How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

The law doesn't set a fixed interval — but it does say when a review is needed. Here's how to decide, and what changed after the Building Safety Act.

It's one of the most common questions we hear. The short answer: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 doesn't set a fixed interval. Article 9 requires the responsible person to review the assessment regularly, so it stays valid, and whenever there's reason to suspect it's no longer valid or there's been a significant change.

When a review is needed

• Building work or alterations — layout, compartmentation, new doors, removed walls.
• A change of use or occupancy — more people, sleeping accommodation, vulnerable occupants.
• A fire, near miss or false alarm pattern that shows something isn't working.
• New equipment or processes that add ignition sources or fuel.
• Changes to fire safety systems — alarm, emergency lighting, sprinklers.
• Enforcement action or advice from the fire and rescue service.
• New legislation or guidance that affects the premises.

Setting a routine interval

Many organisations set a review frequency based on risk. Higher-risk premises — sleeping risk, vulnerable occupants, complex buildings, high-rise residential — are reviewed more often than low-risk offices. Whatever you choose, write it down, justify it, and stick to it.

What changed in October 2023

Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Fire Safety Order from 1 October 2023. All responsible persons must now:

• record the whole fire risk assessment in writing, not just the significant findings;
• record the identity of the person who carried it out (and, where relevant, their organisation);
• record their fire safety arrangements;
• cooperate and share information with other responsible persons in the building; and
• provide residents with relevant fire safety information.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 had already made clear that, in multi-occupied residential buildings, the assessment covers the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors.

Making reviews happen on time

A review date in a PDF is easy to miss. In Vital IMS each assessment carries its review date and the triggers above: a recorded change, incident or enforcement notice prompts a review. Overdue reviews show on the site overview until they're done.

This article is general information, not advice for your premises. Check the current law at legislation.gov.uk and use a competent fire risk assessor.