An educational library of workplace documents — purpose, who completes them, when they are used, typical fields, common mistakes and how they connect. Linked to workplace safety, workplace training, occupations, industries and employment documents. Informational only — template examples, not legal advice or official documents; employers remain responsible and using a document does not guarantee compliance.
What a fire risk assessment record is
A fire risk assessment record focuses specifically on fire: the sources of ignition and fuel, the people at risk, and the precautions — detection, escape routes, equipment and management — that reduce the risk. Much of a building’s fire arrangements flow from it.
This page is an educational overview with a simplified example of what such a record usually contains. It is not an official template, not jurisdiction-specific and not legal advice — the employer decides what their fire risk assessment must cover.
Purpose
- Identify fire hazards — ignition sources, fuel and oxygen.
- Record who could be harmed and how.
- Capture the existing precautions and any further action.
- Provide the basis for the evacuation plan and fire arrangements.
Who completes it
- A competent person appointed by the employer, often a fire-trained assessor.
- With input from those who know the building and its activities.
- Reviewed and approved within the organisation’s own process.
- It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the assessor is competent.
When it is used
- When a building or activity is new or has changed.
- After a fire, near miss or significant change.
- On a periodic review cycle set by the employer.
- When findings need to feed the evacuation plan.
Typical fields
- Building, areas assessed, date and assessor.
- Ignition sources, fuel and people at risk.
- Detection, warning, escape routes and equipment.
- Management arrangements and any further action.
- Review date and sign-off.
- Example fields only — adapt them to your building and the applicable law.
Common mistakes
- Using a generic assessment that ignores the real building.
- Listing precautions that are not actually in place.
- Never feeding findings into the evacuation plan.
- Failing to review after changes or incidents.
Document workflow
A fire risk assessment record usually comes first in the fire document chain: it informs the emergency evacuation plan, the fire action notice and the checks logged in the fire safety log book. Incidents and changes trigger a review.
See the related documents below for what is commonly completed after a fire risk assessment.
Retention (high level)
Fire risk assessments are generally kept while relevant and for a period afterwards, in line with the employer’s duties. This page does not state a period — confirm with the applicable law and the official authority.
Completing and sharing as a PDF
Fire risk assessments are commonly completed, signed and stored as PDFs with the fire records. Exporting to PDF supports documentation; it does not make the assessment official or guarantee compliance.
Employer checklist
- Confirm the assessor is competent and the building understood.
- Make sure precautions are realistic and actually in place.
- Feed findings into the evacuation plan and fire arrangements.
- Set a review trigger and keep the record current.
Worker notes
- Keep ignition sources and fuel under control in your area.
- Keep escape routes and fire doors clear.
- Report fire hazards you notice.
Country considerations
Duties to assess and manage fire risk vary by country and type of premises, and the official authority differs. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not legal advice.
Confirm current requirements with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.
Who is responsible
The employer is responsible for ensuring a suitable fire risk assessment is carried out, recorded and acted on, and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not determine what your assessment must contain and does not transfer responsibility.
Export, edit and share documents
The documents, policies and templates this involves can be exported, edited, signed, stored and shared as PDFs with the HELPERG PDF Editor.
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