In most cases, yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the main fire safety law for England and Wales. It applies to all workplaces and to the common areas of any building containing two or more domestic dwellings (e.g. blocks of flats, HMOs, mixed use buildings).

The Order places a legal duty on the Responsible Person (usually the owner, landlord, proprietor, or managing agent) to carry out and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, and to provide and maintain appropriate fire precautions.

Fire risk assessments do not have a fixed expiry date. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, they must be kept up to date and reviewed regularly to ensure they are suitable and sufficient.

What “regularly” means depends on the level of fire risk, how the building is used, and how likely it is to change. In practice, the following review intervals are commonly adopted:

Higher risk premises: reviewed annually or more frequently

Medium risk premises (including most buildings with sleeping accommodation): reviewed every two year

Lower risk premises: reviewed every three years, or sooner if changes occur

In all cases, a fire risk assessment must be reviewed sooner if there is a material change, such as alterations to the building, a change of use, a change in occupancy, or changes to fire safety measures or management arrangements.

A fire risk assessment must be carried out by a competent person. This means someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to understand fire risk and apply appropriate judgement.

For anything beyond very simple premises, this will normally require a professionally qualified assessor, with relevant accreditation and experience.

In practice, a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is one carried out by a person with appropriate knowledge, training, experience, and accreditation to assess fire risk competently for the premises.

This requires a working understanding of relevant fire safety legislation and recognised guidance, building construction and use, fire behaviour, and the ability to apply professional judgement to the specific risks present.

No. A fire risk assessment is not a certificate, approval, or guarantee of compliance.

It is a professional assessment of fire risk at the time of inspection, intended to support the Responsible Person in understanding and managing fire safety responsibilities.

We will normally ask for basic information about the premises, including its use, size, occupancy, and any existing fire safety documentation. Where available, this should be provided in advance or made accessible on site.

A recommendation to replace a fire door may be appropriate, but it depends on the condition of the door, how it performs, and the level of fire risk within the premises. A door that does not fully meet current standards is not automatically unsuitable.

We assess doors in the context of the building as a whole. In many cases, doors can be upgraded or repaired to achieve an acceptable level of performance. Where a door falls short of current guidance but still provides adequate protection in practice, it may be considered sufficient following risk assessment.

This is particularly relevant in buildings where design and construction constraints can limit replacement options. In such cases, suitability is determined through assessment of risk and proportionality, rather than prescriptive replacement.