What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment (FRA) is an organised look at your premises, the people who use it and the risk of fire — so that you can decide what fire precautions and management arrangements are needed to keep people safe. For almost all non-domestic premises it is a legal requirement, not an optional extra, and since October 2023 it has to be recorded in full.
What a fire risk assessment is for
The purpose is straightforward: identify what could start a fire, identify who could be harmed, and decide whether the existing fire precautions are good enough — or what needs to change. It should end with a clear picture of the risk and a prioritised list of actions. A fire risk assessment is not a certificate you buy once; it is a living document that has to be kept up to date as the premises and its use change.
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?
In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (often called the Fire Safety Order or FSO) requires the "responsible person" to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for almost all non-domestic premises. The Fire Safety Order does not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland — but equivalent duties apply there under their own legislation, so wherever you operate a fire risk assessment duty exists.
- •England & Wales — Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- •Scotland — the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
- •Northern Ireland — the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.
It must now be recorded in full
This is the change that catches people out. Historically, the requirement to write down the significant findings only bit where the responsible person employed five or more people. Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 removed that threshold from 1 October 2023. In England and Wales, every responsible person must now record their fire risk assessment and their fire safety arrangements in full, regardless of the size or purpose of the business or premises. A verbal or "in my head" assessment is no longer enough for anyone.
Who needs a fire risk assessment?
Almost every non-domestic premises: workplaces and offices, shops and restaurants, care homes, schools, warehouses and factories, houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and the common parts of blocks of flats. A normal single private dwelling is treated differently, but the shared and let parts of residential buildings are firmly within scope. If people work in, visit, or sleep in a building you control, assume an assessment is required.
Who is the "responsible person"?
The responsible person is the duty holder under the Fire Safety Order — usually the employer, owner, landlord or the person otherwise in control of the premises. They must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is made and kept current. There can be more than one responsible person for a building, and where there is, they must cooperate and coordinate. We cover this in detail in who is the responsible person for fire safety.
What must a fire risk assessment contain?
The government's guidance sets out a five-step method: identify the fire hazards; identify the people at risk; evaluate, remove or reduce the risk; record the significant findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training; and review the assessment regularly. Professional assessors often follow a published methodology as well: PAS 79-1:2020 for premises other than housing, and BS 9792:2025 for housing (the code of practice that replaced the withdrawn PAS 79-2). The important point is that the assessment is specific to your premises — a generic template that could describe any building is not suitable and sufficient. The five steps of a fire risk assessment guide walks through each one.
Competent person, not just a document
The Fire Safety Order places the duty on the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment, and separately to appoint one or more competent persons to assist with the preventive and protective measures where needed. In practice that means the responsible person can carry the assessment out themselves where they have sufficient knowledge for a small, low-risk premises — or obtain competent assistance where they do not. Higher-risk or complex premises — care homes with sleeping risk, larger blocks, unusual layouts — usually justify a competent fire risk assessor. Software can produce and maintain a thorough, premises-specific assessment, but it does not replace the on-site judgement of a competent person; it supports it.
Fire risk assessment vs a general risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is a specific, premises-based assessment focused on fire, required by fire safety legislation. A general workplace risk assessment covers the wider hazards of the work. They overlap but are not the same document, and having one does not discharge the duty to have the other.
Keeping it current
An FRA that was correct two years ago may not be correct today. It must be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a significant change — to the building, its use, the number of people using it, or after a fire or near miss. There is no single statutory "expires after 12 months" rule; the duty is to keep it valid. See how often a fire risk assessment should be reviewed.
Produce and maintain a fire risk assessment that holds up
Complys generates a premises-specific fire risk assessment to the gov.uk five-step method — with an overall risk rating and a prioritised action plan — or rebuilds an existing FRA you upload. It tracks each review date, keeps every version, and shares a read-only link for the responsible person to sign off.
Explore fire risk assessment software →FAQs
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?
Yes. In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for almost all non-domestic premises and keep it up to date. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent legislation.
Does a fire risk assessment have to be written down?
Since 1 October 2023, following Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, responsible persons in England and Wales must record their fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full — regardless of the size or type of the business. The previous threshold that only required a written record where five or more people were employed no longer applies.
Who needs a fire risk assessment?
Almost every non-domestic premises: workplaces, shops, restaurants, care homes, schools, warehouses, HMOs and the common parts of blocks of flats. The duty falls on the responsible person for the premises.
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a single private home?
A normal single private dwelling is not covered by the Fire Safety Order in the same way, but the common parts of a block of flats or an HMO are, and other duties can apply. If in doubt, treat the shared and let parts as needing assessment.
Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?
The responsible person must ensure the assessment is suitable and sufficient. They can carry it out themselves where they have sufficient knowledge for the premises, or obtain competent assistance where needed — and higher-risk or complex premises usually justify a competent fire risk assessor. Software produces and maintains the assessment, but the competent person's judgement is what makes it valid.
Related: the five steps, who is the responsible person, how often to review, and fire risk assessment software. General information, not legal advice.