Fire Safety Order 2005
Sets the core assessment, precaution, maintenance, information, training and emergency-planning duties.
Employers, landlords and facilities managers
Fire risk assessment for offices
Assess office hazards, escape arrangements, hybrid occupancy and shared responsibilities, then request a tailored London or Surrey quote.
Key points
Office fire risk assessment at a glance
- Single and multi-tenant offices
- Hybrid working and changing occupancy
- Disabled evacuation and shared systems
- 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
Offices can appear straightforward but contain electrical equipment, batteries, kitchens, paper, furniture, server rooms and changing layouts. Hybrid work can create large variations in occupancy and leave lone workers, visitors or contractors present outside normal hours.
The assessment should cover the whole area under the responsible person’s control and coordinate with landlords and other occupiers where alarms, stairs, reception, plant or final exits are shared.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
The employer is responsible for workplace fire safety, while a landlord, building owner or managing agent may control common parts and building-wide systems. In a multi-occupied office, all responsible persons must cooperate, coordinate and share relevant risk information.
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.
Health and safety law
Workplace processes and dangerous substances may create related duties that should be coordinated with the FRA.
Equality and evacuation duties
Arrangements must consider disabled people and others who may need assistance; reliance on fire-service rescue is not an evacuation plan.
Building regulations
Material alterations, fit-outs and changes of use may require approval and must not compromise the building 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.
Occupancy and escape
Check maximum credible numbers, travel distances, exit capacity, dead ends, stairs and final exits.
Detection and warning
Confirm the alarm is appropriate, audible or otherwise perceivable and coordinated across shared areas.
Electrical and battery risks
Review fixed installations, portable equipment, charging, server rooms, UPS systems and lithium-ion batteries.
Fire separation
Consider fire doors, risers, service penetrations, suspended ceilings and fit-out changes.
Disabled evacuation
Assess personal or generic plans, refuges, communication, evacuation aids and staff responsibilities.
Management
Review drills, wardens, induction, contractors, lone workers, testing, records and action completion.
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.
IT and charging equipment
Dense electrical loads, damaged chargers and batteries can ignite and produce difficult fires.
Kitchenettes and breakout spaces
Cooking, toasters, microwaves and informal furniture introduce hazards away from supervised workstations.
Fit-out changes
Partitions, meeting pods and access control can alter travel distances, alarm coverage and fire separation.
Combustible storage
Paper archives, deliveries and waste can accumulate in cupboards, plant areas or escape routes.
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.
Employees and hybrid workers
Occupancy patterns and familiarity vary by day and time.
Visitors and contractors
People may not know alternative exits, alarms or access-control overrides.
Disabled people
Evacuation arrangements should be planned with individuals where possible and remain workable without the fire service.
Lone and out-of-hours workers
Alarm response, communications and available assistance may differ outside core hours.
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 exit capacity and procedures on the maximum credible occupancy, not the quietest hybrid-working day.
- Ensure access-control systems fail safely and final exits open immediately without keys or codes.
- Coordinate tenant drills and alarm arrangements with building management.
- Test arrangements for disabled people and cover absences of nominated assistants or wardens.
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
- Occupancy and layout information
- Alarm, lighting, extinguisher and door records
- Emergency plan, drills and training
- PEEPs or suitable generic arrangements
- Fit-out approvals and landlord coordination 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.
- Office fit-out, partition or furniture changes
- Significant change in occupancy or working hours
- New tenants or changes to shared areas and systems
- New charging, IT, kitchen or storage risks
- Fire, near miss, alarm problem or drill finding
- 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.
Floor area and storeys
Size, floors, stairs, exits and separate suites.
Occupancy and access
Maximum numbers, shared building access and out-of-hours work.
Fit-out complexity
Partitions, pods, server rooms, kitchens and mixed uses.
Shared responsibilities
Need to coordinate landlord, tenants and building records.
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 office 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 offices FAQs
Does every office need a fire risk assessment?
Yes, where the Fire Safety Order applies the responsible person must ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is completed and recorded. Very simple offices may be less complex to assess, but are not exempt.
Who is responsible in a rented office?
The employer normally controls its workplace, while the landlord or managing agent may control common parts and building-wide systems. Both can be responsible persons and must cooperate.
Do hybrid offices need fewer fire precautions?
Not automatically. The assessment should use the maximum credible occupancy and consider fluctuating attendance, visitors, lone work and days when trained wardens or assistants are absent.
How often should an office FRA be reviewed?
There is no universal legal annual interval. Review it regularly and whenever layout, occupancy, work, equipment, responsible persons or evidence changes, or after an incident or meaningful drill finding.
Does an office need fire marshals?
The responsible person must appoint enough competent people to assist with preventive and protective measures where necessary. The appropriate number and role depend on the premises, occupancy, shifts and emergency plan.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your office
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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