A fire risk assessment should not be booked simply because a certificate has expired or an inspection date is approaching. Knowing how to schedule a fire risk assessment properly means planning around your premises, the people who use them and the practical risks that could affect safe evacuation.
For duty holders, the aim is straightforward: arrange a suitable and sufficient assessment that identifies fire hazards, people at risk and the measures needed to keep the building safe. A well-planned visit also avoids unnecessary disruption to staff, pupils, residents, patients or customers.
Start with the right time to schedule a fire risk assessment
There is no single legal rule stating that every business must have a new fire risk assessment every 12 months. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales, the responsible person must ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment is in place and kept under review. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety legislation, so the specific duty should be checked for premises there.
In practice, many organisations arrange an annual review or reassessment as part of their wider compliance programme. This can be sensible for busy, higher-risk or frequently changing sites, but the correct interval depends on the building, its use and the findings of the previous assessment.
You should schedule an assessment promptly when there has been a material change, such as:
- a refurbishment, extension or change to the building layout
- new machinery, electrical equipment, stock, chemicals or other ignition and fuel sources
- a change in how the premises are used, including increased occupancy or altered shift patterns
- a change affecting people who may need assistance to evacuate
- a fire, near miss, false alarm trend or concern raised by staff, visitors or an enforcing authority
A review is also appropriate when the current assessment has identified actions that have not been completed. Booking a new assessment does not remove the need to act on known risks in the meantime. If an escape route is obstructed, a fire door is damaged or a fire alarm fault is present, it should be addressed without waiting for the assessor’s visit.
Confirm who is responsible for arranging it
Before contacting an assessor, establish who holds responsibility for fire safety at the premises. This is often the employer, building owner, managing agent, facilities manager or another person with control over all or part of the building. In multi-occupied properties, responsibilities can be shared, particularly for communal areas, plant rooms and landlord-controlled escape routes.
This step prevents a common problem: an assessment is booked for an office suite, but the assessor cannot access the risers, final exits or common areas needed to understand the wider evacuation arrangements. Clarify the boundary of responsibility early and, where necessary, co-ordinate with the landlord or other occupiers.
For schools, care settings and healthcare premises, identify the person who can explain staffing arrangements, vulnerable occupants and any evacuation plans. For managed commercial buildings, ensure the assessor has a contact who understands both the tenancy arrangements and the building’s shared systems.
Define the scope before you book
A fire risk assessment is not just a walk around with a checklist. The assessor needs enough information to consider the premises as they are actually used. When making an enquiry, give a clear outline of the site: its address, type of business, number of floors, approximate occupancy, opening hours and whether the building is shared.
It is also helpful to mention any features that may affect the work. These could include sleeping accommodation, commercial kitchens, workshops, warehouses, server rooms, hazardous substances, lone working, public access, historic construction, basements, mezzanines or large quantities of stored materials.
Be clear about whether you need an initial assessment, a review of an existing document or a reassessment following significant changes. The scope may need to cover more than one building, outbuilding or separate unit. A vague booking can result in an unsuitable quotation or a visit that does not address the areas for which you are responsible.
Ask what the assessment includes
A competent provider should explain what will be inspected, what information they require and what you will receive after the visit. The written assessment should record significant findings and provide prioritised actions where improvements are needed.
Ask whether the service includes consideration of fire detection and warning, emergency lighting, escape routes, fire doors, signage, firefighting equipment, staff training and evacuation procedures. Not every assessment requires separate testing or servicing of these systems, but their condition and management arrangements can affect the findings.
Where a specific issue requires specialist input, such as a complex fire alarm system, structural fire precautions or external wall concerns, the assessor should make that clear. A general assessment has limits, and responsible advice includes recognising when additional expertise is needed.
Choose a competent assessor, not just the earliest appointment
Cost and availability matter, particularly when managing several compliance obligations. However, the cheapest appointment is poor value if the assessment is generic, incomplete or fails to identify meaningful risks.
Look for a provider that can demonstrate relevant competence, appropriate training, experience with your type of premises and a clear method for producing usable findings. For sites where staff work with children, patients or other vulnerable people, DBS-cleared personnel may also be an important consideration.
Ask practical questions before confirming the booking. Will the assessor need an on-site survey before the work is quoted? How long is the visit likely to take? Can the work be scheduled outside peak operating hours? Will you receive a report with clear actions rather than broad statements? These details help you compare providers on service quality as well as price.
Janus Safety Solutions plans work around the individual site, with pre-job discussion and on-site surveys where required, helping clients arrange fire safety compliance work with minimal interruption to normal operations.
Prepare the site so the visit is useful
Once the appointment is confirmed, nominate a site contact who can meet the assessor, provide access and answer operational questions. This should be someone who knows how the premises function day to day, rather than only the person who placed the booking.
Have relevant documents available where possible. Previous fire risk assessments, action plans, fire alarm and emergency lighting records, extinguisher service records, fire door inspection records, evacuation plans, training records and details of recent alterations can all help establish what has changed and what remains outstanding.
The assessor will need access to areas that are sometimes overlooked: electrical intake rooms, storage spaces, roof voids where accessible, plant rooms, rear exits, stairwells and shared corridors. Arrange keys, permits, security clearance and escort requirements in advance. If access is restricted, say so when scheduling rather than discovering the issue on the day.
You should also tell staff that an assessment is taking place. They do not need to stop working, but they should know who the visitor is and where they may be seen. This is particularly useful in schools, healthcare settings, warehouses and secure offices, where unfamiliar visitors can cause understandable concern.
Schedule around disruption, but do not hide normal conditions
Many businesses prefer early morning, late afternoon or quieter trading periods. That can work well, especially where the assessor needs access to circulation routes or customer areas. A low-disruption appointment should not mean assessing an unrealistically empty or tidy building, however.
The assessor needs to understand normal occupancy, deliveries, storage practices and the way escape routes are used during a typical day. If stock is routinely placed in a corridor during busy periods, or a final exit is frequently blocked by deliveries, explain this honestly. The purpose is to reduce risk, not to produce a report that looks favourable.
For larger sites, consider whether a phased visit is more practical. A warehouse may need to be inspected while active, while office accommodation can be reviewed outside core hours. A school may need the main walk-through planned around lessons, arrivals and collections. The best schedule reflects the premises rather than forcing every site into the same appointment pattern.
Turn the report into an action plan
The booking is only the first stage. Once the report is received, read the findings promptly and assign actions to named people with realistic completion dates. Immediate life-safety concerns should take priority over improvements that can be programmed into planned maintenance.
Keep evidence of completed work, such as photographs, invoices, service sheets, repair records and updated training records. If an action cannot be completed quickly, document the temporary control measures and the planned completion date. This creates a clear record of active fire safety management.
Finally, put the next review date in your compliance calendar, alongside PAT testing, fire extinguisher servicing, fire door inspections and other scheduled safety tasks. A diary reminder is useful, but it should never replace review after a significant change.
A properly scheduled fire risk assessment gives you more than a document for your records. It gives the responsible person a practical basis for keeping people safe, directing maintenance spending and showing that fire safety is being managed with appropriate care.