Premises and responsibility
Address, use, occupancies, responsible persons, assessor, date, areas included, limitations and information relied upon.
Free editable resource
Fire risk assessment template
A practical structure for recording the premises, hazards, people at risk, fire precautions, findings, action plan and review—designed around current duties in England.
8 structured sectionsWord + PDF available formatsEngland legal contextFree no payment required
What it is for
A clearer record—not a tick-box shortcut
The template is intended to help a responsible person or competent assessor organise a proportionate assessment and turn its findings into managed actions.
No form can decide whether its user has sufficient knowledge for the premises. Straightforward, low-risk premises may be suitable for a competent person to assess internally. Sleeping accommodation, vulnerable people, complex or high-rise construction, mixed uses and fire-engineered systems often require more experienced professional input.
Current recording duty
Since 1 October 2023, responsible persons must record the fire risk assessment in full—including all findings—and record their fire-safety arrangements. The old five-employee threshold no longer limits that duty.
Inside the template
What this template covers
The final documents will cover the recognised assessment process with prompts, evidence fields and action tracking rather than relying on unexplained yes-or-no answers.
Fire hazards
Ignition sources, fuel, oxygen, dangerous substances and credible ways a fire could start, grow or spread.
People at risk
Employees, residents, visitors, contractors and anyone who may need information or assistance to escape.
Existing precautions
Escape, warning, emergency lighting, fire doors, compartmentation, equipment and management arrangements.
Evaluation and findings
Whether precautions are adequate, what evidence supports the conclusion and what further investigation is necessary.
Action plan
Clear actions, priority, responsible owner, target date, interim measures, status and evidence of completion.
Emergency planning
Evacuation strategy, staff roles, calling the fire service, assistance arrangements, drills and coordination.
Review record
Planned review, significant changes, incidents, defects and reasons the assessment was revised.
Choosing the right starting point
Who is this template for?
It is designed for people who already understand their premises and have enough fire-safety knowledge to identify hazards, evaluate precautions and recognise where specialist help is needed.
May be a useful starting point
Straightforward premises
- Small offices and shops with simple layouts
- Low-risk activities and familiar occupants
- Clear responsibility and reliable records
- A user who understands the hazards and precautions
- No unusual construction or evacuation strategy
Professional help should be considered
Complex or consequential risks
- Sleeping accommodation or vulnerable occupants
- High-rise, mixed-use or multi-occupied buildings
- Complex construction, compartmentation concerns or external walls
- Dangerous substances or unusual industrial processes
- Enforcement, licensing, fire or significant-change concerns
Structure versus competence
Is a template enough?
A template gives you somewhere to record the assessment. It does not tell you whether you have found every material hazard, understood the building’s fire precautions or reached a suitable conclusion.
It cannot inspect the building
The user must identify construction, escape, warning, compartmentation, management and occupancy issues at the actual premises.
It cannot supply missing expertise
Prompts cannot replace knowledge of fire behaviour, relevant guidance, evacuation, systems, residential strategy or the limits of a visual assessment.
It cannot make actions happen
The responsible person must assign, fund, complete and verify actions, maintain precautions and keep the assessment under review.
It is not a compliance certificate
Completing every field does not make the premises safe or compliant. The underlying assessment must still be suitable and sufficient.
If the premises has sleeping or vulnerable occupants, complex construction, several occupiers, a high-rise or mixed-use arrangement, unusual processes, enforcement concerns or important information gaps, professional help should be considered.
Free template pack
Receive the fire risk assessment template
The 17-page template includes the editable assessment structure, action-plan summary and review record. A more detailed standalone action plan is also available separately.
- No payment required
- No claim that a template replaces competence
- Version and review date included in every document
When a template is not enough
Find a fire risk assessor for your premises
If the building is complex, the risks are unfamiliar or you are not confident that you can reach and record a suitable conclusion, a competent professional can define the scope, inspect the premises and explain the resulting actions.
- Assessment enquiries currently focus on London and Surrey
- No obligation to proceed after discussing the scope
- The responsible person still retains the legal duty to act
Template questions
Before you use a generic FRA form
Is there an official fire risk assessment template?
No single statutory form is prescribed. The assessment must be suitable and sufficient for the actual premises, record all findings and support effective fire-safety arrangements and action.
Can I use this template for any building?
The structure can help organise information for many straightforward premises, but a generic template cannot supply competence or resolve complex construction, sleeping risk, vulnerable occupants, mixed use, high-rise buildings or specialist fire-engineered measures.
Does completing the template make my premises compliant?
No. A completed form is not a compliance certificate. The responsible person must make sure the assessment is suitable and sufficient, implement necessary precautions and keep the assessment under review.
Do businesses with fewer than five employees need a written assessment?
Yes. Since 1 October 2023, responsible persons in England must record the fire risk assessment in full and record their fire-safety arrangements. The former five-employee recording threshold no longer applies.
What format does the template use?
The template is available as an editable Word document and a matching printable PDF. It contains an action-plan summary and review record, with a more detailed standalone action-plan template available separately.
Sources and limitations
Guidance reviewed 24 July 2026
This page provides general information for England. The template is not legal advice, a compliance certificate or a substitute for competence appropriate to the premises.