Impartial fire safety assessments: Fire Risk Assessors and Spire
As a business owner, you should conduct a fire risk assessment regularly to ensure you have adequate provisions in place, especially if your business is growing, moving premises, or changing its activities.
If you are a duty-holder or responsible person, you are responsible for ensuring your premises are compliant with current legislation, this is an important assessment. The good news is that a fire risk assessment is not something you need to actually do yourself, as the National Fire Chiefs Council website explains:
“If you have duties under Fire Safety law, you are not expected to be an expert in assessing and controlling fire safety risks, but even when employing a contractor to help with an assessment or additional safety measures, reasonable checks should be made to ensure that the contractor is competent to properly undertake the work.”
However, you are responsible for ensuring your assessment is carried out by a qualified professional.
Fire Risk Assessment and Spire
At Spire, we install fire safety and security systems pretty much every day of the week. We also offer a free onsite consultation to view your premises and advise on updates, improvements or new requirements for fire safety equipment. However, this is NOT the same as a Fire Risk Assessment.
As the Fire Chiefs Council say, as the business or premises owner, or a duty-holder, you need to be sure that we’ve done a proper job, and your fire safety installation is fully compliant. That’s why at Spire we work close with an external fire risk assessor.
The reason we use an external fire risk assessor is simple: we do not believe it is right for a fire company to be assessing their own work. Otherwise it’s a bit like marking your own homework – it may be correct, but it’s important that a unbiased third party is checking it too! So we use an independent company to ensure that you are getting the best service, and to produce your PAS 79 report.
Spire’s Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) Service
Finding and booking a suitable Fire Risk Assessor on your own can be time-consuming, especially if you’re not quite sure what they need to do. At Spire, we can arrange all aspects of your FRA visit, to ensure minimal disruption.
Our management service includes:
- Arranging a mutually suitable day/s for your assessment
- Working with you to ensure your assessor can have full access to all areas of your premises
- Providing full information on your systems (if we installed) to your assessor
- Liaising with the assessor to ensure timely delivery of all required reports
Updating / upgrading your fire safety systems
We’ll come and do a free onsite consultation to see what you already have in place. We’ll talk through the latest fire safety and security solutions including the latest AI assisted systems. Our installations are done to the highest standards, and we offer ongoing PPM contracts to ensure they are in good order. Then we’ll bring in a suitably qualified independent assessor who will check our installation from top to bottom.
If you just need a Fire Risk Assessment completed, just let us now. We’ll book and manage your assessment with one of our own assessors. So you can relax and get on with running your business, with one less job to worry about.
Contact us at Spire
Fire Safety Assessments FAQs
What should I check when choosing a Fire Risk Assessor?
If you wish to engage an independent Fire Risk Assessor, do check their credentials first. Here’s what to ask for.
• Evidence of compliance with the competency criteria set down by the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council.
• Previous experience in your industry or sector
• References from previous clients
• Sight of their professional indemnity insurance
• Details of their complaint’s procedure
What does a fire risk assessor assess?
A fire risk assessor will look at all aspects of your fire safety in respect of your premises and all activity that takes place in it. Their role is to:
• Identify existing fire hazards and assess associated risks
• Record their findings
• Advise your business on required prevention measures
• Evaluate, remove or reduce risks where possible (2)
What legislation should a Fire Risk Assessor be familiar with?
Fire Risk Assessors must be familiar with all relevant fire safety legislation in your part of the UK.
England and Wales:
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England and Wales)
The Building Safety Act 2022
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Scotland:
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and supporting Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Northern Ireland:
Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
How can I find independent Fire Risk Assessors on my own?
Look at tghe National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) website https://nfrar.co.uk/ (3). Created by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), this offers a search for independent assessors in your area. Their list of professional assessors is divided into three Tiers, according to their qualifications. (Qualifications should conform to BS 8674:2025:).
Foundation Level (Tier 1)
Suitable for small-scale assessments, such as residential properties, offices, and low-risk commercial spaces.
FireQual Award in Fire Risk Assessment in Low Risk Premises; Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF; England & Wales) Level 2. [Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 5] or FPA equivalent
Intermediate Level (Tier 2)
For fire risk assessments on medium-risk buildings and premises with more complex fire risk assessments.
Qualifications: FireQual Award in Fire Risk Assessment in Medium Risk Premises; Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF; England & Wales) Level 3. [Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6] or FPA equivalent
Advanced Level (Tier 3)
Advanced level assessors for complex industrial settings, high-rise buildings, manufacturing, healthcare, and large-scale commercial premises.
FireQual Award in Fire Risk Assessment in High Risk Premises; Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF; England & Wales) Level 4. [Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 7] or FPA equivalent.
What is BS 8674:2025?
According to British Standards website:
“BS 8674:2025 is a British Standard that sets out a framework for assessing and assuring the competence of individual fire risk assessors operating in the built environment. It provides performance-based criteria that can be used to determine whether an individual is suitably competent to carry out fire risk assessments in a wide range of occupied buildings.” (5)
Sort your fire safety issues with Spire
Contact us for all your fire and security needs across the Midlands, London and the Home Counties.
About the author
David Whiteside is both Founder and Managing Director of Spire. David has been involved in the Fire & Security industry for over 15 years, experiencing the services at all technical and project levels. With a keen eye for detail, a passion for quality of work and unparalleled customer service, David ensures Spire F&D delivers a service that meets and exceeds to the demands of any industry and sector.
SOURCES:
(2) https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/fire-risk-assessor
(4) https://www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk/training/courses/firequal-awards-in-fire-risk-assessment/
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