Risk Assessments :    Basic Req’s    Young People    Dangerous Sub’s

This page aims to provide the reader with a brief overview of fire risk assessments and some information about our fire-safety risk assessment services.

Fire-Safety Risk Assessments - Legislative Background

Since 1^st October 2006, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“Fire Safety Order”) (for England & Wales) and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (for Scotland) have been in effect imposing drastic changes to the regulatory regime for fire safety.

Both sets of the legislation above require the legal duty holder (or a third party(ies)) to undertake a “suitable and sufficient” fire-safety risk assessment¹ that meets the basic legislative requirements. This fire-safety risk assessment should be carried out by someone competent² to do so. They must also ensure that:

• the significant findings of the fire-safety risk assessment together with all measures taken or to be taken must be recorded where there are five or more people employed³;
• the fire-safety risk assessment must be reviewed regularly and, additionally, whenever there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid or where there has been a significant change⁴; and
• information concerning risks, preventive and protective measures, procedures, etc.⁵ is provided to the legal duty holder’s employees; and
• information concerning risks and preventive and protective measures⁶, and any other information required concerning “safety assistance”⁷, is provided to third parties as set out in the above fire-safety law.

In addition to meeting the basic legislative requirements, further considerations are also likely to apply where there are young people or dangerous substances present. More information on these subjects can be found by clicking these links, or in the section pages shown above, top right.

Further information on legislation may be found here.

Anderstore’s Fire-Safety Risk Assessment Services

Anderstore are able to provide a fire-safety risk assessment to help ensure the safety of your people, property and business and to help ensure compliance with legislation, insurance requirements, etc.

Consistent with our focus on quality, standards and general professional conduct:

• we are BS EN ISO 9001:2015 certified by BSI, a UKAS-accredited independent third party to carry out risk assessments;
• we are Institution of Fire Engineers members – the foremost organisation for risk assessors;
• our risk assessments comply with BSI’s PAS 79:2007; and
• we carry comprehensive professional indemnity insurance to the value of £1m.

In turn, this ensures that our risk assessors fulfil the competency requirements set down in BSI’s PAS 79:2007 and therefore have an appropriate combination of the following:

• a qualification from an appropriately accredited trade course;
• a degree, Higher National Certificate or Diploma in a relevant/accredited subject;
• considerable experience in carrying out fire risk assessments;
• be a member of the IFE (or other comparable body); and
• considerable relevant work experience (e.g. senior fire officer, fire prevention officer, etc.)

Please contact us to discuss pricing, make arrangements or if there is anything else we may assist with.

Footnotes & References

1. Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Fire Safety Order. Sections 53 and 54 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
2. in order to ensure that the risk assessment fulfils the statutory requirement to be “suitable and sufficient” as per Footnote 1, along with the other applicable statutory requirements.
3. Article 9, paragraphs (6) and (7) of the Fire Safety Order. Section 8 of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
4. Article 9, paragraph (3) of the Fire Safety Order. Section 3 of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
5. Article 19 of the Fire Safety Order. Section 18 of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
6. Article 20 of the Fire Safety Order. Section 19 of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
7. Article 18, paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) of the Fire Safety Order. Section 18 of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.