Anstey Horne

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

If you manage, own, occupy, or control premises in Manchester, you must manage fire risk in a structured, documented way. Fire Risk Assessments Manchester sits at the centre of that duty. You need an assessment that identifies who faces risk, what could start a fire, how fire and smoke could spread, and what general fire precautions you must provide and maintain. In England and Wales, the legal requirement for a suitable and sufficient assessment sits in Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)

This service guide explains what you get when you instruct Fire Risk Assessments Manchester services, how a competent assessor carries out the work, and how you use the output to stay compliant and reduce risk in real buildings.

It also clarifies the key standards used in practice. PAS 79-1 supports non-housing fire risk assessments, and BS 9792 supports housing fire risk assessments.

Who typically needs Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

You typically need Fire Risk Assessments Manchester if you act as the responsible person or you hold control over premises, including where you share control with others. PAS 79-1 explains that the duty can apply to the responsible person and also to others who have control to any extent, such as landlords and managing agents in multi-occupied commercial buildings.

In Manchester, this commonly includes:

  1. Employers and occupiers of offices, studios, clinics, gyms, warehouses, and industrial units
  2. Landlords and managing agents of multi-let buildings and business centres
  3. Operators of retail, hospitality, leisure, and late-night venues
  4. Schools, colleges, nurseries, and training providers
  5. Healthcare and care providers, including supported living and specialised housing
  6. Owners and managers of residential blocks with common parts

If you manage purpose-built blocks, conversions, HMOs, sheltered housing, extra care, supported housing, or live-work units, you should also align your approach with BS 9792 for housing premises. BS 9792 sets out the housing-focused structure and the information you should record about the premises and occupants.

What “suitable and sufficient” means in practice

You do not meet your duties with a generic template, a box-ticking report, or a report that ignores how the building operates. A suitable and sufficient assessment:

  1. Identifies relevant persons at risk, including people especially at risk
  2. Identifies fire hazards and the measures that control them
  3. Assesses the likelihood of fire and the consequences if a fire occurs
  4. Reviews physical fire protection measures and fire safety management
  5. Records significant findings and produces a clear action plan
  6. Sets sensible review triggers and a review date

PAS 79-1 explains the purpose behind Article 9: you assess risk to relevant persons so you can identify the general fire precautions you need to take.

PAS 79-1 also sets out a structured nine-step approach and makes clear that every documented fire risk assessment should include a risk rating and an action plan unless you expressly confirm that you need no additional precautions.

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester. What you get from a professional service

A good Fire Risk Assessments Manchester service gives you more than a report. You get a practical compliance tool you can act on and evidence you can maintain.

You should expect:

  1. A defined scope that matches your premises type and risk profile
  2. A competent assessor who gathers information, inspects, and tests reasonable elements without causing damage
  3. Clear records of what the assessor saw and what information you provided
  4. A prioritised action plan that separates urgent life safety issues from planned improvements
  5. Practical recommendations you can implement, not just “refer to specialist” repeated on every page
  6. A review framework that tells you when to revisit the assessment

For many dutyholders, the biggest value comes from turning fire safety into a managed system. PAS 79-1 treats fire safety management as equal in importance to physical measures and lists the management controls that typically matter, such as training, drills, routine inspections, maintenance, records, and cooperation in multi-occupied premises.

How we carry out Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

A robust Fire Risk Assessments Manchester workflow follows a simple logic: understand the building, understand the people and activities, identify hazards, test the controls, and produce an evidence-based action plan.

Step 1. Information gathering and scoping

You share key details so the assessor can plan the site inspection efficiently and safely. For larger or more complex buildings, this may include fire safety information handed over at completion or after works. Approved Document B explains the intent of providing fire safety information so the responsible person can understand and implement the fire safety strategy, maintain systems, and carry out an effective fire risk assessment.

Typical information requests:

  1. Site address, use, occupancy patterns, and opening hours
  2. Floor plans and escape route information if available
  3. Fire alarm type, detection coverage, and maintenance records
  4. Emergency lighting records
  5. Fire door inspection records and known issues
  6. Recent refurbishment details and any known building defects
  7. Contractor arrangements, permit-to-work controls, and housekeeping controls
  8. Any known vulnerable occupants and existing evacuation arrangements

Step 2. Site inspection

The assessor inspects the premises and evaluates real-world conditions. That includes how people actually move through the building, what they store, where ignition sources exist, and whether passive and active protection measures support the intended strategy.

A practical inspection typically covers:

  1. Means of escape: travel distances, final exits, door hardware, signage, obstructions
  2. Compartmentation indicators: door condition, service penetrations, riser doors, ceilings, obvious breaches
  3. Fire doors: condition, self-closing, gaps, latches, glazing, signage, hold-open devices
  4. Fire alarm and detection: call points, sounders, audibility, zoning information, panel location, basic user controls
  5. Emergency lighting: coverage, test provisions, signs of failure
  6. Firefighting equipment: extinguishers, blankets where relevant, signage, suitability and maintenance evidence
  7. High-risk areas: plant rooms, electrical intake areas, kitchens, refuse stores, storage areas, workshops
  8. Housekeeping and ignition controls: waste management, smoking controls, battery charging, hot works controls
  9. Management controls: training evidence, drills where applicable, contractor control, defect reporting routes

P

AS 79-1 highlights the need to consider procedures, liaison with fire and rescue service, training, drills, and maintenance arrangements, and to record shortcomings in the action plan.

Step 3. Assessment of management arrangements

Many fire failures happen because people stop managing the system. You need competent named responsibility, a system for routine checks, and evidence that you complete actions.

PAS 79-1 provides a useful benchmark list for management controls, including designated responsibility, access to advice, procedures in the event of fire, nomination of staff to assist, routine inspections, training and drills, record keeping, implementation of the action plan, and periodic review.

Step 4. Risk rating and action plan

The report should state the level of risk and provide a prioritised action plan. PAS 79-1 notes that risk levels often use clear descriptors such as tolerable, moderate, or substantial, and it expects an action plan unless no further precautions are necessary.

A good action plan:

  1. Explains the issue in plain English
  2. Explains the consequence if you do nothing
  3. Tells you what “good” looks like
  4. Sets a reasonable priority and timescale that matches risk
  5. Allocates responsibility where possible, especially in shared buildings

Step 5. Review triggers and keeping it current

You must keep the assessment under review. Practical review triggers include:

  1. A fire or near miss
  2. Material changes to layout, occupancy, processes, or hours
  3. Refurbishment or service changes that affect escape routes or compartmentation
  4. Changes to the fire alarm, emergency lighting, or smoke control systems
  5. A trend of false alarms or system faults that changes risk
  6. Management changes that remove competent oversight

PAS 79-1 and BS 9792. Which standard applies in Manchester

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester covers both non-domestic premises and residential common parts. The standard you lean on depends on the premises type.

PAS 79-1: non-housing

Use PAS 79-1 for workplaces and other non-housing premises. It explains the legal context for Article 9 in England and Wales and provides a structured nine-step method for conducting and documenting the assessment.

BS 9792: housing

Use BS 9792 for housing premises. It provides a housing-specific structure and prompts, including the building and occupant information you should record and housing-specific inspection expectations.

BS 9792 also defines common housing FRA types, including Type 3 and Type 4 approaches where you include dwellings on a sampling basis, with Type 4 including intrusive inspection on a sampling basis.

Common Manchester building scenarios and how the assessment responds

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester must reflect how buildings in Manchester actually operate. A good assessment adapts to your building’s use, height, complexity, and occupant profile.

Multi-let offices and managed workspaces

The key risk drivers include shared escape routes, mixed tenant fit-outs, kitchenettes, storage creep into corridors, and unclear responsibility splits. PAS 79-1 emphasises cooperation and coordination between dutyholders in multi-occupied premises. Your assessment should define who manages common parts, how tenants coordinate drills where relevant, and how you control tenant alterations that compromise compartmentation.

Industrial and logistics units

The key risk drivers include high fire load, charging of equipment, hot works, racking and travel distances, and large open volumes. You need clear zoning and call points, strict housekeeping, and practical evacuation procedures suited to shift patterns.

Retail, hospitality, and late-night venues

The key risk drivers include high occupant density, low lighting, alcohol impairment in late-night settings, ignition sources in kitchens, and rapid smoke spread risk. You need tight controls over final exits, crowd management, staff training, and evacuation routines that work under pressure.

Residential blocks and mixed-use developments

The key risk drivers include compartmentation integrity, flat entrance door condition, refuse arrangements, mobility-impaired residents, and management of contractors. In taller buildings, you also need to think about information for firefighting, such as secure information boxes, wayfinding signage, and facilities for firefighters.

BS 9792 highlights the need to consider facilities for firefighters, access constraints, testing and maintenance arrangements, and secure information boxes where required.

Approved Document B highlights the focus of the 2022 amendments, including secure information boxes recommendations for some blocks over 11m, evacuation alert systems recommendations for some blocks over 18m, and wayfinding signage recommendations for fire service use in some blocks over 11m.

If you manage specified residential buildings in England, note the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 come into force on 6 April 2026 and introduce requirements around personal and building emergency evacuation plans, including duties to prepare a building emergency evacuation plan and provide it to the fire and rescue authority.

What makes Fire Risk Assessments Manchester “high quality” and defensible

You can judge Fire Risk Assessments Manchester quality quickly. Look for these key points:

  1. The assessor records the “given” factors properly
    PAS 79-1 explains that the first step involves obtaining information about the premises and occupants and that it often starts with interviewing management before inspection.
  2. The report explains responsibilities clearly
    PAS 79-1 makes clear that the ultimate responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of the assessment rests with the dutyholder, even where you appoint a third party. That principle matters for landlords, employers, and managing agents.
  3. The action plan prioritises life safety
    You should see urgent items called out clearly, with practical steps you can assign and track.
  4. The report aligns to the building’s actual fire strategy
    Modern buildings often rely on a defined strategy that requires the right maintenance, the right management, and the right resident or staff information. Approved Document B explains why fire safety information matters for operating and maintaining the building with reasonable safety.
  5. The report records maintenance and management evidence
    PAS 79-1 treats testing, maintenance, record keeping, and management controls as central to risk reduction.

What you should prepare before your Fire Risk Assessments Manchester inspection

You can reduce time on site and improve report accuracy if you prepare a simple pack:

  1. Building address list if you manage multiple sites
  2. Occupancy and operating hours, including shift patterns
  3. Known vulnerable occupants and existing arrangements
  4. Fire alarm and emergency lighting certificates, service records, and logbook
  5. Fire door inspection records, if you hold them
  6. Any fire strategy, O&M information, or Regulation 38 handover information if available
  7. Contractor control records, including hot works permits where applicable
  8. A point of contact who can provide access to locked plant rooms, risers, and roof spaces where safe

What happens after Fire Risk Assessments Manchester. Turning the report into risk reduction

A fire risk assessment only reduces risk when you use it. You should treat the action plan as a live compliance tracker.

A practical post-report process:

  1. Assign each action to an owner
  2. Set target dates that match the stated priority
  3. Fix urgent life safety issues first, then schedule planned upgrades
  4. Keep evidence of completion: photos, certificates, invoices, and updated logbook entries
  5. Review trends: faults, false alarms, near misses, resident complaints, staff concerns
  6. Revisit the assessment after changes or at the stated review date

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester. How to choose a competent assessor

Your assessor must match the building and the risks. You should ask for:

  1. Evidence of competence and relevant experience in your building type
  2. A sample report that shows clear action planning and prioritisation
  3. A clear scope statement that explains any limitations
  4. An approach to shared responsibility buildings, including how they verify cooperation between dutyholders
  5. An method that aligns with PAS 79-1 for non-housing and BS 9792 for housing

Fire Risk Assessments Manchester. What you can expect to receive

Your deliverables should typically include:

  1. A documented report with premises details, occupancy information, and relevant persons at risk
  2. Findings on fire hazards, fire protection measures, and management controls
  3. A stated risk level and a prioritised action plan
  4. A clear review date and practical review triggers
  5. Photographic evidence where it improves clarity and helps you manage defects, subject to site permissions and data protection controls
  6. Clear statements on any areas not inspected and why

Speak to us about Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

If you need Fire Risk Assessments Manchester for workplaces, mixed-use buildings, or residential blocks with common parts, you should start with a short scoping call. You can then schedule a site inspection and receive a clear, prioritised action plan that you can implement and audit. Fire risk management works best when you treat the assessment as a living system. We help you set that system up so you can keep it current, evidence your decisions, and reduce risk in day-to-day building operations.

FAQs. Fire Risk Assessments Manchester

What is the legal basis for Fire Risk Assessments Manchester?

In England and Wales, Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk to relevant persons so they can identify the general fire precautions they need.

Who counts as the responsible person for Fire Risk Assessments Manchester?

The responsible person usually includes the employer in a workplace, and it can also include others with control to any extent, such as landlords or managing agents in multi-occupied buildings. PAS 79-1 explains this shared duty concept and why cooperation matters.

Do you need different approaches for housing vs non-housing Fire Risk Assessments Manchester?

Yes. PAS 79-1 supports non-housing fire risk assessments and provides a structured nine-step approach. BS 9792 supports housing fire risk assessments and includes housing-specific prompts and inspection expectations.

What is a Type 4 housing fire risk assessment in Manchester blocks of flats?

BS 9792 describes Type 4 as covering common parts and dwellings with intrusive inspection on a sampling basis, usually requiring opening up by a contractor and making good after inspection.

How often should you review Fire Risk Assessments Manchester?

You should review after any material change and at sensible intervals based on risk. PAS 79-1 treats review as a core management control and expects you to keep the assessment current through review and implementation of actions.

What information should you hand over after building work so Fire Risk Assessments Manchester stays accurate?

Approved Document B explains the purpose of fire safety information handover: it helps the responsible person understand and implement the fire safety strategy, maintain systems, and carry out an effective fire risk assessment.

Do Fire Risk Assessments Manchester need to cover facilities for firefighters?

In housing premises, BS 9792 expects the assessment to record and consider facilities for firefighters, including access, fire mains, lifts for firefighters, secure information boxes, smoke control systems, and wayfinding signage where relevant.

Will Fire Risk Assessments Manchester include evacuation planning changes coming into force in 2026?

If you manage specified residential buildings in England, you should prepare for the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, which come into force on 6 April 2026 and introduce duties around personal and building emergency evacuation plans.

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Need help with a Fire Risk Assessment?

Anstey Horne’s expert team of fire safety professionals are here to assist with legally compliant fire risk assessments, retrospective fire strategies, and FRAEW appraisals for residential buildings across the UK. Whether you manage a single block or a national portfolio, we can help you stay safe and compliant.

Get in touch with us today to arrange a no-obligation consultation - please call 020 4534 3130.

If you would rather we called you instead, please fill in our Contact form and we will be in touch.

For further information on all aspects of this service see the collection of articles in our blog.

To commission a Fire Risk Assessment please call 020 4534 3130.

For further information on Fire Risk Assessment, Retrospective Fire Strategies, FRAEWs or advice in respect of your obligations as a building owner, developer or manager, please contact :

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Sarah Taylor

Sarah Taylor

Business Support Manager

Building Surveying

London

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