You need to conduct a fire risk assessment to ensure that you, the lives of others, and your building are as safe as possible.
It can be overwhelming at first, and you may not know where to start. But with the help of a checklist, you can make sure that you remember every detail and don’t overlook anything necessary for fire safety.
You are required by law to do fire risk assessments, and you need to keep track of your findings. Doing this will be much easier with the help of a checklist, so we’ve decided to assist:
Checklist
Identify The Fire Hazards
First, you need to identify fire hazards. Assess the area and note any fire hazards you may come across. An easy way to do this is to think of the three elements that cause a fire: source of oxygen, fuel, and ignition. Ensure that these three do not come together to avoid a fire from starting. It would help if you took note of combustible materials and objects that generate heat.
You can also get help from passive Fire Protection Companies. They can carry out an assessment for you, identify fire risks, and how to minimise them.
Identify People At Risk
Think about the size of your staff and how many other people may be in the building, like customers and visitors.
Ensure that you create a suitable evacuation procedure. Keep people with sensory impairments and physical disabilities in mind, as well as people at risk, such as the elderly and children.
Think about how they will get notified about the fire, evacuate the building, and where they should congregate.
Take note of specific roles that put employees at higher risk and how visitors and customers won’t be aware of your protocol.
Evaluate, Remove, Reduce, And Protect
Now you need to work on removing and reducing the risks identified.
This also includes assessing the status of the fire safety equipment you have, like smoke detectors and alarms, fire extinguishers, and exit routes.
The equipment should be maintained and tested regularly. Take action to implement preventative measures.
In this step, you want to carry out a plan to remove any risks and assess the likelihood of a fire starting, how it may occur, and how it will affect your building.
Record, Plan, And Inform
Record your findings, all the fire hazards you found, and the steps you’ll take to fix them. When you have this, you can create an evacuation plan.
Have regular fire drills and train your staff. Having a record of your fire risk assessment will be very helpful.
Review The Plan
Circumstances constantly change, so you need to have a fire risk assessment regularly. Review the risk assessment to ensure that all measures you have implemented are adequate.
Something as small as an alteration to the building would mean that you need to conduct another fire safety risk assessment.
Conducting Fire Risk Assessments
It needs to be done by a responsible person who will correctly identify hazards and implement proper protocols and a good emergency plan.
A checklist will help this person when conducting the assessment and ensure that they note every detail, from potential risks to the appropriate action.
FAQs
What is involved in a fire risk assessment checklist?
The fire hazards, people at risk, ways to reduce and remove the risks, a record of your findings, and a review.
Can I do a fire risk assessment myself?
You can, but it is highly recommended to get a professional to assist.
What is the legal requirement for fire risk assessments?
The regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) R requires it to be done. You should show that a proper check was made and that all factors have been considered.
