REGULATORY REFORM (FIRE SAFETY) ORDER 2005
If you are responsible for a workplace, commercial premises or the common parts of a residential building, a fire risk assessment is one of the main ways you understand and manage your fire safety duties.
ESI carries out proportionate, site-specific assessments that explain what is already satisfactory, what needs attention and what should be dealt with first, without creating unnecessary work.
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Send us the basics. We will review what you need and come back with the next step.
Professional memberships, registrations and industry credentials
The basics
Put simply, a fire risk assessment is a proper look at your building to work out what could start a fire, who could be affected and whether the precautions already in place are good enough.
It should reflect the building you actually have, how it is used and the people who use it. It should not feel like a generic checklist or a box-ticking exercise.
Identify fire hazards and the people who may be at risk
Review escape routes, alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors and other precautions
Consider whether the existing arrangements are suitable for the building
Record significant findings clearly
Set out practical actions in order of priority
Explain when the assessment should be reviewed
Who it applies to
In many cases, yes. If you are an employer, own a building or have control over how premises are used, fire safety duties may apply to you. The exact requirement depends on the building and how it is occupied, so if you are unsure, tell us what you are responsible for and we will help you work it out.
Workplaces with staff, visitors and shared escape routes.
Public-facing premises where occupancy and escape arrangements matter.
Larger spaces, storage risks and potentially higher fire loading.
Common parts and shared fire safety arrangements.
Buildings with varied occupancy, safeguarding and evacuation considerations.
Higher occupant numbers and more complex residential fire safety duties.
Guest accommodation where responsible-person duties still apply.
Premises with mixed use, volunteers and changing occupancy.
Not sure whether your building needs one?
Tell us a little about the premises and we will help you understand the next step.
THE RESPONSIBLE PERSON
The person or organisation responsible for making sure a fire risk assessment happens is usually referred to as the Responsible Person. In practical terms, that may be an employer, building owner, landlord, managing agent, occupier or another person with control over part of the premises.
Some buildings have more than one Responsible Person, particularly where there are several tenants or mixed uses. In those situations, the people involved need to cooperate and coordinate so fire safety is managed across the whole building.
Bringing in ESI does not transfer your legal responsibility to us. Our role is to carry out the assessment, explain the findings clearly and give you a practical action plan so you can make informed decisions.
Suitable and sufficient
You will often see fire risk assessments described as needing to be “suitable and sufficient”. In plain English, that means the assessment has to be detailed and specific enough to reflect the real risks in your building.
A generic checklist is rarely enough on its own. The assessment should take account of the building’s size, layout, construction and age, how it is actually used, who uses it, and the active and passive fire precautions already in place.
View a sample report
Fire Risk Assessment Report
Scope of work
Exactly what we look at depends on the building, but a typical fire risk assessment considers the following areas.
Sources of ignition
Electrical equipment, heaters and other possible ignition sources.
Fire loading
How much combustible material is present and where it is located.
Dangerous substances
Flammable liquids, gases and other materials that may increase risk.
Means of escape
The routes people would actually use to leave the building safely.
Fire doors & compartmentation
How effectively fire and smoke are contained.
Detection & alarm systems
Whether warning systems are suitable, maintained and appropriate.
Emergency lighting
Whether escape routes remain visible if normal lighting fails.
Firefighting equipment
Provision, positioning and servicing of extinguishers and related equipment.
Evacuation arrangements
How evacuation would work in practice for the people using the building.
Staff training & drills
Whether people understand what to do in an emergency.
Fire safety records
Whether maintenance, testing and other records support the arrangements in place.
Fire safety management
How responsibilities and fire safety procedures are managed day to day.
The process
We keep the process straightforward, explain what we need from you and make sure the final report is useful rather than simply technical.
01
We agree the right scope based on your building, responsibilities and what has prompted the enquiry.
02
We look at any plans, previous assessments and fire safety information you can provide.
03
We visit the premises and examine the building, precautions and management arrangements in person.
04
We consider what we found against the standard appropriate for the building and its use.
05
Findings are written clearly, with recommendations prioritised so you can see what needs attention first.
06
If anything is unclear, we help you understand the findings and the practical next steps.
Ready to get started?
Send us the basics and we will help you scope the right assessment.
The deliverable
At the end of the process, you will receive a clearly structured written report that records the assessment and gives you an understandable route forward.
A description of the premises
Details of what was covered
The significant findings
Measures already satisfactory
Deficiencies we have identified
Photographs where helpful
A prioritised action plan
Practical recommendations
When the assessment should be reviewed
Significant Findings
Tailored to your building
The core principles are the same, but the risks and practical considerations can be very different from one building type to another.
COMMERCIAL
Offices, shops, warehouses and other business premises with staff and visitors.
Learn morePROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Assessment support for buildings where ownership, occupation and management responsibilities overlap.
Learn moreRESIDENTIAL
Common parts, shared escape routes and residential fire safety arrangements.
Learn moreSECTOR PAGE
A dedicated route for short-term and guest accommodation where fire safety duties still apply.
Learn moreSPECIALIST BUILDINGS
Proportionate assessment that recognises the practical constraints of older and sensitive buildings.
Learn moreREVIEW
Help where an assessment needs updating, validating or revisiting after significant change.
Learn more
Founder & Principal Consultant
Why ESI?
Your fire risk assessment is overseen by a specialist consultancy led by Jamie Morgan and supported by experienced fire safety professionals.
We take the time to understand the building, how it is actually used and the people who depend on it. The aim is not to produce a long list of generic recommendations, but to identify the real risks and explain what needs to happen next.
That means clear findings, practical priorities and recommendations that are proportionate to what is genuinely required.
"No short cuts in safety, but no unnecessary work either."
NFRAR
Registered fire risk assessor.
Qualifications
Level 4 and Level 6 fire risk assessment qualifications.
IFSM
Professional membership and ongoing industry engagement.
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Been contacted by the fire service, issued with an enforcement notice, or dealing with an urgent compliance problem? Tell us what has happened and we will help you understand the quickest sensible next step.
Common questions
Answers to the questions people most often ask before arranging a fire risk assessment.
The cost depends on the size and complexity of the building, how it is used, the number and type of occupants, what information is already available, the location and the scope of work involved.
The easiest way to get an accurate figure is to send us some basic details about your property and we will put together a proposal.
This varies depending on the building. A small, straightforward premises will generally take less time than a larger or higher-risk building, such as a care home or mixed-use block.
Once we know a little about your premises, we can give you a realistic idea of the inspection and reporting timescale.
There is no single review interval that applies to every building. It should be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to think it may no longer be accurate, for example after significant changes to the building, occupancy or fire safety arrangements.
In some straightforward premises it may be possible, provided the person carrying it out has enough knowledge and experience to complete a suitable and sufficient assessment.
Where you do not have that competence in-house, you should obtain appropriate help.
Building plans, previous assessments, alarm and emergency-lighting records, fire-door information, occupancy details and evacuation procedures can all be useful.
Do not worry if you do not have everything. We can work with the information that is available and explain what else would help.
This is common and it does not mean the building has simply “failed”. The report explains what has been identified, why it matters and what should be done about it, with actions prioritised so you can see what needs attention first.
No. A fire risk assessment looks at the fire risk within an existing occupied building and the arrangements in place at the time of the assessment.
A fire strategy sets out the overall fire safety design and approach for a building or project, and is more commonly associated with design, construction, refurbishment or change of use.
Get started
Give us the basics and we will review what you need.
If you are not sure what information we need, send what you have. We can clarify the scope with you before putting together the quotation.
Tell us a little about the premises and what has prompted the enquiry.