Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we’re asked most often about fire risk assessments, fire extinguisher servicing and PAT testing.
FAQs About Fire Risk Assessment
A fire risk assessment is a structured review of a building to identify fire hazards, work out who might be at risk, and set out the precautions needed to keep people safe. If you’re responsible for a business premises, workplace, or certain residential common areas in England and Wales, you have a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to carry one out and keep it up to date.
The ‘responsible person’ — usually the employer, owner, occupier, or managing agent of a building — is legally required to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place. This applies to virtually all non-domestic premises, including shops, offices, warehouses, and shared areas of residential blocks.
There’s no fixed legal interval, but the assessment must be reviewed regularly and always when something changes — a refurbishment, a change of use, new equipment, or an incident, for example. As a general guide, most low-risk premises review annually, while larger or higher-risk sites may need more frequent checks.
Legally, yes — provided you are competent to do so, meaning you have the knowledge, experience and training to identify hazards and judge appropriate precautions. Many businesses choose to bring in a specialist instead, simply because it removes the guesswork and gives a clear, documented record if it’s ever questioned by the fire authority or an insurer.
We walk the premises with you, looking at escape routes, fire detection and warning systems, fire-fighting equipment, compartmentation, signage, and how flammable materials are stored. We also talk to you about how the building is used day to day, since practical knowledge of the site is just as important as what we see on a walkthrough.
A written report setting out the significant findings, the level of risk, and a prioritised action plan for anything that needs improving. It’s designed to be genuinely usable — clear enough to hand to staff or contractors, not just a document that sits in a drawer.
Assessments typically rate overall risk as trivial, tolerable, moderate, substantial or intolerable, based on the likelihood of a fire starting and the potential consequences for people in the building. This helps prioritise which actions need addressing first.
Yes. Checking that escape routes are unobstructed and adequately signed, and that fire doors close properly and aren’t wedged open, is a core part of any assessment — these are consistently among the most common issues we find on site.
There’s no pass or fail as such — the assessment identifies gaps and gives you a prioritised action plan to close them. Serious issues should be dealt with urgently, but most findings are practical fixes like better signage, clearer escape routes or updated fire safety training.
Yes — the legal duty applies regardless of size. A small office will typically be quicker and simpler to assess than a large warehouse, but the requirement to have a suitable, up-to-date assessment in place is the same for everyone.
In practice the terms are often used interchangeably. A fire risk assessment is the legally required document identifying hazards, people at risk, and control measures; some organisations also carry out periodic audits to check that the actions from the assessment have actually been implemented.
Landlords are responsible for common areas of blocks of flats and HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), such as shared hallways, stairwells and communal facilities. Individual self-contained flats aren’t usually covered, but the shared parts of the building are.
It depends on the size and complexity of the premises. A small shop or office might take an hour or two on site, while a larger or more complex building can take considerably longer, plus time to prepare the written report afterwards.
You should keep the written assessment itself, evidence of any actions completed, and records of staff fire safety training and fire drills. Together these show that you’re not just aware of the risks but are actively managing them.
Insurers increasingly expect to see an up-to-date fire risk assessment as standard due diligence, and having one — along with evidence that recommended actions have been acted on — can support a smoother claims process and, in some cases, more favourable terms.
FAQs About Fire Extinguisher Servicing & Maintenance
Under the British Standard for extinguisher maintenance (BS 5306-3), extinguishers should have a basic annual service by a competent engineer, alongside more frequent visual checks carried out in-house. Some extinguisher types also need an extended service or discharge test at longer intervals.
A member of staff should carry out a simple monthly visual check — confirming the extinguisher is in place, the pressure gauge is in the green zone, the pin and tamper seal are intact, and there’s no visible damage. It only takes a minute or two and helps catch problems early.
A visual check is a quick, in-house look to confirm the extinguisher is present, undamaged and appears in working order. A full service is carried out by a trained engineer and includes a more detailed examination of the extinguisher’s condition, mechanism and, where required, its contents.
It depends on the fire risks present. Water and foam extinguishers suit ordinary combustibles like paper and wood, CO2 extinguishers are designed for electrical fire risks, dry powder covers a broader range of hazards, and wet chemical is used for commercial kitchens. We assess your premises and recommend the right mix and placement.
As a general guide, current fire safety guidance recommends at least two Class A (13A rated) extinguishers per floor for ordinary premises, positioned on escape routes and near specific hazards such as kitchens or electrical equipment. The exact number depends on floor area, layout and the risks identified in your fire risk assessment.
The colour band identifies the extinguishing agent: red for water, cream for foam, black for CO2, blue for dry powder, and canary yellow for wet chemical. Most extinguishers are predominantly red with the colour band shown near the top, making it easy to identify the right one at a glance.
With regular servicing, most extinguishers have a working life of around 10 to 20 years depending on type, though some components — such as CO2 cylinders — may need pressure testing at set intervals well before that. Our annual service checks whether an extinguisher is approaching the end of its usable life so it can be replaced in good time.
No — recharging or refilling an extinguisher after use requires specialist equipment and training, and should only be carried out by a competent engineer. Attempting it without the right equipment can leave the extinguisher unreliable or unsafe.
Yes. Wet chemical extinguishers are specifically designed for fires involving cooking oils and fats, which behave very differently to ordinary combustible fires. A standard water or foam extinguisher isn’t suitable for this type of risk.
If an extinguisher can’t be safely serviced or repaired, it’s condemned and taken out of service, and we’ll advise on a suitable replacement. Any faults found are recorded in the service report so you have a clear, documented history for your records.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that fire-fighting equipment provided in a workplace is maintained in efficient working order. Regular servicing to the recognised British Standard is the accepted way of demonstrating that this duty has been met.
Yes, you’ll receive a service report and a tag or label on each extinguisher recording the date serviced and when the next service is due, along with an overall summary for your fire safety records.
Yes — servicing is usually quick and unobtrusive, and we’re happy to work around your opening hours or quieter periods so it doesn’t get in the way of your day-to-day operations.
At set intervals (commonly every 5 years, depending on extinguisher type), extinguishers require a more thorough extended service, which can include discharge testing and internal examination. We track these dates for you so nothing gets missed.
Yes — extinguishers should be clearly visible, unobstructed, and identified with appropriate signage so they can be found quickly in an emergency. We check positioning and signage as part of every service visit and can advise on improvements.
FAQs About PAT Testing
PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) is a process of visually inspecting and electrically testing portable electrical appliances to check they are safe to use. It covers everything from kettles and monitors to power tools and extension leads.
There’s no law that names PAT testing specifically, but the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that electrical equipment is maintained in a safe condition, and the Health and Safety at Work Act places a general duty of care on employers. Regular PAT testing is the recognised, practical way of demonstrating that duty has been met.
It depends on the type of equipment, its environment and how it’s used. Low-risk equipment in an office might need testing every 2 to 4 years, while equipment used in harsher environments — construction sites, workshops, or commercial kitchens — should be tested more frequently, often annually. We can advise on a sensible schedule based on a risk assessment of your equipment.
Class 1 appliances rely on an earth connection for safety (such as kettles or toasters) and require a full electrical test including earth continuity. Class 2 (double insulated) appliances, often marked with a small square-within-a-square symbol, don’t rely on earthing and generally need a simpler test.
New equipment doesn’t usually need a full PAT test straight away, but it should still be visually inspected for obvious faults or damage before first use, and then brought into your normal testing schedule going forward.
Anything that plugs into a standard socket — computers, monitors, kettles, extension leads, chargers, power tools and similar equipment. Fixed wiring and hardwired appliances fall under separate electrical testing rather than PAT.
A failed appliance is labelled as such and should be taken out of use immediately, repaired by a competent person, or replaced. We record every result — pass or fail — so you have a clear audit trail of what’s been tested and any action taken.
Not usually. We work efficiently through equipment in batches and can schedule visits around your working hours, out-of-hours, or in phases across a larger site, so day-to-day operations are barely affected.
Yes — leads and adaptors are actually some of the most common items to develop faults, from worn cables to loose connections, so they’re always included as part of a thorough PAT testing visit.
You’ll receive a full test report listing every item tested, its pass/fail result, and the date of test, along with a testing label attached to each appliance showing when it was last checked. This gives you a straightforward record to show staff, visitors, insurers or a fire/health and safety inspector if needed.
Many commercial leases and landlord insurance policies expect tenants to keep portable electrical equipment safely maintained, and PAT testing is the standard way of evidencing this. It’s worth checking your lease terms, and we’re happy to help put a compliant testing routine in place.
A straightforward item typically takes just a couple of minutes to inspect and test. The overall visit length depends on how many appliances need testing and how accessible they are around your premises.
Yes — many of our clients find it convenient to combine PAT testing with a fire risk assessment or extinguisher servicing visit, reducing disruption and keeping all their compliance dates aligned.
If you’re using electrical equipment for business purposes — even from home — the same duty of care applies as it would in any other workplace, so regular testing of that equipment is good practice and may be expected by clients or insurers.
Faulty electrical equipment is a genuine fire and electric shock risk, and without regular testing, problems like frayed cables or damaged plugs can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Beyond the safety risk, it can also leave you without evidence of due diligence if an incident is ever investigated by insurers or a regulator.
FAQs About General Questions
We’re based in Liverpool and cover the city plus towns across the wider North West — see our Areas We Cover section above for the full list. If you’re just outside these areas, get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.
Simply message us on WhatsApp or fill in the contact form with a few details about your premises and which service you need, and we’ll come back to you with a straightforward, no-obligation quote.
Yes — many of our clients prefer to have all three handled by one team, on the same visit where possible, so compliance dates stay aligned and there’s a single point of contact for all your fire and electrical safety needs.