A Fire Risk Assessment is an important visit that you should never put off. It is a legal requirement for non-domestic premises (but does include domestic premises that are being rented out to the public e.g. holiday lets) which outlines any potential risks and risk-mitigation strategies in the event of a fire breaking out.
When it comes to getting a Fire Risk Assessment in Berkshire and in the UK, there are several factors that will impact the cost of the assessment including:
- Type of building (e.g. residential, commercial, healthcare, educational etc)
- Size of the building
- What is housed within the building (e.g. retail, manufacturing, sleeping accommodation, etc).
As part of your compliance, you will also need to ensure that, if a new Fire Risk Assessment is not required annually (due to the risk rating of the premises), a review/audit is to be undertaken annually to ensure that the required improvements have been made or are underway as stated in the previous Fire Rak Assessments action plan.
Fire Risk Assessments and the law
Under the 2005 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO), buildings including HMO’s, workplaces and anywhere that the public can access must have an annual Fire Risk Assessment or an annual review/audit. Additionally, if there are five or more employees, there must be a written record of the assessment being undertaken as well as the outcome.
Please be aware that if you are the owner or responsible person and you fail to comply you can face imprisonment. It is vital to meet your obligations and organise regular Fire Risk Assessments or audits of your property.
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
The Fire Risk Assessment should survey and provide advice/recommendations on a variety of areas including:
- Any Fire Installation Systems (such as sprinklers, fire extinguishers and fire alarms etc)
- Accessibility and suitability of escape routes (internal & external)
- Fire Risk Mitigation Systems (including fire doors and fire compartmentation)
- Advice on improvements required and any Fire Safety Training needed.
Depending on the type of site, the Assessor may utilise specialist templates when undertaking the assessment to ensure that the risks and areas reviewed are relevant to the premises and that the most accurate information and recommendations have been made.
Generally, Fire Risk Assessments can help to:
- Identify any Fire Risks (present and potential)
- Assess the number of persons at risk, for example children, the elderly and disabled persons.
- Evaluate the fire risks identified and then take the relevant steps to minimise or eliminate [the risks/hazards. This is achieved by providing reasonably practical solutions.
- Ensure that the premises is operating correctly and is compliant with the relevant Fire safety Legislation (where a premises is not, the Assessor will make recommendations on how to ensure compliance)
- Ensuring that the appropriate Training has been provided (where required.)
What factors impact the cost of a Fire Risk Assessments?
Several factors can impact on the cost of the Fire Risk Assessment and, whilst you could undertake it yourself (if deemed competent), if the Fire Risk Assessment isn’t suitable and sufficient you could face fines that cost significantly more than you save!
The following list includes some factors that can help to determine the cost of the Fire Risk Assessment as well as the length of time the assessment will take:
- The number of buildings and the size
- Usage of the building
- Number of floors
- The risk level of the building being inspected (for example, an office building may be lower risk than a manufacturing warehouse.)
- If there are sleeping or vulnerable occupants present.
The cost of a Fire Risk Assessment can range anywhere from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds but this is based on the factors mentioned above. The cost will be reflective of the task – if your premises is an office you would expect to pay less than if it were a hospital!
Why price isn’t everything
With the current climate and rising costs faced by so many businesses it becomes important to reduce expenses where possible – however if your Fire Risk Assessment quote seems too good to be true, it may not be being carried out by a qualified professional or company.
Opting for a seemingly too-cheap assessment could mean that the assessment doesn’t provide a suitable and sufficient report and could miss potential fire hazards.
As a company, LS Fire Solutions Ltd is very aware of the financial pressure that many businesses are facing due to the current climate. In response to this we have created our new Fire Risk Assessment Audit Packages – these are three and five year agreements that allow us to provide our clients with very competitive costs that we are then able to hold for the duration of the agreement! These packages provide our clients with great cost savings, competitive costs and ensures professional services with suitable and sufficient reports!
LS Fire Solutions for a service you can trust
If you are looking for a Fire Risk Assessment in Berkshire or in the UK then LS Fire Solutions can help! Our professional team can ensure that your Fire Risk Assessment is up-to-date and compliant with the relevant legislation. As well as the Fire Risk Assessments, we offer a range of products and services including Fire Safety Training, Fire Compartmentation Surveys, Eco Extinguishers, and more!
Contact us today to book in your next Fire Risk Assessment!