Fire risk assessment template (UK)

The legal duty, in plain English

• Who it applies to: the "responsible person" for virtually all non-domestic premises in England and Wales: employers, owners, landlords, occupiers and anyone else with control of premises. Common parts of residential buildings are included.
• What is required: a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, kept up to date, with the significant findings recorded. Since the Building Safety Act 2022 changes took effect the full assessment must be recorded regardless of employee numbers.
• What flows from it: the general fire precautions your assessment says you need: escape routes, detection and warning, fire-fighting equipment, emergency plans, staff training and drills.
• Enforcement: fire and rescue authorities inspect and can issue enforcement and prohibition notices. Serious failures are criminal offences with unlimited fines and, in the worst cases, imprisonment.

When you can DIY, and when you need an assessor

• DIY is realistic when: the premises is small and simple (an office, small shop or unit), low risk, nobody sleeps there, and the person doing it is competent and willing to work through the government guidance carefully. The templates in this pack are built for exactly that case.
• Bring in a professional when: there is sleeping risk (hotels, HMOs, care settings), the building is large, multi-occupied or complex, vulnerable people are present, significant quantities of flammable materials are stored, or a previous assessment raised substantial findings.
• Choosing an assessor: look for third-party registration (for example a BAFE SP205 registered company or an assessor on the IFE or IFSM registers). Competence is a legal expectation, and since 2023 you must not appoint someone you know is not competent.
• Either way, it stays your duty. Hiring an assessor does not transfer legal responsibility; the responsible person still owns the findings and the action plan.

What is in the pack

• Fire risk assessment template (Word): eight sections on the PAS 79 headings: premises and responsible person, persons at risk, ignition/fuel/oxygen hazards (including lithium battery charging), means of escape, detection and fire-fighting, management, risk rating and a prioritised action plan.
• Landlord / HMO variant (Word): the same structure tuned for residential lettings: common parts, FD30 flat doors, interlinked alarms, EICR and gas records, e-bike charging, tenant information and HMO licensing conditions.
• Fire safety checklist (Excel): 18 routine checks across escape routes, alarm, extinguishers, ignition sources and management. Yes/No/N/A dropdowns, red highlighting on any No, automatic counts of failed checks and completion percentage.

This pack pairs with the master risk assessment template hub, which covers the general workplace assessment every employer needs under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Guidance references last checked: 15 July 2026.

Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?

Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for almost every non-domestic premises in England and Wales must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep it under review. Since the Building Safety Act 2022 amendments took effect, the assessment must be recorded in full regardless of how many people you employ.

Can I do my own fire risk assessment?

For a small, simple, low-risk premises, yes, as long as the person doing it is competent: they understand the guidance, take time over it and know when to ask for help. Government guidance for simple premises supports self-assessment. For anything with sleeping risk, complex layouts, vulnerable occupants or significant hazards, use a competent fire risk assessor, ideally one on a professional register.

What is PAS 79 and why is this template structured on it?

PAS 79 is the publicly available specification that sets out the recognised methodology professional fire risk assessors use: premises details, persons at risk, ignition and fuel sources, means of escape, detection and warning, fire safety management, risk rating and action plan. Structuring your assessment on those headings means nothing important gets skipped and the document reads the way enforcing officers expect.

What should a fire risk assessment checklist cover?

The routine items that drift between full assessments: escape routes clear, fire doors not wedged, weekly alarm tests done, extinguishers in date, no overloaded sockets, waste controlled, drills logged. The Excel checklist in this pack covers 18 checks across five areas, turns any No red and counts your open actions.

Do landlords and HMOs need a fire risk assessment?

Yes. The Fire Safety Order applies to the common parts of any building with two or more domestic premises, and the Fire Safety Act 2021 confirmed it also covers the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors. Licensed HMOs face additional fire safety conditions under the Housing Act 2004. The landlord/HMO variant in this pack works through both.

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

Review it regularly and whenever there is reason to think it is out of date: after building changes, changes of use, staffing changes, a fire or near miss. Annual review is widely treated as good practice, with a full fresh assessment when significant changes happen.

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