Question 1

Fire Risk Assessments

Accepted Answer

Q: Can you provide any guidance around Fire Risk Assessments? A buyer's solicitor has recently written to us: "Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement for any property with common areas, rather than an insurer’s requirement." Does this sound correct? Is there a particular format that this should be in? FPRA Chairman Bob Smytherman replies: The legal requirement is for your company to have a Fire Risk Assessment for the common parts of your block, not the flats themselves. There is no prescribed format and requires the directors to keep a 'watching brief' and be able to demonstrate this to your local Fire Service who are the enforcement authority. There is an extensive guide on the members’ area of our website that will assist you in the process of producing your FRA your local Fire Service will also be able to assist with advice to ensure that your directors are managing the potential for a fire In your building and maintaining a safe means of escape which are the two key issues to take account of. My strong advice is to arrange for a Fire Safety adviser to visit your block and get some initial advice before deciding whether to contract a formal report from a specialist contractor as most blocks tend to be a low risk and usually very easy to manage but please do not ignore this legal requirement as your Directors are the ones responsible. Do please come back to us if you have specific questions while completing the Risk Assessment. [Submitted October 2016]

Question 2

Fire Risk Assessments

Accepted Answer

Q: Can you provide any guidance around Fire Risk Assessments? A buyer's solicitor has recently written to us: "Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement for any property with common areas, rather than an insurer’s requirement." Does this sound correct? Is there a particular format that this should be in? FPRA Chairman Bob Smytherman replies: The legal requirement is for your company to have a Fire Risk Assessment for the common parts of your block, not the flats themselves. There is no prescribed format and requires the directors to keep a 'watching brief' and be able to demonstrate this to your local Fire Service who are the enforcement authority. There is an extensive guide on the members’ area of our website that will assist you in the process of producing your FRA your local Fire Service will also be able to assist with advice to ensure that your directors are managing the potential for a fire In your building and maintaining a safe means of escape which are the two key issues to take account of. My strong advice is to arrange for a Fire Safety adviser to visit your block and get some initial advice before deciding whether to contract a formal report from a specialist contractor as most blocks tend to be a low risk and usually very easy to manage but please do not ignore this legal requirement as your Directors are the ones responsible. Do please come back to us if you have specific questions while completing the Risk Assessment. [Submitted October 2016]

Fire Risk Assessments

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