Fire Safety Risk Assessment: How to Do One Step by Step (Factories, Offices and Small Businesses)

Bottom line: A fire safety risk assessment is a structured review of your workplace that finds what could start a fire, who could be hurt, and what you must do to prevent it or get people out safely. You do it in five steps: identify hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate and act, record and train, then review. Most jurisdictions require it, and you should repeat it at least once a year and whenever your premises or operations change.

The stakes are real. In 2024, 1.39 million U.S. fires caused 3,920 deaths and $19.1B in damage. Non-residential buildings account for a smaller share of deaths but a large share of financial damage. The USFA estimated that 2023 nonresidential building fires numbered 110,000, with 130 deaths, 1,200 injuries and more than $3.1 billion in losses. nfpafema

What is a fire safety risk assessment?

A fire safety risk assessment (also called a fire risk assessment) is a documented, systematic evaluation of fire hazards in a building or workplace. It answers three questions: what could cause a fire, who would be harmed, and are existing precautions enough?

It is not the same as a fire drill, an inspection, or an insurance survey. Those are parts of fire safety. The assessment is the process that tells you what those other activities should include.

Quick example: A garment factory finds that lint builds up around stitching machines (fuel), motors run hot (ignition), and one exit is blocked by stock (poor escape). The assessment lists all three, ranks them, and assigns fixes.

Who is legally required to carry one out?

If you own, run or control a workplace, you are almost certainly responsible. The details vary by country:

• United Kingdom: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the “Responsible Person” (usually the employer or building owner) to carry out and keep under review a fire risk assessment. If you employ five or more people, significant findings must be recorded in writing.
• United States: OSHA requires employers to have an emergency action plan (29 CFR 1910.38), and a fire prevention plan where specific OSHA standards call for one (29 CFR 1910.39). It also sets rules on exit routes and portable fire extinguishers. Local fire codes, usually based on NFPA standards such as NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, add further requirements.
• Pakistan: Fire safety obligations come through building and fire safety provisions, provincial emergency services laws, and local authority approvals. Check with your local building authority and Rescue 1122 for current requirements.

Rules change, so confirm requirements with your local fire authority or a qualified fire safety professional.

How do you do a fire risk assessment in 5 steps?

Step 1: Identify fire hazards

Look for anything that can start a fire, anything that can fuel it, and anything that can supply oxygen. This is the “fire triangle”: ignition source + fuel + oxygen.

Walk through every area, including storerooms, roofs, loading bays and plant rooms, and note:

• Ignition sources: electrical equipment, heaters, hot work (welding, cutting), cooking equipment, smoking areas, machinery friction, static electricity
• Fuel: paper, packaging, fabric, wood, flammable liquids and gases, dust, waste
• Oxygen sources: ventilation systems, oxygen cylinders, oxidizing chemicals

Step 2: Identify who is at risk

List everyone who could be affected, not just your staff:

• Employees, including night-shift and lone workers
• Contractors, visitors and delivery drivers
• People with disabilities, older workers, or anyone who would need help evacuating
• People who sleep on site, such as security guards or live-in staff

Step 3: Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect

For each hazard, ask: can I remove it, reduce it, or protect people from it? Use this priority order.

1. Eliminate: remove unneeded flammable stock, replace a hazardous solvent
2. Reduce: store flammables in approved cabinets, limit quantities, schedule dust cleaning
3. Control ignition: hot-work permits, electrical testing, maintenance of machinery
4. Detect and warn: smoke and heat detectors, fire alarm system, sprinklers where needed
5. Fight: correctly rated fire extinguishers, hose reels, trained staff
6. Escape: clear, marked, unlocked exits; emergency lighting; assembly points

Use a simple risk matrix to prioritize:

Worked example: Blocked fire exit in a warehouse = Likely (stock gets stacked there daily) × Severe (could trap people) = High. Fix it today, not next quarter.

Step 4: Record, plan, inform and train

Write down what you found and what you decided. A good record includes:

• Date, assessor name and areas covered
• Hazards found and people at risk
• Controls in place and actions needed, with owner and deadline
• Emergency plan: alarm, evacuation routes, assembly points, roles (fire wardens)
• Training and drill records

Then tell your staff and train them. A plan nobody knows about doesn’t protect anyone. Run evacuation drills at least once a year (more often for high-risk sites or high staff turnover).

Step 5: Review

Treat the assessment as a living document. Review it at least annually and also after any of the following:

• A fire, near miss or alarm failure
• New machinery, process or chemical
• Layout or building changes
• A significant increase in staff or occupancy
• A change in law or insurer requirements

What are the most common fire hazards by workplace type?

What does a real failure look like?

On September 11, 2012, a fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Baldia Town, Karachi, killed more than 250 workers. Investigations and reporting highlighted obstructed and locked exits, barred windows and inadequate fire safety measures. Every one of those is something a proper fire safety risk assessment, acted on, is designed to catch. The lesson: an assessment only works if findings are fixed, not filed.

Fire safety risk assessment checklist

Use this as a starting point and adapt it to your premises.

Prevention

• Flammable materials stored safely and in minimum quantities
• Waste and combustible dust removed regularly
• Electrical equipment inspected and not overloaded
• Hot work controlled by permit
• Smoking areas designated and monitored

Detection and warning

• Fire alarm installed and tested weekly
• Detectors cover all areas, including storerooms and voids
• Alarm audible in all areas, including noisy production floors

Firefighting

• Correct extinguisher types for each hazard (water, foam, CO₂, dry powder)
• Extinguishers visible, accessible, inspected monthly and serviced annually
• Staff trained to use them

Escape

• Exits clearly marked, unlocked and unobstructed
• Emergency lighting tested regularly
• Assembly point identified and known
• Plan for people who need help evacuating

Management

• Assessment documented and dated
• Fire wardens appointed and trained
• Drills held and recorded
• Review date set

What are the most common mistakes?

1. Treating it as a one-time task. Fire risk changes whenever your operations do.
2. Using a generic template without walking the site. Templates help, but they can’t see your hazards.
3. Ignoring contractors and visitors. They don’t know your exits.
4. Finding problems but not assigning owners and deadlines.
5. Blocked or locked exits “just for security.” This is among the most dangerous mistakes.
6. Skipping training. Equipment is useless if people don’t know how to react.
7. Forgetting night shifts and lone workers, who face different risks.

Can I do it myself or do I need a professional?

For a small, low-risk premises, such as a small shop or office, a competent, trained person can often do it. Competent means they understand fire hazards, the relevant regulations and the limits of their knowledge.

Bring in a qualified fire risk assessor if you have:

• A factory, process plant or chemical storage
• Complex layouts, multiple floors or large occupancy
• Sleeping accommodation on site
• Previous fire incidents or insurer or authority requirements

Look for recognized qualifications and, in the UK, evidence of third-party certification of fire risk assessors.

FAQ

What are the 5 steps of a fire risk assessment?

Identify fire hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate and act on the risks, record your findings and train people, then review regularly.

Is a fire safety risk assessment a legal requirement?

In most countries, yes. In the UK it is required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and in the US OSHA requires emergency action plans and, where applicable, fire prevention plans. Local fire codes add further duties. Always check local rules.

Who is responsible for carrying out a fire risk assessment?

The employer, business owner, landlord or person in control of the premises, called the “Responsible Person” in UK law. They can appoint a competent person to do it, but legal responsibility remains theirs.

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

At least once a year, and immediately after any significant change, such as new equipment, a layout change, increased staff numbers, or a fire or near miss.

What should a fire risk assessment include?

Hazards, people at risk, existing controls, risk ratings, actions with owners and deadlines, emergency procedures, training records and a review date.

How much does a fire risk assessment cost?

Costs vary by building size, complexity and region. A small shop is generally inexpensive, while a large factory costs more. Get quotes from several accredited assessors and ask what’s included, such as a written report, action plan and follow-up.

What’s the difference between a fire risk assessment and a fire safety audit?

A risk assessment evaluates hazards and sets controls. An audit checks whether your existing systems and procedures are being followed and are effective. They complement each other.

Do small businesses and home-based businesses need one?

Yes, if you employ people or members of the public enter your premises. Even sole traders should review fire risks, particularly if the business is run from premises shared with others.

What happens if I don’t have a fire risk assessment?

Consequences can include fines, enforcement or prohibition notices, invalidated insurance claims, and in serious cases prosecution if someone is hurt. Local penalties vary.

Can I use a template?

A template is a useful structure, but it won’t replace a physical walk-through. Adapt it to your actual premises and record real findings.

What’s the first thing I should do today?

Walk your site and check that every exit is clear and unlocked, then test the fire alarm. These two checks catch the most dangerous problems fastest.