Fire Risk Assessment Services
Practical Solutions has many years of experience in undertaking Fire Risk Assessments (FRA’s) in both the private and public sectors, from one off FRA’s to large housing association rolling programs. Our dedicated admin team will contact residents to arrange a convenient time to attend and carry out the appropriate FRA, this helps to ensure that all areas of the premises are accessible during the site visit.
Practical Solutions can offer you an FRA management program where we will monitor and update FRA’s once remedial actions have been completed, this ensures that your FRA is a live document which means it is up to date.
We offer 5 different ‘types’ of FRA, below is a list, plus what is different about each type and when you would need to use each one.
Practical Solutions can also conduct a Fire Risk Assessment, in line with the Fire Safety Order (FSO) for commercial spaces such as offices.
Fire Door Surveys
Practical Solutions have the BM Trada Q-Mark certification. This means that we follow an exact standard to work to meaning you will have confidence and peace of mind when we conduct our surveys.
When we conduct our surveys, we check aspects such as:
- Your fire doors have the correct fire rating for the location they are in
- The fire door frame
- The fire door leaf
- Fire door hinges meet BS EN1935.
- Fire door locks and latches conform to BS EN12209.
- Fire door levers meet the BS EN1906.
- Fire door handles meet BS EN1906.
- Hold open devices meet BS EN 163
- Panic devices on final exit doors conform to BS EN1125.
- The fire door fitting and all gap sizes
- Fire door subframe and sub-structure
- Any damage that would impair a fire doors performance should a fire occur.
- Fire door closer(s) functionality meet BS EN1154, EN1634
- Fire doors glazing meets FRG 30/60 specifications.
- Fire door signage
- Fire door intumescent strips and cold smoke seals
- Fire stopping to architraves.
- Cold smoke seals
- Correct identification on the door and in your fire door asset register
- Correct installation to British Standards
When conducting a survey, a trained professional will meticulously measure and analyse each door to ensure it is up-to standard. This will ultimately help you or your business to gain a comprehensive understanding of the fire safety of your property, when considering fire doors. Practical Solutions will write up an in-depth report regarding doors and highlight any remedial actions needed. This will give you a clear indication if any work that is needed to ensure the safety of occupants/workers within the property.
Fire Compartmentation Surveys
Compartmentation is a prevention method to prevent rapid spread of smoke and fire through a premise, this is done by subdividing buildings into manageable areas of risk in order to protect important escape routes and high-risk areas. Fire compartmentation surveys are often overlooked but are a very effective way to keep occupants safe during a fire.
- Inspection of the condition of existing fire compartments
- Checking for the presence of damage to existing fire compartmentation lines which may cause reduced effectiveness.
- Inspection of any unprotected structural framework and steelwork which may impact the effectiveness of fire compartments.
- Materials assessment of dry lined walls whose construction forms part of the fire compartmentation
- Checking ‘unseen’ areas such as above suspended ceilings, ceiling tiles or within ducts, for appropriate fire stopping and cavity barriers
- Material and installation assessment of existing service penetration seals
- Where escape routes need separation from the main premises through additional compartment construction
- The length of time doors, walls, floors, and ceilings provide smoke and fire resistance capabilities.
- Assessment of any other specific issues relating to the fire compartmentation, such as equipment present and access requirements.
- An assessment of the current compartmentation strategy for dwelling/building.
- Comprehensive inspections of existing fire compartmentation provisions in – floors, walls, roof voids, basements, floor and ceiling voids, risers, and shafts.
- An assessment of the condition of compartmentation and any defects in accordance with British Standards, Approved Document B, and any site-specific Fire Strategy information.
- Detailed mark-ups of existing floor plans, indicating the locations of compartment walls and floors where drawings are provided.
- Provide a clear action plan of works required to bring the compartmentation up to current standards.
What ‘type’ of Fire Risk Assessment do you need?
Practical Solutions offers different types of fire risk assessment depending on the needs of the client, listed below is the types of fire risk assessment that we offer and how we will conduct them.
Residential Fire Risk assessment types.
Type 1: Common parts only, non – destructive
A type 1 fire risk assessment is non-destructive and in residential premises will only cover the communal area and a visual inspection of the front of the flat doors.
This type of risk assessment is sufficient for most purpose-built block of flats where the fire compartmentation has been assured.
Whilst this type of assessment does not require the opening up of construction, where there are demountable false ceiling tiles in the common areas, assessors will be expected to lift and check that the Compartmentation has not been breached between both the communal area and flats, and the communal area above fire doors.
Type 2: Common parts only (destructive)
A type 2 assessment is similar to that of a type 1 assessment, except there is a degree of destructive inspection, carried out on a sample basis, to confirm the construction of the property.
This inspection would usually necessitate the presence of a contractor for the purpose of opening up construction and making good after the inspection.
Type 3: Common parts and dwellings (non-destructive)
A type 3 survey includes the work involved in a type 1 assessment but also considers the means of escape and fire detection in 10% of the private dwellings.
Within the flats, although the inspection is non-destructive, the fire resistance of doors to rooms are considered. Although measures to prevent fire are not considered, advice may be given to the tenant (fire loading etc) and areas that are in control of the Responsible Person are considered i.e. electrics and heating installations.
A Type 3 risk assessment may be appropriate for rented flats to ensure all reasonable measures have been taken to reduce the risk to the residence in the event of a fire. This would be appropriate in older blocks of flats or where a building has undergone conversion into flats, also where there is the possibility of unauthorised material alterations which would affect the compartmentation of the property.
Type 4: (Common parts and flats (destructive)
A type 4 risk assessment has the same scope as a type 3 risk assessment, except that there is a degree of destructive inspection in both the common parts and the flats, carried out on a sampling basis.
This will usually necessitate the presence of a contractor for the purpose of opening up construction and making good after the inspection. For this reason, if possible, such work will usually be undertaken in a void flat. This is the most comprehensive fire risk assessment and will only be appropriate when the history of the works is unknown and there is reason to believe that residents are at serious risk from a fire both in their dwellings and neighbours’ dwellings.
Commercial Properties, Fire risk assessment in line with the Fire Safety Order.
In line with the Fire Safety Order, the requirements for a fire risk assessment in commercial properties are designed to assess the risk and spread of fire, within a commercial premise. The assessment is a non-destructive assessment, which will look at the use of the building and any flammable operations, the compartmentation of the building and the evacuation of the work force.