A little preparation goes a long way. How to prepare for your recycling facility 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.
Have your Fire Prevention Plan readyWhere the site operates under an environmental permit, your Fire Prevention Plan is central.
Note your waste streamsThe materials handled, including any batteries or electrical waste in the stream.
Note your stockpilesMaximum stack sizes, separation distances, and how quickly material turns over.
Gather your system recordsFire detection, any suppression or monitors, and your fire water provision.
Arrange accessAll storage bays, sorting and processing areas, plant, and external stockpiles.
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 your insurer, an enforcing authority, the Environment Agency, 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 Prevention Plan and permit
Where the site is permitted, your Fire Prevention Plan and environmental permit, which inform the assessment.
If applicableSite plans and storage layout
Plans showing storage bays, stack sizes, separation distances, escape routes, and compartment lines.
HelpfulWaste types handled
The materials received and processed, including any batteries or electrical waste (WEEE).
ImportantDetails of operational changes
Any changes to layout, throughput, or the materials handled, with rough dates.
If applicableOccupancy and hours
How the site is staffed and used, peak numbers, and operating hours.
Please note in advanceFire detection records
Servicing and test records, including any thermal or infra-red detection used to spot self-heating.
If fittedSuppression and fire water
Records for any suppression system or monitors, and details of your fire water supply and capacity.
If applicableEmergency lighting records
Commissioning, servicing, and test records for escape lighting in buildings.
BS 5266Extinguishers and fire doors
Servicing of portable firefighting equipment, and any fire door inspection records.
BS 5306Electrical safety
Fixed wiring report (EICR), portable appliance testing, and any thermographic survey.
Current certificatesMobile plant fire suppression
Service records for fire suppression fitted to shredders, loaders, or other mobile plant.
If fittedStockpile management
Maximum stack sizes, separation distances, and how quickly material is turned over.
ImportantBattery and WEEE handling
How batteries and electrical waste are identified, handled, and quarantined to limit lithium-ion fires.
ImportantHot works, contractors, and arson
How hot works and contractors are controlled, and precautions against arson.
HelpfulTraining and people who need help
Staff fire training and drills, and any existing evacuation arrangements you hold for people who need help to escape.
HelpfulLithium-ion in the waste stream and stockpile fires
Recycling and waste sites face two issues above all others, namely lithium-ion batteries hidden in the waste stream, which ignite when crushed or damaged, and large combustible stockpiles that can self-heat or spread fire rapidly once alight. The sector is under close regulatory scrutiny, and the fire risk assessment needs to sit consistently alongside any Fire Prevention Plan the site holds. There is no dedicated sector page for recycling yet, so this guide currently links to our general fire risk assessment page.
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 storage bays and stockpiles
We need to see the storage and processing areas, including external bays and stockpiles.
-
02
Sorting and processing halls
The buildings housing sorting lines, balers, shredders, and other processing plant.
-
03
Battery and WEEE quarantine areas
Wherever batteries and electrical waste are stored or quarantined, given their ignition risk.
-
04
Access during operation, if possible
Seeing the site working lets us understand throughput, stockpile turnover, and ignition sources.
-
05
A manager who knows the waste streams
Someone who understands the materials, the stockpile regime, 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, the relevant Approved Document, and the waste-sector fire prevention guidance. 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 at a recycling site to lithium-ion ignition in the waste stream, the size and separation of combustible stockpiles and their tendency to self-heat, the suppression and fire water available, and how the assessment aligns with any Fire Prevention Plan.
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, above all lithium-ion batteries in the waste stream and large combustible stockpiles prone to self-heating.
Assess the likelihood of fire
How likely a fire is to start, given those hazards and how they are controlled.
Examine the physical protection
Escape routes, separation and compartmentation, any suppression and fire water provision, detection, 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 fire risk assessment page sets out the wider picture.
Booked 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.