Does My Office Need a Fire Risk Assessment?
Offices can feel like low-risk places, with no naked flames and little in the way of hazardous processes, which is part of why the question comes up so often, and the answer all the same is yes. An office is a workplace under the control of an employer, which places it squarely within fire safety law, and the density of electrical equipment, the number of people who may need to leave a multi-storey building quickly, and the shared escape routes common in let buildings all give the assessment real work to do. The major fire that tore through a four-storey building in Liverpool city centre in January 2024, shown below, is a reminder of how quickly fire can take hold and spread through a large commercial building.
The major fire on Fox Street, Liverpool city centre, in January 2024.
The legal position
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for any premises that is not a single private dwelling, and an office is plainly within scope. Since 1 October 2023, when Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Order, the findings must be recorded in writing regardless of the number of people employed, which removed the old threshold that exempted smaller employers from keeping a written record.
The key pointEvery office needs a recorded fire risk assessment, and in a building shared by several tenants the responsibilities have to be coordinated so that nothing falls through the gap between them.
Who is the responsible person?
In an office, the responsible person is usually the employer, since the workplace is under their control. Where a building is let to several tenants, the owner or managing agent is generally responsible for the common parts and the building's overall escape strategy, while each employer remains responsible for their own area, and the law requires these parties to cooperate so that the building works as a whole in an emergency. The assessment must be carried out by a competent person, whether trained in-house or brought in.
The particular risks in an office
The hazards in an office are easy to underestimate, which is exactly why they reward a careful look:
- A high concentration of electrical equipment, with computers, monitors, chargers and printers often served by extension leads and daisy-chained adaptors that can overload sockets.
- Server and communications rooms, where a concentrated electrical load generates heat in a confined space.
- Kitchenettes and break areas, with toasters, microwaves and the occasional portable heater introducing everyday ignition sources.
- The accumulation of paper and packaging, and storage that creeps into corridors and stairways and narrows the escape route.
- Fire doors wedged or propped open, a common office failing that defeats the compartmentation meant to hold back fire and smoke.
- Escape from upper floors, where travel distances, signage, emergency lighting and the management of visitors who do not know the layout all matter, along with arrangements such as personal emergency evacuation plans and evacuation chairs for anyone who needs help to leave.
A sound assessment pulls these together into a clear plan, covering detection and alarm, the escape routes and final exits, the role of trained fire wardens, and the staff training that makes an evacuation work in practice.
How we can help
We carry out fire risk assessments for offices and commercial premises across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands, including businesses in Liverpool, Chester and Shrewsbury, from single-tenant offices to units within larger let buildings.
Need a fire risk assessment for your office?
We carry out clear, practical fire risk assessments for offices and commercial premises across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands. To discuss your premises, please get in touch.
Get in touch Offices and commercialThis article is provided for general information and does not constitute legal advice or a fire risk assessment. It is based on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022. Specific advice should be sought for your own premises.