Fire Safety Order 2005
Creates the main workplace assessment and general fire-precaution duties.
Employers, occupiers and workplace managers
Workplace fire risk assessment
Turn your workplace activities, occupancy and escape arrangements into a suitable fire risk assessment and practical action plan.
Key points
Workplace fire risk assessment at a glance
- Most workplaces require a fire risk assessment
- Employers normally hold the primary workplace duty
- Every finding must be recorded in full
- Staff information, training and drills form part of compliance
- London and Surrey assessment enquiries
- The responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment and record its findings in full.
- Review the relevant assessment and evidence when changes, an incident or new information could affect its validity.
Property-specific guidance
Why this premises type needs its own assessment
A workplace fire risk assessment considers more than the building. It must reflect the work being carried out, equipment and materials used, everyone who may be present and the way fire-safety arrangements operate across shifts, contractors and periods of lone working.
The term workplace includes far more than offices. Shops, studios, clinics, workshops, community premises, storage units and back-of-house areas can all have different ignition sources, occupancies and escape challenges.
The assessment should result in clear significant findings and prioritised actions. It must be kept current as the workforce, activities, layout and fire precautions change.
London incident context
1,727 recorded fires in non-residential premises
London Fire Brigade recorded this total across London in calendar year 2025. It is a broad incident category, not a count for this exact premises type and not a measure of whether an individual building is safe.
Legal responsibility
Who must arrange the assessment?
In a workplace, the employer is normally the responsible person to the extent that the workplace is under its control. Owners, landlords, occupiers or managers may also be responsible for areas and systems they control, and all relevant dutyholders must cooperate.
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.
Building Safety Act 2022, section 156
Strengthened recording, assessor-identification, cooperation and handover requirements.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Requires workplace risks and management arrangements to be coordinated with wider health and safety duties.
Building regulations
Building work and material alterations can require separate approval and fire-safety information.
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.
People and working patterns
Record employees, visitors, contractors, shifts, lone work and anyone who may need assistance.
Activities and hazards
Review electrical equipment, heating, cooking, hot work, machinery, batteries, chemicals and combustible stock.
Detection and warning
Confirm that everyone can receive and understand a warning throughout occupied areas.
Escape arrangements
Check travel distances, exits, doors, lighting, signs, security and assembly arrangements.
Protection and maintenance
Review compartmentation, fire doors, extinguishers, fixed systems and planned maintenance.
Management
Examine roles, training, drills, contractor controls, defects, records and action tracking.
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.
Routine change
New equipment, stock, partitions or staffing can make an older assessment inaccurate.
Out-of-hours work
Lone workers and cleaners may have fewer people available to raise the alarm or assist.
Access control
Security doors or shutters can obstruct escape if release arrangements are unsuitable or poorly maintained.
Responsibility gaps
Landlord and tenant duties can become disconnected around common routes and shared systems.
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
Include every shift, temporary staff, young workers and people working alone.
Visitors and customers
People unfamiliar with the premises may need clear staff direction.
Disabled people
Plan suitable assistance and accessible information before an emergency.
Contractors
Temporary work and isolation of systems can create additional risk.
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.
- Plan for the maximum credible number of people and the least familiar occupants.
- Make responsibilities work when a usual fire warden or manager is absent.
- Ensure exits can be opened immediately and shared routes remain available.
- Coordinate with landlords and neighbouring occupiers where alarms or routes are shared.
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 workplace FRA and action plan
- Emergency plan and responsible-person details
- Alarm, lighting, door and extinguisher records
- Training, induction and drill records
- Maintenance, fault and impairment records
- Contractor permits and fire-safety controls
- Evidence that actions have been completed
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.
- Change in activities, materials or equipment
- New layout, partitions, occupancy or working hours
- Altered alarm, escape route, fire door or access control
- Fire, near miss, false alarm or evacuation problem
- Change of landlord, tenant or management responsibility
- Evidence that 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.
Premises size
Floor area, storeys, rooms and external or ancillary areas.
Workplace use
Public access, machinery, cooking, storage and higher-risk processes.
Occupancy
Staff, shifts, visitors and assistance arrangements.
Shared systems and evidence
Landlord interfaces, plans, records, access and urgency.
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 workplace 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.
For county-wide duties, cost factors and local context, read the Surrey workplace fire risk assessment guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Workplace fire risk assessment FAQs
Does every workplace need a fire risk assessment?
Most workplaces fall within the Fire Safety Order and require a suitable and sufficient assessment. The employer is normally responsible for the workplace under its control.
Is a workplace FRA the same as a health and safety risk assessment?
No. They should be coordinated, but the fire risk assessment specifically considers fire hazards, people at risk, precautions, evacuation and fire-safety management.
Can one assessment cover several workplace tenants?
It can only do so if the scope, activities and responsible persons are clearly addressed. Each employer must ensure its workplace risks are assessed and all dutyholders must cooperate.
Do fire wardens remove the employer’s responsibility?
No. Wardens can support an emergency plan, but the responsible person remains accountable for suitable arrangements, training and review.
How much does a workplace FRA cost?
A straightforward workplace assessment may commonly start around £180–£440 in London or Surrey. Size, use, public access, shared areas, hazards and available records affect the final quotation.
Property-specific enquiry
Request a quote for your workplace
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 9 September 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.
- GOV.UK workplace fire-safety responsibilities
- GOV.UK fire-safety equipment, drills and training
- GOV.UK offices and shops assessment guide
- GOV.UK guide for persons with fire-safety duties
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- BAFE SP205 fire risk assessment scheme
- National Fire Risk Assessors Register