Prevention principles
Reduce risk at source before relying on response
The Fire Safety Order’s prevention principles include avoiding risks, evaluating risks that cannot be avoided, combating risks at source, adapting to technical progress and replacing dangerous processes or substances with less dangerous alternatives where appropriate.
Detection, escape and firefighting equipment remain important, but they do not justify preventable ignition or unmanaged fuel. Start with elimination and reduction, then add engineered and management controls.
Eliminate
Remove unnecessary ignition sources, combustible storage or hazardous processes.
Substitute
Use a less hazardous substance, process, appliance or storage method where practicable.
Separate
Keep heat, sparks and flames away from fuel and protect high-risk areas.
Engineer
Use suitable installation, ventilation, shut-off, containment and automatic protection.
Manage
Apply training, permits, supervision, inspection and emergency arrangements.
Common causes
Control ignition, fuel and oxygen
The FRA should identify how a fire could start, what could burn and whether oxidising materials or oxygen enrichment could intensify it. The combinations matter: an ordinary appliance can become a serious hazard beside combustible storage or where maintenance is poor.
| Hazard group | Examples of controls |
|---|---|
| Electrical and charging | Suitable equipment, fixed-installation maintenance, defect reporting, safe charging areas and no overloaded sockets |
| Heating and cooking | Clear separation, extraction cleaning, shut-off, supervision and safe closing procedures |
| Smoking and deliberate fire-setting | Controlled smoking arrangements, secure waste, lighting, access control and external housekeeping |
| Hot work and contractors | Authorisation, area preparation, isolation, extinguishing provision and post-work fire watch |
| Flammable or oxidising substances | Minimum quantities, compatible storage, ventilation, spill control and ignition exclusion |
| Combustible waste and storage | Frequent removal, safe stacking, protected routes and separation from heat or external walls |
Changing risks
Manage batteries and electrical mobility devices as a system
Lithium-ion batteries can fail after damage, modification, incompatible charging, overheating or manufacturing defects. Controls should cover purchase, permitted devices, charging locations, inspection, damaged-battery quarantine, storage and emergency response.
Do not charge e-bikes, e-scooters or other large batteries on escape routes. Consider whether charging can be moved away from sleeping areas and combustible storage, and use manufacturer-approved equipment. Escalate swelling, unusual heat, noise, odour or damage.
- Define which devices and chargers are permitted
- Provide suitable charging locations away from escape routes
- Prevent unattended charging where the assessment identifies risk
- Remove damaged or recalled products from use
- Plan safe isolation and emergency response
- Review insurer, housing and official product-safety information
Daily operation
Build prevention into opening, occupation and closing routines
Many controls depend on behaviour at predictable points: opening the building, starting hazardous processes, contractor arrival, changes of shift and closing. Use concise checks that match the premises rather than one oversized generic form.
Temporary change deserves particular attention. Events, maintenance, deliveries, blocked areas and seasonal displays can alter escape and fuel load for a short period but create immediate risk.
- Confirm routes and exits before admitting occupants
- Check high-risk equipment and extraction before use
- Control keys, access and security without obstructing escape
- Brief contractors and supervise high-risk work
- Remove waste and isolate equipment at close
- Record exceptions, faults and temporary controls
Check effectiveness
Use incidents, defects and near misses to improve controls
Repeated overheating, false alarms, scorch marks, tripped circuits, smoking breaches or hot-work problems are warning data. Investigate patterns before they become a fire.
Review the FRA after a fire, near miss or significant change and where there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid. Prevention actions should have owners and deadlines, with evidence that the risk—not just the paperwork—was addressed.
Observe
Use inspections, conversations and records to identify weak controls.
Investigate
Find underlying causes rather than repeatedly correcting symptoms.
Improve
Change equipment, layout, process, supervision or training.
Verify
Check the control is sustained and revise the FRA where necessary.