- The Fire Safety Order requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a significant change or reason to think it is out of date. It sets no fixed interval.
- In practice, an annual review is the norm for most commercial premises, with a full reassessment every few years or after major change.
- Changes to layout, use, occupancy, processes, fire safety systems or staffing all trigger a review, as does a fire or near miss.
- A review does not always mean a full new assessment. It means checking the existing one still holds, and recording that you did.
Unlike an EPC or a TM44 report, a Fire Risk Assessment has no printed expiry date, and that vagueness causes real problems. Some businesses treat it as a one-off; others assume it lasts five years like an electrical inspection. The Fire Safety Order says it must be reviewed “regularly” and whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid. Here is how to turn that into a routine you can actually run.
What the law actually says
Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person to review the assessment regularly so that it remains up to date, and in particular where there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been a significant change in the matters it relates to. Deliberately, it does not name a period. The intention is that the review cycle fits the premises: a busy hotel needs more frequent attention than a quiet storage unit.
General information, not legal advice.
The annual review norm
Because the Order leaves the interval open, the fire service, insurers and professional bodies have converged on a practical expectation: review at least annually, and carry out a fuller reassessment every three to five years or sooner if the premises change materially. An annual review is also easy to diarise alongside extinguisher servicing and alarm testing. If you are asked when you last reviewed the assessment and the honest answer is more than a year ago, that is the gap to close.
The changes that trigger a review
- Layout or structure: new partitions, a mezzanine, a changed escape route, a refurbishment.
- Use or occupancy: more people, different hours, a new process, sleeping accommodation.
- People at risk: staff or visitors with mobility, hearing or other needs.
- Fire safety systems: a new alarm, changed detection, removed extinguishers.
- Materials and storage: flammable stock, more combustibles, changed waste arrangements.
- An incident: any fire, false alarm pattern or near miss.
- A failed audit or an insurer’s request.
Any one of these is reason enough to review now rather than wait for the diary date.
Review versus reassessment
A review checks whether the existing assessment and its action plan still reflect the premises, confirms completed actions, and records any changes. It is often done in-house by a competent person or by the original assessor at modest cost. A reassessment is a fresh, full assessment of the premises. After major change, after several years, or where the original was weak, a reassessment is the right call. Whichever you do, record it: an undocumented review is, for enforcement purposes, no review.
Due a review?
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Multi-let buildings
In a building with a landlord responsible for common parts and tenants responsible for their own areas, reviews should be coordinated. A tenant’s fit-out can change the landlord’s escape strategy, and vice versa. Share assessments, agree a review cycle, and make sure neither side assumes the other has it covered. Our guide to fire safety in multi-let buildings covers the split of duties.
A routine that works
- Diarise an annual review date, aligned with extinguisher and alarm servicing.
- Keep a simple change log: anything that alters layout, use, people or systems gets noted and triggers a check.
- Record every review, even if the conclusion is “no change”.
- Schedule a full reassessment every three to five years, or after major change.
Getting a review or reassessment
Whether you need a light-touch review or a full reassessment, a competent fire risk assessor can do it and record it properly. ComSurv matches you with assessors who cover your area and premises type, and you compare no-obligation quotes.
Sources & further reading
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 9 — the duty to review the assessment
- Fire safety in the workplace: your responsibilities (GOV.UK) — the government overview
External links open in a new tab. ComSurv is a matching service, not a firm of surveyors, and is not affiliated with these organisations. This article is general information, not legal, surveying or valuation advice; take advice on your specific situation.
