Fire Risk Assessment Guide 1 – Offices and Shops

Fire Safety – Risk Assessment: Offices and Shops’ is for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of premises in England and Wales where the main use of the building or part of the building is an office or shop, including:

• Purpose built or converted office blocks
• Individual office or shop units which are part of other complexes e.g. shopping centre

The new law does not apply to offices in private domestic accommodation. ‘Fire Safety – Risk Assessment: Offices and Shops’ is not applicable for the overall management of multi-use shopping areas. In this instance, ‘Fire Safety – Risk Assessment: Large Places of Assembly DCLG8122 will be more appropriate.

This guide is divided into two parts:

Part 1: Explains what fire risk assessment is and how you might go about it. Fire risk assessment should be the foundation for all the fire precautions in your premises.

Part 2: Provides further guidance on fire precautions. The information is provided for you and others to dip into during your fire risk assessment or when you are reviewing your precautions.

Appendices provide supplementary information.

Fire safety law changed in October 2006

New fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales came into force on 1 October 2006, in accordance with the ‘Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’ (S.I. 2005/1541, ISBN 0110729455), available below. The new law:

• Emphasises preventing fires and reducing risk
• Makes it your responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone who uses your premises and in the immediate vicinity
• Does away with the need for fire certificates