Who is Responsible for Carrying Out a Fire Risk Assessment?
Whether you’re a new business starting out or an established organisation, understanding who is responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments is essential. In this guide, we’ll cover responsibilities, the importance of fire risk assessments, and the consequences of failing to complete them. Similar responsibilities apply across sectors such as education, see our Education Sector Fire Risk Assessments for guidance in schools, nurseries, and colleges.
- who is responsible for fire risk assessments
- the responsibilities associated with ensuring fire risk assessments are carried out
- the importance of carrying out fire risk assessments
- the consequences of failing to carry out a fire risk assessment
Who is responsible for ensuring fire risk assessments are carried out?
Owners, managers, or business operators must comply with fire safety law, which means that you must abide by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This answers the key question of who is responsible for carrying out a fire risk assessment. Similar duties apply in commercial kitchens, see our Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety Guide for sector-specific responsibilities.
The Order includes almost all buildings and structures, apart from private homes, however, shared areas in a house or block of flats are also covered by the Order.
What are the responsibilities associated with fire risk assessments?
You need to ensure that your premises meet the required fire safety standards and provide employees with adequate fire safety training.
Adequate staff fire safety training typically includes:
- Induction training that covers general fire awareness
- Refresher training after a certain period of time or extra training if fire risks increase due to changes in the business
- Training to support your chosen ‘responsible people’ up to date with their fire safety duties
- Training that provides ‘responsible persons’ with the skills they require to do the job, can include practical fire extinguisher training
The importance of fire risk assessments
Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement that not only identifies fire risks and hazards but also ensures that appropriate action is taken to minimise these risks. They also help you to put measures in place to tackle or slow down a fire, should a fire still occur. Fire risk assessments are put in place to save buildings, stop the spread of fire and more importantly, to save lives.
What are the consequences of not carrying out a fire risk assessment?
Avoiding fire risk assessments can lead to heavy fines or imprisonment.
Who can help us with our fire risk assessment?
We can. It is our job to inspect the premises and it is our duty to work with businesses of all sizes to ensure all people within it are as safe as possible. For more in depth information on fire risk assessments, download our free risk assessment guide here.
Remember, fire risk assessments must be kept up to date, which means that you will require a new one if:
- Changes have been made to the building
- The purpose of the space has changed
- You are storing new hazardous substances on site
- You have had a fire-related incident in your building
- The number of staff within the building has changed significantly
- You have new staff members with disabilities
- You have noticed damages to fire safety equipment
Book your fire risk assessment with Hoyles today and contact our expert team to ensure that fire risk assessments are carried out correctly and comprehensively. Whether you operate offices, schools, warehouses, or kitchens, our team provides professional assessments tailored to your premises. For sector-specific guidance: see our Education Sector Fire Risk Assessments for schools and nurseries, our Guide to Fire Safety in an Office for office environments, our Warehouse Fire Risk Assessment Guide for warehouses and industrial facilities, and our Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety Guide for kitchen environments. You can also see What Happens During a School Fire Risk Assessment to understand a step-by-step inspection in educational premises. We offer our services to those located throughout Leeds, Bradford & Huddersfield.
FAQ’s
- Who is responsible for carrying out a fire risk assessment in a business?
- Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the “Responsible Person” must ensure a fire risk assessment is completed and regularly reviewed. In most offices, commercial properties, manufacturing sites, and educational buildings, this is the employer, building owner, facilities manager, or managing agent. The Responsible Person should appoint a qualified fire risk assessor for a thorough and compliant review.
- In multi-occupancy buildings, who is responsible for fire risk assessments?
- Responsibility is often shared. Landlords or managing agents are typically accountable for communal areas such as stairwells, entrances, and shared corridors, while individual businesses must complete a fire risk assessment for their own office or unit. This applies equally across all the regions we serve – including Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, York, and Sheffield – where many buildings are split between multiple tenants. Clear coordination between Responsible Persons ensures the whole building remains compliant.
- Who should arrange a fire risk assessment for an office or commercial property?
- Any office, school, manufacturing site, or commercial property must ensure a competent person completes its fire risk assessment, regardless of location. Whether your organisation is based in Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Rotherham, or another part of Yorkshire, the duty sits with the designated Responsible Person (such as the employer or building owner). You should appoint a professional fire risk assessment provider to ensure the assessment is detailed, compliant, and tailored to the way their premises operate.
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