A little preparation goes a long way. How to prepare for your care home fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is only as good as the information behind it. If you have booked an assessment with us, gathering a few records and arranging access in advance means we can give you a thorough report, verify what is already in place, and keep your action plan focused on what genuinely matters. This page walks you through everything you need before we arrive.
Before we arrive
Quick checklistFind your previous assessmentThe last fire risk assessment and its action plan, if one exists.
Gather your system recordsFire alarm, emergency lighting, and any sprinkler servicing and test records.
Locate your drawingsFloor plans showing fire compartment lines, fire-resisting doors, and protected areas.
Note your evacuation strategyHow evacuation is managed, including progressive horizontal evacuation between compartments.
Note your night staffingNumbers on duty overnight and how a night-time evacuation would be handled.
Arrange accessResident rooms, lounges, kitchen, laundry, plant rooms, and protected areas.
Good information makes
a better assessment
There is nothing complicated here, and we are happy to help if anything is unclear. The aim is simply to make sure that when we visit, we have the full picture of your premises and how they are used.
When we carry out a fire risk assessment, we are looking at the building, the way it is occupied, the work that goes on there, and the systems that are in place to keep people safe. Some of that we see for ourselves on the day, but a good deal of it lives in your paperwork, such as when the fire alarm was last serviced, whether the emergency lighting is tested, and how fire-resisting construction divides the building.
If those records are to hand when we arrive, we can confirm what is already in place rather than flagging it as missing, which keeps your action plan focused on the things that genuinely need attention. Where records are not available, we will note that, because an undocumented system is treated as an unverified one, and that can affect both your assessment and your standing with an enforcing authority or your insurer.
Preparing well also keeps the cost down. A well-organised visit takes less time, needs fewer follow-ups, and gives you a report you can act on straight away, whether that is for an enforcing authority, the CQC, your insurer, or your own duty as the Responsible Person.
Faster on the day
With access arranged and records ready, we move through the premises efficiently and you are not left chasing paperwork afterwards.
A sharper action plan
We can confirm what already meets the standard and concentrate the report on the items that actually need your attention.
Evidence that stands up
A complete record is what enforcing authorities and insurers look for, and it demonstrates that fire safety is being managed properly.
The documents
to have ready
Please gather whatever you hold from the lists below. Do not worry if some items are missing, as part of our job is to tell you what is needed; having the rest ready simply means we can do more for you on the day.
Previous fire risk assessment
The most recent assessment and action plan, with a note of what has since been completed.
If heldFire and evacuation strategy
How the home is intended to evacuate, in particular any progressive horizontal evacuation between compartments.
If heldFloor plans or as-built drawings
Plans showing fire compartment lines, fire-resisting doors, protected areas, and escape routes.
HelpfulDetails of alterations or extensions
Any layout changes, extensions, or change of use, with rough dates.
If applicableOperation and maintenance manuals
The O&M information for fire safety systems, where you hold it.
If heldOccupancy and dependency
The number of residents, their general dependency, those who are bed-bound, and overnight numbers.
Please note in advanceFire detection and alarm records
Design, commissioning, and recent servicing and test records, typically an addressable L1 system.
BS 5839-1Emergency lighting records
Commissioning, servicing, and test records for escape lighting.
BS 5266Sprinkler or suppression records
Service and inspection records for any sprinkler or suppression system.
If fittedExtinguishers and fire doors
Servicing of portable firefighting equipment, and fire door inspection records, which are critical here.
BS 5306Electrical and gas safety
Fixed wiring report (EICR), portable appliance testing, and gas safety records.
Current certificatesOther systems and aids
Records for nurse call and any evacuation aids held, such as evacuation chairs or sheets.
If applicableFire log book and drill records
Your record of alarm tests, emergency light tests, and fire drills, including night scenarios.
Please have readyStaff training records
Fire training across day and night staff, including the use of any evacuation aids.
If heldResidents who need help to escape
Resident dependency information and any existing evacuation arrangements you already hold for them.
ImportantNight staffing and procedures
The numbers on duty overnight and how a night-time evacuation would be managed.
ImportantProgressive horizontal evacuation and night staffing
A care home combines sleeping risk with residents who depend on staff to move them, so the building's compartmentation and the way evacuation is managed do most of the protective work, especially overnight when fewer staff are present. We pay close attention to fire-resisting construction, the strategy for moving residents to a place of relative safety, and whether staffing matches what an evacuation would actually require. Having your evacuation strategy and night staffing clear in advance is a great help.
Arranging access
on the day
We need to see the whole premises, not just the areas in regular use, to give you a complete assessment. A few minutes spent organising access in advance saves a great deal of time when we arrive.
-
01
All resident rooms and communal areas
Bedrooms, lounges, and dining rooms, including a representative sample of occupied rooms.
-
02
Kitchen, laundry, plant, and stores
Catering and laundry areas, boiler and plant rooms, electrical intake, and risers.
-
03
Compartment doors, protected areas, and stairs
The fire-resisting doors, protected areas, and stairs that the evacuation strategy depends on.
-
04
Access to observe daytime operation
Seeing the home in use, and understanding the night routine, are both central to the assessment.
-
05
A manager who knows residents' needs
Someone who understands resident dependency, staffing, and recent changes being on hand.
The method
we work through
Our assessments follow a structured, methodical process, informed by recognised standards and guidance such as PAS 79, BS 9999, and recognised guidance for healthcare and residential care premises. Knowing what we look for helps you understand why we ask for the information above.
A fire risk assessment is an organised look at the premises, the way they are used, the chance that a fire could start, and what would happen to the people inside if one did. We work through it in clear stages so that nothing significant is missed and the reasoning behind every finding is recorded.
The middle stages are the heart of the assessment, where we examine the physical fire protection and how fire safety is managed, with particular attention in a care home to the sleeping risk combined with resident dependency, the compartmentation that underpins progressive horizontal evacuation, any sprinkler provision, and whether night-time staffing matches what an evacuation would demand.
The later stages bring it together into a judgement about the overall level of risk, a prioritised action plan, and a sensible date for review. The result is a clear, defensible report you can put in front of an enforcing authority, an insurer, or a landlord with confidence.
Gather the information
About the building, the work carried on there, and the people who use it.
Identify the fire hazards
Sources of ignition and fuel, from electrics, heating, and kitchens to bedding, furnishings, and any medical or mobility equipment.
Assess the likelihood of fire
How likely a fire is to start, given those hazards and how they are controlled.
Examine the physical protection
Compartmentation and fire-resisting doors, protected areas for phased evacuation, detection, any suppression, lighting, and signage.
Review the management of fire safety
Testing, maintenance, training, drills, and record-keeping.
Consider the consequences for people
What would happen to occupants, including anyone who needs help to escape, if a fire occurred.
Evaluate the level of risk
Reach a judgement on whether the remaining risk is acceptable.
Set out the action plan
A prioritised list of what needs doing, and how urgently.
Agree a review date
When the assessment should next be revisited, and the triggers for sooner.
Your report and
what comes next
Once we have completed the assessment, you receive a clear written report with the findings explained and the action plan prioritised, so you know precisely what to do, in what order.
Address without delay
Anything that presents a serious or immediate risk to life is flagged first, with plain advice on what needs to happen and how quickly.
Plan and complete
Items that materially affect safety but allow a little more time, set out so you can plan the work and budget for it sensibly.
Good housekeeping
Smaller improvements and points of good practice that keep the premises in good order and demonstrate a careful approach.
The report is written to be used, not filed away, and it is suitable for enforcing authorities, insurers, and landlords alike. We are always happy to talk you through the findings, and where remedial work is needed, such as fire door repairs or upgrades, we can advise on what good looks like. If you would like to understand more about your obligations first, our care home fire safety page sets out the wider picture.
Fire safety
by care setting
We have written in more depth for the specific types of care and healthcare setting we work with. Each page covers the responsible person, the particular risks, and the regulation for that setting.
Residential care homes
Overnight staffing and compartmentation in converted buildings.
View pageNursing homes
Non-ambulant residents, medical oxygen, and profiling beds.
View pageGP surgeries & health centres
Medical gas, HTM 07-01, and the CQC safe domain.
View pageSupported living
Person-centred assessment and the landlord and provider split.
View pageDental practices
Oxygen and nitrous oxide, HTM 07-01, and clinical equipment.
View pageBooked with us?
Let’s get you ready.
If you have an assessment in the diary and anything on this page is unclear, or you are not sure which records you hold, please get in touch. We would far rather answer a quick question now than discover a gap on the day.
This page is general guidance for those preparing for a fire risk assessment and does not constitute legal advice. Fire safety requirements vary between premises and depend on their construction, use, and occupancy. The standards named are examples of those that inform our work and are not an exhaustive list. Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands. For advice tailored to your premises, please get in touch.