A fire risk assessment is one of the most fundamental pillars of workplace safety in the United Kingdom. It is a legal requirement, a practical necessity, and a moral obligation for any business owner, manager, or landlord. Completing the initial assessment, however, is not the end of the journey. Too often, this vital document is filed away and forgotten, gathering dust while the workplace around it continues to change, evolve, and develop new, unforeseen risks.
A fire risk assessment is not a static, one-time task that can be ticked off a checklist and ignored. It should be treated as a living document, a dynamic guide that reflects the current reality of your premises and the people within it. The workplace is in a constant state of flux; new employees arrive, layouts are altered, and different materials are introduced. Each of these changes, no matter how small they may seem, can have a significant impact on fire safety, potentially rendering your original assessment obsolete and ineffective.
The Quick Answer
There is no fixed legal timescale, such as every 12 months, for reviewing a fire risk assessment. The law states it must be reviewed “regularly” and whenever there is a significant change to the premises or reason to believe it is no longer valid. However, best practice, and the accepted industry standard, is to conduct a review at least once a year, with immediate reviews taking place whenever a significant change occurs.
Understanding the Legal Requirement
The foundation for fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales is The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This legislation places the responsibility for fire safety on a designated “Responsible Person.”
The Fire Safety Order 2005
Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order states that the Responsible Person must make a “suitable and sufficient” assessment of the risks. Critically, it also mandates that this assessment must be “reviewed by the responsible person… to keep it up to date,” particularly if there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been a significant change. The law deliberately avoids a rigid timeframe, instead placing the emphasis on the dynamic nature of risk.
Who is the Responsible Person?
The “Responsible Person” is typically the employer, the owner of the premises, or anyone else with control over the building, such as a facilities manager or landlord. They have the ultimate legal responsibility for ensuring the fire risk assessment is not only completed but also effectively reviewed and maintained.
The “Regular Review”: What Does it Mean?
While the law is flexible, the concept of a “regular review” has a clear meaning in practice, established through industry best practice and guidance from fire authorities.
The Annual Review: A Best Practice Standard
Although not explicitly stated in law, conducting a formal review of your fire risk assessment at least once every 12 months is the universally accepted standard. Many insurance companies make this an annual requirement for policy validation, and it demonstrates a proactive approach to safety management.
Think of it like an MOT for your building’s fire safety plan. You don’t just wait for a warning light to appear on the dashboard before you get your car checked; you take it for a scheduled annual service to ensure it remains safe and roadworthy. An annual fire risk assessment review serves the same purpose. It is a scheduled health check to identify and fix potential faults before they can cause a serious accident.
What Does a Regular Review Involve?
A regular review doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. It is a process of validation, where you methodically check the original assessment against the current state of the premises. This typically involves:
Walking through the premises and verifying that the hazards and risks identified in the assessment are unchanged.
Checking that all fire safety measures, such as fire extinguishers, alarms, and emergency lighting, are still in place and properly maintained.
Confirming that escape routes remain clear and unobstructed.
Speaking with staff to identify any new work processes or concerns.
Updating the documentation to reflect that the review has taken place, even if no changes were needed.
Trigger Events: When an Immediate Review is Essential
Beyond the regular annual check-up, there are specific events that act as triggers, demanding an immediate and thorough review of your fire risk assessment. Ignoring these triggers means your assessment is no longer valid.
A fire risk assessment is like a route planned on a sat nav. It gives you the safest way to get from A to B. But if a road is suddenly closed for construction or a new bypass opens (a “significant change”), your old route is no longer the best or safest option. You have to update the system immediately to reflect the new reality. Failing to do so could lead you straight into a traffic jam or a dead end.
Key trigger events include:
Changes to the Building or Layout
This could be anything from building an extension to putting up a single new partition wall. If a change affects escape routes, travel distances, or how fire could spread, the assessment must be reviewed.
Introduction of New Hazards
Bringing new substances or processes onto the site can fundamentally alter the risk profile. This includes storing larger quantities of flammable liquids, installing new machinery that generates heat, or starting hot works like welding.
Changes in People or Occupancy
Fire safety plans are built around the people who use the building. A review is needed if:
There is a significant increase in the number of staff or visitors.
You employ a person with a disability, for whom specific evacuation arrangements (a PEEP) may be needed.
You introduce night shifts, as the risks and staffing levels for evacuation are different.
After a Fire or Near-Miss
This is a non-negotiable trigger. Any fire incident, no matter how small, or a near-miss (an event that could have led to a fire) is a clear sign that the existing fire safety measures have a weakness. The assessment must be reviewed to identify this weakness and prevent a recurrence.
New Legislation or Guidance
Fire safety law and official guidance can change. It is the Responsible Person’s duty to stay aware of these changes and review their assessment to ensure it still complies with the latest standards. The UK Government provides extensive fire safety guidance for the workplace to help with this.
The Review Process in Practice
Who Can Conduct the Review?
If there have been no significant changes, a regular annual review can often be conducted in-house by the Responsible Person, provided they feel competent to do so. However, if there have been major changes or if the premises are complex, it is essential to use a competent fire risk assessor. A professional assessor brings a fresh pair of expert eyes and ensures the review is thorough and compliant.
Documenting the Review
It is vital to document every review. Record the date of the review, who carried it out, what was checked, and any findings or actions taken. If your business has five or more employees, keeping a written record of your fire risk assessment is a legal requirement.
Conclusion
Reviewing your fire risk assessment is not a bureaucratic exercise; it is one of the most important actions you can take to protect your people and your property. The frequency is not a rigid date in a diary but a responsive process. It is a combination of scheduled annual check-ups to maintain standards and immediate, event-driven updates to adapt to change. By treating your assessment as a live, relevant document, you move beyond mere legal compliance and create a genuine, robust culture of safety.
