Fire risk assessments have been around for a number of years now
, but theres still a bit of mystery that surrounds these documents and what their purpose is. Clients generally ask do I have to do them? can I do them myself? which is quite worryog considering the amount of time and effort that has gone into promoting the documents.
Much has been made of the new Fire Risk Assessments that came into force a long time ago. The level of detail required in the Fire Risk Assessments is always a bit dubious and I'm aiming to confirm what is actually required to meet the new regulations.
I've visisted a number of premises and the standard Fire Risk Assessments template can be found on the internet.
It generally should look at the type of risk the building possess and how the ocntents of the document can mitigate andy risk.
It should look at the level of detection offered, current adequacy of escape routes, and any problems the building may have in terms of fire risk. Generally for offices the risk is genrally low, however there may be kitchen facilities. Looking at the use of both heat detection and smoke detection is always useful.
The new regulations are very unclear and much has been made about the quality of the fire risk assessments in use. I use a standard template that encourages common sense and the practicalities of fire. Are the current measures up to standard? What are the requirements by law. How likely is the risk of fire, and what do the new mitigation strategies offer in terms of reducing risk?