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Cambridgeshire Fire & Resue Service

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Fire Risk Assessment and guidance

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), the responsible person for the premises must carry out or appoint a competent person to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.

A fire risk assessment is an assessment of your premises, the activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in or around the premises.

The aims of the fire risk assessment are:

  • To identify the fire hazards.
  • To eliminate or reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonable.
  • To decide what passive and active fire precautions and management arrangements are necessary to ensure the safety of people in your premises if a fire does start.

The responsible person must record the findings of the fire risk assessment where:

  • A licence under any enactment is in force in relation to the premises.
  • An alterations notice requiring this is in force in relation to the premises.

The responsible person must record your findings to demonstrate to regulators an assessment has been carried out.

As regulators, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) cannot complete a fire risk assessment for you, however our free fire safety presentations help businesses better understand and conform to fire safety legislation.

Please download the appropriate fire safety guidance documents for your business from our website to help you achieve compliance with the Order.

Fire Risk Assessment templates and examples for non-sleeping premises

A series of guides have been produced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DCLG) to help you comply with fire safety legislation. The DCLG website contains lots of information on fire safety legislation and enforcement relating to specific types of businesses and business premises.

Visit the DCLG website to find up to date guidance documents that are available to download for free.

Finding a competent fire risk assessor

Fire safety legislation requires the responsible person of the premises to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment themselves or appoint a competent person (someone with relevant experience, knowledge and training) to carry out a fire risk assessment on their behalf. However, you will still be responsible in law for meeting the requirements of the legislation.

The level of competence required to complete a fire risk assessment depends on the size, complexity and activities of the premises.

As regulators, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service cannot carry out a fire risk assessment for you. You can appoint a fire risk assessor with third party accreditation by a professional body.

Alternatively, if you wish to complete your own fire risk assessment, why not attend one of our free fire safety presentations, which can guide you through the legislation. Call 01480 444500 for more information or to book.