A little preparation goes a long way. How to prepare for your warehouse 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.
Note what is stored, and howCommodity types, racking and stack heights, and aisle widths have a real bearing on fire risk.
Gather your system recordsFire alarm, plus any sprinkler, suppression, or smoke ventilation servicing records.
Locate your drawingsFloor plans showing escape routes, fire compartment lines, and mezzanines.
Sort your permit arrangementsHow hot works and contractors are controlled, and where battery charging takes place.
Arrange full accessRacking aisles, mezzanines, plant, charging areas, external yard, and any locked stores.
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, a landlord or managing agent, 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 strategy document
Where the building has one, explaining the evacuation approach and how the structure is divided.
If heldFloor plans or as-built drawings
Plans showing escape routes, final exits, fire compartment walls, and any mezzanine floors.
HelpfulStorage and racking arrangement
What is stored, the storage heights and configuration, and aisle widths, as these drive the fire load.
Please noteDetails of alterations or mezzanines
Any layout changes, racking changes, mezzanines, or change of use, with rough dates.
If applicableOccupancy and hours
How the building is staffed and used, peak numbers, and shift or operating hours.
Please note in advanceFire detection and alarm records
Design, commissioning, and recent servicing and test records.
BS 5839-1Sprinkler or suppression records
Service and inspection records for any sprinkler or special suppression system.
If fittedSmoke ventilation records
Maintenance records for any smoke control or automatic ventilation.
If fittedEmergency lighting records
Commissioning, servicing, and test records for escape lighting.
BS 5266Extinguishers and fire doors
Servicing of portable firefighting equipment, and any fire door inspection records.
BS 5306Electrical and gas safety
Fixed wiring report (EICR), portable appliance testing, and any thermographic survey.
Current certificatesFire log book and test records
Your record of weekly alarm tests, emergency light tests, drills, and equipment checks.
Please have readyHot works and contractor control
How hot works permits and contractors on site are managed.
ImportantDangerous substances and charging
Any DSEAR assessment and safety data sheets, and your battery charging and forklift arrangements.
If applicableTraining and people who need help
Staff fire training and drills, and any existing evacuation arrangements you hold for people who need help to escape.
HelpfulHigh fire load and lithium-ion charging
Warehouses concentrate a great deal of combustible material in one place, and the way goods are stored has a direct effect on how a fire would develop. Battery charging areas, particularly for lithium-ion, are an increasingly common source of serious fires. Knowing what you store and where charging happens helps us focus the assessment. Our fire safety advice covers these risks in more depth.
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
The whole floor, including racking aisles
We need to move through the storage areas, aisles, and any mezzanine levels, not just the main routes.
-
02
Plant, valve, and pump rooms
Sprinkler valve and pump rooms, electrical intake and risers, and any boiler or plant rooms.
-
03
Charging areas and loading bays
Battery charging points, forklift areas, and loading docks, which carry particular ignition risk.
-
04
External storage and the yard
Any external storage, waste, or trailer parking close to the building, which affects external fire spread.
-
05
Someone who knows the operation
A colleague who understands the storage, the systems, and recent changes being on hand, even by phone.
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 dangerous substances regulations (DSEAR) where they apply. 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 the way fire safety is managed, with particular attention in a warehouse to the fire load and storage arrangement, any sprinkler or suppression system, smoke ventilation, the compartmentation of large floor areas, and the control of hot works and charging.
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 charging to the stored commodity itself and how it is arranged.
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 over large distances, compartmentation, fire doors, alarms, any suppression and smoke control, 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 warehouse fire safety page sets out the wider picture.
Fire safety for
your type of site
We have written in more depth for the specific industrial operations we work with. Each page covers the particular risks and the regulation for that type of site.
Logistics & distribution
EV fleet charging, high-bay racking, and 24-hour shifts.
View pageManufacturing & production
Hot works, flammable process fluids, and combustible dust.
View pageCold storage & food
Insulated panels, ammonia refrigeration, and DSEAR zones.
View pageSelf-storage
Unknown customer contents, e-bike charging, and detection lag.
View pageRecycling & waste
Lithium batteries in the waste stream and bale storage.
View pageDefence industry
Controlled-access zones and security-aware assessment.
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.