Fire Risk Assessments
All our assessors have been trained by the Fire Protection Association (FPA) and have achieved the certification of CO5 Certification in Fire Risk Assessment and have many years surveying experience within the property sector.
The regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) provides a framework for regulating fire safety to all non-domestic properties including workplaces and the communal areas of multi-occupied residential properties in both England and Wales.
The landlord or the designated responsible person is required under the FSO to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment on all commercial/business premises, they are required by law to have a documented written copy of the fire risk assessment as well as implement and maintain a fire management plan.
An example of the types of premises that require fire risk assessments are offices, shops, hotels, restaurants, care homes, nurseries, community centres and churches.
The fire risk assessment provides a detailed evaluation of the property’s exposure to risk which includes assessing the risk to life, a full audit of the hazards, safety risk ratings where remedial action/works may be required and the preparation of a fire safety plan to achieve fire safety compliance.
Compartmentation Surveys
A fire compartmentation survey is designed to assess the fabric of a property in each area of the building.
Compartmentation within a building is designed to assist in preventing the rapid spread of smoke and fire.
Compartmentation surveys cover a visual inspection of all areas of a building where a fire could spread for example ceilings, walls and floors and associated junctions between them, ceiling voids, roof voids and ducts.
The fire-resistant of materials used in the construction of the building are assessed to ensure they meet the correct fire safety standards and verification provided that partition walls are fire rated and provide adequate fire breaks.
The written report details the improvement works which also includes non-structural and structural works.
Fire Door Inspections
Fire doors in commercial properties require checking every 6 months to ensure they meet the relevant requirements of the FSO.
Fire door inspections cover the following elements of a fire door, door leaf, door frame, door closures (self-closing devices), hinges, intumescent strips and cold smoke seals, glazing (vision panels), locks & levers & handles, fire safety signage, hold open devices, gaps around the door and threshold gaps, panic hardware devices for the external fire door exits.
Pre-Purchase Fire Compartmentation Inspections
From experience clients purchasing properties should now carry out a Pre-Purchase Fire Inspection as part of their due diligence for the property prior to purchase.
The fire inspection will look at the current condition of the property regarding active and passive fire installations if any installations/works have been carried out at all and provide an estimate for the required works to be completed so that the type of property will be compliant with all current fire regulations.
These potentially substantial costs of these works can then be taken into account prior to purchase rather than them being unknowingly inherited from the previous owner at an additional cost post purchase.