A fire risk assessment template is a pre-formatted document designed to help you record the findings of a fire risk assessment as required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, every responsible person (typically the employer, landlord or building owner) must carry out and record a fire risk assessment for non-domestic premises. A good template structures the five-step process, prompts you to identify specific fire hazards in your property, and ensures you document the control measures you have in place.
Why You Need a Fire Risk Assessment Template
Under Article 9(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO), the responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to relevant persons from fire on the premises. Article 9(7) requires the significant findings of that assessment — and any group of persons identified as being especially at risk — to be recorded where five or more employees are employed, or a licence or certification is required, or an alterations notice is in force. In practice, recording your fire risk assessment is always recommended regardless of headcount, because it provides evidence of compliance.
A fire risk assessment template ensures you cover all the mandatory elements: identifying fire hazards (ignition sources, fuel sources, oxygen sources), identifying people at risk (employees, visitors, vulnerable groups such as disabled persons or sleeping occupants), evaluating the risks and determining if existing fire precautions are adequate, recording your findings and implementing improvements, and establishing a review schedule.
What Must Be Included in a Fire Risk Assessment
A legally compliant fire risk assessment under the RRO must identify all relevant fire hazards, assess who is at risk and how, evaluate whether existing fire safety measures are adequate, record significant findings and any groups especially at risk, and set out an action plan to address inadequacies. The assessment must also consider emergency routes and exits (are they clearly signed, kept clear, and do they lead to a place of safety?), fire detection and warning systems (are smoke alarms or fire alarm systems present, tested, and suitable?), firefighting equipment (are fire extinguishers appropriate for the fire risks, accessible, and serviced annually?), and emergency lighting where premises are used in darkness or low light.
You must also document who is responsible for fire safety in the premises, the competence of the person who conducted the assessment (in-house competent person or external fire risk assessor), and the date of the assessment and the planned review date.
Free Fire Risk Assessment Template Download
We provide a free, editable fire risk assessment template in Word format that follows the five-step process mandated by the RRO. The template includes sections for recording fire hazards (electrical equipment, heating systems, cooking, flammable materials, arson risk), people at risk (employees, visitors, contractors, vulnerable persons including those with mobility impairments or who may be asleep), existing fire safety measures (fire alarm system type and test regime, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and their suitability, fire doors and escape routes, evacuation procedures and fire drills), risk rating before and after controls, action plan with responsible persons and target dates, and details of the person who carried out the assessment.
The template is designed for small to medium-sized premises with straightforward fire risks — offices, small retail units, guest houses, and similar. It is not suitable for complex premises such as high-rise residential buildings, hospitals, or premises storing large quantities of flammable substances, which require a professional fire risk assessor.
Download Our Free Template
Free Fire Risk Assessment Template (Word format)Our free template includes all mandatory sections required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Suitable for offices, small shops, guest houses, and similar low-to-medium risk premises.
Download Free Template (Word .docx)
The template is provided free of charge for personal and commercial use. You are responsible for ensuring the completed assessment is suitable and sufficient for your specific premises.
How to Use a Fire Risk Assessment Template
Step 1: Identify Fire Hazards
Walk through your premises and identify sources of ignition (electrical equipment, heating systems, cooking appliances, hot work such as welding, smoking materials if not prohibited, faulty or overloaded wiring, arson — are bins stored against external walls?), sources of fuel (flammable liquids and gases, combustible materials such as paper, cardboard, textiles, furniture and soft furnishings, waste materials), and sources of oxygen (the air itself, but also oxidising substances such as oxygen cylinders in medical settings).
Step 2: Identify People at Risk
Consider employees (including those working alone, at night, or in isolated areas), visitors and members of the public (customers, delivery drivers, contractors), people sleeping on the premises (hotels, care homes, residential parts of mixed-use buildings), and people especially at risk (those with mobility impairments, visual or hearing impairments, young children, or anyone unfamiliar with the premises).
Step 3: Evaluate the Risk and Existing Precautions
For each fire hazard identified, assess the likelihood of fire and the potential severity. Then evaluate whether your existing fire precautions are adequate. Ask: is there a suitable fire detection and warning system (smoke alarms in small premises, automatic fire alarm system in larger or higher-risk premises)? Are means of escape adequate (sufficient number of exits, routes kept clear, emergency lighting where needed, final exit doors openable without a key)? Is there appropriate firefighting equipment (portable fire extinguishers suitable for the fire risks present, serviced annually, staff trained in their use)? Are fire doors and compartmentation in place and maintained (fire doors close properly, self-closers working, gaps around doors sealed)? Is there an emergency evacuation plan and have staff been trained?
Step 4: Record Your Findings and Implement Improvements
Complete the template with specific details about your premises. Avoid generic statements like "fire exits are adequate" — instead, record how many fire exits there are, where they lead, and what signage is in place. Record any deficiencies identified and create an action plan: what needs to be done, who is responsible, and by what date. Common actions include servicing the fire alarm system, repairing self-closers on fire doors, removing combustible storage from escape routes, installing emergency lighting, and providing fire safety training to all staff.
Step 5: Review and Update
Fire risk assessments must be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a significant change. Changes that trigger a review include alterations to the building layout, change of use (e.g. office converted to residential), new fire hazards introduced (e.g. flammable materials stored), change in occupancy levels or vulnerable groups, and following a fire or near-miss. Best practice is to review annually even if no changes have occurred.
Limitations of a Template Approach
A fire risk assessment template provides structure, but it cannot replace the judgement of a competent person who understands fire safety principles. The RRO Article 9 does not require you to use an external consultant — you can carry out your own fire risk assessment if you have sufficient knowledge and experience. However, the assessment must still be suitable and sufficient.
Templates often encourage generic, tick-box answers that do not reflect the actual fire risks in your specific premises. For example, a template might ask "Are fire exits clear?" and you tick "Yes" — but this does not record what those exits are, where they lead, or whether they are wide enough for the number of occupants. A good fire risk assessment is specific and evidence-based.
For complex premises or higher-risk activities, a professional fire risk assessor should be engaged. The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council publishes guidance on the competencies required for different levels of fire risk assessment complexity.
When to Use a Professional Fire Risk Assessor
You should consider engaging a third-party certificated fire risk assessor for premises such as high-rise residential buildings (particularly following the Grenfell Tower fire and subsequent changes to fire safety law), houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), care homes and hospitals, premises with complex means of escape or compartmentation, licensed premises (pubs, nightclubs) with high occupancy, premises storing or using significant quantities of flammable substances, and any premises where you are uncertain whether your in-house assessment is adequate.
In these cases, the cost of a professional assessment (typically £300–£1,500 depending on premises size and complexity) is a necessary investment to ensure compliance and protect lives.
Legal Consequences of an Inadequate Fire Risk Assessment
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is a criminal offence under Article 32 of the RRO. On summary conviction, the penalty is a fine of up to £5,000 and/or up to six months' imprisonment. On conviction on indictment (Crown Court), the penalty is an unlimited fine and/or up to two years' imprisonment. In 2022/23, there were 2,146 fire safety enforcement notices issued by fire and rescue authorities in England, and prosecutions resulted in average fines of over £50,000.
Beyond criminal penalties, an inadequate fire risk assessment exposes the responsible person to civil liability if a fire results in injury or death. Insurers may refuse to pay out on a fire damage claim if the policyholder has failed to comply with legal fire safety duties.
Fire Safety Law Changes: Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Act 2022
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the RRO applies to the structure, external walls (including cladding and balconies), and individual flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings. Responsible persons (building owners, landlords, managing agents) must now include these elements in their fire risk assessment.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced additional duties for higher-risk buildings (residential buildings at least 18 metres or seven storeys in height). These buildings require a named Accountable Person, a Safety Case Report, and a residents' engagement strategy. Fire risk assessments in such buildings must be conducted by a competent third-party assessor registered with a recognized professional body.
Fire Risk Assessment vs Fire Safety Certificate
There is no such thing as a fire safety certificate in the UK for most premises. The old Fire Certificate regime was abolished in 2006 and replaced by the RRO, which places the duty on the responsible person to assess and manage fire risk. Some licensed premises (e.g. those requiring an alcohol licence) must demonstrate to the licensing authority that they have carried out a fire risk assessment, but this is not a certificate issued by the fire and rescue service.
Some external fire risk assessors issue a certificate of completion when they conduct an assessment — this is simply a statement that the assessment was carried out on a particular date and does not mean the premises are "certified" as safe. The responsible person remains legally accountable for fire safety at all times.
How Anyrisks Generates Fire Risk Assessments Instantly
Rather than filling in a blank template with generic answers, Anyrisks asks you specific questions about your premises: the type of building (office, shop, guest house, etc.), the number of floors and approximate floor area, the fire detection and alarm system in place (if any), the number and location of fire exits, the presence of vulnerable groups (disabled occupants, sleeping occupants), and any specific fire hazards (commercial cooking, flammable storage, etc.). Our AI system then generates a property-specific fire risk assessment in under 2 minutes, complete with hazard identification tailored to your building type, a documented evaluation of existing fire precautions, an action plan identifying deficiencies and required improvements, and specific references to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and relevant guidance documents.
The completed assessment is delivered as a PDF and an editable Word document for £29. You receive a document that is materially more detailed and specific than a filled-in template, written in plain English, and ready to print or share with enforcement officers, insurers, or building occupants.
The assessment remains the legal responsibility of the responsible person. You must review it to confirm it accurately reflects your premises, implement the action plan, and keep the assessment under review. But the time required to produce a compliant, well-structured document is reduced from several hours to under 2 minutes.
Common Fire Hazards by Premises Type
Offices
Electrical equipment (computers, printers, phone chargers), overloaded sockets or trailing extension leads, kitchen areas (kettles, toasters, microwaves), paper storage and filing systems, and arson risk (bins left outside near the building). Fire precautions: smoke detectors or automatic fire alarm, clearly marked and unobstructed fire exits, emergency lighting where corridors are used in darkness, fire extinguishers (water or foam for general office areas, CO2 for electrical fires), and annual fire drills with recorded evacuation times.
Retail Premises
Display lighting and electrical equipment, stock storage (cardboard, plastics, textiles), cooking if food is prepared on site, arson risk (particularly after hours), and high occupancy levels during peak trading. Fire precautions: automatic fire alarm system (L3 or better in larger shops), emergency lighting throughout, multiple fire exits appropriate for maximum occupancy, staff trained to evacuate customers, and fire extinguishers accessible but not obstructing escape routes.
Guest Houses and Small Hotels
Sleeping occupants (highest risk group), cooking facilities (commercial or domestic), electrical equipment in guest rooms, means of escape potentially unfamiliar to guests, and mixed occupancy (guests, staff, owner's family). Fire precautions: smoke alarms in every guest room and communal area (interlinked if more than three storeys), emergency lighting on all escape routes, fire exits clearly signed and openable without a key, fire blanket and extinguishers in or near kitchen, evacuation procedure displayed in every room, and regular fire drills for staff.
Warehouses and Storage Premises
High fuel load (stored goods, pallets, packaging), forklift trucks and charging stations (ignition sources), limited occupancy but large area to evacuate, potential for rapid fire spread, and goods may obstruct escape routes. Fire precautions: automatic fire detection (smoke or heat), sprinkler systems in higher-risk warehouses, clearly defined gangways kept clear of stock, staff trained in evacuation procedures, and fire doors to compartmentalise the building.
Further Reading and Related Guidance
For property-specific fire risk assessments, see our guides on fire risk assessments and fire risk assessment for rented property. For other types of risk assessment, explore our risk assessment generator which covers general workplace risk assessments, COSHH, manual handling, and more. For broader health and safety duties, see the ultimate guide to risk assessment.
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