Statutory fire safety assessments for commercial offices

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every commercial premises in England and Wales must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. For offices, this means identifying potential hazards, assessing who might be at risk, and implementing measures to reduce the likelihood of a fire.

A thorough assessment protects your people and your operations and demonstrates due diligence if an incident occurs.

A systematic review of your office fire safety

An office fire risk assessment is a systematic review of your workspace designed to identify fire hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of existing safety measures. It examines how a fire might start, how it could spread, and whether your current precautions are adequate to protect everyone in the building.

A typical office fire safety assessment will review:

• Potential ignition sources, including faulty wiring, overloaded sockets, portable heaters, kitchen appliances, and other equipment that could cause a fire to start
• Materials that could feed a fire, including paper, waste, stored packaging, and items in comms rooms
• Fire doors, compartmentalisation, smoke detectors, and alarm systems
• Backup lighting that activates during a power outage to guide safe evacuation
• Extinguishers, fire blankets, and suppression systems, checking they're correctly positioned, serviced, and appropriate for the risks present
• Escape routes and properly marked exits

The assessment results in a detailed report outlining any identified risks, their severity, and the actions required to address them.

When should a fire risk assessment be updated?

Assessments should be formally conducted every five years and reviewed annually to confirm their validity. A new assessment is also required following significant changes to the building:

• Layout changes or refurbishment
• Changes in occupancy or use
• Installation of new equipment or systems
• Building works affecting compartmentalisation or escape routes

Regular reviews keep fire safety compliance aligned with how your workspace evolves.

How Kitt manages fire risk assessments

Kitt arranges fire risk assessments for all managed offices, coordinating with qualified third-party assessors to ensure your space is properly evaluated. We handle scheduling, oversee any remedial actions, and maintain documentation for your compliance records.

When changes occur, whether a fit-out adjustment or a shift in how the space is used, we trigger a review so your assessment stays current.