Fire Risk Assessments

A fire risk assessment is a structured, documented evaluation of fire hazards and risks within premises, required by Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The responsible person must ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment is carried out, recorded, and kept under regular review.

Apex Fire Engineering delivers fire risk assessments that go beyond checklist compliance. Every assessment is led by a senior practitioner with direct operational firefighting experience, providing findings that are technically robust, clearly communicated, and proportionate to the specific building and its occupancy.

• Type 1 — Common Areas Only: Non-destructive assessment of communal areas, escape routes, and fire safety management. Suitable for lower-risk residential premises with simple layouts.
• Type 2 — Common Areas with Sampling of Flats: Extends the Type 1 assessment with a representative sample of individual dwellings to assess internal fire safety provisions.
• Type 3 — Common Areas with Destructive Testing: Includes intrusive inspection of fire-separating elements (compartment walls, floors, service penetrations) where there is reason to believe the passive fire protection may be deficient.
• Type 4 — Comprehensive (Common Areas and Flats, Destructive): The most thorough assessment, combining sampling of dwellings with intrusive inspection of fire compartmentation and passive fire protection.

The RRO 2005 requires all non-domestic premises, including the common parts of residential buildings, to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Assessments should be reviewed regularly, and in any event following any material change to the building, its use, or its occupancy — or following a fire or significant near miss.

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Fire Safety Act 2021
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
• PAS 79-1:2020 (residential) / PAS 79-2:2020 (non-residential)

Every fire risk assessment from Apex includes a clearly structured written report setting out the findings of the assessment, a prioritised action plan with recommended timescales, photographic evidence of significant findings, and an executive summary suitable for board or committee reporting. Reports are issued in both PDF and editable formats where required for client management systems.