Guidance · Reviewed October 2026
The five steps of a fire risk assessment, what to look for, what you must record, when to review it, and when to bring in a professional assessor.
The short answer
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any workplace or other non-domestic premises in England and Wales must carry out a fire risk assessment, act on it and keep it under review. Since 1 October 2023 every fire risk assessment must be recorded in full, whatever the size of the business, along with your fire safety arrangements.
Most workplace fires are preventable. A fire risk assessment is how you find the hazards before they find you: it looks at what could start a fire, what would burn, who would be at risk and how they would get out. Done properly it is also the record that shows a fire inspector you have met your legal duties.
The Five Steps
Government guidance sets out five steps:
1. Identify the fire hazards
Sources of ignition, sources of fuel and sources of oxygen.
2. Identify people at risk
Staff, visitors, contractors and the public, paying particular attention to anyone especially at risk.
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect
Remove or reduce the hazards, then put fire precautions in place to protect people from what remains.
4. Record, plan, inform, instruct and train
Record the findings and actions, prepare an emergency plan, and tell and train the people affected.
5. Review
Keep the assessment under regular review and revisit it whenever something significant changes.
Step 1: What Could Start a Fire, and What Would Burn?
A fire needs three things: a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen. Take any one away and it cannot start. The assessment looks for where the three could come together.
| Look for | Typical examples |
|---|---|
| Ignition | Naked flames and pilot lights, cookers, portable heaters, hot work such as welding and cutting, smoking materials, faulty or overloaded electrical equipment, hot surfaces on boilers, machinery and lighting, sparks from metal impact or static, and deliberate fire setting. |
| Fuel | Paper, card and packaging, waste and rubbish, wood, furniture and foam, plastics and rubber, flammable liquids such as adhesives, varnishes and thinners, and flammable gases such as LPG and acetylene. |
| Oxygen | Normal air, boosted by ventilation systems, doors propped open, and oxygen cylinders or oxidising chemicals. |
Arson is a common cause of workplace fires, so the assessment should also consider security: who can get onto the site, and whether bins and stored materials are kept away from the building.
Step 2: Who Is at Risk?
Think about everyone who could be on the premises, when and where. Pay particular attention to people working alone or in isolated areas, people who sleep on the premises, visitors and contractors who don’t know the layout, young or inexperienced workers, and disabled people or anyone who may need help to escape. Personal emergency evacuation plans are the usual way to plan for people who need assistance.
Step 3: Remove, Reduce and Protect
Start by removing or reducing hazards: keep ignition sources and fuel apart, cut down the amount of flammable material stored, keep on top of waste and housekeeping, and control hot work and smoking. Then check the precautions that protect people from the risk that remains:
- Detection and warning: a fire alarm suited to the premises, tested and maintained.
- Escape routes: kept clear, leading to a place of safety, with exits that open easily and immediately, and emergency lighting where needed.
- Fire doors and compartmentation: self-closing fire doors kept shut and in good repair.
- Firefighting equipment: the right extinguishers for the risks, maintained and with people trained to use them.
- Signs and notices: exit and equipment signs that people can see and follow.
Step 4: Record, Plan and Train
The five-employee rule no longer applies to fire
Before 1 October 2023 you only had to record the significant findings if you employed five or more people, held a licence or were subject to an alterations notice. Those limits have gone. Every responsible person must now record the full fire risk assessment and their fire safety arrangements, and if anyone helps make or review the assessment, record their name and organisation.
Use the findings to write an emergency plan: how people will be warned, how they will get out, where they assemble, who calls the fire service and who checks everyone is out. Tell staff about the risks you found and the measures in place, and give them fire safety training at induction and at regular intervals. Where other employers share the building, share the relevant findings with them and coordinate your arrangements.
Keep the fire risk assessment as its own document. It sits under different legislation from your general risk assessment and has its own recording duty. Our free tools and templates can help you record it.
Step 5: When to Review It
The law does not set a fixed review date. It requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to think it is no longer valid. Many organisations review at least once a year, and you should always review after:
- building work, alterations or a change in layout
- a change in how the premises are used, or new processes, equipment or materials
- a significant change in the number or type of people on site
- a fire, near miss or false alarm that exposed a weakness
- a change of responsible person or occupier
Do It Yourself or Appoint an Assessor?
For small, simple premises, the responsible person can often do the assessment themselves using the government’s premises-specific fire safety guides. Larger, complex or higher-risk premises, such as sleeping accommodation, care homes, blocks of flats and industrial sites, usually need a professional fire risk assessor. Our sister site, Raybee, can help you find one covering your area.
If you appoint someone, check their training and experience with premises like yours, whether they are on a professional register or third-party certification scheme, and whether they follow a recognised method such as PAS 79. A legal requirement for appointed assessors to be competent is in the legislation but has not yet been brought into force; it is still the standard you should apply. See our fire safety audits guidance for an independent check of your arrangements.
Fire Risk Assessment Training
| If you need to… | Usual route |
|---|---|
| Give all staff basic fire awareness | Fire awareness training, see fire safety training courses |
| Help manage an evacuation | Fire marshal or fire warden training, see fire safety training courses |
| Carry out or review fire risk assessments in your own workplace | NEBOSH Fire Certificate, or a fire risk assessment qualification from the Level 2 to Level 5 ladder on our fire safety training page |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?
Yes. In England and Wales the Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person for any workplace or other non-domestic premises, including the common parts of blocks of flats, to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent duties.
Do small businesses have to write it down?
Yes. Since 1 October 2023 every responsible person must record the full fire risk assessment and their fire safety arrangements, however few people they employ. The old five-employee threshold no longer applies to fire.
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
There is no fixed legal interval. It must be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to think it is no longer valid, such as after alterations, a change of use or a fire. An annual review is common practice.
Do I still need a fire certificate?
No. Fire certificates under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 were abolished when the Fire Safety Order came into force in 2006. An old certificate has no legal standing; the fire risk assessment replaced it.
Can I do my own fire risk assessment?
For small, straightforward premises, often yes, using the government’s fire safety guide for your type of premises. If you lack the time or knowledge, or the premises are large, complex or include sleeping accommodation, appoint a competent fire risk assessor and record who they are.
Related Guidance
General guidance only, reviewed October 2026 against the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended, section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and government fire safety guidance. Envico is an independent training intermediary and is not affiliated with any fire and rescue authority.