Fire Safety Order 2005
Requires assessment, recording, preventive and protective measures, maintenance, information, training and emergency arrangements.
Manufacturers, workshop operators and industrial landlords
Fire risk assessment for factories and workshops
Assess machinery, hot work, process hazards, dangerous substances and shift arrangements, then request an industrial fire risk assessment quote.
Key points
Factory, workshop or industrial unit fire risk assessment at a glance
- Machinery, processes and ignition sources
- Hot work and dangerous substances
- Shift patterns and shutdown procedures
- 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
Factories and workshops combine people, machinery, energy, combustible materials and changing production processes. Welding, cutting, heating, paint, solvents, dust, extraction, compressed gases and maintenance can create risks that a generic commercial assessment would not adequately address.
The assessment must follow the actual production flow and consider normal operation, cleaning, maintenance, breakdowns, start-up, shutdown and reduced staffing. Where dangerous substances could create fire or explosion, the fire risk assessment must coordinate with the DSEAR assessment rather than duplicate or ignore it.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
The manufacturing employer or workshop operator is normally the responsible person for the workplace. Owners, industrial-estate managers, maintenance contractors and other occupiers may control shared systems or areas and must cooperate and coordinate.
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.
DSEAR 2002
Requires risks from dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres to be assessed, eliminated or controlled.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Work equipment, processes and competent management duties should be coordinated with the fire-safety system.
Building regulations and change control
New plant, compartments, mezzanines and material alterations must preserve the intended fire strategy.
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.
Processes and machinery
Map ignition, heat, friction, electrical loads, fuel, oxygen and combustible by-products through each operating mode.
Dangerous substances
Check inventories, safety data, zoning, ventilation, storage, transfer, spill control and emergency information.
Hot work and maintenance
Review permits, isolation, fire watch, contractor competence and reinstatement of fire systems.
Escape and shutdown
Assess exits, travel, machinery isolation, process shutdown and whether workers can leave without delay.
Fire protection
Review detection, alarms, suppression, extinguishers, compartmentation, smoke control and fire-service facilities.
Management
Examine shifts, supervision, training, housekeeping, waste, inspections, impairments and change control.
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.
Hot work
Welding, cutting and grinding can ignite concealed or remote combustibles during and after work.
Flammable substances and dust
Vapours, gases and combustible dust can produce fast fire development or explosion.
Machinery and electrical faults
Overheating, friction, damaged equipment and temporary repairs can create ignition.
Process and extraction deposits
Oil, dust, residues and filters can spread fire through ductwork or plant.
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.
Operators and maintenance staff
People may be close to machinery, hazardous processes or areas with restricted escape.
Shift and lone workers
Reduced supervision and specialist cover can change the emergency response.
Contractors and visitors
They may not understand process hazards, isolations, alarms or alternative exits.
People in adjoining premises
Industrial units may share walls, roofs, yards and systems with separately controlled businesses.
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.
- Ensure alarms remain perceptible in noisy areas and where hearing protection is worn.
- Define safe shutdown only where it does not delay escape or expose staff to greater risk.
- Keep escape available during maintenance, temporary work and production-layout changes.
- Coordinate dangerous-substance incidents, muster information and emergency-service access.
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
- Process descriptions and layout plans
- Dangerous-substance inventories and DSEAR assessment
- Hot-work and contractor permits
- Alarm, suppression, extraction and door maintenance
- Training, drills, incidents and change-control records
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.
- New machinery, process, material or production volume
- Change to extraction, ventilation, compartmentation or suppression
- New dangerous substance or revised safety information
- Maintenance shutdown, refurbishment or temporary production layout
- Fire, explosion, overheating event or significant near miss
- Evidence the assessment or related DSEAR controls are 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.
Processes and substances
Number and complexity of operations, fuels, chemicals, gases and dusts.
Premises scale
Buildings, floors, compartments, mezzanines and external plant.
Protection and shutdown
Suppression, extraction, alarm interfaces and safe-isolation arrangements.
Evidence and access
Process documents, DSEAR records, shift access and specialist coordination.
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 factory, workshop or industrial unit 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 factories and workshops FAQs
Do factories and workshops need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. The responsible person must assess the premises and activities, record the findings and implement suitable fire precautions under the Fire Safety Order.
Is a DSEAR assessment the same as an FRA?
No. DSEAR focuses on dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres. Its findings must inform and coordinate with the fire risk assessment, but one document does not automatically replace the other.
Must hot work be included?
Yes where it occurs or is foreseeable. The assessment should examine alternatives, permits, isolation, combustible clearance, fire watch, contractor control and system reinstatement.
How often should an industrial FRA be reviewed?
There is no universal fixed interval. Review regularly and whenever processes, materials, machinery, layout, shifts or fire protection change, and after an incident or new risk information.
Can a general commercial assessor assess a factory?
Only if their competence and experience match the processes and complexity. Dangerous substances, explosion risk, specialist suppression and unusual construction may require additional expertise.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your factory, workshop or industrial unit
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.
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