Fire Safety Risk Assessment (FSRA)

The FSRA is an essential element in the overall health and safety policy of any premises. It is an organised and methodical look at buildings and the activities taking place within them so that the likelihood of fire can be established and the harm that it could cause to the people in and around buildings can be assessed. If fire safety measures are already in place, such as fire alarms or fire extinguishers, these are reviewed during the FSRA to establish if they are still appropriate or if more action is required. FSRA templates for both large and small churches are available in our Templates and Documents section below.

The FSRA should be specific to the fire safety arrangements in the premises to which it applies. A general risk assessment is not appropriate when considering fire hazards and risks.

It is legally required that all relevant operational premises carry out a fire safety risk assessment. The content of the fire safety risk assessment should be proportionate to the risk, the complexity of the building and the number and type of persons occupying the building. Any remedial actions required, where identified by the assessment process, should be acted upon in a timely manner with respect to the cost and the risk to life. Action plans would therefore be expected to show suggested timescales for any improvement to be completed., When completed, they should be signed off by the duty holder (Charity Trustees).

Fire safety risk assessments should be carried out by persons determined as competent, or by the duty holder where individuals have the capability to assess fire risks within their own premises. External fire safety specialists or risk assessors may also be used to carry out the assessment on the behalf of the duty holders.

The key principles of the risk assessment process will allow a degree of flexibility when it comes to the challenges of applying modern fire safety standards to existing and historic premises.

Congregational properties are generally considered to be low-risk in terms of fire safety. However, this depends on building location, structure, fabric, activities undertaken and those who might be at risk.