Who Is Responsible For Fire Risk Assessments?

What is a fire risk assessment?

A fire risk assessment involves a complete inspection of your property, both externally and internally, to identify potential fire hazards or problems. The main purpose is to eliminate these dangers or reduce them to a level that provides security and control, and to ensure that your device and the location have the necessary security measures.



A “person responsible” for fire safety is a person who works for an employer and owns, rents, occupies, or is responsible for non-residential property. This includes positions such as auditors, risk assessors, construction inspectors and field inspectors.

Who is responsible for fire risk assessments?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) require almost any location, not just a local area, to carry out this risk assessment. According to Article 2 of the RRO, a person who acts as a “responsible person” or has some responsibilities for fire safety must take measures to prevent a fire, prevent anyone who will be affected by the fire, reduce the damage and stop the fire.

The RRO Part 1 Article 2 defines “relevant person” as:

• Any person with lawful access to property, including the executor.
• Anyone who lives near the building and may be harmed by fire; but this does not include a firefighter working with the fire and rescue department under the provisions of section 7, 8 or 9 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.

The RRO Part 1 Article 3 defines “employee” as:

• Regarding the workplace, if it is related to the workplace;
• For workplaces not listed above; business or other activities (with or without residence).
• Owner is the person who is responsible for the site without having any rights in the trade, business or other activities in which he participates.



In the context, the term “responsible person” will refer to the managing agent, owner, employer or owner of the building. Sometimes more than one person may work in the building, sharing jobs or performing specific property-related responsibilities to ensure the safety of tenants.