Fire Risk Assessment Legal Requirements
Fire risk assessment duties differ across the UK. England and Wales use the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Scotland uses the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Northern Ireland uses the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.
England and Wales
The duty sits with the responsible person. This can include an employer, owner, landlord, occupier, facilities manager, building manager, managing agent, or another person with control of the premises.
Review triggers
A fire risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and when there is a reason to believe it may no longer be valid. Layout changes, occupancy changes, incidents, refurbishment, enforcement requests and insurer requests are common triggers.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate fire safety frameworks. Use jurisdiction-specific guidance for premises outside England and Wales.