Fire Safety Order 2005
Requires assessment, precautions, maintenance, staff information and training, emergency planning and full recording.
Retailers, landlords and centre managers
Fire risk assessment for shops and retail premises
Assess customer areas, stock, displays, deliveries and shared escape arrangements, then request a quote for your retail premises.
Key points
Shop or retail premises fire risk assessment at a glance
- Customer and staff evacuation
- Stockrooms, displays and seasonal changes
- Shopping centres and mixed-use buildings
- 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
Retail premises combine members of the public who may be unfamiliar with the building with changing displays, stock, deliveries, electrical equipment and security controls. Seasonal peaks can change both fuel load and occupancy well beyond normal conditions.
An assessment should follow every customer and staff route, including sales floors, fitting rooms, stockrooms, basements, staff areas, service corridors and final exits, and coordinate with centre or building management where systems are shared.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
The retail employer or operator is normally responsible for the unit, while a landlord, centre operator or managing agent may control malls, service corridors, common alarms and final exits. Responsibilities and emergency arrangements must be 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.
Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996
Support consistent signs where residual risks remain, including escape and equipment identification.
Dangerous substances duties
Flammable aerosols, liquids, gases or processes require specific assessment and control.
Building and licensing requirements
Fit-outs, material alterations, entertainment or late opening may bring additional approvals and conditions.
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.
Public occupancy
Assess credible customer numbers, queues, events, children, pushchairs and people unfamiliar with exits.
Escape routes
Check sight lines, displays, security shutters, final exits, service corridors and shared routes.
Stock and storage
Review stock density, high shelving, packaging, basements, waste and separation from ignition sources.
Detection and warning
Confirm alarms are perceptible above music and background noise and coordinated with centre systems.
Special risks
Consider cooking, demonstrations, batteries, aerosols, flammable products, refrigeration and plant.
Management
Review opening checks, staff coverage, seasonal workers, deliveries, contractors, closing procedures and drills.
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.
Displays and promotional stock
Temporary arrangements can obstruct signs, narrow routes and increase combustible load.
Security measures
Shutters, locks and access controls can delay escape unless correctly designed and managed.
Stockrooms and basements
High fuel loads and limited visibility can allow a fire to grow before discovery.
Lithium-ion products
E-bikes, devices, toys and returns may introduce damaged batteries and charging risks.
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.
Customers
Many will be unfamiliar with alternative exits and may instinctively leave by the entrance.
Children and families
Pushchairs, supervision and slower movement affect flow and assistance.
Disabled and older people
Routes, alarms and staff assistance must reflect a range of needs.
Seasonal and lone staff
Temporary or closing staff need suitable induction and enough support for the emergency plan.
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.
- Keep escape signs visible above competing retail and promotional information.
- Ensure security arrangements release safely and staff know any manual overrides.
- Train staff to direct customers to the safest available exits, not just the main entrance.
- Coordinate alarms, assembly and re-entry with the landlord or shopping-centre team.
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
- Maximum occupancy and layout plans
- Opening, closing and route checks
- Alarm, lighting, extinguisher and door records
- Staff training and drill records
- Landlord or centre coordination information
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.
- Seasonal layout, display or stock changes
- New product lines, batteries, aerosols or demonstrations
- Fit-out, concession, tenant or access-control changes
- Significant change in occupancy or opening hours
- Fire, near miss, unwanted alarm or evacuation problem
- 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.
Sales and storage area
Floor area, stockrooms, basements, concessions and floors.
Public occupancy
Customer numbers, opening hours and event or seasonal peaks.
Special hazards
Cooking, batteries, dangerous substances and plant.
Shared building scope
Shopping-centre systems, service routes and landlord 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 shop or retail premises 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 shops and retail premises FAQs
Does a small shop need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. Size affects complexity, not whether Fire Safety Order duties apply. A small, simple shop may be assessed proportionately but the findings still need to be recorded.
Can stock be kept in an escape route?
Escape routes must remain clear and safe. Stock, packaging and deliveries should not obstruct routes, doors, signs or firefighting equipment or add uncontrolled fuel to protected routes.
Who is responsible in a shopping centre?
The retailer normally controls its unit while the centre operator or landlord controls common areas and shared systems. Each may be a responsible person and must cooperate and coordinate.
Do changing displays require an FRA review?
Routine minor changes can be controlled through management checks, but changes that affect routes, occupancy, signs, fuel load or hazards should trigger review and may require the assessment to be revised.
How is retail occupancy assessed?
The assessment should consider the maximum credible number of customers and staff, including seasonal peaks, events and queues, and compare this with exit capacity and management arrangements.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your shop or retail premises
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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