Fire Safety Risk Assessment UK — What Trade Businesses Need to Know (2026)

What the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — commonly called the FSO — is the primary piece of fire safety legislation for England and Wales. It came into force in October 2006 and replaced over 70 separate pieces of legislation, including the previous fire certification regime under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. Fire certificates are no longer issued or required; the FSO replaces them with a duty on the responsible person to carry out and act on a fire risk assessment.

The FSO applies to all non-domestic premises. This includes commercial buildings, offices, factories, warehouses, HMOs (in respect of common areas), blocks of flats (common areas only), and any workplace where people are employed. If your trade business operates from any premises of this kind — whether you own or lease them — the FSO applies to you.

One important distinction: the FSO operates separately from the Building Safety Act 2022, which introduced a separate regime for higher-risk buildings (those 18 metres or more in height, or with at least seven storeys, containing two or more residential units). The Building Safety Act creates additional duties for building owners and accountable persons in those specific structures. For most trade businesses operating from workshops, garages, or small commercial premises, the FSO is the relevant legislation.

Who needs a fire risk assessment

The duty under the FSO is broad. A fire risk assessment is required if you are:

• An employer with one or more employees working at your premises
• A person who has control of non-domestic premises — this includes landlords of commercial property, HMO landlords (for common areas), and managing agents of blocks of flats
• A trade business operating from a rented workshop, garage, yard unit, or office — even with a single employee
• A self-employed person using premises shared with others, where you have some control over those premises

The employee threshold is one — not five as under health and safety law. As soon as a single person is employed and works at the premises, a fire risk assessment is required and its significant findings must be recorded. Many sole traders incorrectly assume they are exempt if they work alone from a workshop. If the premises are shared with anyone else — including a subcontractor working under you — you will almost certainly fall within the FSO's scope.

The responsible person

The FSO places all duties on the “responsible person” (RP). The RP is the person who has control of the premises — typically the employer, business owner, occupier, or managing agent. Where more than one person has control of different parts of a premises, each is the RP for their own part and they must cooperate with each other.

The RP's duties include:

• Carrying out or commissioning a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment
• Implementing the recommendations arising from that assessment
• Keeping a written record of the assessment if the premises employ five or more people, or if the premises are required to have a licence
• Reviewing the assessment after any significant change to the premises, its use, or the people who occupy it — and at least annually as good practice
• Ensuring that fire safety arrangements (escape routes, detection, extinguishers, training) are maintained in working order

If a fire occurs and the RP has not carried out a fire risk assessment, or has failed to implement its recommendations, the RP faces personal liability. Penalties include unlimited fines and, in serious cases resulting in death or injury, imprisonment.

The five steps of a fire risk assessment

The FSO does not prescribe a single format, but the government's fire safety guides describe a widely accepted five-step process:

• Step 1 — Identify fire hazards. This means identifying ignition sources (welding equipment, hot work, electrical faults, heating appliances, smoking areas), fuel sources (timber offcuts, solvent-based adhesives and paints, packaging materials, paper), and sources of oxygen (natural air, air conditioning systems, stored oxidising agents).
• Step 2 — Identify people at risk. Consider employees, contractors, visitors, delivery drivers, and anyone who may be in the building when a fire starts — including people who may be asleep (relevant for premises with any accommodation).
• Step 3 — Evaluate, remove or reduce the risk. Consider each hazard and whether it can be eliminated. If not, reduce the likelihood of ignition, reduce the availability of fuel, and ensure that if a fire does start it can be detected early, escape is possible, and spread is limited.
• Step 4 — Record, plan, instruct and train. Record the significant findings. Produce an emergency plan setting out what to do if fire breaks out. Ensure all workers know the plan, know where fire exits are, and know how to raise the alarm. Train fire marshals.
• Step 5 — Review regularly. Review the assessment whenever there is a significant change (new equipment, change of use, structural alterations, new staff) and at least annually.

Common fire hazards in trade business premises

Trade premises present fire hazards that are quite different from a typical office environment. The most common hazards inspectors find in workshops, garages, and trade yards include:

• Workshops: LPG cylinders stored near ignition sources; solvent-based adhesives, paints and thinners stored in quantity; timber dust from cutting and sanding settling on hot surfaces; welding sparks landing on combustibles that were not cleared away beforehand; electrical distribution boards overloaded by plant and machinery.
• Storage yards: Flammable materials — timber, sheet goods, packaging — stored adjacent to heat sources or where vehicles can approach with hot exhausts.
• Office areas: Overloaded extension leads or multi-socket adaptors; paper and stationery stored near portable heaters; phone chargers and IT equipment left on overnight.
• Vehicle maintenance and refuelling areas: Petrol, diesel, and engine oils; battery charging producing hydrogen gas; hot work in proximity to fuel.

Fire safety measures you must have

The FSO requires the responsible person to implement appropriate fire safety measures. For most trade premises, this means:

• Means of escape: All escape routes must be clear, unobstructed, and of adequate width. Fire exit signs must be installed on all emergency exit doors and along escape routes. Escape routes must be usable in darkness — emergency lighting is required wherever natural light is insufficient.
• Fire detection: Smoke or heat detectors appropriate to the risk must be installed. In most workshops, interlinked smoke alarms or a simple L2/L3 fire detection system is the minimum. The detection system must be tested weekly and serviced annually.
• Firefighting equipment: Fire extinguishers must be provided in appropriate types and numbers for the hazards present. They must be wall-mounted, clearly signed, and unobstructed.
• Fire safety signage: Fire exit signs, fire action notices, and extinguisher identification signs must all be in place and visible.
• Assembly point: A clearly marked fire assembly point must be designated at a safe distance from the building, and all staff must know where it is.
• Fire marshal: At least one person on each shift must be appointed as fire marshal, trained to raise the alarm, assist evacuation, and confirm the building is clear.

Fire extinguisher types and requirements

Choosing the correct extinguisher type is essential — using the wrong type on a fire can be dangerous. The main types relevant to trade premises are:

• Water (red label) — Class A fires: Paper, wood, textiles, and general combustibles. Suitable for most workshop office areas and timber storage.
• Foam (cream label) — Class A and B fires: General combustibles and flammable liquids. A good all-rounder for workshops where solvents and timber are both present.
• CO2 (black label) — Class E (electrical): Electrical equipment, computers, and switchgear. Essential wherever electrical plant or IT equipment is present. Leaves no residue.
• Dry powder (blue label) — Class B and C fires: Flammable liquids and gases. Effective but creates a significant mess and can obscure visibility; not recommended for use in enclosed occupied spaces unless no other option is suitable.
• Wet chemical (yellow label) — Class F fires: Cooking fats and oils. Required in any premises with deep-fat frying equipment; not relevant to most trade premises.

For a typical small trade workshop, the minimum practical provision is one CO2 extinguisher (for electrical hazards) and one water or foam extinguisher (for Class A combustibles). Your fire risk assessment will determine whether additional extinguishers are needed based on the specific hazards present. All extinguishers must be commissioned on installation and serviced annually in accordance with BS 5306-3.

Hot work permit systems

If your trade business carries out or hosts welding, flame cutting, disc cutting, grinding, or the use of a blowlamp — either on your own premises or on client sites — a hot work permit system is required. Most commercial insurers include this as a condition of cover, and virtually all commercial construction sites require a hot work permit before any such work begins.

A hot work permit is a written authorisation issued before each hot work activity. It typically contains:

• The location and description of the hot work to be carried out
• The name of the operative and the supervisor authorising the work
• A checklist of precautions to be taken before work begins (removal of combustibles, fire extinguisher on hand, fire blanket if appropriate, isolation of smoke detectors in the immediate area if required and permitted)
• The duration of the fire watch after work is completed — typically 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the insurer's requirements and the nature of the work
• Sign-off confirming the area was checked after the fire watch period and found safe

The fire watch requirement is the most commonly overlooked element. Many fires attributed to hot work start from smouldering material that was not visible when the operative left — sometimes hours after the work was completed. Failure to carry out a fire watch is a common basis for insurers to decline claims following a fire.

Commissioning a professional fire risk assessment

The FSO does not require that a fire risk assessment be carried out by an external professional — the responsible person can carry it out themselves if they have the competence to do so. For straightforward low-risk premises (a small workshop with simple occupancy and obvious hazards), a competent business owner working through the government's fire safety guides can produce a compliant assessment.

However, for premises of any complexity — multiple occupiers, sleeping accommodation, unusual processes, large floor areas, or older buildings — a qualified assessor should be commissioned. Look for assessors holding recognised credentials:

• BAFE SP205: The BAFE Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment scheme is the most widely recognised third-party certification for fire risk assessors in the UK
• IFE (Institution of Fire Engineers): Membership or fellowship of the IFE indicates professional competence
• FPA (Fire Protection Association): FPA-trained assessors hold recognised qualifications

Typical costs for a professional fire risk assessment range from £150 to £400 for a small workshop or single-occupancy commercial unit. Larger or more complex premises will cost more. The resulting report should identify hazards, the people at risk, current control measures and their adequacy, recommendations for improvement, and a priority rating for each recommendation. Reviews should be carried out annually and after any significant change to the premises.

Fire safety for trade business vehicles and site cabins

Fire safety obligations extend beyond your fixed premises. If your business operates site offices or welfare cabins on construction sites, those structures must have their own fire risk assessment, appropriate detection, means of escape, and firefighting equipment — typically at least one dry powder or CO2 extinguisher per cabin.

Gas cylinders — LPG, oxygen, and acetylene — must be stored and transported safely on trade vehicles:

• Cylinders must be secured upright and cannot roll or fall during transit
• The van or vehicle must be adequately ventilated — a fixed ventilation slot at floor level is required because LPG is heavier than air
• No naked flames or smoking near the vehicle when cylinders are present
• Cylinder valves must be closed when not in use and during transport
• Quantities carried must comply with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods regulations

Vans carrying flammable materials — paints, solvents, adhesives — must be considered in your overall fire risk assessment. A fire in a vehicle loaded with solvent-based products can escalate rapidly. Ensure that quantities are minimised, products are in their original containers, and the vehicle is not parked overnight in an enclosed garage or next to a building where a vehicle fire could spread.

Vehicles used for hot work — carrying welding sets, torches, or cutting equipment — should carry an appropriate fire extinguisher at all times, and the hot work permit system described above applies whether the work is carried out on your premises or on a client site.