Before you start
How to use this office FRA checklist
Walk the office while it is in normal use, speak to people who understand the building and review records rather than answering from memory. Mark each item as confirmed, action required, not applicable or further investigation needed, and retain evidence for important conclusions.
A checklist cannot decide whether precautions are adequate for every office. Complex, multi-tenanted, high-rise, fire-engineered or extensively altered premises may require a competent professional and separate specialist surveys.
Checklist 1
Premises scope and responsibility
Define what is being assessed before judging individual precautions.
- Record the office address, floors, suites, ancillary rooms and areas included
- Identify the employer and every other responsible person for the premises
- Confirm landlord, managing-agent, facilities and emergency contacts
- Map the tenant demise, common areas and shared building systems
- Obtain the lease responsibility schedule and fit-out information where relevant
- Record maximum credible occupancy, opening hours and out-of-hours use
- Identify other occupiers, mixed uses and people nearby who may be affected
- Obtain existing tenant and landlord FRAs and current action plans
Checklist 2
People at risk and office occupancy
Consider everyone who may lawfully be present, not just permanent staff seen on the inspection day.
- Employees, hybrid workers and the busiest expected attendance
- Visitors, clients, interviewees, contractors and delivery workers
- Cleaners, security staff, lone workers and out-of-hours occupants
- New starters, agency staff and people unfamiliar with the office
- People with mobility, sensory, cognitive or other evacuation needs
- Pregnant workers, young persons and anyone temporarily less able to evacuate
- People in adjoining units or shared areas affected by an office fire
- Practical PEEP or generic evacuation arrangements and available assistance
Checklist 3
Office ignition sources, fuel and higher-risk areas
Identify how a fire could start, what could burn and where routine controls may fail.
- Damaged electrical equipment, overloaded adaptors and trailing leads
- Fixed electrical inspection, reported defects and unsafe temporary wiring
- Laptop, phone, power-bank, e-bike or e-scooter battery charging
- Server rooms, communications cupboards, UPS units and ventilation
- Kitchens, microwaves, toasters, coffee equipment and cooking controls
- Portable heaters, lighting, maintenance tools and contractor equipment
- Paper, archives, packaging, furniture and combustible storage
- Waste handling, refuse rooms, loading areas and deliberate-fire risk
- Flammable liquids, gases or dangerous substances used or stored
- Smoking and vaping controls, including external disposal arrangements
Checklist 4
Means of escape and office layout
Test the route from every occupied point to a place of total safety under credible conditions.
- Number, width and capacity of routes and exits for maximum occupancy
- Travel distances, dead ends and alternative escape routes
- Partitions, meeting pods, furniture or storage that affect route choice
- Protected stairs, lobbies, corridors and final exits
- Doors open readily in the direction and manner required for escape
- Access-control locks, turnstiles and shutters release safely on alarm or failure
- Routes remain available during cleaning, deliveries and out-of-hours work
- External routes, gates and assembly points remain safe and unobstructed
- Escape signs are clear from decision points and suit the actual layout
- Emergency lighting covers routes, changes of level, equipment and exits
Checklist 5
Alarm, doors, compartmentation and equipment
Check condition and management as well as whether equipment is present.
- Alarm category and coverage remain suitable for the office and building
- Manual call points, sounders and visual alarms are visible and unobstructed
- The signal is understood, audible and coordinated with shared systems
- Weekly user tests, servicing, faults and unwanted alarms are recorded
- Fire doors close fully, latch where required and are not damaged or wedged
- Door seals, glazing, hinges, gaps and hold-open devices appear serviceable
- Compartment walls, ceilings, risers and service penetrations have evidence
- Sprinklers, smoke control and other engineered systems are maintained
- Extinguishers are suitable, located correctly, serviced and unobstructed
- Firefighting shafts, lifts, risers and fire-service access remain available
Checklist 6
Emergency plan, staff arrangements and records
An office can have sound physical precautions but an unworkable emergency plan.
- Written emergency plan matches the alarm and evacuation strategy
- Staff know how to raise the alarm, leave and report concerns
- Wardens or marshals have defined duties and reliable cover
- Visitors and contractors receive proportionate fire-safety information
- Assisted-evacuation plans, equipment and trained support are workable
- Drills test realistic occupancy and lessons lead to recorded actions
- Reception, security and building-management roles are coordinated
- System tests, maintenance, defects, training and drills are recorded
- Contractor, hot-work and temporary-impairment controls are documented
- Landlord and tenant findings and actions are exchanged and tracked
Checklist 7
Assessment report, actions and review
The completed FRA should explain the reasoning and support action—not simply score the office or issue a certificate.
- Assessment scope, date, assessor and responsible persons are recorded
- Hazards, people at risk, precautions and significant findings are clear
- Evidence reviewed, inaccessible areas, assumptions and limitations are stated
- Actions specify location, risk, required outcome and priority
- Tenant, landlord, contractor and shared actions are distinguished
- Action owners, target dates, interim controls and completion evidence are tracked
- The emergency plan and staff information are updated after findings
- A regular review programme and change triggers are recorded
Quote and attendance
What to send an office fire risk assessor
A clear brief helps providers quote comparable scope and makes the site visit more useful. Explain any deadline, incident or concern rather than requesting only a certificate.
- Address, floor area, floors, suites and maximum occupancy
- Office arrangement: self-contained, shared, serviced or whole building
- Existing FRA, action plan, floor plans and fire strategy
- Landlord or managing-agent contact and common-system information
- Alarm, emergency-lighting, fire-door and extinguisher records
- Emergency plan, drills, training and evacuation-support arrangements
- Fit-out, refurbishment, change of use or known construction concerns
- Access, security, parking, occupied hours and report deadline