Fire risk assessment

The responsible personResponsible person (fire safety)The person or organisation in control of a building's common parts in connection with a business or undertaking, who is legally responsible for fire safety there under the Fire Safety Order. for the building must make a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of the fire risks and act on it (Fire Safety Order, art 9).

What it covers

In a block of flats, the Order covers the common partsCommon partsThe parts of a building that aren't let to any one leaseholder and are shared, such as the entrance hall, stairs, corridors, roof space, bin store and grounds., the building's structure and external walls, and the doors between the flats and the common parts. It doesn't cover the inside of each flat.

Key rules

• Record it in full. Since 1 October 2023, every responsible person must record the whole assessment and its findings, not just the main points.
• Review it regularly, and whenever something significant changes (for example, after building works or a fire). The law doesn't set a fixed frequency; reviewing at least once a year is common good practice.
• Act on the findings. Keep a list of the actions and when each was completed.
• Use a competent assessor for anything beyond a very simple building. Record who did it.

Residents must be given information about the fire risks and safety measures. Keep the assessment with the building's records and pass it on if management changes.