Fire risk assessments

Jump to:

• What is a fire risk assessment (FRA)?
• How are FRAs completed?
• How often are FRAs completed?
• What standards do we work to?
• What will Stonewater do with the FRA?
• Why have some actions not yet been completed?
  
  

What is a fire risk assessment (FRA)?

A fire risk assessment (FRA) identifies any potential fire risks in your building and makes recommendations to reduce the risk where practical.

All of Stonewater’s buildings with a shared communal area have a fire risk assessment (FRA) in place. 

How are FRAs completed?

A fire risk assessor inspects the building to identify things that could start a fire (ignition sources) and things that will burn (fuel sources) to measure the likelihood of a fire occurring.

The assessor reviews how existing fire precautions would perform in a fire to limit it spreading and reduce any potential for injury to people living there and any damage to the building.  We then work out the likelihood of a fire starting and how sever this could be. 

Once this is done, the assessor will make recommendations to reduce the changes of a fire starting (for example, removing ignition or fuel sources) or reducing the severity of the fire by installing more precautions.  The type of fire precautions recommended will depend on the age and height of the building, how it is constructed and who lives there.

The assessor will also capture additional actions needed to remove a hazard (something with the potential to cause harm) or improved the current level of precautions within the building.  These actions are referred to as findings or significant findings. 

How often are FRAs completed?

We review our risk assessments annually for all buildings over seven storeys or 18 metres in height.  We also do annual reviews in our retirement living, specialised housing and community hall facilities.

The review cycle for our other buildings is set by the assessor, based on the type of building, the level of management controls witnesses and their overall assessment of the risk. 

We also review FRAs where we have completed any maintenance or improvement work to a building, when a fire has occurred, where there has been a change to statutory requirement or best practice, or is a customer raises a fire safety concern with us. 

What standards do we work to?

Assessors follow national guidance from the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and the Local Government Group (LGG) to determine what level of precautions are needed at each building. 

They hold relevant professional qualifications and memberships to make sure their knowledge is up to date with the latest guidance. 

We regularly work with our fire risk assessment suppliers to ensure they are competent to undertake FRAs on our behalf.

What will Stonewater do with the FRA?

Once the assessor has completed the FRA, they will prioritise actions for completion as high, medium or low. 

High priority actions are needed quickly to control or reduce a significant risk which could start a fire or harm someone. In some cases we may be unable to complete high-risk actions immediately, and we will put in place a temporary measure to control the risk while we carry out a permanent solution. 
 
Medium priority actions are needed to control the risk of a fire starting or control the severity of a fire if one occurs, to reduce the overall risk to the building. Where actions such as removing rubbish to clear corridors or repairs to existing building parts (e.g. doors) are identified, we will complete these actions as quickly as possible.

If additional fire precautions or the upgrade or replacement of an existing precaution (e.g. lighting system or detection system) are needed, this may take longer to organise as we will need to get approval (i.e. planning, building control or listed building approvals) and consult with leaseholders. Where possible, and if we know it will not put residents at risk, we will package fire improvement work into any planned maintenance work. 

Low priority actions are minor matters which will have little effect on the building’s risk profile, but are needed to meet the latest requirements or best practise (i.e. signage or upgrade of emergency lighting systems). These will be either actioned in line with our standard repair timescales or in conjunction with a planned fire improvement scheme (as detailed above). 

Why have some actions not been completed yet?

Not all actions can be completed quickly, but if you have a specific concern and would like an update about planned works at your building, please contact us at buildingsafety@stonewater.org