Fire Safety Regulations Guide

Record the Significant Findings and Action Taken

If you or your organisation employ five or more people, your premises are licensed, or an alterations notice requiring you to do so is in force, you must record the significant findings of your fire risk assessment and the actions you have taken.

Significant findings should include details of:

• The fire hazards you have identified (you don't need to include trivial things like a small tin of solvent based glue).
• The actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the chance of a fire occurring (preventive measures).
• Persons who may be at risk, particularly those at greatest risk.
• The actions you have taken or will take to reduce the risk to people from the spread of fire and smoke (protective measures).
• The actions people need to take in case of fire including details of any persons nominated to carry out a particular function (your emergency plan).
• The information, instruction and training you have identified that people need and how it will be given.

You may also wish to record discussions you have had with staff or staff representatives (including trade unions).

Even where you are not required to record the significant findings, it is good practice to do so.

In some very small offices and shops, record keeping may be no more than a few sheets of paper (possibly forming part of a health and safety folder), containing details of significant findings, any action taken and a copy of the emergency plan.

The record could take the form of a simple list which may be supported by a simple plan of the premises

In more complex premises, it is best to keep a dedicated record including details of significant findings, any action taken, a copy of the emergency plan, maintenance of fire-protection equipment and training. There is no one 'correct' format specified for this.

You must be able to satisfy the enforcing authority, if called upon to do so, that you have carried out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Keeping records will help you do this and will also form the basis of your subsequent reviews. If you keep records, you do not need to record all the details, only those that are significant and the action you have taken.

It can be helpful to include a simple line drawing to illustrate your fire precautions. This can also help you check your precautions as part of your ongoing review.

The findings of your fire risk assessment will help you to develop your emergency plan, the instruction, information and training you need to provide, the co-operation and co-ordination arrangements you may need to have with other responsible people and the arrangements for maintenance and testing of the fire precautions. If you are required to record the significant findings of your fire risk assessment then these arrangements must also be recorded.

Checklist

• Have you recorded the significant findings of your assessment?
• Have you recorded what you have done to remove or reduce the risk?
• Are your records available for inspection by the enforcing authority?