If you own a newly constructed or recently refurbished premises, that is awaiting occupancy, then you may consider a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment.

This service provides you with a handy report that informs you if the premises is fit for occupation, and if not, what steps are necessary to reach the required level of fire safety.

However, there is often confusion between a Pre-Occupancy Assessment and a Fire Risk Assessment. Whilst both are important in protecting a new or refurbished premises, there are some clear and importance differences.

To find out more about a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment, and what makes it different to a Fire Risk Assessment, read our handy comparison guide below.

How is a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment Different to a Fire Risk Assessment?

The clear difference between a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment and a Fire Risk Assessment is that a Pre-Occupancy Assessment is delivered before the building has occupants, whereas a Fire Risk Assessment takes place once the premises is active.

The main purpose of a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment is to ensure that the premises is safe ahead of any occupancy and provide customers with peace of mind that they are compliant before allowing occupancy.

Then, once the building is occupied and operational, a full Fire Risk Assessment will assess the safety of how the building is run with a particular focus on how the risks impact visitors, employees and staff. At this stage, you must have worked out the maximum occupancy for the premises to allow the Fire Risk Assessor to conduct a thorough assessment.

Fire Safety Timeline for New or Refurbished Premises

Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment

This helps identify whether the premises is fit for occupation, and if not, provides a plan for the customer to follow before they can open.

Fire Risk Assessment

Once the building is occupied, you must ensure a Fire Risk Assessment takes places to assess the risk to the people within the premises. At this stage, you must know the maximum occupancy for the building.

Regular Review and Updates

Once the Fire Risk Assessment has been completed, it should be regularly reviewed with a new Assessment undertaken every few years. If the purpose of your premises change, or if you undergo any major structural work, you will need a new Fire Risk Assessment.

Is a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment a Legal Requirement?

No, another big difference compared with a Fire Risk Assessment is that a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment is not a legal requirement.

All fire safety legislation in the UK is determined by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 with Article 9 covering Risk Assessment. The Article refers to the need for an “assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed”, but this is not possible until the building is occupied.

Therefore, a Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement, whereas a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment is viewed as good practice.

What Does a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment Cover?

As previously discussed, a pre-occupancy assessment occurs when the building is unoccupied. It does not cover the risks to individuals or any risks associated with business operations and procedures.

Instead, it focuses solely on the building’s physical fire safety measures including:

Fire Doors
Escape Routes
Emergency Lighting
Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Fire Suppressions Systems (Where applicable)

If the Assessor’s report determines that the building is not fit and ready for occupancy, then the customer shall receive the relevant guidance on next steps to take to achieve the necessary compliance.

Who Should Book a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment?

As per the Fire Safety Order, it is the duty of the Responsible Person to protect a site and enforce all relevant fire safety measures.

Whilst a Pre-Occupancy Assessment does not come under the Fire Safety Order, it is still good practice to follow its guidance.

A Responsible Person is anyone who owns, or has a form of legal control, over a premises. Therefore, if you are an owner, or landlord, for a newly constructed or refurbished building, you should consider booking a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment.

This will help you effectively manage the site, give you peace of mind, and potentially help with securing insurance as you can demonstrate that an industry professional has deemed the building fire safe and ready for occupancy.

How UK Fire Consultants Can Help

UK Fire Consultants have a network of fire safety professionals at our disposal who can provide nationwide coverage, delivering Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessments or Fire Risk Assessments at your site.

We can expertly guide you through from pre-occupancy to opening and beyond, ensuring that you stay on top of all fire safety legislation.

Countless sites across the UK have chosen UK Fire Consultants are their trusted fire safety partner.

You can do the same today.

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      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 8 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
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   Darcie Hughes 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Professional company, excellent communication & service. Ree has exceptional customer service. Would recommend this company for anyone needing to use their service.
  
 
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   Tunisha Patel 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A big thank to Ree, part of the customer coordination team. Her communication was flawless from start to finish. We needed this assessment completed on a tight timeline. Ree was prompt with arranging the site visit and Dan delivered a comprehensive report. Great service.
  
 
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   james roberts 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very knowledgeable and passionate team, would definitely recommend!
  
 
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   Danielle Tither 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Tom is always on hand to assist with any fire related questions we have. We've thrown some complex questions and challenging building scenarios his way, and he always handles them with ease. Whether it's jumping on a last-minute Teams call or providing detailed guidance, Tom is always quick to assist and goes above and beyond. His expertise and support are truly appreciated. Thanks, Tom!
  
 
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   Lee Deeble 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Never having used this company before, I was hesitant & concerned about whether they would be the right fit for the job at hand, how wrong I was.

From the first greeting to the last handshake at the end of the day, UKFC were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were not there to tell you what was wrong, not there to talk down to you as some companies do, they explained how we could quickly eradicate any issues found, they gave me solutions not grief!!!!
Professional, caring, a sense of humor at times which is always nice but most importantly, they had a common sense approach and that helped so much. Will defiantly use them again, highly recommended company that still has that personal touch!!!

Lee
  
 
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   Louise Clive 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. An excellent service, the consultant was very knowledgeable, easy to work with and provided helpful advice.
  
 
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   Jake Johnson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fantastic service from the whole team at UKFC. Both Ree in the office and Tom who carried out the Fire Risk Assessment were excellent, would recommend them to anyone.