Fire Risk Assessment: Steps, types, and regulations

By law, all commercial and multi-occupancy buildings sharing a common area in England and Wales, such as blocks of flats, must undergo a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). Yet, many organisations underestimate the importance of an FRA and its impact on fire safety. This blog will break down the legislation, requirements of Responsible Persons (RPs), and distinguish between the four types of FRA and Fire Compartmentation Surveys. Understanding these basics will help you identify the most suitable FRA for your buildings and tenants. 

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?  

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 9, states that it is a legal requirement for all multi-occupancy buildings to have an FRA completed by a competent individual and regularly reviewed. 

For further insights into your responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order, explore our blog, ‘Navigating the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in 2024’.  

The purpose of the FRA is to provide recommendations on how to improve the safety of the building and protect relevant persons from fire. The Responsible Person (RP) has a legal requirement to review the FRA and keep it up to date regularly, particularly if there has been a fire, material alteration to the premises, change in use or occupancy, and if there is a reason to suspect it is no longer valid. It’s also crucial to act upon the findings of the FRA where necessary to keep your buildings compliant.  

Recent updates  

• The new British Standard 9792 

BS 9792, which replaces PAS 79-2, is set to be enforced as the new British Standard providing recommendations for FRAs in housing premises and parts of housing premises. The standard was open to public comments until 25th March 2024, with comment resolution, approval, and publication of the standard coming later this year.  

“The methodology in this British Standard is intended to determine the risk-proportionate fire precautions required to protect occupants of housing premises and people in the immediate vicinity of the premises”. – The British Standards Institution (BSI) 

• Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 

In October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act came into force,
introducing new requirements to record FRAs in full, rather than only the significant findings as previously stated. Discover everything you need to know about your new duties under Section 156 in our free Guide to Section 156 of the Building Safety Act.  

Who is responsible for completing a Fire Risk Assessment?  

The Responsible Person (RP) is responsible for ensuring each building has an up-to-date FRA at all times. Not sure who the RP in your building is? Head over to our dedicated blog, ‘Fire Safety Act 2021: Are you the ‘Responsible Person’?’ to find out!  

FRAs must be conducted by a 'competent person', which may be a third-party organisation or the building's RP. If you need help undertaking an FRA, our experienced and competent (IFSM Tiered Fire Risk Assessors Registered) fire risk assessors are available to guide you through the process. Get in touch to speak to one of our fire safety experts.  

How many steps make up a Fire Risk Assessment?  

To ensure your FRA is exhaustive, you must include the five key steps:  

1. Identify the fire hazards. 
2. Identify the people at risk. 
3. Evaluate and act (remove or reduce the risks). 
4. Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan, and provide training. 
5. Review and update the FRA regularly.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of these steps, head over to our blog, ‘Is a Fire Risk Assessment enough to keep people safe from fire?’. 

What are the four types of Fire Risk Assessments? 

There are four types of FRA for housing and residential sites (not applicable to commercial buildings), which are outlined below: 

Type 1  

A type 1 FRA is visual inspection of the fire safety provisions in a building and is the most basic type required under the Fire Safety Order. A type 1 FRA includes a non-destructive inspection of:  

• The common parts of the building and the arrangements in place for tenants to escape in the event of a fire, including clear signs indicating entrances and exits and emergency lighting.  
• The entry and exit points of doors to flats.  
• Only the common areas of the building.  

Whilst the simplicity of this assessment is beneficial, it may reveal the necessity for further investigation from different types of FRAs, Compartmentation Surveys, or Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs). In this situation, the assessment report will list the reasons for any further investigations.  

To discover more about FRAEWs and compartmentation, our next free live webinar, ‘Fire Safety: Building Height, Compartmentation, and FRAEWs’, will provide expert insight into data collection, preventing the risk of fire spread, and appointing competent persons. Join our panel of fire safety experts on Wednesday 15th May at 12pm! 

Type 2  

A type 2 FRA is a destructive assessment which opens up areas of the building to acquire a more in-depth understanding of the building pathology and risks. These are often undertaken when the type 1 FRA identifies potential structural issues in the building that could increase the risk of fire spread. A type 2 FRA does not involve access to dwellings and is confined to common parts of the building.  

Type 3   

A type 3 FRA is non-destructive and similar to type 1 but assesses individual dwellings in addition to the common parts of the building, providing a more thorough investigation. As accessing individual flats often poses an issue, it’s recommended to appoint an experienced third-party fire risk assessor. Type 3 includes an assessment of: 

• The means of escape. 
• The internal layout.  
• The fire resistance of internal flat doors. 
• Fire alarms, fire detection, and warning systems.  
• Compartmentation between flats.  

Whilst this type covers some aspects of fire compartmentation, to gain an exhaustive assessment, it’s crucial that you undertake a Compartmentation Survey which will assess your compartmentation in more detail. To discover more about the importance of Compartmentation Surveys, head over to our blog, ‘What is a Fire Compartmentation Survey and Why Do You Need One?’.  

Type 4  

A type 4 FRA is the most comprehensive assessment, including common areas, flats, and opening up areas of the building to conduct a destructive inspection. This is only necessary where there are serious issues identified in both the common parts and the individual areas of the building. Despite this being the most robust FRA, a Compartmentation Survey may still be necessary to provide assurance that your building’s compartmentation is sufficient.  

What’s the difference between a Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Compartmentation Survey?  

Whilst an FRA is the most effective tool in understanding the risk of fire in buildings, its scope and thoroughness often fails to include a full assessment of the compartmentation throughout a building. That’s where Compartmentation Surveys come in.