Fire Safety Assessment vs Fire Risk Assessment in Ireland

Fire safety assessment and fire risk assessment are often used as if they mean the same thing. In Ireland, that can cause real confusion. The two exercises can overlap, and both may look at alarms, escape routes, fire doors, emergency lighting and staff procedures. They are not, however, the same job.

A fire risk assessment normally asks whether the fire hazards in a workplace or premises are being managed safely. It looks at ignition sources, fuel, people at risk, emergency procedures, maintenance, training and the controls needed to reduce risk. It is closely linked to the employer's general risk assessment and safety statement duties.

A fire safety assessment, in the Irish statutory sense, is a more technical assessment of whether the fire safety measures in a premises or building are adequate. It may be required by a fire authority under the Fire Services Acts and should usually be carried out by a competent fire safety professional. It is often concerned with building design, means of escape, compartmentation, fire spread, detection, warning, emergency lighting, firefighting access and management arrangements.

The Short Difference

A fire risk assessment is about risk in use. A fire safety assessment is about the adequacy of the fire safety measures in the premises. That is the simplest way to separate them.

The risk assessment asks what could start a fire, who could be harmed, what controls are in place and what actions are needed. The fire safety assessment asks whether the building and its fire precautions are good enough for the people, use, layout and fire strategy.

Many premises need both. A nursing home, hotel, school, factory or multi-occupied commercial building may have an up-to-date fire risk assessment and still need a fire safety assessment if there are doubts about compartmentation, means of escape, a change of use, a fire authority query, a licensing issue, or significant building defects.

Fire Risk Assessment: What It Is For

A fire risk assessment is a practical management tool. In a workplace, it sits alongside the employer's duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to identify hazards, assess risks and prepare a safety statement. Fire is one of the workplace hazards that must be managed.

The Health and Safety Authority's fire guidance covers fire prevention, emergency escape and firefighting arrangements. It expects employers to think about how fires can start, how people will be warned, how escape routes will be kept clear, what equipment is needed, what training staff require and how people who need assistance will escape.

A good fire risk assessment should therefore look at ignition sources, combustible materials, housekeeping, storage, hot works, electrical equipment, smoking controls, cooking risks, dangerous substances, escape routes, fire doors, alarm systems, emergency lighting, extinguishers, signage, drills, maintenance records and staff training.

It should also identify people at greater risk. This includes staff working alone, night workers, visitors, contractors, children, older people, people with disabilities, people asleep on the premises and people who may not understand or respond to an alarm without assistance.

The Output of a Fire Risk Assessment

The output should be useful to the person managing the premises. It should set out the significant findings, the level of risk, the existing controls, the actions required, who owns those actions and when they should be completed. It should not be a long generic document that leaves the manager unsure what to do next.

In many workplaces, the fire risk assessment feeds into the safety statement, fire safety register, maintenance programme and training plan. It should be reviewed when the use changes, the layout changes, new equipment is introduced, after a fire or near miss, after a drill problem, or when staff numbers or occupant needs change.

A fire risk assessment can be structured using recognised methods, including PAS 79 where appropriate. PAS 79 can be helpful, but it is not a substitute for understanding Irish law, Irish guidance, the building, the people using it and the competence needed for the premises.

Fire Safety Assessment: What It Is For

A fire safety assessment is usually wider and more technical. In Ireland, the Code of Practice for Fire Safety Assessment of Premises and Buildings gives a statutory framework for assessments requested by a fire authority under section 18(6) of the Fire Services Acts.

That code is aimed at situations where a fire authority considers it necessary to require an assessment of the fire safety measures in a premises or building. The assessment is intended to help decide whether the premises is safe and, where necessary, what works or management measures are required.

In practice, fire safety assessments are also requested outside formal enforcement. They may be used for nursing homes, hotels, apartment blocks, healthcare premises, schools, complex commercial buildings, older buildings, change of use proposals, due diligence, insurance queries, licensing matters, or buildings where fire stopping and compartmentation are uncertain.

What a Fire Safety Assessment Looks At

A fire safety assessment normally looks beyond day-to-day hazards. It may examine the building layout, occupancy, use, means of escape, travel distances, exits, stairways, compartmentation, fire doors, structural fire protection, cavity barriers, fire stopping, surface spread of flame, detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, smoke control, firefighting access, water supplies and management systems.

It may also compare the premises with relevant fire safety guidance, standards, fire certificates, drawings, building regulation requirements and the practical fire strategy. For existing buildings, the question is often not whether the building is perfect by today's new-build standards, but whether the fire safety measures are adequate for the current use and risk.

This is why competence matters. A person who can carry out a straightforward workplace fire risk assessment may not be competent to assess structural compartmentation, smoke spread, escape capacity or alternative fire safety solutions in a complex existing building.

When You Might Need a Fire Safety Assessment

A fire safety assessment may be needed where a fire authority requests one, where the premises is high risk, where sleeping accommodation is provided, where vulnerable people are present, where compartmentation is in doubt, where the use of the building has changed, or where a serious defect has been identified.

It may also be needed before buying, leasing or taking over a premises. A building can look acceptable on a viewing but have serious fire safety problems above ceilings, behind service risers, in old escape routes or in undocumented alterations. A fire safety assessment can identify those risks before the new operator inherits them.

In designated centres, a fire safety assessment may be needed where there are questions about safe evacuation time, compartmentation, bedroom layouts, fire doors, escape routes, detection, staffing assumptions or the building's ability to support progressive horizontal evacuation.

The Fire Authority Context

Where a fire authority requests a fire safety assessment, the matter should be treated seriously. The request usually means the authority wants competent evidence on whether the fire safety measures are adequate and what corrective action is required. It is not the same as a routine annual check of extinguishers or alarms.

The assessment may lead to a schedule of works, management actions, temporary controls or further specialist investigation. If serious deficiencies are found, the person having control of the premises should not wait for a final perfect report before managing obvious immediate risks. Interim measures may be needed while longer-term works are designed, priced and completed.

Good communication also matters. The assessor, building owner, operator, design team, maintenance contractor and fire authority may all need to understand the same problem. A vague report that says improve fire safety without explaining the defect, risk and recommended action is not good enough.

Do Not Confuse It With a Fire Safety Certificate

A fire safety certificate is a building control matter. It normally relates to proposed works, a new building, an extension, a material alteration or a material change of use. It shows that the proposed design, if built in accordance with the application, would comply with Part B of the Building Regulations.

It is not the same as a current fire risk assessment, and it is not proof that the building is safe today. The building may have changed, doors may have been replaced badly, fire stopping may have been damaged, alarm systems may have aged, or the use may now be different from the original design.

For that reason, a premises can need a fire safety certificate for works, a fire safety assessment for the adequacy of existing fire precautions, and a fire risk assessment for ongoing management. They answer different questions.

Who Should Carry Out Each Assessment

A fire risk assessment should be carried out by someone competent for the premises and the risk. For a small low-risk workplace, a trained internal person may be able to complete a suitable assessment. For a sleeping risk, healthcare setting, complex building, industrial process or multi-occupied premises, outside competence is usually required.

A fire safety assessment, particularly one required by a fire authority or involving building fabric and fire strategy, should be carried out by a competent fire safety professional with the technical knowledge to assess the building. Depending on complexity, that may mean a fire engineer, fire safety consultant, architect with appropriate fire safety competence, or another suitably qualified person.

The important point is that competence should match the question. If the problem is poor housekeeping and expired extinguisher maintenance, a fire risk assessor may be sufficient. If the problem is whether a stairway, compartment line or smoke control approach can support evacuation, a more technical assessment is needed.

Choosing a Competent Person

The person selecting the assessor should ask direct questions. What type of premises do they normally assess? Do they understand Irish fire safety law and guidance? Have they worked on buildings of similar size, use and complexity? Can they explain the difference between management actions and building defects? Will the report prioritise actions clearly?

For a technical fire safety assessment, ask whether the assessor can review drawings, fire certificates, means of escape, compartmentation and fire strategy. Ask whether intrusive investigation is needed, for example above ceilings or in risers. Ask whether they have the professional competence and insurance for the level of advice being provided.

For a fire risk assessment, ask whether the report will be specific to the premises and whether it will include a practical action plan. A template report that could describe any building is weak evidence. The report should show that the assessor walked the premises, understood the people at risk and looked at the actual management arrangements.

How They Work Together

The two assessments should support each other. A fire risk assessment may identify that a corridor fire door is damaged, escape routes are blocked and staff have not practised evacuation. A fire safety assessment may identify that the corridor itself is not adequately protected, that service penetrations defeat compartmentation, or that the escape strategy cannot support the number and type of occupants.

In a well-managed premises, the fire safety assessment informs the risk assessment and action plan. If the technical assessment says a compartment line is weak, the fire risk assessment should record the interim controls, management actions and completion of remedial works. If the risk assessment shows residents cannot be evacuated within the available safe time, the fire safety assessment may need to revisit compartmentation or layout.

What a Good Report Should Contain

A good fire risk assessment report should contain enough detail for the manager to act. It should describe the premises, use, people at risk, fire hazards, existing precautions, management arrangements, significant findings, risk rating and action plan. Actions should be prioritised and written in plain language.

A good fire safety assessment report should explain the building and the fire safety strategy. It should identify relevant drawings or assumptions, describe the standards or guidance used, assess the adequacy of fire precautions, identify defects, explain the risk created by those defects and recommend proportionate actions. Where assumptions are made, they should be stated.

Both reports should avoid false certainty. If the assessor could not inspect above ceilings, could not verify fire stopping or did not have access to maintenance records, that limitation should be recorded. A limitation is not a weakness if it is honest. It is a weakness if the report hides uncertainty.

Common Mistakes

The first mistake is buying the wrong report. A manager may ask for a fire risk assessment when the real issue is a defective building strategy. The second mistake is treating a fire safety certificate as evidence that everything is still safe years later. It may not be.

The third mistake is using UK legal wording without checking the Irish context. UK fire safety law and Irish fire safety law are not identical. Irish advice should refer to the Fire Services Acts, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, building control requirements and Irish guidance.

The fourth mistake is leaving recommendations unclosed. A report has little value if the action plan is not owned, funded and tracked. Fire doors, alarms, emergency lighting, staff training and evacuation drills all need follow-through.

Which One Do You Need?

If you manage a normal workplace and need to identify fire hazards, staff training needs, escape arrangements and maintenance actions, you probably need a fire risk assessment. If you have been asked by a fire authority to assess the adequacy of fire safety measures, or if you have concerns about the building's fire strategy, you probably need a fire safety assessment.

If you are operating a nursing home, hotel, hostel, apartment block, school or complex commercial premises, the answer may be both. One looks at ongoing management risk. The other may be needed to test whether the building and fire precautions are good enough for the people using it.

How Phoenix STS Can Help

Phoenix STS provides fire risk assessments, fire safety consultancy, fire safety training and practical support for Irish workplaces, healthcare premises, schools, offices and commercial buildings. We help clients identify the correct assessment, not just produce a document with the right title.

For related guidance, see our fire risk assessment guide, our article on when you need a fire engineer in Ireland and our guide to HIQA Regulation 28 fire safety compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a fire safety assessment the same as a fire risk assessment?

No. They can overlap, but a fire risk assessment is usually about identifying and managing fire risks in use, while a fire safety assessment is usually a wider technical assessment of fire safety measures in the premises or building.

Can a fire risk assessment replace a fire safety assessment?

Not where the issue is technical adequacy of the building or where a fire authority has required a fire safety assessment. A risk assessment may identify the need for a more detailed fire safety assessment.

Does a fire safety certificate mean I do not need either assessment?

No. A fire safety certificate relates to proposed works at a point in time. It does not prove that the building is currently being managed safely or that later changes have not affected fire safety.

Contact Phoenix STS

To discuss whether your premises needs a fire risk assessment, fire safety assessment or fire safety consultancy support, contact Phoenix STS on 043 334 9611 or use the Phoenix STS contact page.

This article is general guidance only. Fire safety duties and assessment requirements should be considered against the building, use, occupants, fire authority requirements and current Irish legislation and guidance.