What Actually Happens During a Fire Risk Assessment?
What Actually Happens During a Fire Risk Assessment
Most responsible persons who have never commissioned a fire risk assessment before approach the process with a certain amount of apprehension. This article explains, plainly and in practical detail, what a competent assessor actually does during a visit — and what you should expect to receive at the end of it.
The phrase "fire risk assessment" carries a weight that can make it seem more opaque than it really is. Compliance obligations, enforcement notices, insurance requirements — these are the contexts in which responsible persons most often encounter the term, and that context is rarely calming. But the process itself, when carried out by a competent assessor, is straightforward, methodical, and ultimately designed to give you something useful: a clear picture of how your building performs against fire risk, and a practical route to improvement where it falls short.
At Fletcher Risk, we carry out fire risk assessments across offices, retail premises, schools, warehouses, care homes, HMOs, hotels, churches, and heritage buildings throughout Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, and the wider North West. Every building is different, but the structure of a thorough, compliant assessment follows a consistent logic — and understanding that logic before we arrive can make the whole process smoother and more productive for everyone involved.
What follows is a step-by-step account of what a fire risk assessment actually involves, from the initial conversation through to the final report and beyond.
Before the Visit: Understanding the Scope
Good assessments begin before the assessor sets foot in the building. During the booking process, we will typically ask for some basic information about the premises: the type of occupancy, the approximate floor area, the number of floors, whether the building has sleeping accommodation, and whether there is an existing assessment in place that we should review beforehand. This is not box-ticking — it shapes the amount of time we allocate to the visit and ensures we arrive with the right frame of reference.
If you have a previous fire risk assessment, it is worth locating it before we arrive. We will want to understand what was identified last time, which actions were completed, and whether any significant changes to the building or its use have occurred since. Buildings that have undergone refurbishment, changes of tenancy, or alterations to their layout may need a more thorough reassessment than premises where little has changed.
Stage One: The Opening Conversation
We always begin a visit with a conversation rather than an inspection. This is not a formality. The purpose is to understand the building as it is actually used, rather than as it appears on a floor plan or in a previous report, because the reality is often different, and those differences matter.
We want to know who occupies the building, how many people are typically present at different times of day, and whether there are any occupants with particular vulnerabilities — mobility impairments, hearing difficulties, or conditions that might affect their ability to evacuate without assistance. In premises with sleeping accommodation, such as hotels, HMOs, or care facilities, this consideration becomes especially significant. In settings such as schools or care homes, the profile of the people at risk shapes almost every aspect of what a suitable emergency plan looks like.
We also ask about recent changes. Has there been any building work, even minor internal alterations? Have new tenants or departments moved in? Has the way the building is used shifted — for instance, a storage area that has become a workspace, or a corridor that is now used for deliveries? These changes affect fire risk in ways that may not be obvious from a visual inspection alone, which is why the conversation happens first.
Stage Two: The Physical Inspection
The physical inspection is the most visible part of the process, and the part most people associate with a fire risk assessment. The assessor will walk the entire premises systematically, working through each area in turn and recording observations as they go. This is not a cursory walkround — in a complex building, it can take several hours.
We are looking at four broad areas during the inspection, each of which feeds into the overall risk picture.
Where could a fire start, and what is available to feed it? This covers electrical installations and equipment, heating systems, cooking facilities, hot works processes, flammable materials in storage, and general housekeeping. A cluttered electrical cupboard, a leaking extraction system above a hob, or a stockroom where cardboard is stored directly against a boiler — these are the kinds of observations that translate into concrete recommendations.
Can every occupant get out safely? We assess escape routes throughout the building, checking that they are unobstructed, correctly signed, and of adequate width for the likely occupancy. Travel distances — the distance someone must cover to reach a place of relative safety — are measured against the guidance applicable to the building type. Locked doors on escape routes, excessive travel distances to a final exit, and staircases that empty into areas where a fire could block egress are among the issues that regularly emerge at this stage.
Does the building have adequate means of detecting a fire and alerting its occupants? We review the type, coverage, and condition of any installed fire alarm system, along with automatic suppression systems where present. We also check fire extinguishers — their type, positioning, date of last service, and suitability for the risks in each area. A dry powder extinguisher in a room full of electrical equipment, or a heat detector in a bedroom that should have a smoke alarm, are examples of mismatches that a thorough inspection will identify.
This is often the area that receives least attention in less rigorous assessments, but it is frequently where the most significant vulnerabilities exist. Passive fire protection — the structural measures that limit how a fire spreads through a building — includes fire-resisting walls and floors, fire doors, fire-stopping around penetrations (the gaps where cables, pipes, and ducts pass through walls and floors), and protected escape routes. A fire door wedged open with a doorstop, an unsealed cable penetration in a separating wall, or ceiling tiles removed and not replaced above a protected corridor: these are not minor points. They can be the difference between a fire that is contained and one that takes over an entire building.
Stage Three: Assessing the Risk
Once the inspection is complete, the assessor works through the findings and assigns a risk level to the premises as a whole, taking into account the likelihood of a fire occurring, the potential consequences if it does, and the adequacy of the existing precautions. The risk rating — typically expressed as low, medium, or high — is not a pass or fail grade, but it does indicate how urgently the identified actions need to be addressed and, in some cases, whether the building is currently safe to occupy.
The key distinction at this stage is between findings that represent an immediate risk to life and those that represent a longer-term compliance gap. An escape route that is completely blocked, a fire alarm system that is non-functional, or compartmentation that has been so seriously compromised that fire would spread rapidly: these warrant urgent action, and a responsible assessor will say so plainly. Issues such as missing signage, minor housekeeping concerns, or service records that are slightly out of date are still worth addressing, but they sit in a different category of urgency.
Stage Four: Producing the Report
The written fire risk assessment report is your formal record of compliance, and it should be treated as a working document rather than something to file and forget. A good report does three things: it describes the current state of fire safety in the premises accurately and in enough detail to be meaningful; it records all identified hazards and the risk they present; and it sets out a prioritised action plan that gives you a clear and realistic route to improvement.
At Fletcher Risk, every report includes a building overview, a summary of the findings from the physical inspection, a detailed action plan with each item coded by priority, and supporting photographs where these are useful for clarity. Recommendations are written in plain language, not technical shorthand, and they are specific — we describe what needs to be done and, where relevant, how, rather than simply noting that something is inadequate.
The action plan will typically distinguish between immediate actions, those required within one month, those required within three months, and longer-term programme items. This structure reflects the fact that responsible persons need to be able to manage fire safety improvements alongside the normal demands of running a building, and that not every action carries the same urgency. Your insurer and, if applicable, your local Fire and Rescue Service may ask to see the report; it should be a document you can present with confidence, not one you would struggle to explain.
Stage Five: After the Assessment
A fire risk assessment is not a one-time event. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order requires that the assessment be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid — which means any significant change to the building, its occupancy, or the activities carried out within it should prompt a review. In practice, we recommend reviewing your assessment at least annually, and sooner if any of the following apply: building works have been carried out; new tenants or functions have moved in; a fire or near-miss incident has occurred; or an inspection by the Fire and Rescue Service has raised concerns.
Many of our clients across Chester, the Wirral, and North Wales choose to have us back on an annual basis, both to keep their documentation current and because the relationship with a familiar assessor makes the process more efficient over time. We know the building, we know what has changed, and we can focus the review on the areas where it is most needed rather than starting from scratch.
Beyond the formal review cycle, the fire risk assessment should inform ongoing fire safety management: staff training, fire drill frequency, maintenance schedules for detection and suppression systems, and the procedures followed when contractors carry out works on site. Our fire safety training programmes can help embed this culture within your organisation, ensuring that the people who work in your building understand not just the evacuation procedures but the reasons behind them.
What to Expect From Fletcher Risk
We are a Chester-based fire safety consultancy working across Cheshire, the Wirral, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Warrington, and North Wales. Our assessors have direct experience across the full range of building types — from commercial offices and warehouses through to churches, managed residential blocks, and listed buildings in the historic core of Chester. We do not apply a generic template regardless of what we find; every assessment reflects the specific characteristics and risk profile of the building in front of us.
Our reports are written to be read and used, not archived. We are available to talk through any findings after the report is issued, and where clients need support implementing the action plan — whether that is sourcing contractors for fire door upgrades, organising staff training, or understanding what a recommendation means in practice — we can point them in the right direction.
If you have questions about the process before commissioning an assessment, we are happy to discuss them. Understanding what to expect is a reasonable starting point, and there are no awkward questions when it comes to fire safety.
Commission a Fire Risk Assessment
We carry out fire risk assessments across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, Merseyside, and North Wales. If you are ready to book or would like to discuss your requirements first, please get in touch.