A fire risk assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the

activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm

to those in and around the premises.

The aims of the fire risk assessment are:

• To identify the fire hazards.

• To reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonably practicable.

• To decide what physical fire precautions and management arrangements are

necessary to ensure the safety of people in your premises if a fire does start.

The term ‘where necessary’ (see Glossary) is used in the Order,1 therefore when

deciding what fire precautions and management arrangements are necessary you

will need to take account of this definition.

The terms ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ are used throughout this guide and it is important that

you have a clear understanding of how these should be used.

• Hazard: anything that has the potential to cause harm.

• Risk: the chance of that harm occurring.

If your organisation employs five or more people, or your premises are licensed or

an alterations notice requiring it is in force, then the significant findings of the fire

risk assessment, the actions to be taken as a result of the assessment and details

of anyone especially at risk must be recorded. You will probably find it helpful to

keep a record of the significant findings of your fire risk assessment even if you are not required to do so.

A fire risk assessment will help you determine the chances of a fire starting and the

dangers from fire that your premises present for the people who use them and any

person in the immediate vicinity. The assessment method suggested in this guide

shares the same approach as that used in general health and safety legislation and

can be carried out either as part of a more general risk assessment or as a separate

exercise. As you move through the steps there are checklists to help you.

Before you start your fire risk assessment, take time to prepare, and read through

the rest of Part 1 of this guide.

Much of the information for your fire risk assessment will come from the knowledge

your employees, colleagues and representatives have of the premises, as well as

information given to you by people who have responsibility for other parts of the

building. A tour of your premises will probably be needed to confirm, amend or add

detail to your initial views.

It is important that you carry out your fire risk assessment in a practical and

systematic way and that you allocate enough time to do a proper job. It must take

the whole of your premises into account, including outdoor locations and any

rooms and areas that are rarely used. If your premises are small you may be able

to assess them as a whole. In larger premises you may find it helpful to divide them

into rooms or a series of assessment areas using natural boundaries, e.g. process

areas (such as bakeries and cooking facilities in shops), offices, stores, as well as

corridors, stairways and external routes.

If your premises are in a multi-use complex then the information on hazard and risk

reduction will still be applicable to you. However, any alterations to the use or

structure of your individual unit will need to take account of the overall fire safety

arrangements in the building.

Your premises may be simple, with few people present or with a limited degree of

business activity, but if it forms part of a building with different occupancies, then

the measures provided by other occupiers may have a direct effect on the adequacy

of the fire safety measures in your premises.

Under health and safety law (enforced by the HSE or the local authority) you are

required to carry out a risk assessment in respect of any work processes in your

workplace and to take or observe appropriate special, technical or organisational

measures. If your health and safety risk assessment identifies that these processes

are likely to involve the risk of fire or the spread of fire then you will need to take

this into account during your fire risk assessment under the Order,1 and prioritise

actions based on the level of risk.

You need to appoint one or more competent persons (this could be you) to carry

out any of the preventive and protective measures needed to comply with the

Order.1 This person could be you, or an appropriately trained, employee or, where

appropriate, a third party.

Your fire risk assessment should demonstrate that, as far as is reasonable, you

have considered the needs of all relevant persons, including disabled people.

Below figure shows the five steps you need to take to carry out a fire risk assessment.

EklenmiÅŸ Dosyalar: Fire Safety Risk Assessment Steps,