A fire risk assessment is not a form to complete and file away. It is the practical work of looking at your workplace as it operates on an ordinary day, identifying how a fire could start or spread, and making sure people can respond safely. When you conduct workplace fire risk assessment activities well, you protect your team, visitors, customers, property and ability to keep operating after an incident.
For an office, the risks may sit behind a bank of overloaded power boards or in a poorly managed storeroom. In a commercial kitchen, they may centre on cooking oils, extraction systems and hurried staff. On a construction site, hot works, temporary power and changing access routes can alter the risk from one week to the next. The process needs to reflect the people and place in front of you.
Start with the way your workplace actually works
Before inspecting extinguishers or checking signs, build a clear picture of the premises and its daily activities. Walk through the site at different times where possible. A quiet morning inspection can miss the deliveries, equipment use, shift changes and public movement that affect fire safety later in the day.
Consider who is on site, including workers, contractors, clients, residents, students and visitors. Ask whether anyone may need additional support to evacuate, such as a person with reduced mobility, a new team member unfamiliar with the building, or a child in an education and care setting. Fire safety arrangements should never assume everyone will hear an alarm, understand instructions immediately or move at the same pace.
Review the building layout, tenancy boundaries and shared areas. In multi-tenant buildings, some controls may be managed by the building owner or facility manager, while your organisation remains responsible for its own work practices, emergency procedures and staff readiness. Clarifying those responsibilities early prevents dangerous gaps.
Identify ignition sources, fuel and fire spread risks
A useful assessment looks for the three conditions that allow a fire to grow: an ignition source, combustible material and oxygen. Oxygen is usually unavoidable, so your controls should focus on reducing ignition and managing fuel.
Check likely ignition sources
Electrical equipment is a common starting point. Look for damaged leads, overloaded power boards, unapproved adaptors, poorly maintained appliances, charging batteries, and equipment that runs hot. Pay close attention to areas where staff bring in personal appliances or where devices are charged unattended.
Other ignition sources may include gas equipment, heaters, machinery, welding and grinding, smoking areas, cooking equipment, candles, lithium-ion batteries, and chemical processes. The risk is not simply whether these items exist. It is whether they are maintained, supervised, separated from combustibles and used under clear procedures.
Hot works deserve particular care. Welding, cutting, grinding and soldering can send sparks well beyond the immediate task. A hot work permit process, fire watch, removal of combustible materials and appropriate extinguishing equipment may be required depending on the activity and site rules.
Look for combustible materials and poor storage
Rubbish, cardboard, paper stock, packaging, cleaning products, aerosols, flammable liquids and textiles can all add fuel to a fire. Storerooms, plant rooms, cleaners’ cupboards, loading areas and under-stair spaces are often overlooked because they are out of public view.
Check that flammable substances are correctly stored, labelled and kept away from ignition sources. Avoid allowing stock or rubbish to build up around electrical switchboards, gas equipment, fire doors or exit paths. Good housekeeping is not cosmetic – it can slow fire growth and preserve a safe way out.
Also consider how fire may spread through open doors, service penetrations, ceiling voids and poorly managed fire doors. Fire doors should close properly and should not be wedged open unless an approved hold-open device is connected to the fire detection system.
Assess evacuation routes before an emergency tests them
An exit route that looks clear on a floor plan may not work when people are moving quickly, visibility is reduced or deliveries have been left in a corridor. Walk each route from occupied work areas to the assembly area. Check that paths are clear, exit doors can be opened, emergency lighting and exit signs are visible, and fire doors operate as intended.
Your assessment should also consider what happens if the usual exit is blocked. People need more than one way to leave where the building design requires it, and wardens need to understand alternative routes. For workplaces with visitors, members of the public or people requiring assistance, plan how support will be provided without placing another person at unreasonable risk.
The assembly area matters too. It should be sufficiently away from the building, not obstruct emergency vehicle access and not create a new hazard near traffic, loading zones or neighbouring premises. Staff must know where it is, not just see it marked on a map during induction.
Check that fire equipment matches the hazards
Fire equipment should be selected, positioned, maintained and understood in the context of the risks you have identified. Different fire types require different response approaches. For example, water extinguishers are not suitable for electrical or cooking oil fires, while a fire blanket may be appropriate for a small pan fire if it is safe to use.
During the assessment, confirm that equipment is accessible, visible and not blocked by furniture or stock. Check that staff know the purpose of the equipment and, just as importantly, understand when not to use it. Attempting to fight a fire is only appropriate when the fire is small, the person is trained, there is a clear escape path and conditions remain safe. Evacuation is the priority when there is any doubt.
Maintenance obligations and frequencies can depend on the equipment, building and applicable standards. Keep accurate service records and address defects promptly. An extinguisher on the wall is not a safety control if it cannot be reached, has not been maintained or no one is confident enough to act safely.
Give emergency roles real meaning
A written emergency plan is only useful if people can apply it under pressure. Identify the people who will lead and support an evacuation, such as chief wardens, fire wardens, first aiders, floor or area wardens, and communications personnel. Ensure coverage reflects shift patterns, leave, remote work arrangements and after-hours operations.
Roles should be practical. Wardens need to know how to raise the alarm, communicate instructions, sweep areas only when safe, direct people to exits, account for occupants and liaise with emergency services. They also need the authority to act. A warden who is unsure whether they can interrupt a meeting, stop production or direct a senior visitor will struggle when seconds matter.
Training and exercises reveal the difference between a plan that reads well and a plan that works. Use drills to test alarm audibility, evacuation times, visitor management, communication methods and assembly-area accountability. Record what happened, then improve the process. A drill should be a learning activity, not a performance for a compliance register.
Record controls, assign ownership and review changes
Once hazards are identified, record the risk level and the controls required. Focus on practical actions: repair damaged equipment, remove storage from exits, improve chemical storage, install clear signage, update procedures, arrange maintenance, or train wardens and staff. Each action needs an owner and a due date.
A simple action register is often more valuable than a lengthy report because it makes unresolved issues visible. Include the hazard, the control, the person responsible, the completion date and any follow-up required. High-risk issues such as blocked exits, defective fire doors or unsafe electrical equipment should be dealt with immediately.
Review the assessment whenever the workplace changes. A new fit-out, altered floor plan, additional equipment, changed process, new tenant, renovation, increase in staff numbers or incident can all change the fire risk. Regular review is also needed because everyday habits can quietly undo good controls.
Conduct workplace fire risk assessment with your people
The people doing the work often see hazards that managers do not. Consult workers, health and safety representatives, wardens, cleaners, maintenance teams and contractors during the assessment. Ask direct questions: What gets left in the corridor? Which door sticks? Where do people charge batteries? What happens when the alarm sounds during a busy shift?
This approach improves both the quality of the assessment and the likelihood that controls will be followed. It also helps build a safety culture where staff report issues early rather than assuming someone else will notice.
For organisations that need support connecting risk assessment findings to practical emergency procedures, evacuation planning and hands-on fire warden training, EDS Training Group helps turn requirements into confident workplace action.
The best time to find a blocked exit, a confused warden role or an unsafe storage habit is on a normal working day. Give your people the clarity, equipment and practice they need now, so they can make safer decisions when it counts.
