The LWF Blog

Fire Safety for Facilities Management Personnel – Fire Risk Assessment – Part 89

March 15, 2021 12:12 pm

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 88, LWF looked at how to form the action plan following a fire risk assessment. In part 89, we will begin to look at how a fire risk assessment should be documented.

While there is no single right or wrong way to record the findings of a fire risk assessment, the document should aim to encompass the significant fire hazard findings, persons who may be at risk, likely consequences of a fire and any controls that are in place.

In addition, as it not merely a record but a working document, it should detail the assessor’s view of the fire risk in the form of a category, value or grade and provide sufficient information to demonstrate a basis for the opinion.

In most cases, a fire risk assessment is required by legislation and should therefore address the matters required by law and ensure it is adequate in nature and extent. It should contain an action plan to show how and when the defined priorities will be addressed to maintain or reduce the level of fire risk to an acceptable level.

When looking for a suitable framework for a fire risk assessment report, PAS 79 provides a suggestion, although it is likely that many documented fire risk assessments will follow a similar pattern. It should comprise sections providing information on the following:

Premises – details such as building height, construction type and any others that may have a relevance to fire risk.

Occupancy – number, nature, identification of any persons at special risk.

Fire Loss Experience – details of any previous fire incidents at the premises to spot patterns and the potential for the situation repeating.

Fire Hazards and measures necessary for elimination or control – ignition sources, hazardous situations and measures to mitigate the probability of fire.

Fire Protection Measures – any and all measures to protect building occupants when fire occurs and an evaluation of their current adequacy.

Fire Safety Management – A review of the procedures and policies in place and an assessment of adequacy.

Fire Risk Assessment – A subjective expression of the level of fire risk.

Action Plan – a plan of the proposed measures to mitigate risk or to maintain standards.

 

In part 90 of this series, LWF will continue to discuss fire risk assessments. In the meantime, if you have any queries about your own facilities or wish to discuss this blog series, please contact LWF on freephone 0800 410 1130.

Lawrence Webster Forrest is a fire engineering consultancy based in Surrey with over 25 years’ experience, which provides a wide range of consultancy services to professionals involved in the design, development and construction and operation of buildings.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.