Fire safety is a legal and moral responsibility for businesses across Chester and Ellesmere Port. Whether you operate a small office, rental unit, warehouse, or hospitality venue, you are required by law to understand, manage and reduce fire risk within your premises.
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a systematic review to identify how a fire could start, spread, and impact people at your premise.
It involves:
- Identifying Fire Hazards – Such as ignition sources, combustible materials, and oxygen supplies
- Identifying People at Risk – Including employees, customers, contractors
- Evaluating Risks and Implementing Controls – Removing hazards where possible and reducing risks through fire safety measures
- Recording Findings and Preparing an Emergency Plan – A legal requirement for all businesses
- Review and Update Regularly
Legal Responsibilities for Businesses Across Chester and Ellesmere Port
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every non-domestic premise must appoint a Responsible Person. This is usually an employer, business owner, landlord, or anyone with control over the building.
The Responsible Person must ensure that:
- Suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments are carried out
- Appropriate fire precautions are in place
- Fire safety equipment, including fire alarms, are properly maintained
- Staff receive fire safety training
- Evacuation procedures are clearly documented and communicated
Failure to comply can result in enforcement notices, fines, or even prosecution.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 strengthens these duties by clarifying that fire risk assessments must also consider the building’s structure, external walls (including cladding, balconies, and insulation), and flat entrance doors in multi-occupied buildings. Further, the Building Safety Act 2022 reinforces accountability by requiring improved coordination, record-keeping, and ongoing management of fire safety risks, particularly when multiple occupies are affected.
As the Responsible Person (occupier), you must also ensure that fire alarm arrangements provide effective warning to all relevant people who may be put at risk by a fire within the premises, including occupants in other parts of the building, such as floors above. This includes providing suitable detection and alerting systems, maintaining the system, keeping appropriate records, and coordinating any alarm interfaces and evacuation strategies with the landlord or managing agent.
Where communication or coordination between occupiers is absent or unclear, it poses a real risk of not everyone being adequately warned or able to evacuate safely in the event of a fire.
Why Fire Risk Assessments are Especially Important Locally
Many Premises in Chester and Ellesmere Port include older buildings, mixed-used spaces and industrial estates, all of which present unique fire risks. Historic properties may lack modern fire compartmentation, while warehouses and manufacturing units often involve higher ignition and fuel risks.
How Often Should a Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?
Fire risk assessments are not a ‘one-and-done’ tick box document.
They should be reviewed at least annually, after any building alterations or refurbishments, when new equipment or materials are introduced and after any fire incidents or near misses.
Why Business Safety Solutions
When appointing a fire risk assessor, competence is critical. At Business Safety Solutions we hold professional recognition from:
- Fire Protection Association (FPA)
- The Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM)
- National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR)
These credentials can provide businesses in Chester and Ellesmere Port with confidence that assessments will be thorough, compliant, and professionally delivered.
