It is very important to keep your fire risk assessment up to date. Businesses and premises are often changing the way they operate, changing their staff, changing the products they sell and even altering the building itself. General wear and tear to equipment and poor housekeeping can also be a factor over time.
Reviewing your fire safety assessment annually ensures that you can make the necessary amendments, so that you remain compliant and keep everyone safe. It also acts as a reminder to the responsible person(s) of their obligations, which can be passed along as a reminder to the staff.
In some instances, a review of the Fire Risk Assessment could be more frequent.
If there are significant changes made to the structure of the building, any renovations affect the original fire management plan, a sharp increase in staffing numbers, new hazardous materials onsite or any other change that could affect the safety at your premise. You might need a new fire risk assessment as well as new escape routes etc.
In addition to the above, by revisiting the initial fire risk assessment the responsible person(s) can take note of when certain aspects of the overall fire safety plan needs refreshing or re-testing. For example:
Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
- Fire Marshal Training
- 5 yearly Electrical Test
- Fire Panel Test
- Emergency Lighting Test