SA8000® Consolidated Guidance Health and Safety

FIRE SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

Premises location / address:

Assessor name: Date: Ref. No:

Part(s) of premises assessed: (e.g. dormitory, kitchen, warehouse, office)

Description of premises: (Number of floors, rooms, work activities etc)

Step 1 – Fire hazards

Tick all those that apply
Add comments where appropriate (e.g. location, condition)
1.1 Sources of ignition (naked flames or potential
sources of heat that could get hot enough to ignite Yes No Comments
material in the premises).
Smokers’ material e.g. cigarettes, matches and
lighters
Naked flames e.g. candles, night lights, gas or liquid-
fuelled open-flame equipment
Electrical, gas or oil-fired heaters (fixed or portable)
Boilers
Hot processes e.g. welding
Cooking equipment and activities
Electrical equipment
Lighting equipment (fixed and movable) e.g. halogen
lamps or table lamps
Obstruction air conditioning/ventilation equipment
Arson
Other (please specify)
1.2 Sources of fuel (anything that burns easily and
Yes No Comments
is present in sufficient quantity)
Furniture
Textiles and soft furnishings
Waste products, particularly finely divided items e.g.
shredded paper, wood shavings
Flammable liquid-based products e.g. cleaning
products, paints, thinners, adhesives, paraffin
Flammable gases e.g. LPG and aerosols
Paper products, packaging materials, stationery,
books
Plastics and rubber e.g. foam-filled furniture,

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polystyrene-based materials
Wall and ceiling linings and hangings e.g. ceiling tiles
Other (please specify)
1.3 Sources of oxygen Yes No Comments
Mechanical air conditioning systems
Oxygen cylinders
Fireworks

Step 2 – Persons at risk

Tick all those that apply
Estimate the number of persons at risk in each category
Add comments where appropriate
2.1 Who is at risk? Yes No How many? Comments
Employees
Temporary / casual workers
Visitors
Contractors
Others (please specify)
Total
2.2 Who is especially at risk? Yes No How many? Comments
People asleep
Employees who work alone and/or in isolated
areas e.g. cleaners, maintenance staff,
security
People carrying out specific tasks that may
restrict access and movement e.g. working at
height
People who are unfamiliar with the premises
e.g. visitors, customers, new staff, contractors
People with disabilities
People whose reactions may be impaired due
to alcohol, drugs or medication
Other people in the immediate vicinity of the
premises

Step 3 – Evaluate the risks

Answer each question and place a tick in the relevant column (‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Not Applicable’)
If the answer to any of these questions is NO, you must identify the action(s) required in the ‘Action
Plan’ (step 4).
3.1 Fire safety management Yes No N/A
Is there a written emergency plan for the premises?
Does the emergency plan contain enough detail to ensure that people know
what to do if there is a fire and that the premises can be safely evacuated?
Is there a floor plan(s) detailing the general fire safety precautions (location of

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fire extinguishers, fire doors, escape routes etc)?

Is there a named person(s) with overall responsibility for fire safety at the
premises (i.e. Fire Coordinator)?
Are fire wardens appointed for each area of the premises?
Are there sufficient numbers of fire wardens to safely evacuate the premises?
Have arrangements been made to account for all persons on the premises
after evacuation (e.g. roll calls)?
Are all staff aware of their own duties and responsibilities in the event of a
fire?
Is there a designated person(s) to call the fire brigade?
Are fire assembly points outside clearly identified and signed?
Are emergency fire drills carried out at least every 6 months?
3.2 Fire prevention – general Yes No N/A
Are flammable substances/materials safely stored and used?
Is the premises kept clean and tidy with waste materials placed in designated
waste bins?
Are waste bins emptied regularly and waste stored in secure containers
outside the premises?
Are the premises secure against the risk of arson?
Are fire doors kept closed at all times?
Are all furnishings in good condition with no holes exposing foam-filled
materials?
Are all furnishings made of flame-retardant materials (look for labels to
confirm this)?
Are there areas which are not normally occupied and where a fire may start
unnoticed?
Are gas cylinders stored securely outside the building?
3.3 Fire prevention – electrical Yes No N/A
Are all individual electric heaters fixed in place with a suitable guard?
Has the electrical installation been tested by a qualified electrician?
Is there any evidence of overloaded electrical sockets (e.g. discoloured or
charred electrical plugs and sockets)?
Are electrical trailing/extension leads kept to a minimum length and not placed
where damage is likely?
Is electrical equipment kept well away from combustible materials?
Are all electrical repairs carried out by a qualified electrician?
Is electrical equipment brought in by staff inspected/tested to ensure it is in
good condition?
3.4 Fire prevention – heating, cooking and appliances Yes No N/A
Are all heating appliances safe (i.e. securely fixed in position, guards/covers
in place, and adequate clear space free of storage of any kind)?
Are all portable heaters including LPG heaters prohibited from within the
premises?
Are all cooking appliances safe (i.e. securely fixed in position and properly
maintained)?

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Are extraction filters in the kitchen regularly cleaned and maintained?

Are mains gas and electricity switches clearly marked so that staff know
where to turn off equipment in the event of a fire?
3.5 Fire prevention – smoking Yes No N/A
Is smoking prohibited except in designated smoking areas?
Are designated smoking areas clearly marked?
In areas where smoking is allowed, are sufficient ashtrays provided and are
they emptied regularly?
Are the contents of ashtrays disposed of separately to general waste?
3.6 Fire prevention – buildings Yes No N/A
Is the building designed and constructed to prevent the rapid spread of fire
and smoke?
Are any holes or gaps in walls, ceilings and floors properly sealed (e.g. where
services such as ventilation ducts and electrical cables pass through them)?
3.7 Fire detection and alarm systems Yes No N/A
Is a suitable automatic fire detection system provided?
Are smoke detectors provided in all parts of the premises (i.e. offices, store
rooms)?
Is the fire detection system in good working order?
Is a suitable fire alarm system provided?
Can the fire alarm be clearly heard by everyone throughout the whole
building?
Is the fire alarm system in good working order?
If the fire-detection and warning systems are electrically powered, do they
have back-up power supplies?
Have you told employees about the fire alarm system and will they know how
to operate it and respond to it?
Does security carry out checks and patrols, especially during the night shift?
3.8 Fire fighting equipment and facilities
Yes No N/A
Identify the number, type, location and condition of all fire extinguishers
Are there sufficient fire extinguishers sited throughout the premises (i.e. one
fire extinguisher point every 25-30 metres)?
Are the right types of fire extinguishers located close to the fire hazards?
Are the fire extinguishers in good working order without any defects (e.g.
damaged hoses?
Are the fire extinguishers clearly visible with appropriate signs?
Are all fire extinguishers available for immediate use (not obstructed or
hidden)?
Are fire extinguishers hung on wall brackets or on a suitable base plate (not
on the floor)?
Have the people likely to use fire extinguishers been given adequate
instruction and training?
Is there clear access for the fire brigade at all times?
3.9 Fire escape routes Yes No N/A

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Identify how many escape routes there are from the building.
Estimate how long it would take for everyone to escape from the building
once the fire alarm has been raised.
Are there a sufficient number of fire escape routes to enable all persons to
evacuate safely?
Are the fire escape routes of sufficient width to enable all persons to evacuate
safely?
If there is a fire, could all available exits be affected or will at least one fire
escape route remain available?
Do the final exits lead to a place of safety?
Are the fire escape routes and final exits kept clear at all times?
Do the doors on fire escape routes open in the direction of escape?
Can all final exit doors be opened easily and immediately if there is a fire (e.g.
push-bars)?
Will everybody be able to escape safely from the building in a reasonable time
(i.e. less than 2 minutes)?
Are all fire escape routes clearly and properly signed?
3.10 Emergency lighting Yes No N/A
Are all fire escape routes provided with adequate lighting at all times of the
day and night?
Is emergency lighting provided on fire escape routes?
Does the emergency lighting operate automatically after power failure (i.e.
back-up battery supplies)?
Is emergency lighting provided outside the building to illuminate exit routes
from the building?
3.11 Fire signs and notices Yes No N/A
Are appropriate fire signs provided to identify:
- Fire escape routes?
- Fire exits?
- Fire doors?
- Fire fighting equipment?
Are ‘Fire Action’ notices displayed at suitable locations throughout the
premises?
Are all fire signs clear, legible and easily understood?
3.12 Testing and maintenance Yes No N/A
Are regular checks made of all fire doors and escape routes and associated
lighting and signs?
Are regular checks made of all your fire fighting equipment?
Are regular checks made of fire-detection and alarm equipment?
Are those who test and maintain the equipment competent to do so?
Are written records kept of all testing and maintenance?
3.13 Fire safety training Yes No N/A
Are employees trained at least once every 12 months on the actions to take in
the event of a fire?
Does the training include:

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- Action to take on discovering a fire?

- How to raise the fire alarm?
- Action to take on hearing the alarm?
- Procedure for evacuating the building to a place of safety?
- Where to assemble after evacuating the building?
- Location and use of fire fighting equipment?
- Location of fire escape routes?
- How to open all fire escape doors?
- Importance of keeping fire doors closed?
- Importance of general fire precautions and good housekeeping?
Is additional training given to those persons with specific responsibilities in the
event of a fire (e.g. fire wardens, security)?
Are written records kept of fire safety training?
Are there similar arrangements for informing temporary/casual workers of fire
safety precautions?

Fire risk category – evaluate the risk of a fire occurring

Assess the overall fire risk category based on the answers in section 3.
Place a tick against the relevant risk category.
Where:
 there is a serious risk to life from fire, or
HIGH RISK  there are substantial quantities of combustible materials, or
 there are highly flammable substances, or
 there exists the likelihood of the rapid spread of fire, heat or smoke.
Where:
 there are sufficient quantities of combustible materials and sources of heat
NORMAL RISK to be of greater than low fire risk, but
 a fire would be likely to remain confined, or to spread slowly.

Where:
 there is hardly any risk from fire, and
LOW RISK  few combustibles materials, and
 no highly flammable substances, and
 virtually no sources of heat.

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