It is the responsibility of the employer or owner of the premises to ensure a fire risk assessment is carried out to ensure you are complying with the law and reducing the risk of a fire on your premises. Do you currently work with a fire risk assessor?
In this blog we talk about the basic requirements of a fire risk assessment, who is responsible, what to expect and how Park City Consulting can help you in the event your business needs an assessment.
What is a fire risk assessment?
This is the process of carrying out a detailed assessment of your premises to identify areas where you can prevent fire, including looking at the building and the people who use it. This assessment is to help you understand the potential risks in your building/premises, the assessment should identify the areas to improve and remove or mitigate situations that could lead to a fire and record the arrangements in place to keep people safe.
If 5 or more people work at your premises, it is your responsibility to document written confirmation that you have carried out the fire risk assessment. We suggest you review this on an annual basis, specifically if significant changes have been made to the premises or your activities within the premises
Why should I carry out a fire risk assessment?
Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement. If you are an employer or person responsible for a building (owner, occupier) you are required to arrange for a competent person to carry out a fire risk assessment and keep it up to date. Once completed we advise this is reviewed and updated on an annual basis so you can review any changes to the building and the risks which may arise as a result.
Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?
The law doesn’t specify who can carry out a fire risk assessment, it simply states the person must be competent enough to complete a suitable and sufficient assessment. Follow this link for more information from HSE. A competent person is someone who has sufficient training (fire risk assessor), knowledge and experience which allows them to assist with carrying out a fire risk assessment. If you do not have the expertise and time to carry out a fire risk assessment, this is something our Health & Safety consultants can carry out for you here at Park City Consulting.
What is the difference between the person responsible and the competent person?
Competent Person
The person responsible for making sure the fire risk assessment of a commercial building is up to date is the employer, business owner or the owner of the premises.
Whereas the competent person is someone with the up-to-date knowledge and competencies to carry out the fire risk assessment ensuring you are safe and legally compliant.
What to expect from a fire risk assessment
When you choose to work with the Health & Safety consultants at Park City, our team will cover the following points when carrying out your fire risk assessment:
- Identify the hazards on the premises
- Identify people at risk
- Evaluate how to remove or reduce risks identified.
- Record our findings, prepare an emergency plan, and provide training
- Review and update the fire risk assessment annually.
Through your fire risk assessment, our consultants are here as your critical friend, we are in this together to help you identify and overcome the potential hazards on your premises. Your audit will include investigating the following:
- Emergency routes and exits
- Fire detection and warning systems
- Firefighting equipment
- The removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
- An emergency fire evacuation plan
- The needs of vulnerable people, for example the elderly, young children, or those with disabilities
- Providing information to employees and other people on the premises
- Staff fire safety training
Based on the findings of your fire risk assessment, the person responsible needs to act on the recommendations made to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent a fire. It is important you consider whether you can avoid them completely, or if that’s not possible, how you can reduce the risk. We will be with you every step of the way to advise you on the best solutions for each individual hazard.
Fire Warden Training
What do I look for when outsourcing to a fire risk assessor?
If you do not have the time and knowledge to carry out a fire risk assessment on your premises, have you considered outsourcing this to a competent person? If you are looking for the right person to carry out your risk assessment, consider the following points:
- Do they have recognized qualifications in safety?
- Are they officially approved by fire safety bodies?
- Do they have relevant knowledge, and can they apply this to their work?
- Have they worked with companies of a similar size and industry to your business?
Ensure the person you outsource your fire safety can demonstrate their competence. For more information, head over to our health & safety services to understand the work we do and how we can support your needs.
Park City Consulting acts as your critical friend and an extension to your in-house team to ensure your employees and people are safe on your premises.
For more information, get in touch with our team today or call 01206 752100
Never alone and stronger together with Park City Consulting.