough guide: Level 2 and 3 for simple, low-risk premises — offices, shops, small workplaces. Level 4 for low and moderate risk buildings and for anyone assessing on behalf of clients. Level 5 for high-risk buildings: high-rise residential, care homes, hotels and hospitals.
Changed 1 October 2023
More organisations need a defensible assessment than did two years ago. Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Fire Safety Order. The old limits on recording — five or more employees, licensed premises, or premises under an alterations notice — were removed. Every responsible person must now record the fire risk assessment in full, along with their fire safety arrangements, whatever the size of the business.
Two further changes matter here. Where you engage someone to carry out or review the assessment, you must record who they are — their name, and their organisation where applicable. And guidance issued under Article 50 of the Order can now be relied on in court as tending to establish whether or not there was a breach.
The competence requirement is coming. Section 156 also introduced a legal requirement that a person appointed to make or review a fire risk assessment must be competent. That provision is not yet in force — it is to be commenced at a later date. Until then it is a strong recommendation rather than a duty. But the direction is clear, and informal competence built on experience alone is a weaker position each year. A regulated qualification at the right level is how that gets evidenced.
ProQual accredited
ProQual Level 2 Fire Risk Assessment
Entry level — distance learning
A starting point for those supporting fire risk assessment or taking responsibility in straightforward, low-risk premises. No prior qualification required.
ProQual accredited
ProQual Level 3 Award in Fire Risk Assessment
Working level — online
Regulated Level 3 qualification covering fire legislation, hazard identification, risk evaluation, control measures and producing compliant assessments. The common working level for responsible persons and facilities managers.
SFJ Awards
SFJ Level 3 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
Working level — alternative awarding body
Equivalent in level to the ProQual Level 3 route, certificated by SFJ Awards. Covers legislation, methodology, control measures and documentation. Choose on format and availability rather than on the badge.
ProQual accredited
ProQual Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
Advanced — aligned to BS 8674
Advanced competence for low and moderate risk buildings, covering fire development, managing fire risk and professional development as an assessor. Requires a Level 3 qualification or three years’ experience.
ProQual accredited
ProQual Level 5 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
Highest level — high-risk buildings
The fullest qualification in the range, aligned to BS 8674. Develops competence to assess high-rise flats, care homes, hotels and hospitals. Requires the Level 4 Certificate or five years’ experience.
Accredited CPD
ProQual Level 5 Award — Managing Fire Risk in High-Risk Buildings
Single unit — implementers, not assessors
For those implementing fire risk controls in high-risk buildings from assessments produced by others. Useful CPD for facilities and safety managers who act on assessments rather than write them.
Fire safety management, auditing and inspection
NEBOSH
NEBOSH Fire Certificate
National Certificate in Fire Safety
The widely recognised professional qualification for those managing fire safety, covering legislation, risk assessment, fire protection systems and emergency planning. Broader in scope than the assessor qualifications.
NEBOSH
NEBOSH International Fire Certificate
International — online
The international version, for those working outside the UK or in organisations applying one fire safety standard across multiple territories.
SFJ Awards
SFJ Level 4 Certificate in Fire Safety
Advanced — fire safety auditors
For auditing fire safety arrangements rather than assessing individual buildings — management systems, auditing technique and complex risk assessment. Suits those with existing fire safety experience.
Practical
Fire Safety Inspection
Awareness level
Routine inspection of fire safety provision — signage, means of escape, equipment and compartmentation — with documentation and follow-up actions. Not a substitute for a fire risk assessment.
Explosive atmospheres — dust, gas and vapour
DSEAR sits alongside the Fire Safety Order rather than inside it. Where a process generates combustible dust — timber, flour, sugar, animal feed, metal powders, plastics — or releases flammable gas and solvent vapour, the Order deals with general fire precautions and DSEAR deals with the explosion risk. Both assessments are needed, and they are usually enforced by different authorities: general fire safety by the fire and rescue authority, DSEAR by the HSE or the local authority.
The two courses below split the regulation by physics rather than by discipline. Dust turns on particle size, dispersion and settled layers; gas and vapour turn on flash point, evaporation rate and how far a release travels before it finds an ignition source. Sites handling both need both.
IIRSM approved
DSEAR Dust Explosion Risk Assessment
Duty-holder level — e-learning
Dust explosion behaviour, hazard identification, the hierarchy of control, hazardous area classification and zoning, equipment selection against the zone, and recording a defensible assessment under Regulation 5.
IIRSM approved
DSEAR Gas and Liquid Explosion Risk Assessment
Duty-holder level — e-learning
Flammable gases, solvent vapours and liquids rather than dust. Release and ignition scenarios, the hierarchy of control, hazardous area classification for gases and vapours, equipment selection, and recording a defensible assessment under Regulation 5.
Fire doors and passive fire protection
Compartmentation only works if it is installed, maintained and inspected properly. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced specific fire door check duties in higher-rise residential buildings, and this has become one of the most scrutinised areas of fire safety.
Legal duty
Fire Door Inspection
Awareness level
Inspecting fire doors against their certification: critical components, gap tolerances, intumescent seals, closers and the common defects that quietly defeat a certified door.
Competency route
Fire Door Inspection Competency
Assessed competence
The competency route for inspectors whose findings will be relied on formally — by a client, a building owner or a regulator. A step beyond awareness-level inspection training.
Installers
Fire Door Installation
Practical
Correct installation of certified doorsets. A fire door is tested as a complete assembly, so a certified door fitted badly no longer performs to its rating.
Legal duty
Fire Door Maintenance
Maintenance level
Keeping doors, closers, seals and ironmongery in working order across their life, with the record-keeping that fire door duties now require.
Compliance
Fire Stopping
Awareness level — e-learning
Sealing service penetrations in walls, floors and ceilings so compartmentation is not quietly breached by later trades running cables and pipework.
Fire extinguisher training
Compliance
Fire Extinguisher Use
Awareness level
Extinguisher types, which fires each suits, safe operation — and, just as important, when not to fight a fire at all. Essential alongside fire marshal training.
Compliance
Fire Extinguisher Inspection
Inspection level
Routine inspection and basic maintenance of extinguishers: service intervals, common faults and what the records need to show for an inspection.
Who should attend
Why fire safety training matters
Legal obligation
The RRFSO 2005 requires the responsible person to provide appropriate fire safety training. Non-compliance can bring enforcement notices, unlimited fines and prosecution.
Protect lives
Fires in non-domestic premises cause deaths and serious injuries every year. Trained marshals and well-practised evacuation procedures directly save lives.
Reduce fire risk
Trained staff spot hazards earlier, maintain equipment properly and respond more effectively — reducing both the likelihood of a fire and its consequences.
Improve evacuation
Effective evacuation depends on marshals who know the procedures, can assist vulnerable persons and can brief the emergency services on arrival.
Business continuity
Workplace fires cause significant property damage and prolonged closure. Prevention and early response reduce the scale of loss when incidents happen.
Demonstrate due diligence
Documented, accredited training is evidence of compliance during fire authority inspections, insurance assessments and after an incident.
Training a team? Fire marshal and extinguisher training can be delivered at your own premises, which lets the session work through your actual evacuation routes, assembly points and equipment rather than generic examples. See on-site and group training for a quote, or call 0808 1966 830.
Frequently asked questions
Is fire safety training a legal requirement?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person in non-domestic premises to ensure employees receive appropriate instruction and training in fire safety procedures, including evacuation and the use of firefighting equipment. Failure to comply can result in enforcement notices, unlimited fines and prosecution.
Does the same law apply across the whole UK?
No. The RRFSO 2005 applies in England and Wales. Scotland is covered by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and associated regulations, and Northern Ireland by its own fire safety legislation. The duties are broadly similar and the qualifications on this page are recognised across the UK — what differs is the legal framework you are complying with.
What is the difference between a fire marshal and a fire warden?
Nothing. The terms are used interchangeably in UK workplaces and the RRFSO uses neither — it requires the responsible person to nominate competent people to assist with fire safety measures. Training content and responsibilities are the same whichever title your organisation uses.
How many fire marshals do we need?
There is no fixed ratio in law. The number depends on the size and layout of the premises, the number of occupants, the level of risk, shift patterns and how many escape routes need covering. Your fire risk assessment should determine it. Remember to allow for holidays, sickness and shift cover — a single trained marshal is not coverage.
How often does fire marshal training need renewing?
Typically every one to three years depending on risk level; St John Ambulance and British Red Cross certificates run for three years. Refresh sooner if fire safety arrangements change, the building or layout changes, new staff take on the role, or an incident or drill exposes problems. A marshal who has moved sites needs bringing up to date on the new building.
Who must carry out the fire risk assessment?
The responsible person must carry out or arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment. In simple premises they may do it themselves; in complex premises a competent assessor should be appointed. Appointing a consultant does not transfer the duty — the responsible person remains accountable for the assessment being suitable and acted upon.
Does a fire risk assessor legally have to be qualified?
Not yet. Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a requirement that anyone appointed to make or review a fire risk assessment must be competent, but that provision has not been commenced — it is due to be brought into force at a later date. In the meantime the responsible person must still record who carried out or reviewed the assessment, and must be satisfied it is suitable and sufficient. Appointing someone without demonstrable competence is difficult to defend after an incident, and will become harder still once the provision commences. See our fire safety guidance for the full picture on what changed in October 2023.
Does a fire risk assessment cover explosive dust?
No. A fire risk assessment under the RRFSO deals with general fire precautions — ignition sources, means of escape, detection, alarm, evacuation and firefighting equipment. Where combustible dust or flammable substances are present, DSEAR requires a separate assessment under Regulation 5, together with hazardous area classification, zoning and equipment selected to match the zone. A site that mills timber, handles flour or grinds metal needs both, and a fire risk assessment on its own does not discharge the DSEAR duty. The DSEAR dust explosion risk assessment course and the gas and liquid course cover the assessment side.
Which DSEAR course do I need — dust, or gas and liquid?
It depends on what your process releases. Milling, grinding, conveying, bagging and anything that generates or disturbs settled combustible dust points to the dust course. Solvent handling, drum filling, gas storage, decanting flammable liquids and breaking into lines points to the gas and liquid course. The regulation is the same and both courses sit at duty-holder level, but hazardous area classification works differently for each: dust zoning turns on particle size, dispersion and layer depth, gas and vapour zoning on flash point, evaporation rate and dispersion distance. A site doing both — a coatings plant with a powder line, say — needs both.
Which fire risk assessment qualification do I need?
Match it to the buildings rather than to your job title. Simple single-occupancy offices and shops sit at Level 2 or 3. Level 4 suits low and moderate risk buildings and is commonly expected of anyone assessing for clients. Level 5 is for high-risk buildings — high-rise residential, care homes, hotels and hospitals. Higher levels normally require the level below or several years’ documented experience.
ProQual or SFJ — does the awarding body matter?
Both are recognised awarding organisations and at equivalent levels the qualifications do the same job. Unless a client or professional body has specified one, choose on level, delivery format and availability rather than on the badge.
Do fire doors really need separate training?
A fire door is tested and certified as a complete assembly — leaf, frame, seals, closer and ironmongery. Most defects found on inspection are small: a gap outside tolerance, a missing intumescent strip, a closer removed because it was inconvenient. Recognising those reliably takes specific training rather than general fire awareness.
Can fire safety training be delivered on-site?
Yes. Fire marshal, extinguisher and most other fire safety courses can be delivered at your premises. On-site delivery lets the training use your actual evacuation routes, assembly points, equipment and risk profile, and is usually the most practical option when training several marshals at once.
Related guidance
Fire risk assessment
Fire safety equipment
Fire doors
Compliance training
Facilities management training
All health & safety courses
This page is general guidance and does not replace the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended, the equivalent legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, or your own fire risk assessment.