Overview
Understand, commission and act on your fire risk assessment
Every workplace and most other non domestic premises in England must have a fire risk assessment, and the law makes one named person responsible for it. That person is you if you are the employer, the owner, or the manager who has control of the premises. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 does not ask you to guess. It expects a suitable and sufficient assessment of the fire risk, controls put in place to reduce that risk, and a plan for getting people out safely if a fire starts. This course gives you the knowledge to meet that duty with confidence.
You will learn who the responsible person is and what the law requires, including the changes brought in by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. You will understand how fire starts and spreads, the five step method used to assess fire risk, how to spot ignition and fuel sources, and the prevention and protection measures that keep a building safe. You will cover means of escape, evacuation strategies and personal emergency evacuation plans, and how to record your findings, act on them and keep the assessment current.
The course is fully online and self paced. Most learners complete it across several sessions, and you keep access for twelve months from enrolment. For complex or higher risk premises you may still need a professional or third party certificated fire risk assessor, and this course equips you to commission that work, read the report and act on it properly. Pass the closing assessment and your CPD certified certificate is generated straight away, dated and named, ready to download and print.
Fully Online
Fire Safety Order 2005
England Law
What you’ll learn
What you’ll be able to do
By the end of this course you will be able to:
Explain who the responsible person is and their duties under the Fire Safety Order 2005.
Describe what the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 changed.
Explain the fire triangle and how fire spreads by conduction, convection, radiation and direct burning.
Carry out or oversee a fire risk assessment using the recognised five step method.
Identify sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen in your premises and the people most at risk.
Reduce fire risk through housekeeping, safe storage, electrical safety and hot work controls.
Check that detection, warning, emergency lighting, extinguishers and fire doors are fit for purpose.
Plan means of escape and evacuation, record your significant findings and review the assessment.
Course content
Eight modules to work through
Each module builds on the last and ends with the material you need for the final assessment. Work at your own pace and return to any module during your twelve month access window.
1Fire Safety Law and the Responsible PersonYour legal duties, the recent changes to the law and how they are enforced.⌄
- Who the responsible person is under the Fire Safety Order 2005
- The Fire Safety Act 2021 and its effect on structure and external walls
- The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and what they require
- Enforcement by the fire and rescue authority, and their powers
- Alterations notices, enforcement notices and prohibition notices
2The Science of FireWhat fire needs to start, how it grows and why smoke kills.⌄
- The fire triangle: heat, fuel and oxygen
- How removing any one side of the triangle puts a fire out
- Spread by conduction, convection, radiation and direct burning
- The speed of fire growth and how quickly a room can flash over
- Smoke and toxic products of combustion, the biggest cause of death
3The Five Steps of a Fire Risk AssessmentThe recognised method for assessing fire risk in your premises.⌄
- Step 1: identify the fire hazards
- Step 2: identify the people at risk
- Step 3: evaluate, remove, reduce and protect
- Step 4: record, plan, inform, instruct and train
- Step 5: review, and what suitable and sufficient means
4Identifying Fire HazardsFinding the ignition, fuel and oxygen sources in a real building.⌄
- Sources of ignition: electrical, heating, hot work, smoking and arson
- Sources of fuel: paper, packaging, furnishings, waste and flammable liquids
- Sources of oxygen: ventilation, air conditioning and oxygen cylinders
- How the three come together in storerooms, plant rooms and kitchens
- Working through your premises room by room
5Reducing Risk and Fire PreventionPractical controls that stop a fire starting in the first place.⌄
- Good housekeeping and control of combustible waste
- Safe storage of combustibles and flammable liquids
- Controlling ignition sources across the building
- Electrical safety, fixed wiring inspection and portable appliance testing
- Hot work permits and planned maintenance of equipment
6Fire Protection MeasuresThe systems and equipment that detect fire, warn people and limit spread.⌄
- Fire detection and warning systems, from call points to full L1 systems
- Emergency lighting on escape routes
- Fire extinguisher types, colour codes and correct use
- Fire doors and compartmentation that hold back fire and smoke
- Signage, and the importance of testing and maintenance records
7Means of Escape and Emergency PlanningGetting everyone out safely when the alarm sounds.⌄
- Travel distances, escape routes and final exits
- Evacuation strategies: simultaneous, phased and stay put
- Personal emergency evacuation plans for those who need help
- The role of fire marshals and wardens on the day
- Fire drills, roll call and the assembly point
8Recording, Reviewing and Managing Fire SafetyTurning the assessment into an action plan and keeping it current.⌄
- Recording your significant findings and building an action plan
- Prioritising actions by risk, not by cost or convenience
- When to review: after changes, incidents, or at least annually
- Keeping records that show you have managed fire safety
- Competence, and when to bring in a professional assessor
Who it’s for
Is this course a good fit?
This course is written for the people who carry the responsible person duty in law, and for anyone who supports them in keeping a building safe from fire.
Employers & business owners
Those with control of a workplace who hold the responsible person duty.
Building & facilities managers
Managers who run premises day to day and keep the fire precautions working.
Landlords & property managers
Those responsible for common parts, shared buildings and let premises.
Office & premises managers
People who commission assessments and act on the findings for their site.
Health & safety officers
Those who advise on fire safety as part of a wider health and safety role.
Charity & community trustees
Trustees and volunteers responsible for halls, clubs and community buildings.
Assessment
How it’s assessed
The course is assessed by a single online multiple choice test taken after the modules. It can be retaken as many times as you need at no extra cost.
End-of-course assessment
Study details
You can pause and resume at any point, and your progress is saved automatically. There is no time limit on the assessment itself.
Certification
Your CPD-certified certificate
Fire Risk Assessment for the Responsible Person, CPD Certified
On passing the assessment, your CPD certified digital certificate is available to download and print immediately, with your name, the course title and the completion date. For a business it is dated, named evidence that the person responsible for fire safety understands the law and the assessment process, the kind of record that supports your fire safety management and helps when the fire and rescue authority visits. We recommend refresher training every three years, or sooner if the law, the building or its use changes.
Instant download
Supports your fire safety duty
Refresher recommended every 3 years
FAQs
Questions people often ask
Is this a CPD certified course or a regulated qualification?⌄
Which fire safety law does this course cover?⌄
Do I still need a professional fire risk assessor?⌄
How long do I get to complete it?⌄
Can I train more than one person?⌄
What other training pairs well with this?⌄
Download the following working templates in Word format and adapt them for your own workplace:
