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Fire Risk Assessments

New premises, changed use, altered layouts or changes in occupancy can require a new assessment or review. An existing report also needs regular review and reconsideration when it may no longer reflect the building. A date on the cover is not enough to show that changed conditions have been considered.

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Illustration · Fire Risk Assessments

Overview

The enquiry should describe the premises and people who use them, including anyone who may need assistance in an emergency. Sleeping accommodation, complex processes and shared responsibilities affect the expertise and assessment scope required.

Our full service catalogue, including every individual service, is available across every listed sector and location. For one site or several, we agree the scope, access and programme around the buildings concerned.

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What the assessment covers

The agreed scope considers fire hazards, people at risk, existing precautions and arrangements for managing fire safety. Available records and the site inspection inform the findings. Escape arrangements, warning systems, fire protection and management measures are considered in relation to the actual premises.

The output is a documented assessment with findings, priorities and recommended actions. It identifies the information and areas examined and any further investigation required. The responsible person needs a usable action plan, not simply a conclusion without the evidence or next steps behind it.

Assessment is distinct from specialist testing

A fire risk assessment evaluates risk and precautions. It does not automatically test every alarm device, inspect every concealed compartment boundary or certify every fire door. Where specialist investigation is needed, the assessment should identify that requirement clearly.

Government guidance explains the assessment process and the need for appropriate assistance where expertise is insufficient. We match the assessment arrangement to the premises and complexity. The responsible person's legal duties remain with them while the assessment supports their decisions.

Before we visit

Provide floor plans, the current assessment, fire strategy where available, system maintenance records and previous action status. Identify occupancy, operating hours, hazardous activities and arrangements for contractors or visitors. Tell us about planned changes as well as work already completed.

We agree access to relevant areas, contacts for shared parts of the site and the information needed from other duty holders. For an estate, site-specific findings remain distinct within a consistent reporting format. Missing documents and inaccessible areas are recorded so follow-up work can be planned rather than assumed complete.

Delivery and handover

The assessment combines the agreed inspection with review of relevant information and management arrangements. Significant concerns are raised through the agreed contact rather than left solely in a later report. Findings distinguish immediate actions, planned improvements and matters requiring additional evidence.

Handover explains priorities, action ownership and review triggers. Your team can allocate work, record completion evidence and monitor open items. Repairs and specialist tests are separately scoped where needed. The assessment should remain connected to building changes and maintenance findings instead of becoming an isolated document filed until the next review.

Costs, timing and disruption

Cost depends on building size, complexity, use, occupancy, documentation and access. A straightforward workplace differs from premises with sleeping risks, unusual hazards or several responsible parties. Additional specialist surveys are identified separately from the general assessment.

Most assessment activity is observational, but access still needs planning around sensitive or occupied areas. Time is also needed to examine records and develop the report. Missing information, multiple visits or inaccessible spaces can affect completion. The quotation defines the assessment boundary and deliverable so proposals can be compared meaningfully.

Buildings and sectors

Offices and retail premises need assessments reflecting their layouts and public access. Education, healthcare and care settings require attention to user needs and assistance arrangements. Hospitality, industrial and warehouse sites bring different occupancy and fire hazards.

Residential blocks, managing agents and specialist environments require the scope to reflect their particular responsibilities and fire arrangements. The assessment approach follows the premises rather than a standard report for every sector. View all sectors.

Locations covered

We cover Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley, including Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, Morpeth, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland. Include each site for an estate assessment programme. View all locations.

Frequently asked questions

Is every assessment required annually?

The assessment must be reviewed regularly and when relevant changes or concerns arise. The review arrangements should reflect the premises and findings rather than an assumed universal interval.

Does the assessment include intrusive compartmentation surveys?

Only if expressly scoped. A general assessment may identify the need for a separate investigation of concealed construction or service penetrations.

Who implements the action plan?

The responsible person arranges and tracks the required actions. The report supports prioritisation, and remedial work can be scoped separately with suitable completion records.

Can an assessment cover several buildings?

A programme can cover several sites, but each building needs an appropriate assessment and identifiable findings. One generic document should not hide site differences.