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How to Conduct a PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment Methodology — Step-By-Step Guide

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A PAS 79 fire risk assessment means taking a close, systematic look at your premises to spot fire risks and figure out what safety measures you need. Whether you’re in charge of a commercial building or housing premises, understanding how this works is crucial for staying compliant with UK fire safety laws.

The PAS 79 methodology lays out a pragmatic, holistic and risk-proportionate approach to assessing fire prevention, fire protection, and fire safety management. This standardised framework helps you cover everything from the building’s structure and occupancy to fire alarms and escape routes, step by step.

Getting your fire risk assessment right isn’t just ticking boxes—it’s about protecting people and making sure your building meets legal requirements. Let’s walk through the process, from identifying hazards to maintaining up-to-date safety measures, so you can handle assessments with a bit more confidence.

Key Takeaways

Understanding PAS 79 and Fire Risk Assessment Methodology

PAS 79 gives you a clear framework for fire risk assessments in non-domestic buildings and housing. Its main focus is a systematic evaluation of fire hazards, plus it helps set out what you need to do legally as a property owner or manager.

What Is PAS 79?

PAS 79 is a British Standard from BSI that recommends a step-by-step way to do fire risk assessments. There are two main versions: PAS 79:2012 for general premises, and PAS 79-2:2020 for housing specifically.

The process means closely looking at a building’s fire risks and picking out the right safety measures. You’ll take into account things like building structure, how many people are inside, fire alarms, escape routes, and emergency plans.

PAS 79 aims to produce a straightforward, qualitative assessment of fire risk. It’s mainly for fire safety professionals and building owners who need to stay on the right side of the law.

The standard keeps things consistent across different kinds of buildings. So whether it’s a tiny office or a big residential block, the approach stays the same.

Core Principles of Fire Risk Assessment

Fire risk assessment under PAS 79 has five main steps. These are: spotting fire hazards, figuring out who’s at risk, evaluating those risks, recording what you find, and setting review dates.

You need to judge both how likely a fire is and what could happen if one starts. Look at ignition sources, fuel, and oxygen when picking out hazards.

Key assessment areas include:

When you assess people at risk, focus on those who might be especially vulnerable. Think about elderly residents, kids, people with disabilities, and anyone new to the building.

To decide if your safety measures are enough, check fire alarms, warning systems, escape routes, and emergency lighting. Don’t just assume what’s there is good enough—verify it.

Legal Requirements and Compliance

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes fire risk assessments legally required for most non-domestic buildings. If you’re the responsible person, it’s on you to make sure assessments happen regularly and you act on the findings.

PAS 79 is pretty much in line with Government fire safety guidance. Using this method shows you’re taking your legal duties seriously.

Legal requirements include:

You have to pay close attention to fire safety management—this means fire procedures, staff training, and maintenance schedules. Make sure you document your fire safety strategy and that everyone knows what’s expected of them.

If you don’t comply, you could face enforcement, prohibition notices, or even prosecution. Keep checking in on your assessments to make sure they actually work and stay current.

Step 1: Identifying Fire Hazards

The first step is to methodically inspect your premises for possible ignition sources, flammable materials, and dangerous substances that could start a fire. You’ll need to look in every area where heat, fuel, and oxygen might come together.

Spotting Sources of Ignition

Go through your building and list every possible ignition source. The usual suspects are electrical equipment, heating systems, cooking appliances, and hot work like welding or grinding.

Check all electrical setups for damaged wires, overloaded sockets, and dodgy equipment. Watch for exposed cables or anything running hot.

Look at your heating systems—boilers, radiators, portable heaters. Make sure they’re not too close to anything flammable and that gas appliances have proper ventilation.

Don’t forget the human factor. Smoking, matches, and lighters are obvious risks. Hot work and anything that causes friction or static electricity can also spark trouble.

Key ignition sources to document:

Detecting Flammable Materials

Make a list of every flammable material you find. These are your fuel sources and can make a fire way worse, fast.

Start with the obvious—paper, cardboard, textiles, and wood. Note where they are, how much you’ve got, and how you store them.

Check cupboards, storerooms, and warehouses. Packaging, cleaning stuff, and office supplies can pile up without you noticing.

Common flammable materials include:

Seasonal changes matter too. Around Christmas, for example, decorations and displays can bump up your fire load.

Identifying Dangerous Substances

Pinpoint any substances that are extra risky—beyond your standard combustibles. These need special handling and storage under fire safety laws.

Look for flammable liquids like cleaning solvents, paints, adhesives, and any stored fuel. Check their containers, ventilation, and how close they are to ignition sources.

Don’t overlook compressed gases—oxygen cylinders, acetylene tanks, aerosols. These can explode or feed a fire if things go wrong.

Dangerous substances to document:

Review safety data sheets for every chemical on site. Note anything that gets more dangerous with heat or when mixed with other stuff during a fire.

Step 2: Determining People at Risk

Figure out everyone who could be affected if a fire breaks out in your building, and pay attention to their specific needs or vulnerabilities. This sets the stage for the right safety steps and evacuation plans.

Employees, Visitors, and Occupants

Employees are your most predictable group at risk. Count both permanent and temp staff, including contractors and agency workers.

Write down the maximum number of employees you might have at busy times. Don’t forget about shift changes, overtime, or seasonal spikes.

Visitors add extra risk because they don’t know your building. This covers customers, clients, delivery folks, and maintenance workers.

Estimate how many visitors you might have during peak periods. Think about special events or holiday rushes when numbers go up.

Occupants in residential or mixed-use buildings need special consideration. Some might be asleep, have mobility issues, or not know the escape routes.

Record the total occupancy for each area or floor. Include both authorised occupants and anyone subletting, since that can change your numbers.

Vulnerable Groups and Disabilities

Physical disabilities play a big role in evacuation challenges. You’ve got to identify people with mobility issues, vision or hearing loss, and cognitive conditions.

Create a register of employees who have known disabilities. List out their specific needs and what kind of help they’d need in an emergency.

Temporary vulnerabilities can also slow down fire response. Think about people recovering from surgery, using crutches, or on medication that makes them drowsy.

Don’t forget age-related vulnerabilities. Elderly visitors and very young children often need extra help.

Hidden disabilities—like autism, epilepsy, or anxiety—can affect how someone reacts to fire alarms and evacuation drills.

Update your procedures so they work for different communication styles and response needs.

Location and Activity Considerations

High-risk areas often have people who can’t respond quickly to alarms. That might mean treatment rooms, sleeping quarters, or tight spaces.

Find spots where people could be isolated from alarms or stuck because of equipment or ongoing work.

Activity-specific risks show up when people do tasks that limit their awareness or movement. Workshops, labs, or areas with loud machinery come to mind.

Ask yourself if certain activities might stop people from hearing alarms or moving to exits fast enough.

Time-based variations matter too. Night shifts, weekends, and after-hours events bring in different groups and risks.

Track how occupancy changes during the day and week. Note any times when there’s less supervision or security around.

Step 3: Evaluating and Controlling Risks

Once you’ve spotted fire hazards and figured out their impact, it’s time to look at your current fire safety measures. Then you can decide what else you need to do. This part’s about reviewing what you already have and making smart upgrades to lower the risk.

Assessing Existing Fire Safety Measures

Start by listing all your current fire safety measures. That covers both active systems—like sprinklers and alarms—and passive ones, such as fire doors and compartmentation.

Active Fire Safety Systems:

Passive Fire Safety Measures:

Test how well each system works against the hazards you’ve found. Look over maintenance logs, test certificates, and make sure everything lines up with British Standards.

Write down any problems you spot. A fire door that won’t close or an alarm with dead zones can really undermine your fire safety.

Think about how these systems work together. Sometimes each part works alone, but gaps show up between the layers.

Implementing Additional Controls

After your review, you’ll probably need to add more fire safety controls. The PAS 79 methodology gives you a structured way to figure out what’s needed.

Management Controls:

Physical Controls:

Target the highest risks first. If electrical faults are a big hazard, update your electrical systems before worrying about the little stuff.

Cost-Benefit Analysis:

Some controls are legally required, no matter what they cost.

Prioritising Risk Reduction Actions

You can’t do every fire safety upgrade all at once. Prioritise based on risk, what’s required by law, and the resources you have.

High Priority Actions:

Medium Priority Actions:

Lower Priority Actions:

Lay out a timeline for what happens when. Some things, like staff training, can happen right away. Bigger projects, like new systems, might take months.

Use temporary fixes while you work on permanent solutions. That could mean extra fire watch patrols or temporary alarms.

Keep a record of why you’re prioritising things a certain way. It helps justify your choices and shows you’ve got a solid plan.

Step 4: Key Fire Safety Features to Review

During your PAS 79 assessment, you’ll need to check three main fire safety systems that really matter for people’s safety. These are fire doors and their condition, escape routes and evacuation plans, and emergency lighting that helps people find their way out.

Fire Doors and Door Surveys

Fire doors are essential barriers against fire and smoke. You’ll need to check each fire door during your assessment.

Look at the door leaf first. Watch for gaps, warping, or damage that might weaken its fire resistance. The door should shut all the way without sticking or leaving gaps.

Check the frame and seals. Intumescent strips have to be in place and undamaged—they expand when heated to block smoke.

Test the self-closing mechanism. Fire doors need to close themselves from any open position. Make sure hinges, closers, and hold-open devices all work right.

Don’t skip the door furniture. Handles, locks, and hinges must be fire-rated and installed properly. The wrong hardware can ruin the door’s performance.

Write down any issues. A thorough fire door survey should list where each problem is, what type it is, and how bad it is, so you can fix it.

Escape Routes and Means of Evacuation

When you check escape routes, the main thing is: can people get out safely in an emergency? Start by making sure all routes are marked clearly and nothing blocks the way.

Measure travel distances from any spot in the building to the nearest exit. Make sure these distances meet regulations and fire safety standards for your building type.

Check that exit widths are wide enough for everyone. Figure out your building’s max occupancy and see if the exits can handle that many people.

Look for obstacles and hazards—storage, furniture, or equipment shouldn’t block halls or stairs. Keep routes clear and make sure floors aren’t slippery.

Signage visibility matters a lot. Exit signs need to be easy to see from anywhere along the route, even if the lights are low.

Test final exit doors. They should open easily in the direction of escape, with no keys or special tricks required. Panic bars must work under pressure.

Emergency Lighting Systems

Emergency lighting kicks in if the main lights go out, guiding people to safety. Check that your system’s reliable and covers everywhere it should.

Test the battery backup. Emergency lights need to run for at least the minimum time—usually three hours. Make sure batteries charge and hold power.

Check that illumination levels are up to standard. Escape routes should be well-lit, and open areas need enough light to keep people calm.

Look at light placement. Cover all the key areas—routes, exits, stairs, changes in floor level. No one should be left in the dark during an emergency.

Go over monthly and yearly test records. You’ve got to test emergency lights regularly. If records are missing, that’s a red flag for maintenance.

Check the bulbs and fittings. Replace dead bulbs right away, make sure fittings are secure, and clean the lenses to keep the light bright.

Step 5: Recording, Planning, and Training

Good documentation turns your fire risk assessment into a practical tool. Emergency plans and staff training make sure everyone knows what to do if there’s a fire. These pieces work together for solid fire safety management.

Documenting Your Fire Risk Assessment

Your fire risk assessment records need to show all key findings and the actions you recommend. PAS 79 offers a standard format that fire authorities recognize.

Be sure to include:

The PAS 79 fire risk assessment method says you should set review dates based on risk. High-risk places need annual reviews; lower-risk buildings might only need one every three years.

Store your records safely, but make sure staff, emergency services, and inspectors can get to them. Digital copies make sharing and backups easier.

Developing Emergency Plans

Emergency plans turn your fire risk assessment into step-by-step instructions for different situations. Make separate plans for full evacuation, partial evacuation, or defend-in-place, depending on your building.

Your evacuation plan should cover:

Run regular fire drills to test your plans. Write down how they go and spot where you need to improve. Update the plans if you change the building or occupancy.

Think through more than just standard evacuation. Some buildings need phased or simultaneous evacuation, depending on their layout and who’s inside.

Informing, Instructing and Training Staff

Staff training makes sure your fire safety measures actually work when it matters. Give all new employees initial training, and set up regular refresher sessions for everyone else.

Focus on these key areas in your training:

Appoint fire wardens for each floor or department. Train them further on searching, handling groups, and talking to emergency services.

Keep records of all training sessions. Note who attended, what you covered, and when the next refresher is due.

Adjust your training to fit your building and the risks you’ve found. Office workers won’t need the same info as warehouse staff or care home teams.

Step 6: Reviewing and Updating the Assessment

Review fire risk assessments regularly to keep them useful and legal. The PAS 79 standard sets a timeline for reviews and reminds you to update when things change at work.

When to Review Your Assessment

Review your fire risk assessment at least once a year. Sometimes you’ll need to do it sooner, especially if your premises, processes, or occupancy change a lot.

Mandatory review triggers include:

High-risk places might need quarterly reviews. Standard offices usually get by with annual checks. Mark your review schedule and stick to it, but don’t get stuck in a rut—sometimes you’ll need to act sooner.

If you make big changes, your old assessment won’t cut it anymore. Don’t wait for the next scheduled review if you’ve changed your layout or processes.

Responding to Changes and Incidents

Any fire incident, big or small, means you need to review your assessment right away. Take a close look at what went wrong and tweak your safety measures.

After an incident, focus on:

  1. Immediate hazard assessment – Spot any new risks
  2. System performance – Did your fire safety measures work?
  3. Procedure effectiveness – How did evacuation and response go?
  4. Training adequacy – Did staff know what to do, or were there gaps?

Write down every change, including dates, reasons, and who’s responsible. Update your action plan if you spot any weak points.

Plan ahead when you modify your workplace. New machinery, different room layouts, or changing how many people are on site can introduce risks your original assessment didn’t cover.

Frequently Asked Questions

The PAS 79 methodology raises a lot of practical questions about compliance, templates, and how to actually carry out an assessment. Here are some common issues people run into—maybe you’ve wondered about them too.

What steps are involved in completing a PAS 79 compliant fire risk assessment?

You’ll follow a systematic process that looks at your building’s structure, who’s inside, fire detection systems, escape routes, and emergency plans. This isn’t something to rush.

Start by gathering info—building plans, how many people are around, and what fire safety measures are in place. Identify hazards and think about how likely they are to cause trouble.

Figure out who’s at risk, especially vulnerable folks like disabled people or visitors. Picture different scenarios and how a fire could spread.

Check your current safety measures: alarms, lighting, escape routes. Are they good enough for the risks you’ve found?

Write up your findings and make an action plan for improvements. Review and update your assessment regularly, especially when things change.

Can you summarise the key changes in the PAS 79:2020 update compared to the previous version?

The 2020 revision made some big changes to boost safety for non-domestic buildings and housing. The standard now gives more detailed advice on risk assessment methods.

PAS 79-1:2020 focuses on non-domestic buildings. It offers clearer recommendations for paperwork and assessment steps, and better guidance for spotting and judging fire risks.

PAS 79-2:2020 is for housing. It’s got examples and advice tailored to different types of residential properties.

The update leans toward a pragmatic, risk-based approach. It tries to balance fire prevention with what’s practical in real life.

Where can I find a template to help structure my PAS 79 fire risk assessment?

The official PAS 79 documents have recommended formats and examples. These give you a solid starting point for compliance.

Lots of fire safety consultancies share PAS 79-based templates. Double-check that any template covers every section the standard expects.

Fire risk assessment software usually comes with PAS 79 templates built in. These tools can make documentation easier and help you avoid missing anything important.

Your local fire and rescue service might have guidance docs with template structures too. Try their website or just ask them directly.

Is it mandatory to follow the PAS 79-1:2020 code of practice for non-housing premises, and what does this entail?

PAS 79 isn’t the law, but it’s a recognised way to meet fire safety requirements. If you follow it, you’re showing you take your legal duties seriously.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 says you need fire risk assessments, but doesn’t tell you exactly how. PAS 79 offers a structured approach that ticks the right boxes.

Using PAS 79-1:2020 for non-housing means doing a qualitative risk assessment the way the standard suggests. You’ll need to document everything in their recommended format.

The code covers spotting risks, checking current safety measures, and suggesting improvements. It’s especially handy for professionals doing risk assessments for others.

How can I ensure that my fire risk assessment meets the latest PAS 79 guidance for compliance purposes?

Keep up to date with PAS 79-1:2020 and PAS 79-2:2020, depending on your building. The British Standards Institution releases the latest versions.

Use the recommended format and make sure you include all the required sections—risk identification, evaluation, and clear recommendations.

Get someone with real fire safety know-how to review your assessment. A second opinion can catch things you might miss.

Keep detailed records of what you did and found. Good documentation shows you followed a methodical process in line with PAS 79.

What are the most common pitfalls to avoid when carrying out a PAS 79 fire risk assessment?

Rushing through the assessment process? That’s a big mistake. Proper PAS 79 fire risk assessment requires careful thinking and attention to detail, not just ticking boxes for the sake of it.

People often underestimate how tricky it is to evaluate fire risks in different scenarios. You have to think about all sorts of situations, changing occupancy levels, and how a fire might develop.

Inadequate documentation trips up a lot of folks. Your assessment should clearly record findings and reasoning, plus recommendations, in a way that others can actually follow.

Some assessments miss the mark by ignoring certain occupant types, especially vulnerable people. It’s important to look at risks for everyone who might be there—visitors, contractors, you name it.

If you don’t review and update assessments regularly, they go stale. Fire risks shift as buildings change, so you’ll need to keep your assessment up to date if you want it to stay useful.

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