Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats
Assessments to be carried out under the Regulator Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). The legislation is in place to prevent fire and reduce the risk of loss of life. In a block of flats, the Fire Risk Assessments should include the common areas such as communal hallways and doors including entry and exit doors, corridors and stairways. Although there is no fixed period for reviewing a Fire Risk Assessment, it has become standard practice to review the fire risk on an annual basis, but recommended at least every 3 years.
The purpose of a fire risk assessment
- To identify fire hazards which could cause death or injury
- To determine what measures are in place and what extra precautions need to be taken to make the building safe
- It helps to provide property owners with recommendations for ongoing reviews and changes required
Key points:
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The Fire Risk Assessment should be carried out by a competent and responsible person with sufficient training, experience and knowledge. A responsible person is a person who has primary responsibility for the premises. This could include owners of the premises or a manager of a building. - The FSO requires that Fire Risk Assessments should be reviewed regularly and when circumstances change, i.e. material alterations, wide-spread change in the type of residents occupying the block and when there is a reason to suspect that the original assessment is no longer valid i.e. after a fire.
- A Fire Risk Assessment is required by legislation – it evaluates the risk to people’s lives.
- It is normally only necessary to consider the common parts to satisfy the FSO
- If a landlord has concerns regarding the risk to residents within their flats, the Fire Risk Assessment may extend to the flats themselves.
- There should be documented evidence of all assessments carried out and should be readily available to view. (The report should be reviewed and approved by the directors and any actions agreed to be undertaken should be re-documented and followed up).
Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?
A Fire Risk Assessment must be conducted by a competent and responsible person who has the necessary training, experience, and knowledge. It should be carried out by whoever holds primary responsibility for the premises, such as the owners of the property or the manager of the building.
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
While there’s no set period for reviewing a Fire Risk Assessment, it’s standard practice to conduct an annual review. At minimum, it should be reviewed at least every 3 years.
According to the FSO, Fire Risk Assessments should also be reviewed when there are changes in circumstances, such as material alterations, a significant change in the type of residents occupying the block, or when there’s a reason to believe that the original assessment is no longer valid, such as after a fire.
Our services
Along with our specialist block of flats insurance, we can help you with a variety of other policies and services.
Buildings Insurance
Directors & Officers Insurance
Terrorism Cover
Engineering Insurance & Inspections
Talk to the specialists in block of flats insurance
After completing a Fire Risk Assessment on your block of flats, the next step is to obtain insurance coverage for it.
The experts at A-One Insurance specialise in finding the most competitive insurance policies for blocks of flats. After taking the time to understand your requirements, our brokers will source and provide you with a policy that offers the lowest rates possible.
