Fire Risk Assessments
Everything you need to know about Fire Risk Assessments and their different risk ratings.
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is a report on the fire hazards within the communal areas of a building. It explains the potential risks and check fire safety measures already in place. It will also give recommendations if more safety measures are needed to prevent, control, and reduce the effects of a fire.
Electrical appliance safety
Many people use electrical appliances (like washing machines and tumble dryers) at night, because of cheaper energy tariffs. This shouldn’t be a safety risk however, emergency services tell us that fires at night are more likely to cause serious injury.
Because of this it's important to make regular safety checks on all of your appliances, and take a look at the National Product Recall Register.
Fire Risk Ratings
A Fire Risk Rating looks at the risk of a fire and its impact. The assessment also gives a rating of what the risk level would be after any recommended actions are made.
Find your Fire Risk Assessment
You can find the FRA for a building that is six storeys or higher. Please enter your postcode .
Ashford
Contact us
If you have a question, or would like to request an FRA for a building less than six storeys, please contact our fire inspection team.
Know your evacuation plan
If you live in a residential block, you should know your building's evacuation plan. This is what you do if a fire happens in your building. Everyone who lives in your home should know the evacuation plan and your quickest, safest route out of the building.
There are two types of evacuation plan: 'stay put' or 'simultaneous evacuation'. A sign by the front entrance of your block will explain which type of plan is used in your building. This information is also shared when you move in.
1. The 'stay put' plan
The 'stay put' plan means that if there is a fire elsewhere in your building, you're usually safer staying in your flat with the doors and windows closed.
Important: if your flat is affected by fire or smoke, leave immediately, closing the door behind you. Once you're safely outside, phone 999 for the fire brigade.
2. The 'simultaneous evacuation' plan
The 'simultaneous evacuation' plan means if you hear a fire alarm in your flat and throughout the building - or you know there is a fire in the building - you should follow your evacuation plan and leave by the quickest and safest route. Don't re-enter until you're told it's safe.
Fire alarms in buildings
Most of our blocks have 'stay put' plans in place, which means they don't have communal fire alarms. This follows fire brigade recommendations. In a building with a stay put plan, a communal alarm system can be confusing and cause resident to mass evacuate. This can be dangerous and stop firefighting from reaching the fire.
Be vigilant about fire safety
An FRA is a useful technical overview of the fire safety arrangements for a building and is a key tool for managing the property.
But it only provides a snapshot of what was found at the time of inspection. For example, a pram blocking a hallway might have been marked as a hazard, but may have only been left there at that particular time. Or a fire door may be working properly on the day of the inspection, but get damaged soon after.
Because of this, it’s important you report any problems you find or concerns you have about fire safety. You can do this by phoning our customer services team on 0300 500 8000 or contacting our fire inspection team online.