FRA FAQ
To obtain a fire risk assessment, confirm who the responsible person is, fix the scope (usually a Type 1 inspection of the common parts), appoint an assessor whose competence you can verify, and have access and records ready for the visit. The report and its action plan follow, and acting on them completes the job.
Before the visit
Fix the scope first. For most blocks of flats that means a Type 1 FRA: non-destructive, common parts only, with flat entrance doors sampled from the common side; the FRA types overview explains when a wider scope earns its extra cost. Then shortlist assessors whose competence you can verify rather than take on trust: BAFE SP205 registration, FRACS certification or an IFE register listing are the third-party checks that carry weight, and because choosing a competent assessor is now part of the legal duty, keep a note of the checks you ran. Ask each candidate for a sample report and judge the reasoning, not the cover.
Send the assessor the building file before the visit: floor plans, the previous assessment if one exists, fire alarm and emergency lighting service records, door inspection records, external wall information for taller buildings, and anything known about residents who would need help to escape. Good records shorten the visit and sharpen the findings; missing ones surface as assumptions and caveats in the report, and caveats are where enforcement questions start.
Visit and report
On the day the assessor needs keys, riser and cupboard access, and a contact who knows the building. Expect them to walk every accessible common area, sample flat entrance doors, check detection, emergency lighting, signage and the means of escape, and photograph what they find. A small block is often a morning; the written report follows once drafting and internal review are done, a rhythm covered honestly in how long does it take to get a fire risk assessment.
When the report lands, read the significant findings and the action plan before filing anything; a significant finding with no owner and no date is a risk sitting in a PDF. The law requires the assessment to be recorded in full, so keep the document, assign the actions, evidence each closure, and set the review cycle, because an assessment ages with the building. The review frequency tool gives a defensible starting point for that cycle.
FAQ
For simple, low-risk premises a competent responsible person can self-assess; for blocks of flats most people commission a specialist, because doors, construction and evacuation strategy take experience to judge. Can I do a fire risk assessment myself walks through where that dividing line sits.
That it reflects your building rather than a template: photographs of your actual defects, a stated door sample, reasoning behind each finding, and actions with owners and priorities. What should a fire risk assessment include lists the contents a suitable and sufficient report carries.
Any assessor who is demonstrably competent for residential buildings; third-party accreditation such as BAFE SP205 or FRACS is the practical evidence, and specialist housing experience matters as much as the badge. Who can do a fire risk assessment for flats covers the options in detail.
FRA Flow captures evidence during the visit and drafts the BS 9792 report for a reviewer to check and sign, with actions tracked to closure. Free tier, no card needed.
