Fire Risk Assessments

Can someone explain why OFSTED require a fire risk assessment on a premises before they will allow it to be occupied, but a fire risk assessor won't come until it's occupied?

I have a high rise block of 80 flats with 4 flats per floor built in the 1960s. The flats have a common ventilation system serving all the bathrooms. Galv duct from each flat into a common concrete duct that risers to a fan mounted on the roof. The FRA has raised the question/action regarding fire dampers and cold smoke dampers, that these should be installed to each flat to prevent fire and cold smoke entering the common ventilation system and spreading to other flats. The system is not constructed as a shunt system and some intumescent grilles have been fitted over the years to some flats where access was gained/allowed. The Fire risk assessor has stated intumescent gri…

I would appreciate some views on whether a formal Fire Risk Assessment is legally required for the following type of premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The property is a large Grade I listed private residential house in England. It is owned by one family and used as their private holiday home, not their main residence. It is not used as a hotel, HMO, block of flats, care home, school, public venue, event venue or commercial premises. The family employ a number of household staff, including butlers, maids, nannies, chefs, cleaners and security staff. No staff sleep in the main house. The staff are present to support the family and household, inc…

Hello, I know I'm far from the first leaseholder with this issue but would deeply appreciate any ideas. My flat is in a purpose built block of 4 flats, set over 2 floors, and is on the upper floor. Building and fittings are c. 20 years old. The front door recently failed a basic visual inspection because it's "not fire-rated". I have strong evidence this was only determined because it doesn't have a marking. As you are well aware, the Govt. guidance is clear that this isn’t required for older doors and this alone isn't enough to require automatic replacement. The door is original to the build and, to my knowledge, has had no major alterations. The door did not appear to b…

Hello there I do hope someone can advise me I am a private tenant in England renting a 2-storey residential family house. it has 4 bedrooms and it was converted from a commercial pub to a residential dwelling and I am deeply concerned about the fire safety and escape layout upstairs and want to confirm if this constitutes a serious hazard. Here are the specific details of the property: The Corridor: The upstairs hallway is a 7.58 metre long corridor. There are no windows, exits, or alternative escape routes at the back of the property. The only way out is down a single staircase in the middle, the width of the corridor warps and is 84cm, 88cm, 91cm, and 93cm in width The …

I am of the opinion that a door frame stop on a fire door cannot compliantly reduce a threshold gap issue. If this is correct - is there any legislation that I can quote from pls?

A question for those involved in writing, auditing, or enforcing workplace fire policies: Why do so many policies prohibit "under-desk heaters" rather than defining the specific heating technologies that create the risk? In my experience, the phrase "under-desk heater" is often used as a catch-all term, but it can cover a wide range of products that operate very differently. For example, a portable 2kW fan heater and a 2kW convector heater are commonly restricted in workplaces, and it's easy to understand why organisations may be concerned about high-power portable appliances being used in confined spaces around cables, paper, bags and other combustible materials. Howe…

Hi all. I'm looking for some advice. Recently completed an FRA on a small/medium commercial unit. All pretty straight forward, however, there are building works going on next to the unit -looks like a new unit is being erected. I noticed that when you open the toilet window in my customers unit, it opens directly into the building site next door The building work is nothing to do with my customer (they lease their unit). Obviously, I know this is an issue and the building site activities can affect my customers' unit and vice versa, but is there anything else I need to consider? Any other guidance/legislation. I'm certain this wouldn't meet building regs, but nothing I …

Hi. We live in a three storey house converted into three flats (on ground, first floor, attic) with one communal entrance way. The renovation was completed and signed off for regs in 2018. The fire risk assessor has identified an evacuate policy and insist that the smoke alarms and call points (no control panel) in the small communal hall are not adequate and recommended a very expensive grade d ld3 system. They took no steps to understand the construction or check the flats, which all have smoke alarms plus fire suppression systems on the ground floor and top floor flats. This seems potentially unnecessary given the risk at play and will cost us an extortionate amount. T…

Are there ever any circumstances when a room within a room (the outer room is a commercial kitchen) can be justified?

Hi. I live in a 4 story block of flats.This morning I noticed an orange light flashing on the fire vent box in the communal hallway. I then noticed the AOV window on the roof of the flats is completelty broken. I've reported this to housing. They said they are aware & it will take 3 weeks to repair. My concern is what if a fire was to happen . We would be smoked to dead.

Hi All, We manage apartment blocks, and sometimes residents install their own EV chargers in basement car parks without seeking the appropriate permissions etc. In these cases, we are usually recommended to enforce removal of the charger or install heat detection that is linked to an ARC. I am aware that an EV fire is a greater hazard than an ICE fire. What I’m struggling to understand is why an ICE fire is not so much of a hazard to already need these measures. Surely a car fire of any kind is a great hazard, and being in a part of the building that is frequently unoccupied, it would make sense to have heat detection linked to an ARC? Everything I’ve seen online suggests…

I have returned to a site to review a FRA. They havent been particularly helpful, no actions from previous years actioned, some rooms not accessible etc etc. There is a room that I am particularly worried about, it is about 3m x 3m and is used to mix chemicals from various containers. The first issue is the door to it was replaced with a timber door that doesnt fit the frame, no intumescent strip, proper door closer, doesnt stay closed. This has been the case for several years and the site insist it is a fire door because it has a special vent in the door, which it does, but you can see into the room through the gaps around the door. Anyway, that isnt really my questi…

HMO an d has metal consumer unit in walk in cupboard. (Also used for other items. Timber does so I am recommending Supalux on inside of doors, but noticed no sensor for alarm seen here. Should it also have a sensor or at least a stand alone smoke alarm in the cupboard?

Currently purchasing an office building that’s 1900’s era built as a pub originally, I am wanting to turn it into a children’s nursery. through the center of the building is a large square staircase that connects ground, first and second floor, which is open through the center of the staircase, the perimeter is say 3m x 3m with wooden spindles, I believe they are called Atrium staircases, any smoke would funnel straight up the staircase and enter every level. Would anything need to be done to ensure it’s legal? currently all the doors that open onto the stairway corridor look like fire doors

I live in a two storey block of flats (there are four flats in total in the block). Each flat has its own entrance and there are no common areas. What sort of fire safety assessment and documentation do we need?

Does a 2 storey house let to 1 family need an FRA. There is a basement flat. Each has their own front door and each has a front and rear exit, there are no communal areas. Also, do the front doors need to be FD30s fire doors even though they are external exit doors.

Hello all, I am in need of desperate advice following different recommendations from different assessors. We manage 4 storey buildings that are a purpose built block of flats (built 2003/2004), with varying number of properties in each section of the building, which are not interlinked. The communal areas all have interlinked smoke detectors and there is an AOV in some sections of the building with a single detector at the top floor near the AOV. There is a AOV manual switch on the ground floor near the front entrance door which has been secured using a metal box with a fire bridge padlock (FB1 key). There is only a single staircase in each separate section of the bu…

Hi, We have just moved to an flat on floor 3 (top floor) of flats constructed between 2001 and 2003. We have had a Fire Door Survey undertaken of all the flat doors and communal doors in the two blocks. This has shown a number of issues that they flag as red but Gov notes in 2025 confirm that if the doors met the regs in 2001- 2003, it is not necessary to retrofit Intumescent or smoke seals etc. However, I am struggling to find a copy of the regs that applied at the time to check what the regs were for the number of hinges required on service cupboard doors, recommended gaps around the door frame and doorstop size. Is anyone able to advise please as we do not wish to s…

Hi All John here! Writing here as we speak to so many Fire Risk Assessors on a daily basis and keep getting conflicting advice. So, We are Fire door installers and do all remedial works etc and most clients want us to do the work and certify the doors afterwards which we can do as we're qualified for that too but... The issue is, we can fit a new fire door with all the bells and whistles to make it compliant but is that enough to sign it off afterwards? in our training it says 'preferably' it's best to change the door lining but as long as the new door is compliant it should be fine and it's down to us to take the responsibility in the long run.…

A basement end passageway has a resident flat. The flat entrance is a final exit door onto an exterior escape route (the outside) so doesn't have to be a fire door. Directly opposite that flat door (no more than three feet) is a riser room under the above pavement which contains electrical meters/cables etc. This riser room door vents to the outside so does not have to have a fire rating. My issue is - despite the correct calls from the fire safety assessment - that the resident must surely have their safety compromised should there be an outbreak of heat/smoke/fire from the riser area. The escape route is compromised and the resident and their property are vulnerable at …

I have recently been asked a question by a bar/restaurant, and they have been told they can only have 60 persons, when originally it was 100. I am reading contradicting guides or not showing information I require. The premise, · 3 Interconnecting rooms with no door’s large openings with a central open plan kitchen. · Exits Front Open Inward 850mm from restaurant · Exit Rear Open Inward 850mm from restaurant · Central – Open outwards but you are required to pass through Prep room, that at present has 1 small electric hob and small storage. If I disregard the Prep Room Exit – as it is a prep room, I …

We own an apartment in a house converted in into five apartments in 2000. From reading your information we are not an HMO and only the communal areas are subject to Fire Regulations. Am I also correct that we do not legally require a fire safety assessment? Our Management Company has informed us this was needed and it has been carried out. One outcome is the recommendation of installing a fire alarm. Am I correct that neither is required by law?

Hi, I have a 2 storey mixed-use premises, consisting of a commercial unit (takeaway) on the ground floor and single residential unit (1 bed flat) on the first floor. There are no common area and separate entrances to both units. I am aware that I require a commercial FRA for the takeaway downstairs, but I am unsure as to whether I require a residential FRA for the flat as there are no common areas and both have separate entrances. I understand that the Fire Safety Act 2021 states that an FRA is required for building containing two or more dwellings, regardless of whether there are common area or not, but does not mention mixed-use in this way. Basically, d…

If I’m on the 3rd floor (top floor) and my kitchen window opens onto a public landing leading to a residence either side (I am the only flat that has a kitchen window situated in the shared landing area) with the only internal staircase opposite my front door, and no other exit other than through my front room (which cuts off every other exit should I have a fire), what should I do and is this legal/safe?