A generally asked query by hotelkeepers,building owners and those liable for handling fire safety is– can I do my own fire risk analysis?
In this article,we’re going to discuss why it is feasible– but may not necessarily be the correct decision to make. Who are we? Fire Risk Assessment
The short answer is ‘Of course – you can perform your own fire risk analysis’,there is nothing stopping you from Googling an online template for a fire risk analysis and filling out the fields to describe your property,what you do,and any risks you can identify from the limited knowledge you have. If in doubt get in touch Fire Risk Assessment
You could even do your own research,perhaps even attend a fire safety training course. This may have been acceptable prior to 2005,as the fire service used to visit your building and carry out an audit to deliver you with a fire certificate. However,since then,the criteria and law for fire safety became much more strict and things changed significantly.
The law for fire safety – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005,which was really introduced in 2006– was developed to remodel fire safety in England & Wales,to introduce the need for a suitable and sufficient fire risk analysis to be carried out for all non-domestic premises.
The words ‘suitable and sufficient’ when used in law,were certainly brought under scrutiny,but the interpretation has since been made very clear:
A suitable and sufficient fire risk analysis can only be carried out by a competent person.
‘Competent’ can be defined as someone with enough training,qualifications,experience and attitude. A competent person needs to have acquired specific training in relation to fire risk evaluations,they must have some form of qualification to back that up,experience in assessing your type of building,and the right attitude to ensure they’re able to communicate the findings effectively. All of the above can be achieved for your fire risk analysis by using external inspectors.
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