Every employer, and everyone in control of premises, must assess the risk of fire. In Ireland this is part of the risk assessment required by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and it is recorded in the safety statement.

The fire risk assessment is the foundation of all fire safety in a building. It decides what precautions are needed, how many fire wardens there should be, and what the emergency plan must cover.

Fire wardens do not usually carry out the assessment, but they help to keep it accurate.

Fire safety law requires the owners and responsible persons of non-domestic buildings to keep an up-to-date and suitable fire risk assessment for their premises. It is often carried out on the employer's behalf by experienced managers or by specialist health and safety consultants, and sometimes experts also give advice, for example on the right fire detection and alarm systems for a particular workplace. The employer stays fully accountable for making sure it is done.

However, fire wardens know the premises and what really happens day to day, so they can contribute valuable information and practical suggestions. This module helps you understand the process, so you can do your own role well.

In this module you will learn about:

• What a fire risk assessment is, and who carries it out.
• The five steps of a fire risk assessment.
• People who are especially at risk in a fire.
• Recording the findings, and keeping the assessment up to date.
• How fire wardens help.

A fire risk assessment is a careful look at a building and the work carried out in it, to find out what could cause a fire, who could be harmed, and whether the precautions in place are good enough.

It must be carried out by a competent person, someone with enough training, knowledge and experience to do it properly. In larger or more complex buildings, this is often a specialist fire risk assessor.

Most fire risk assessments follow five steps, which are explained on the next slides.

Three terms come up repeatedly in risk assessment. The first is reasonably practicable. Employers must do what is reasonable to prevent or control risks that are more than minor, and the action they take must match the seriousness of the risk. The second is suitable and sufficient. A good assessment should fit the specific tasks being carried out and be thorough enough to cover any risks that could cause harm if proper precautions are not taken.

The third is the competent person. Whoever carries out the assessment should know the job well and either know the safety measures needed or know where to find out. For most work, a manager or supervisor is the right person. For fire risk and for dangerous substances, manufacturers, suppliers and industry associations can offer advice and expertise on specific dangers and their control.

Every employer in Ireland must assess the risks in the workplace, and fire is one of them. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires this risk assessment, and the fire safety and dangerous substances rules add further duties on top of it. A thorough assessment involves five steps. First, recognise the hazards that arise from the tasks and activities carried out. Second, think about who might be harmed, including contractors, visitors and the public as well as employees.

Third, judge how likely it is that the hazards will endanger health and safety, and decide what preventive measures are needed. Fourth, record the findings. In Ireland they form part of the employer's written safety statement, which sets out how hazards are identified, risks assessed and controls put in place. Fifth, review the assessment regularly. When circumstances change, for example through new processes or new staff, it must be updated to cover any new hazards.

The assessor walks around the whole building, inside and out, looking for:

• Sources of ignition, such as heaters, electrical equipment, hot work and smoking areas.
• Sources of fuel, such as waste, packaging, stock, furniture and flammable substances.
• Sources of oxygen, such as ventilation systems and oxygen cylinders.
• Places where these three come together.

They also look at past incidents, maintenance records and the way the building is actually used, which is not always the way it was designed.

The first step is to identify and record potential fire and explosion hazards, and the competent person begins by surveying the workplace. They inspect it thoroughly, looking for hazards and taking account of its layout and organisation. For example, they check that there are safe access points and escape routes in every part of the premises. They then consider whether safer alternatives could prevent a risk arising at all, such as non-flammable cleaning materials in place of volatile solvents and thinners.

They check that there are arrangements for the safe use, maintenance and repair of work equipment. That includes equipment that prevents fires, like intrinsically safe electrical equipment in paint spraying booths, and equipment for detection and response, such as fire detection and alarm systems.

Where dangerous substances are used or stored, the assessment must identify and record them. It should set out the hazardous properties of each substance, together with the health and safety information from the supplier, including safety data sheets. It should state what each substance is used for and how much is on the premises. If different types of substance are present, it should consider the risks that arise if they interact.

The assessment must also describe the arrangements for handling, storing and transporting dangerous substances safely, and the measures in place to prevent sources of ignition and the release of substances. Finally, it should record what instruction and training has been given to employees on the risks and the controls needed. This ensures dangerous substances are fully covered in the fire risk assessment.

Next, the assessor considers who could be harmed, and how. This includes employees, contractors, visitors, customers and anyone else on the premises.

Some people are especially at risk, for example:

• People who work alone, at night, or in remote parts of the building.
• People who are unfamiliar with the building, such as visitors and new staff.
• People with a disability, including those with impaired sight, hearing or mobility.
• Children, older people, and anyone who may be slow to react.
• People who are asleep, for example in hotels, hospitals and care homes.

In step two, the competent person identifies who might be exposed to risk and how that harm could happen. This includes all employees and anyone in or around the premises, such as contractors and visitors. The assessment should also think about people with particular needs or vulnerabilities. People with reduced mobility may need ramps to reach escape routes, and people with hearing impairments may need visual alarm signals or personal pagers.

Other groups who may be especially vulnerable include people with disabilities, expectant or nursing mothers, and visitors or members of the public, including the elderly and children. Employers must consider how people might be harmed. Fire and explosion bring direct dangers such as burns, and indirect ones such as smoke inhalation, so everyone who could be affected in any way must be taken into account.

The assessor then decides how likely a fire is, and how serious the consequences could be. Then they decide what to do:

• Remove hazards where possible, or replace them with something safer.
• Reduce the risks that remain, for example by moving fuel away from heat sources.
• Check that detection and alarms, fire fighting equipment, escape routes, lighting and signs are adequate.
• Decide on emergency procedures, training, and the number of fire wardens needed.

The aim is to reduce the risk of fire, and to make sure that everyone can get out safely if one starts.

Having identified who is at risk and how, the assessor decides how likely harm is and what can be done about it. Risk is part of everyday life, and the law does not demand that every risk is eliminated, only that risks are identified and managed so far as is reasonably practicable. A sensible approach is to look first at the controls already in place, and then to ask whether more action is needed.

The precautions identified might include removing or reducing fire hazards, meaning sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen, so that the real risk of fire or explosion is lowered. They might include better storage of combustible materials in storerooms, paints and thinners kept in locked metal cabinets, and safe handling and storage of flammable gas cylinders. And they cover well-maintained emergency plans, with detection and warning, fire-fighting equipment, clear escape routes, adequate lighting and the right safety signs.

The significant findings must be recorded, along with the action taken. In Ireland the findings form part of the written safety statement.

The findings are then used to:

• Prepare the emergency plan.
• Inform and instruct everyone in the building about the risks and the precautions.
• Train employees, and especially fire wardens, in what to do.
• Share relevant information with other employers who use the same building.

Step four is to record the findings and review them thoroughly. Every Irish employer must possess a written risk assessment and meet the Safety Statement duty for fire and other workplace risks. An employer with three or fewer employees may satisfy the Safety Statement duty by following an applicable code of practice. Not every hazard has to be written down. Only those where there is a foreseeable risk of harm that can be controlled need to be recorded. Once the findings are recorded, the controls must be put in place.

Before they start work, all employees, including part-time workers, temporary staff and contractors, should receive the essential fire safety information from the assessment. That covers the controls that prevent fires, any controls specific to their own work, and the emergency procedures, including detection, alarms and means of escape. This is often done through toolbox talks or team briefings, and the assessment should describe these arrangements.

A fire risk assessment is not done once and forgotten. It must be reviewed regularly, and straight away if:

• The building is altered, extended or rearranged.
• New work processes, equipment or substances are introduced.
• The number or type of people using the building changes.
• There has been a fire, a near miss, or a problem during a drill.

Fire wardens help by reporting changes in their area, such as new storage, blocked routes or damaged fire doors, so that the assessment stays accurate.

The final step keeps the assessment current. The responsible person regularly considers whether anything in the workplace has changed in a way that affects it. That includes new processes or equipment, possible improvements to safety measures, and new equipment or substances that need to be assessed. It includes new employees, including part-time and temporary workers, who may need information, instruction or training. It includes incidents that might call for the controls to be looked at again, and changes in legal requirements.

Staff feedback matters as well. If changes are needed, they must be written into the risk assessment, and employees should be trained about them in team briefings or toolbox talks. As a fire warden, tell the responsible person about changes you notice in your area.

Fire wardens are the eyes and ears of fire safety in their area. During routine checks, look out for:

• Escape routes and fire exits that are blocked, locked or cluttered.
• Fire doors that are wedged open, damaged or not closing properly.
• Missing or discharged extinguishers, and damaged signs or call points.
• Rubbish building up, and combustible materials stored near heat sources.
• Overloaded sockets, damaged leads and faulty equipment.

Report what you find straight away. Many of these problems can be fixed in minutes.