Who Is Allowed To Carry Out a Fire Risk Assessment

If you manage or own a building, one of your core duties under UK law is to ensure the fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person.
But who actually counts as competent?
And can you legally do it yourself?

This guide sets out the clear, practical answer based on UK fire safety law and what regulators expect across the North West and North Wales.

What the law requires

Under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order, the responsible person must appoint a competent person to carry out or review the fire risk assessment.

The key word is competent.
Not just available, not just familiar with the building, and not just willing.

Competence means a combination of:

  • Training

  • Experience

  • Knowledge

  • Understanding of the building type

  • Ability to identify hazards accurately

  • Understanding of fire safety measures and building behaviour

  • Ability to apply the law correctly

  • Ability to produce a suitable and sufficient assessment

Can a responsible person do it themselves

Yes — but only if they are truly competent.
Most responsible persons are not.
This is not a criticism. Fire safety is a technical discipline, and most landlords, property managers and directors do not have the depth of experience needed.

For simple low risk premises (for example, a very small ground floor office), some responsible persons may complete their own FRA if they can demonstrate competence.

For anything beyond that, using a qualified fire risk assessor is strongly recommended and increasingly expected by fire services and insurers.

Who is considered competent

A competent fire risk assessor should have:

1. Appropriate formal training

This may include:

  • Fire risk assessment qualifications

  • Fire engineering training

  • Fire safety management courses

  • Sector recognised certificates

2. Real experience in assessing buildings

Competence increases with experience across different building types, including:

  • Residential blocks

  • HMOs

  • Hotels

  • Heritage buildings

  • Commercial units

  • Warehouses

  • Mixed use sites

  • Schools and public buildings

Assessors should be familiar with local risks and enforcement trends.

3. Knowledge of fire safety measures

The assessor must be able to evaluate:

  • Fire alarms

  • Emergency lighting

  • Fire doors

  • Compartmentation

  • Means of escape

  • Detection systems

  • Evacuation strategies

  • Management arrangements

And recommend practical solutions.

4. Understanding of relevant law and guidance

This includes:

  • Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order

  • Fire Safety Act

  • Fire Safety England Regulations

  • National guidance (NFCC, PAS standards etc)

  • Local enforcement approaches

This is essential for a suitable and sufficient assessment.

5. Ability to produce clear, actionable reports

A competent assessor should provide:

  • Clear findings

  • Prioritised actions

  • Realistic timescales

  • Practical solutions

  • Evidence and photos

  • Clear explanations for responsible persons

If a report is vague, confusing or copied from templates, it may not meet legal standards.

Who is not considered competent

The following roles typically do not meet the standard unless they have formal training and proven experience:

  • General maintenance staff

  • Handymen

  • Letting agents without specialist training

  • Security staff

  • Health and safety officers without fire specific expertise

  • Tenants

  • Builders and contractors

  • Electricians or alarm engineers (unless trained in FRAs)

It is common for enforcement notices to follow assessments by unqualified or inexperienced personnel.

Why competence matters

A competent FRA protects:

  • Lives

  • Property

  • Your legal position

  • Insurance cover

  • Your reputation

  • Your clients and residents

  • Operational continuity

Fire services frequently issue enforcement notices where the FRA was carried out by someone without the correct level of competence.

Across Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and North Wales, we regularly see FRAs that look complete on paper but miss critical issues such as:

  • Compartmentation breaches

  • Faulty fire doors

  • Missing detectors

  • Incorrect evacuation strategies

  • Poorly maintained alarms

  • Sleeping risk not identified

  • Outdated fire safety measures

Competent assessment prevents these risks.

The Fletcher Risk approach

Fletcher Risk provides qualified and experienced fire risk assessors who understand the local building stock, enforcement trends and risk profiles across Chester and the North West.

Our assessments include:

  • Full onsite inspection

  • Evidence based findings

  • Priority coded actions

  • Photographic records

  • Practical recommendations

  • Clear advice for responsible persons

We work with landlords, managing agents and investors across the region to maintain safe and compliant buildings.

Book a fire risk assessment or speak to the team:
https://www.fletcherrisk.co.uk

Disclaimer

This page provides general guidance only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for a full fire risk assessment or professional consultation. Fire safety duties vary depending on the type and use of the building. Fletcher Risk Management Ltd accepts no liability for decisions made based on this content. Always consult a competent professional for guidance on your specific property.

Fletcher Risk Team - 21 November 2025

Tim Fletcher