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Fire risk assessments were introduced as part of the Fire Regulatory Reform Act in 2005. Introduced by the government the act aims to improve fire safety in the workplace and all public premises.
Yes. It is a lawful requirement if you have a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) property or any business premises which employs 5 or more people, including part time staff, or you have members of the general public in the premises.
If you fall into the criteria above you are required to have an assessment by law. It helps you to identify any risks and you to manage your environment as well as keeping your managers, staff and members of the public safe.
Yes. If you do not have an official Fire risk assessment and you’re unlucky enough to suffer damage as a result of a fire your insurance company could refuse to pay. You could also face prosecution if your local enforcing authority conduct an audit of your premises and consider it to be unsafe.
A qualified assessor will visit your premises to understand your business and building; before compiling a detailed report. The length of visit depends on the size of you premises however we typically advise between 1 and 3 hours.
We have fully qualified advisors who can carry out a Fire Risk Assessment at a time that’s convenient for you.
No. All we ask is that the "Responsible Person" you have appointed be available when we visit and we have access to all areas of the building.
You will receive an insurance approved document (PAS79). We will also include any recommendations that we feel will be helpful.
No, but you are advised to review it regularly. It is your responsibility to keep the document updated with any changes to staffing, the premises or type of work carried out. If you do need to make any changes we have a dedicated team who offer ongoing help and support.
I don't have Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word, what should I do?
If you don't have Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Word installed on your PC or Mac, don't worry - you can still use our products. You can get a free alternative from Open Office.
Open Office Org is open-source developed alternative to Microsoft Office, developed by a large software company called Oracle. Open Source means the company who build the software, allow 100% use of it, 100% free.
Since Open Office is specifically developed to be exactly the same as Microsoft Office, with all the same programs in the suite (Eg: Word, Excel, Access and Power Point) - it will freely open any Microsoft Office file-format. Meaning, just because a document was written in Microsoft Word, doesn't mean it can't be opened in another program. Open Office will do that, and vise versa.
To download and install Open Office;