How to Conduct Fire Risk Assessments in Multi-storey Buildings

Any commercial building – and that includes multi-occupied residential premises – is required to undergo regular fire risk assessments. That’s because every building has its own individual features, its own fire risks and its own challenges.

It should be clear that multi-storey buildings are going to pose their own particular issues, not least in the areas of stopping a fire from spreading and ensuring a rapid escape for those on the upper floors. This is an area that has become of particular concern following the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017.

In this article, we’re going to explore how to approach carrying out a fire risk assessment in a multi-storey building – and how to make sure that yours is carried out professionally, successfully and in a way that is most likely to meet the demands required by the law.

What is a fire risk assessment?

A fire risk assessment is a means of compiling an effective and all-encompassing fire safety policy and set of procedures. It is a legal requirement in the vast majority of commercial buildings, as outlined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It involves a number of key elements, which include:

• Identifying how and where a fire could start in the building
• Identifying those in the building at particular risk in the event of a fire 
• Evaluating the identified risks and determining how those risks can be mitigated or eliminated
• Recording all findings, making plans for emergencies and organising any necessary training
• Carrying out regular reviews and updating where required

What are the unique fire safety challenges in a multi-storey building?

The first and perhaps most obvious challenge faced when considering fire safety in a multi-storey building is how to ensure that those on the upper floors can be safely evacuated. Closely allied to that is how you can prevent any fire that does start from spreading rapidly upwards.

Last, but not least, if a fire breaks out at a high level, how do you get the necessary water pressure for firefighters to be able to tackle it?

How to conduct a fire risk assessment in a multi-storey building

In many ways, a fire risk assessment in a multi-storey building is no different to any other fire risk assessment. That’s because every commercial building – regardless of its size or shape – needs to be examined and assessed on its own terms. 

The processes involved in a fire risk assessment have been designed to apply to any situation – the trick lies in knowing how to apply them to the individual risks and layout of the building that needs assessing.

As we’ve outlined above, the challenges in a multi-storey building do require extra consideration and for this reason, it’s essential that your assessor has the necessary experience to be able to identify not only the risks but also the best solutions. 

It’s worth remembering that, although the Fire Safety Order doesn’t specifically say that you need to use a trained professional to carry out your fire risk assessment, it does say that they should be ‘competent’ to do the job. This means they need to have “sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities” to do the job to the required level.

Given the complex requirements of fire safety in multi-storey buildings, we would therefore always strongly recommend engaging a qualified professional from a reputable fire safety specialist – such as Scutum North – to carry out your assessment.

As an extra note, when you are researching your fire safety obligations as the responsible person for a multi-storey building, it’s vital that you make sure you are using material that is fully up to date. New legislation was introduced in 2023 that was a direct result of the enquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster – you can read about those extra responsibilities in our earlier blog. 

At Scutum North, our fire safety professionals can carry out effective fire risk assessments at your commercial premises. With extensive experience in all types of buildings – including multi-storey – we can also supply and install effective fire alarm systems, fire stopping measures and other solutions individually designed around the needs of you and your business.

Get in touch now to talk to one of our friendly advisors about how we can help with fire safety at your business or organisation in Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield or the wider North England area.