Fire safety questions, answered

Most businesses and organisations do. If you're responsible for a workplace, commercial property or other non-domestic premises in England, the law generally requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. This also applies to communal areas in blocks of flats, with other parts of the building covered by fire safety law.

If you're unsure what applies to your premises, particularly in a rented or shared building, get in touch and we'll help you work through it.

The law calls this person the Responsible Person. For a workplace, this is usually the employer. Building owners, landlords, managing agents and occupiers may also have responsibilities, depending on their control of the premises.

In a rented or shared building, more than one person or organisation may have duties, and they need to coordinate their fire safety arrangements. We can highlight responsibilities that need clarifying during the assessment, so you know what to discuss with the other parties.

We quote for each building rather than charging a fixed price. The cost depends on the size and layout of your premises, how they're used and any additional complexity, such as sleeping accommodation or multiple occupiers.

Tell us a little about your building and what you need. We'll ask a few questions, confirm what's included and give you a quote before arranging the visit.

The visit length depends on the size and complexity of your premises. We'll give you an estimate when we quote and arrange a time that works for you.

Someone familiar with the building will need to show us around and answer a few questions, but we'll work around your day as much as possible.

You'll receive your written report within five working days of the visit, unless we've agreed otherwise beforehand. We can arrange it quicker if you have a deadline, just let us know beforehand.

We look at how your premises are used, the fire precautions already in place and how fire safety is managed day to day. This includes things like escape routes, fire doors, equipment and evacuation arrangements.

We'll discuss important findings during the visit where appropriate. Your written report then records the precautions in place, anything that needs attention and the priority of each recommended action, so you know where to start.

We'll explain what we've found, why it matters and what needs doing. Your written report sets out clear recommendations, prioritised by urgency, so you know what needs addressing first and can plan the work accordingly.

We'll talk through important findings during the visit where appropriate, and if you have questions once you've read your report, you're welcome to call us and discuss them.

Yes. Over the years, we've built up a network whose work we know and would be happy to recommend.

If your assessment identifies work that needs doing, we can pass on details of people who may be able to help. You're free to use whoever you prefer, and you'll arrange the work and agree costs directly with them.

We don't receive commission or referral fees for recommending contractors. Our recommendations are based on the quality of their work, with no obligation on either side.

Yes. Your previous assessment is a useful starting point, but we'll carry out our own visit and gather current evidence rather than simply carrying forward the earlier findings.

We also make a point of recording the fire precautions and good practices already in place, not just the gaps. We've sometimes found that these haven't been fully captured in previous reports, and we think they're just as important to document.

We want your new assessment to give you, your insurer or an inspector a fair picture of your premises as they are today.

There's no single legal expiry date for a fire risk assessment. It needs to be kept up to date and reviewed regularly, particularly after changes to the building, how it's used or the people using it.

For higher-risk premises, such as care homes and supported living, we'd often recommend a scheduled review even when nothing significant appears to have changed.

Buildings and equipment can deteriorate, routine maintenance or testing can fall behind, and everyday working practices can change gradually. A fresh pair of eyes can pick up issues that aren't immediately obvious to the people working in the building every day, and check that your fire safety arrangements are still being followed.

Regular reviews are particularly useful if you're subject to inspections or audits, helping you identify and address issues before they're raised by someone else.

We'll recommend a review date based on your premises and the risks involved. A review doesn't always mean starting the assessment from scratch, and it doesn't replace your ongoing checks and maintenance.

Yes. You can share your report with your insurer, the fire and rescue service or anyone else reviewing your fire safety arrangements.

It records the precautions in place, our findings and recommended actions. It's also useful to keep evidence of completed work alongside it, such as photographs, invoices and maintenance records.

The report is useful evidence of how you're managing fire safety, but note that it isn't an approval from an insurer or regulator, and insurers may have their own requirements.

Not as standard. Your initial assessment includes the agreed visit and written report. If you'd like us to return after improvements have been made, we can quote for a further visit or updated assessment separately.

In the meantime, it's helpful to keep records of completed actions, such as dated photographs, invoices and logbook entries, alongside your report.

We provide fire safety awareness training and fire marshal training at your premises.

Rather than relying only on generic examples, we can use your own building, escape routes and everyday working practices to make the training relevant to your staff. If we've already carried out your fire risk assessment, we can use what we've learned about the premises too.

Everyone attending receives a certificate of attendance.

There's no fixed number that applies to every building. What matters is having enough suitably trained people to carry out your fire safety and evacuation arrangements.

The number and roles will depend on the size and layout of your premises, how many people use the building, whether anyone needs assistance and how staffing changes throughout the day.

Your fire risk assessment is a good starting point for deciding what arrangements are needed, and we can provide training for staff taking on those responsibilities.

Portable fire extinguishers should be serviced once a year by a competent person, with regular in-house checks between services.

We supply and service fire extinguishers and provide a written record of the work carried out. Between services, you should check regularly that extinguishers are in the right place, easy to reach and free from obvious damage.

Technically yes, but note that buying online doesn't remove the need for on-site work. Under British Standard BS 5306-3, extinguishers should be commissioned on site by a competent person before use. That means paying separately for an engineer's visit and labour.

Also, the right type, number and positions depend on your building and the fire risks present. Buying without that advice can mean paying for extinguishers you don't need, or choosing ones that aren't suitable for your environment.

When we supply extinguishers, we advise on the types, quantities and positioning, as well as arranging supply and commissioning. We'll explain what's included in your quote.

Emergency lighting generally needs a short functional test each month (a “flick test”) and a full-duration test once a year.

The monthly check can be carried out by someone at your premises. The annual test checks whether the lights continue working for their required duration.

We carry out emergency lighting annual checks, provide a written record and explain any faults we find. We don't carry out electrical repairs, so those would need to be arranged with a suitably qualified electrician.

Usually annually. However how often equipment needs checking depends on what it is, how it's used and the environment it's used in. For example, a power tool used regularly on a building site is likely to need more frequent checks than a desk lamp in a quiet office.

We can carry out portable appliance inspection and testing and help you plan suitable intervals based on the equipment and its use.

We carry out a detailed visual inspection of your fire doors, checking whether they close properly and looking at the condition of the doors, frames, seals, hinges and gaps. You'll receive a written report explaining what needs attention and our recommendations for putting it right.

An inspection helps establish what work is actually needed before you bring in a contractor. Not every door has the same requirements — these depend on its location and the level of fire protection needed.

Where it's safe and appropriate, we'll look at whether existing doors can be repaired or adjusted before recommending replacement. Our aim is to help you address the risks without spending unnecessarily on work or new doors you don't need.

This is a separate service from a general fire risk assessment.

Yes. We keep track of the services we provide and remind you when they're due again, where we have an agreed next service or review date recorded.

That can include fire extinguisher servicing, emergency lighting testing, PAT testing, fire door inspections and your fire risk assessment review.

You'll still need to manage the other routine checks and fire safety actions at your premises, including those carried out by your own staff or contractors.

Keep up the routine checks between our visits and write them in your logbook. Your annual service or inspection covers the yearly part, but day-to-day fire safety is still down to you and your team.

Our aftercare guide covers each service we provide: what to check and how often, what to record, when to get in touch and when it's next due. Just choose the services we carried out for you.

We mainly work across Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. If your premises are elsewhere in the Midlands, get in touch with the location and the service you need. We'll let you know whether we can help.

We work with a wide range of businesses, property owners and community organisations.

That includes shops, offices, restaurants, warehouses, factories, landlords and managing agents, as well as care homes, supported living, children's homes, nurseries, schools, clubs and places of worship.

Every building is different. We'll look at how yours is used and what you need help with, rather than assuming the same arrangements apply everywhere.

Yes. Alongside fire risk assessments, we provide fire safety awareness and fire marshal training, written fire safety policies and evacuation plans, fire extinguisher servicing, emergency lighting testing, PAT testing and separate fire door inspections.

You can arrange these as separate services, depending on what you need. Where we've already assessed your premises, we can also use what we've learned to make relevant training and written policies more specific to your building.

You can call us on 07859 741 285, send us a WhatsApp message, email info@acefiremidlandsltd.com, or complete the form below.

Tell us a little about your premises, where they're located and what you need help with. We'll ask any follow-up questions and confirm the scope before providing a quote.

We reply to enquiries within one working day.