Fire safety law in Scotland and your duties
Fire safety in Scotland is governed by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
UK fire safety law is devolved, so Scotland has its own rules, and the English fire safety order that most online guidance quotes doesn’t apply here.
Under this Scottish legislation, every organisation that occupies non-domestic premises has a duty holder, usually the employer, owner or occupier in control of the building. In England the duty falls on one or more responsible persons. In Scotland it’s the duty holder, but the job is the same. You have to conduct a fire risk assessment, put the necessary measures in place, and keep it current.
For most premises the assessment doesn’t get sent anywhere. It just has to exist, be written down, and stand up if the local fire service asks to see it.
Scottish Government fire safety guidance sets out what a suitable assessment should cover, and that guidance, alongside the Act, is what a professional fire risk assessment is measured against.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can inspect your premises, and where fire safety measures fall short they can issue an enforcement notice or, in serious cases, prosecute.
Insurers can refuse a claim if no suitable assessment was in place. Underneath the legal duty, the assessment exists to protect the people inside your building.
Carry one out and act on it, and you’ve met your fire safety duties under current fire safety legislation.
What our fire risk assessment covers
A fire risk assessment, sometimes called a fire safety risk assessment, is a structured survey of your premises.
It identifies the fire risks, works out the people at risk, and sets out the measures to reduce the risk from fire to an acceptable level.
We carry our fire risk assessment service out in line with the five-step approach Scottish Government guidance is built on, and you get back an actionable report with clear priorities.
Identifying the fire risks in your premises
The biggest part of any assessment is working out how a fire could start and spread.
We work through the building to identify fire hazards, from electrical faults and heating to the way waste and stock are stored, and we flag the potential fire hazards most likely to cause a serious fire.
We also check your fire doors closely. They do more to contain a fire than almost anything else in the building, and they’re what we most often find wedged open or damaged.
Protecting the people at risk
The other half of the job is the safety of people within your premises.
We establish who’d be in the building, where they’d be, and how they’d get out, paying particular attention to anyone who’d need help to leave.
That means checking escape routes are clear, that emergency lighting will guide people out if the power fails in the event of a fire, that fire alarm systems and detection will raise the alarm in time, and that signage points the way without anyone having to think.
What you get at the end is a written fire risk assessment report.
It’s a prioritised list of what’s already fine, what needs attention, and what has to be put right by law.
Every action comes with a clear reason and a sensible timescale, so you’re never guessing what to do next or which of your existing fire safety measures already do the job.
Where something carries a significant risk, it’s flagged as a priority so you see it first.
Your fire risk assessor
Your assessment is carried out by Alan, who has spent over 32 years in the fire industry, including years as an operational Senior Fire Officer before he moved into fire safety.
He’s assessed everything from single-room shops to large industrial sites, and he writes reports in plain English, so you come away understanding your fire safety obligations and how to meet them.
That’s what competence in this field looks like: real training backed by years of hands-on experience, not a certificate on its own.
Alan writes his reports in plain English too, so you come away understanding your fire safety obligations and how to meet them.
As a BAFE accredited company, our fire work is independently audited against recognised standards, so your assessment carries real weight if an insurer or the fire service asks to see it.
Because we’re not tied to any manufacturer, the fire precautions we recommend are chosen to suit your building rather than a supplier’s catalogue.
Fire risk assessments across Glasgow and Central Scotland
We provide fire risk assessments across Scotland, with most of our work in Glasgow, the towns around it, and out towards Edinburgh, Stirling and Perth.
From our Glasgow head office and our Perth base, we reach most of Central Scotland quickly, so a fire risk assessment in Glasgow is rarely more than a short drive away.
The premises we assess vary widely.
Offices, shops and restaurants make up a large share, but we also cover factories, warehouses, and residential premises with specific duties, such as houses in multiple occupation and holiday lets.
HMOs face tighter fire safety regulations in Scotland, and a weak assessment can hold up a licence, so it pays to have someone who knows the Scottish rules rather than lifting a template written for somewhere else.
One contractor for fire protection and remedial work
We’re a fire, security and electrical contractor, not only a fire risk assessor, so we can carry out the work an assessment identifies as well as writing it up.
If your report flags a fire alarm system that needs upgrading, extinguishers that are out of date, emergency lighting that’s failed, or electrical work that needs certifying, the same company can put it right and sign it off.
That keeps everything in one place, with one point of contact, and the people fixing the problems are the same ones who understand why the assessment raised them.
On a recent commercial fire alarm job we did exactly that, repositioning detectors and renewing the panel after gaps were flagged, then testing and certificating the lot.
Your assessment sits alongside the rest of our fire, security and electrical risk assessment services.
How your fire risk assessment works
- Arrange your assessment. Call us or book a free survey. We ask a few questions about your premises and how it’s used so we turn up prepared.
- On-site survey. Your assessor attends, inspects the building, and talks to you about how it runs day to day.
- Your report. You receive a written fire risk assessment report with prioritised findings and clear timescales.
- Fixes and review. We can carry out any remedial work, and we’ll remind you when it’s time to update your fire risk assessment as part of your ongoing fire safety management.
Fire risk assessment Glasgow questions answered
Is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement in Scotland?
Yes. Under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, every non-domestic premises must have one, and the duty holder is responsible for making sure it happens and stays current. It applies to any workplace or let property, with no exemption for being small or well run.
What makes a competent fire risk assessor?
Look for real fire safety training backed by hands-on experience, not just a certificate. Alan’s 32 years in the industry, including his time as a Senior Fire Officer, mean your assessment is carried out by someone who’s seen how fires actually start and spread.
How much does a fire risk assessment cost?
The cost depends on the size and type of your premises, since a single-room office takes far less time to assess than a multi-storey building with several occupants. We give you a fixed price before we start, with no obligation, so you know exactly where you stand. Call 0141 530 1244 or book a free survey for a proper quote.
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Review it regularly and update it whenever something changes, such as a refit, a change of use, or new occupants moving in. As a rule we suggest looking at it at least once a year, and sooner if the building changes significantly. An out-of-date assessment won’t keep anyone safe.
What happens after the assessment is completed?
You receive your report, and any significant findings come with a timescale for putting them right. You can act on them yourself, or we can carry out the work and certify it. Either way you end up with a clear record that your premises is safe and compliant, and that you’ve taken your fire safety obligations seriously.
Book a professional fire risk assessment in Glasgow
To arrange a fire risk assessment in Glasgow or anywhere across Central Scotland, call our Glasgow office on 0141 530 1244 or our Perth office on 01738 500006.
We’ll look over your premises, talk through how it’s used day to day, and give you a fixed price before any work starts, so there’s no guesswork about cost. Every assessment is carried out to Scottish standards and backed by our BAFE accreditation.
Whether you’re covering a legal duty, satisfying an insurer, or just want peace of mind, sorting a proper assessment now is easier than dealing with an enforcement notice or a refused claim later. Get in touch today and we’ll have your fire risk assessment booked in.
Book a free, no-obligation survey and we’ll come to you.
