Fire risk assessments and the RRO explained

Key takeaways

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) requires the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment.

Since October 2023 the assessment must be recorded in full, whatever the size of the business.

Alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers and fire doors must be maintained to the relevant British Standards.

In multi-occupied buildings there can be more than one responsible person, who must cooperate.

For responsible persons, fire safety contractors, compliance managers and facilities teams managing fire risk assessments and fire-safety records in England and Wales. It is UK-focused and not legal advice.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, often called the RRO or Fire Safety Order, is the main fire-safety law for non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It places the duty on the responsible person to assess and manage fire risk.

Who is the responsible person?

Usually the employer, building owner, landlord or managing agent who has control of the premises. In multi-occupied buildings there can be more than one responsible person, and they must cooperate and coordinate with each other.

What the fire risk assessment covers

Identifying fire hazards and the people at risk
Evaluating, removing or reducing the risk
Means of escape, detection and warning
Emergency plans, signage and staff training
Recording the findings and keeping them under review

Maintaining fire-safety provisions

Extinguishers are serviced under BS 5306, alarm systems under BS 5839 and emergency lighting under BS 5266. Fire-door checks depend on the building and risk assessment. For residential buildings over 11 metres in England, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 set quarterly communal-door checks and best endeavours for annual flat-entrance-door checks.

Keeping on top of it

CertFlow keeps fire assets on appropriate service schedules, stores the risk assessment, captures checks on mobile and retains the resulting records.

What inspectors commonly see

A fire risk assessment that is missing, generic or never reviewed

Fire doors wedged open, damaged, or missing intumescent seals

Emergency lighting that fails its monthly or annual duration test

Extinguishers out of service date, undersized or wrongly sited

Alarm and detection faults left unresolved on the panel

Common mistakes

Using a generic fire risk assessment that does not reflect the building or occupants.

Leaving fire-door, alarm or emergency-lighting defects open without an action owner.

Failing to coordinate records where more than one responsible person has control.

Keeping service certificates without linking them to the fire risk assessment action plan.

Assuming routine servicing removes the need to review the fire risk assessment.

Records to keep

Fire risk assessment and significant findings.

Action plan, responsible owners and close-out evidence.

Fire alarm, emergency lighting, extinguisher and fire-door inspection records.

Evacuation procedures, drills and staff fire-safety training records.

Evidence of cooperation and coordination in shared or multi-occupied premises.