PAS 79-1 and BS 9792:2025, UK wide
Fire Risk Assessments
Almost every business and building in the UK needs a fire risk assessment by law. AL23 Safety carries out thorough, competent fire risk assessments across the UK, identifying the fire hazards in your premises, judging the risk to the people in them and giving you a clear, prioritised plan to keep everyone safe and stay on the right side of the law.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A methodical look at what could start a fire and who is at risk
A fire risk assessment is a structured, methodical look at your premises to find anything that could start a fire or help it spread, work out how likely that is and judge the risk to everyone who uses the building. It takes in the building itself, your fire safety measures, your management procedures and human behaviour.
The point is not the document
It is giving the Responsible Person the information they need to act: what is working, what needs attention and what is a serious risk that has to be dealt with now.
Who needs one?
Virtually all non domestic premises
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for virtually all non domestic premises in England and Wales, along with the common parts of residential buildings. That covers, among many others:
If you are an employer, building owner, landlord or managing agent, the duty almost certainly applies to you.
The legal framework
Tightened significantly in recent years
The duties most likely to affect you are:
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The main legislation. It requires a fire risk assessment for non domestic premises and residential common parts. Failing to comply is a criminal offence that can mean unlimited fines and up to two years in prison.
Fire Safety Act 2021
Confirmed that the assessment must cover a building's structure, external walls and flat entrance doors in multi occupied residential buildings.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Added duties for multi occupied residential buildings in England, including quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors in buildings over 11 metres.
Building Safety Act 2022
A tighter regime for higher risk buildings, with new duty holders such as the Accountable Person and a safety case requirement.
The standards we work to
Only as good as the method behind it
We carry ours out to the recognised national standards so your report stands up with insurers, enforcing authorities and the courts.
PAS 79-1:2020
Commercial methodology
The methodology for commercial and other non housing premises.
BS 9792:2025
Housing, current standard
The current standard for housing fire risk assessments. Published in 2025, it replaced PAS 79-2:2020 and brings a more inclusive, risk based approach for residential buildings.
BS 8674:2025
Assessor competence
Sets out what makes a fire risk assessor competent, across foundation, intermediate and advanced levels matched to building complexity. It finally defines what competence means.
Our process
The established five step approach
- 1
Identify the fire hazards
We inspect the premises for ignition sources, fuel and anything that helps a fire spread.
- 2
Identify the people at risk
We consider everyone who uses the building, with particular care for those who are most vulnerable or hardest to evacuate.
- 3
Evaluate and act on the risk
We judge whether your existing measures are enough and what more is needed to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
- 4
Record, plan and inform
You get a clear written report with risk ratings, photographic evidence and a prioritised action plan with timescales.
- 5
Review
We tell you when the assessment needs revisiting and can keep it up to date for you.
What we assess
Every part of your fire safety
- Fire hazards, the ignition sources and fuel present
- The people at risk, including vulnerable and lone occupants
- Means of escape, routes, exits, widths and travel distances
- Fire detection and warning systems
- Firefighting equipment such as extinguishers and hose reels
- Emergency lighting
- Fire safety signage and notices
- Management procedures, training and record keeping
- Compartmentation, fire doors and the protection of escape routes
Residential buildings
Four types, escalating in depth
Residential blocks have their own framework. The right type depends on the building and its risks.
A non intrusive assessment of the communal areas. Suitable for most purpose built blocks.
Most commonA Type 1 plus intrusive inspection of sample areas to check the compartmentation within the communal parts.
A non intrusive assessment of the communal areas and a sample of individual flats, including flat entrance doors and internal layouts.
Communal areas and a sample of flats, with intrusive inspection of both.
Most thoroughWe help you work out which type your building actually needs and never recommend a more intrusive assessment than the risk justifies.
How often? There is no fixed expiry date in law but an assessment must be kept up to date. In practice that means reviewing it regularly, often once a year and always after a significant change to the building, its use or its occupants.
Why AL23 Safety
The heart of fire safety, done with real depth
Fire risk assessment is the heart of fire safety and complex buildings demand real depth, not a checklist. Because we have in-house fire engineering capability, we can assess everything from a single shop to large, complex and higher risk buildings and interpret your fire strategy properly rather than just record what we see.
You get a clear, practical report written in plain English, with an action plan you can actually use to prioritise works and prove compliance. We work with employers, building owners, landlords, managing agents and duty holders right across the UK.
Book a fire risk assessment
A first assessment, a review or a whole portfolio
Whether you need a first assessment, a review of an existing one or help across a whole portfolio, we can help. Get in touch for a straightforward conversation about your building and your duties.
Common questions
Answers, up front
Cannot see your question? Get in touch and we will answer it directly.
Contact usIf you are the responsible person for a non-domestic building, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires you to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. It identifies the fire hazards in your premises and the measures needed to reduce risk to a reasonable level.
A fire risk assessment should be kept up to date and reviewed regularly and again whenever there is a significant change to the building, its use or its occupants. We can help you set a sensible review schedule.
Related services