What to Expect From a Fire Risk Assessment: The Process From Start to Finish

Commissioning a fire risk assessment for the first time can feel daunting. What will the assessor need from you? What happens on the day? And what should the finished report actually look like? This guide walks you through the entire process so you know exactly what to expect -- and how to prepare.

Before the Visit: The Questions a Good Assessor Should Ask

A competent fire risk assessor will not simply book a date and turn up. Before setting foot on your premises, they should be gathering information over the phone or by email. If they are not asking these questions, treat it as a warning sign:

- What type of premises is it? Commercial, domestic rental, mixed-use, listed building?
- What is the square meterage and layout?
- How many employees or residents are there?
- What fire safety systems are in place? Alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers, sprinklers?
- Do you have an existing fire risk assessment? If so, when was it last reviewed?
- Can you provide building design documents or fire strategies?
- Do you have certificates of installation for fire doors and fire stopping?

That last point is critical. If you can provide evidence that fire doors and compartmentation were installed to the correct standard, the assessor can proceed with a less invasive assessment. If you cannot, they may need to take a closer look.

Understanding the Types of Assessment

Not all fire risk assessments are the same. The type you need depends on your premises and how much documentation you can provide.

#### Commercial Premises: Destructive vs Non-Destructive

For commercial buildings, the two main approaches are:

Non-destructive assessment -- The assessor inspects the premises without causing any physical damage. They may use tools such as endoscopes to look through existing breaches in firewalls or ceilings, checking whether fire compartmentation is intact. If they spot gaps or penetrations, they photograph the evidence and include it in the report.

Destructive assessment -- The assessor physically opens up parts of the building: removing architraves from fire doors, drilling inspection holes, lifting ceiling tiles. This provides a much more thorough picture of hidden fire stopping and compartmentation, but it comes with a cost -- someone needs to make good the work afterwards. Crucially, if a destructive assessment is planned, the assessor should request an asbestos survey report beforehand to avoid disturbing hazardous materials.

#### Domestic Properties: Types 1 Through 4

For domestic rental properties -- blocks of flats, converted houses, HMOs -- there are four types of fire risk assessment, defined by their scope and invasiveness:

- Type 1 -- Covers the communal escape route only, non-destructive. This is the most common type and is appropriate where the responsible person can provide certificates of installation for fire doors, fire stopping, and other passive fire protection measures.

- Type 2 -- Covers the communal escape route only, but destructive. The assessor physically inspects concealed elements within the communal areas.

- Type 3 -- Non-destructive, but extends beyond the communal areas into individual flats. This is recommended when the responsible person cannot provide installation certificates. By inspecting from both sides of the compartment line -- inside the escape route and inside the dwelling -- the assessor gains a better understanding of how the building is constructed and maintained.

- Type 4 -- Extends into individual flats and is destructive. This is the most comprehensive (and expensive) option, typically reserved for buildings where there are serious concerns about hidden defects.

A good assessor will discuss these options with you and recommend the appropriate type based on your building, its documentation, and its risk profile.

What to Have Ready on the Day

Preparation makes a significant difference to the quality of your fire risk assessment. Before the assessor arrives, gather the following:

Fire management documentation:
- Your fire safety policy (if you have one -- and you should)
- The fire log book showing ongoing testing and maintenance records
- Fire training records for staff or fire wardens
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for anyone with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments
- Your Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan (FEEP) and Building Emergency Evacuation Plan (BEEP)

Building documentation:
- Building design plans or fire strategy documents
- Certificates of installation for fire doors and fire stopping
- Asbestos survey reports (especially if a destructive assessment is planned)

Maintenance records:
- Fire alarm service and test records
- Emergency lighting service and test records
- Fire extinguisher service records
- Gas safety certificates
- Electrical installation condition reports
- Portable appliance testing records
- Evacuation chair maintenance records (a frequently overlooked item)

If you do not have some of these documents, be honest about it. The assessor needs to know what is missing so they can adjust their approach and flag the gaps in their report.

The Site Walkthrough

Once the documentation review is complete, the assessor will conduct a physical inspection of the premises. A key point here: someone who knows the building well should accompany the assessor throughout. The assessor is only as good as the information they are given. If there are rooms, plant areas, or storage spaces they are not shown, those areas cannot be assessed -- and the assessor will note this as a limitation in the report.

During the walkthrough, expect the assessor to:

- Photograph extensively. A photograph tells a story far more effectively than a written description. Expect images of fire door gaps, breaches in compartmentation, blocked escape routes, expired service labels, and any other findings. Good photographic evidence is one hallmark of a thorough assessment.

- Ask questions. What do you call this area? What is stored in there? Has this layout changed recently? These questions help ensure the report is written in terms you will understand and can act on.

- Identify both risks and hazards. These are distinct concepts. A risk is a source of ignition that could start a fire -- electrical installations, gas supplies, heating systems. Risks are inherent to a building and can only be made tolerable through proper controls. A hazard is typically something created by human behaviour -- combustible materials stored in plant rooms, fire doors wedged open, items blocking escape routes. Hazards are usually cheap or free to remove because if people created them, people can eliminate them.

- Note positive findings too. A good assessor is not just looking for problems. They should also record what is working well, giving you credit for areas where your fire safety management is sound.

The Report: What It Should Contain

After the site visit, the assessor produces the fire risk assessment report. The gold standard layout follows PAS 79 (Publicly Available Specification 79), which provides a recognised framework for how fire risk assessments should be structured.

A PAS 79-compliant report should include:

- Premises details -- address, use, occupancy, construction type
- The responsible person and relevant persons -- who holds the duties and who is at risk
- Fire safety management arrangements -- policies, training, maintenance regimes
- A systematic area-by-area assessment -- each part of the building examined individually, with risks and hazards identified
- A clear methodology -- how the assessor reached their conclusions and risk ratings. If a report does not explain its methodology, that is a significant gap.
- Photographic evidence -- supporting each finding with visual documentation
- Prioritised recommendations -- actions required, graded by urgency and severity
- Review date -- typically 12 months, unless circumstances change sooner
- Limitations and caveats -- areas not accessed, information not provided, assumptions made

Be cautious of reports that look like generic templates with tick boxes and no site-specific detail. A fire risk assessment should be a bespoke document that reflects the unique characteristics and risks of your specific premises.

After the Assessment: It Does Not End With the Report

Receiving the report is not the finish line. The fire risk assessment is a legal document, and its recommendations carry legal weight. If the fire and rescue service inspects your premises, they will review your fire risk assessment and may challenge you on two fronts:

1. The quality of the assessment itself. If it is deemed inadequate or insufficient -- for example, if primary risks have not been identified -- they may require you to commission a new one from a more competent assessor.

2. Whether you have acted on the recommendations. Having a thorough risk assessment but failing to carry out the recommended works puts you in a difficult position. In serious cases, this can lead to enforcement action, including an Article 31 Prohibition Notice under the Fire Safety Order, which gives you a defined timeframe to complete the required works under ongoing scrutiny.

Your assessor should be available to support you after the assessment is delivered. If you have questions about findings, need help prioritising works, or want guidance on what a recommendation actually means in practice, a good assessor will make themselves available. If an assessor delivers a report and then refuses to engage further, that is a significant red flag.

When to Review

A fire risk assessment should be reviewed at least annually. However, it must also be reviewed whenever there is a significant change to the premises, including:

- An increase in employee numbers or a change in occupancy profile
- Physical alterations to the building layout or structure
- A change of use for any part of the premises
- The introduction of new risks (for example, switching from gas-powered to electric equipment that requires lithium battery charging)
- Following any fire incident or near-miss

The assessment is a living document. Treat it as one, and it will serve you well.