Central FS carries out fire risk assessments for homes and businesses across Central Scotland. If you run a business, manage a building or let out property, Scottish law puts responsibility for fire safety on you, and a written fire risk assessment is how you prove you’ve met it. This page explains what the assessment involves, who’s qualified to carry it out, and what happens once it’s done.
Why is a fire risk assessment necessary?
Fire risk assessments ensure that any potential hazard or fire risk in your workplace can be identified and addressed in as safe, comprehensive, and effective a way as possible.
This is the only way to prevent an issue entirely, rather than dealing with it after the damage has been done. In the shifting and ever-changing environment of the workplace, regardless of your industry, it’s vital to have a Fire Risk Assessment carried out regularly to comply with the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to ensure you identify any issues before they lead to property damage or worse.
It’s important to keep in mind that fire is a risk anywhere. Every industry, property and business has its own unique fire risks. Whether it’s a bustling kitchen, a packed stockroom or a busy factory, each of these has both obvious and obscure dangers when it comes to fire safety. At Central FS we will identify both.
Our knowledgeable experts are well-versed in the risks associated with all industries and will work with you to create a tailored and cost-effective fire safety risk assessment action plan. In addition, we’ll educate your staff to make sure it is implemented efficiently and effectively.
Fire risk assessment aims & considerations
A good fire risk assessment is designed to help you assess your business, identify any potential dangers and put in place effective measures designed to reduce the chances of your business suffering from the effects of fire. It should also provide a comprehensive action plan should the worst happen. These measures are designed to keep you and your employees safe at all times.
A fire risk assessment not only helps you create an effective fire safety action plan, but it can also identify areas in which your business may be weak, such as fire safety awareness, training and even emergency scenario training. Central FS has been helping companies in Glasgow and across Central Scotland for many years. The team at Central FS are committed to ensuring your business complies with the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. We are fully versed in all UK and Scottish regulations and are ready to help you protect your business and employees today.
Get to Know our Fire Risk Assessor Alan
How long have you been in the industry?
“I have been in the fire industry for over 32 years, as an operational Senior Fire Officer and have been actively involved in Fire Safety for over 20 years.” What is your favourite thing about the work you do? “As a Fire Risk Assessor, I have a crucial role in ensuring the safety of buildings and their occupants to help prevent fires and protect lives and property. I enjoy providing advice to clients on fire safety measures and best practices. It also gives me great satisfaction that I am helping businesses grow and assisting in the safety of everyone who works there.”
What is the assessment process like for a Fire Risk Assessment?
“The Fire Risk Assessment process consists of:
- Conducting detailed Fire Risk Assessments following the relevant regulations and guidelines.
- Identifying fire hazards and evaluating the level of risk they pose.
- Developing and implementing fire safety plans and procedures.
- Providing advice to clients on fire safety measures and best practices.
- Inspecting fire safety equipment such as fire alarms and fire extinguishers.
- Preparing detailed reports documenting findings, recommendations and actions taken.”
What inspired you to become a Fire Risk Assessor?
“Having experienced the consequences of fire loss, I realised as I progressed through my career that I could use my knowledge, skills and experience to help prevent fires and protect lives and property.”
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.
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.
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. 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.2
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.
Fire risk assessments across 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.
Fire risk assessment 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.
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 Scotland Now
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. You can also book a free, no-obligation survey and we’ll come to you, look over your premises, and give you a fixed price for a thorough fire risk assessment carried out to Scottish standards.
