Fire Safety Order 2005
Requires assessment, recording, suitable precautions, maintenance, information, training and emergency planning.
Trustees, faith leaders, wardens and premises committees
Fire risk assessment for churches and places of worship
Assess congregations, historic construction, candles, community activities, security and evacuation, then request a tailored quote.
Key points
Church or place of worship fire risk assessment at a glance
- Congregations of varying size and familiarity
- Candles, kitchens and community activities
- Historic buildings and complex layouts
- London and Surrey assessment enquiries
- The responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment and record its findings in full.
- Review the assessment when changes, an incident or new information could affect its validity.
Property-specific guidance
Why this premises type needs its own assessment
Places of worship may combine large assembly spaces with offices, kitchens, classrooms, halls, towers, galleries, stores and community services. Attendance can vary from a few regular users to a capacity congregation, while children, older people, disabled worshippers and visitors may all need different support.
Candles, incense, cooking, temporary decorations, electrical equipment and external arson risk require attention. Historic fabric and listed-building constraints can make improvement more complex, but heritage status does not remove the duty to protect people.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
Responsibility may rest with an employer, corporate trustee, parochial church council, mosque or synagogue trustees, governing body, owner or person with control. Hirers and event organisers can also have duties, so responsibilities must be explicit and coordinated.
Read the main fire risk assessment guideLegal framework
Fire-safety duties affecting this property
The Fire Safety Order is the core life-safety regime in England. Other laws and sector requirements can overlap, so the assessment and action plan should not be managed in isolation.
Places-of-assembly guidance
Government guidance covers churches and other places of religious worship or study and associated premises.
Listed-building and faculty controls
Heritage approvals may shape physical work, but suitable life-safety outcomes still need to be achieved.
Building and licensing requirements
Alterations, entertainment, food service and events may create additional approval or licensing duties.
Assessment scope
What the assessor should examine
The final scope should reflect the actual building and any limitations. A site visit and a prioritised written report are fundamental for a professional assessment.
Occupancy and services
Assess ordinary worship, festivals, funerals, weddings, study, children’s activities and maximum credible attendance.
Escape and seating
Check exits, galleries, towers, fixed or temporary seating, gangways, travel distances and door fastenings.
Flames and activities
Review candles, incense, cooking, heating, temporary electrics, decorations, performances and community use.
Historic construction
Consider concealed voids, timber, towers, crypts, narrow stairs, fire separation and sympathetic improvement options.
Security and arson
Assess locked doors, external waste, deliberate fire-setting, isolated areas and emergency access.
Management
Review volunteers, stewards, hirers, opening checks, training, assistance, maintenance and event handovers.
Property-specific hazards
Risks that deserve particular attention
These examples are prompts, not a complete checklist. The assessment must identify all significant hazards and how they could affect people in and around the premises.
Candles and incense
Open flames can ignite clothing, paper, decorations or historic furnishings if not tightly controlled.
Historic fabric and voids
Timber, concealed spaces and limited compartmentation may permit unseen fire spread.
Temporary and community use
Seating, stages, catering and decorations can change risk and escape arrangements.
Security measures
Locked or controlled doors intended to protect the building can obstruct emergency escape.
People at risk
Who may need additional consideration?
The assessment must consider everyone lawfully on or near the premises, including people who may be unable to recognise danger, respond quickly or use the standard escape route without help.
Older and disabled worshippers
Assistance, seating positions, accessible exits and communication should be planned.
Children and family groups
Supervision and reunification arrangements may affect evacuation.
Visitors and tourists
They may not understand the alarm, language, layout or alternative exits.
Volunteers and hirers
People managing an event may have limited familiarity with systems and legal duties.
Emergency planning
Evacuation points to test
A written plan is only useful if it matches the building, occupants, available staff and fire precautions and can be carried out under foreseeable conditions.
- Base plans on the maximum credible congregation and the actual seating or event layout.
- Keep required exits immediately openable while preserving proportionate security.
- Provide enough trained stewards or helpers for the people and activities present.
- Coordinate children’s groups, community halls, kitchens and separately hired spaces with the main plan.
What to expect
The five-stage assessment process
- 1
Prepare
Confirm the areas in scope, responsible persons, occupancy, plans, previous reports and relevant fire-safety records.
- 2
Inspect
Walk the premises and examine hazards, people at risk, escape, fire protection and management arrangements.
- 3
Evaluate
Judge whether precautions are suitable for the actual use, occupants, construction and emergency strategy.
- 4
Record and prioritise
Document findings in full and provide a clear, risk-prioritised action plan with responsible owners.
- 5
Review
Keep the assessment current and revisit it when change, an incident or new information may affect its validity.
Evidence and management
Records to prepare and retain
Good records help an assessor understand the premises, allow defects to be tracked and demonstrate that significant findings have been acted on.
- Current FRA and action plan
- Capacity and seating arrangements
- Alarm, lighting, doors and equipment records
- Candle, event and opening procedures
- Volunteer, steward and hirer information
- Heritage approvals and completed fire-safety work
Keeping it current
When to review the assessment
There is no single fixed review interval suitable for every premises. Set a proportionate programme and review sooner whenever there is reason to think the assessment may no longer be valid.
- Festival, event or significant attendance change
- New seating, stage, decoration, catering or open-flame activity
- Alteration, repair, heritage work or change of room use
- New security system, lock or access arrangement
- Fire, arson attempt, near miss or evacuation concern
- Evidence the assessment is no longer valid
Quote planning
What affects assessment cost?
A useful quote reflects assessor time, competence, site access and reporting complexity. A low headline price is not meaningful without a clear scope.
Building scale and age
Assembly spaces, galleries, towers, crypts, halls and historic fabric.
Capacity and use
Regular services, festivals, events, lettings and community activities.
Fire and security interfaces
Candles, kitchens, arson risk, locks and emergency access.
Management arrangements
Volunteers, stewards, multiple groups, records and assistance planning.
Choosing an assessor
Check the person as well as the company
BAFE SP205 provides third-party certification for organisations delivering life-safety fire risk assessments. The National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR), administered by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, records individually assessed fire risk assessors and their competency level.
Use both as complementary evidence: verify the organisation’s current BAFE SP205 status where applicable and the individual’s current NFRAR registration and assessed level. Also check direct experience with church or place of worship premises, insurance, report scope, site visit, exclusions and how follow-up questions are handled.
Related fire-safety services
Acting on the assessment
The FRA should define outcomes and priorities. Any design, installation, inspection or maintenance work must then be scoped and completed competently.
Local coverage
Find and compare assessment support across London and Surrey
Explore local assessor information and quotation guidance, or use the form below to request a property-specific quote.
Frequently asked questions
Fire risk assessment for churches and places of worship FAQs
Do churches and places of worship need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The Fire Safety Order applies to non-domestic places of worship and the responsible person must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is completed and recorded.
Can candles still be used?
Their use is not automatically prohibited, but the assessment must consider location, holders, supervision, combustible clearance, lighting and extinguishing procedures, children and crowded services.
Does listed status prevent fire-safety improvements?
No. Heritage controls may affect the solution and approvals required, but life-safety duties remain. Competent fire-safety and conservation advice may be needed to find proportionate measures.
How often should a place-of-worship FRA be reviewed?
There is no universal fixed interval. Review regularly and after changes to activities, attendance, layout, security, building work or management, and after an incident or near miss.
Who is responsible when the building is hired?
The owner or trustees may retain duties, while the hirer can also become a responsible person for activities under their control. Responsibilities and emergency arrangements should be documented in the hire agreement.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your church or place of worship
Provide the essential building and occupancy details. Your enquiry can be reviewed and passed to an assessor serving London or Surrey.
- No obligation to book
- Telephone number required
- Use the details box for unusual risks or deadlines
Sources and limitations
Guidance reviewed 21 July 2026
This page provides general information for England. It is not legal advice, a building-specific assessment or a guarantee of compliance. Fire Safety Services is independent and is not affiliated with BAFE, NFRAR, IFSM, the Government or fire and rescue services.
Other property guides