The five steps of a fire risk assessment
The government's fire safety guidance sets out a five-step method for carrying out a fire risk assessment. It is the recognised way to meet the duty for a suitable and sufficient assessment under the Fire Safety Order. Each step builds on the last, and the final step keeps the whole thing alive.
Step 1 — Identify the fire hazards
Every fire needs three things: a source of ignition, a source of fuel and oxygen. Step one is to walk the premises and identify all three. Ignition sources include heaters, electrical equipment, cooking, hot works, smoking and faulty wiring. Fuel includes packaging, waste, furniture, textiles, flammable liquids and gases. Oxygen is usually just the air, but oxygen supplies and some processes add to it. The aim is a concrete, premises-specific list — not a generic one.
Step 2 — Identify the people at risk
Next, identify everyone who could be harmed. That means everyone who uses the premises, and particular attention to anyone at greater risk: employees working alone or in isolated areas, visitors and members of the public, children, elderly or disabled people, and — critically — anyone who sleeps on the premises, such as in a care home, hotel or HMO. Sleeping risk changes an assessment significantly because people are slower to detect and escape a fire.
Step 3 — Evaluate, remove or reduce the risk
Now bring steps one and two together and evaluate the risk. Could a hazard be removed or reduced? Are the existing fire precautions adequate — detection and warning, means of escape, emergency lighting, signage, firefighting equipment, and the management arrangements around them? This is where the assessment reaches an overall risk rating and identifies what needs to improve. The order of preference is always to remove or reduce the hazard first, then protect people with appropriate precautions.
Step 4 — Record, plan and train
Record your significant findings. Since 1 October 2023, following Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, this must be done in full by every responsible person in England and Wales — the old exemption for smaller premises has gone. Prepare an emergency plan setting out what people should do if there is a fire, and make sure staff receive the information, instruction and training they need. A prioritised action plan turns the findings into things that actually get done, with owners and target dates.
Step 5 — Review and update
A fire risk assessment is not finished when it is signed. It must be reviewed regularly and kept up to date, and revisited whenever there is a significant change — new layout, change of use, more people, a fire or a near miss. There is no universal "annual expiry"; the duty is to keep the assessment valid. See how often to review a fire risk assessment.
The five steps at a glance
| Step | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1. Fire hazards | Sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen across the premises. |
| 2. People at risk | Everyone present, and anyone especially at risk — including sleeping occupants. |
| 3. Evaluate & reduce | Assess existing precautions, remove or reduce risk, reach an overall rating. |
| 4. Record, plan, train | Record findings in full, emergency plan, action plan, staff training. |
| 5. Review | Keep it current; review regularly and after significant change. |
Occupied buildings vs construction sites
The five-step logic applies everywhere, but the standards and duties you work to depend on what the premises is. An occupied building is assessed under the Fire Safety Order, commonly using a published methodology — PAS 79-1:2020 for premises other than housing, or BS 9792:2025 for housing. A live construction or development site is different: it must reflect the temporary conditions and construction-phase controls under CDM 2015 and HSG168 "Fire safety in construction", and should not be marked down for lacking permanent-building systems that have not been installed yet. Fire Safety Order duties may also apply where the premises fall within its scope, so a suitable and sufficient assessment reflects the applicable duties rather than treating one regime as simply replacing the other.
Work through the five steps without starting from a blank page
Complys builds a premises-specific fire risk assessment straight to the gov.uk five-step method — hazards, people at risk, an evaluation with an overall risk rating, and a prioritised action plan. It detects whether the premises is an occupied building or a live construction site and reflects the applicable duties and controls, then tracks the review date and stores every version.
Explore fire risk assessment software →FAQs
What are the five steps of a fire risk assessment?
Identify the fire hazards; identify the people at risk; evaluate, remove or reduce the risk; record your significant findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training; and review the assessment regularly and after any significant change.
Is the five-step method a legal requirement?
The five steps are the structure used in the government's fire safety guidance to help meet the duties in the Fire Safety Order. The law requires a suitable and sufficient assessment; the five steps are the recognised way to get there.
What is PAS 79 — and has it changed?
PAS 79 is a published fire-risk-assessment methodology many professional assessors use. It is now split by premises type: PAS 79-1:2020 covers premises other than housing, while housing is covered by BS 9792:2025 — the code of practice that replaced the withdrawn PAS 79-2:2020. Both are compatible with the gov.uk five-step approach and add a more detailed, repeatable format.
What is a 'significant finding'?
A significant finding is something the assessment identifies that matters for fire safety — a hazard, a group of people at particular risk, a shortfall in the existing precautions, or an action that needs to be taken. These must now be recorded in full.
Does the method change for a construction site?
The five-step principles still apply, but a live construction or development site is assessed for temporary, construction-phase fire safety under CDM 2015 and HSG168 rather than judged against permanent-building arrangements that do not exist yet. Fire Safety Order duties may also apply where the premises fall within its scope, so the assessment should reflect the applicable duties rather than treating one regime as replacing the other.
Related: what is a fire risk assessment, who is the responsible person, how often to review, and fire risk assessment software. General information, not legal advice.