FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS
We offer a quick turnaround on assessments and can be consulted from planning stage.
Who we are?
We are a North West Based Consultancy who cover England and Wales. We specialise in Health and Safety for Landlords, business owners and HMO owners.
Some of the services we offer are
Fire Risk Assessments
Fire Door Inspections
Legionella Assessments
PAT Testing
EICR
We offer quick turnaround on assessments and can be consulted from planning stage. We work hand in hand with the client and building control to ensure the compliance of your property.
Your Role as a Landlord
As a landlord, there are a number of risk factors for which you must take responsibility when tenants are occupying the building, and one of the most important is ensuring proper measures and checks are carried out to ensure the risks associated with a fire breaking out are minimised.
The contents of a landlord fire risk assessment extend from ensuring the building is built and furnished with fire resistant materials, to making certain that living spaces are fitted with sufficient alarms, and that an escape route is always available – and that tenants know where they are.
This is a legal requirement, and failing to take proper measures for assessment and mitigation will make you liable for a monetary fine, and/or imprisonment. You can click here to find out more about completing a Fire Risk Assessment on your rental properties, when to be reviewed for fire safety, and how often you need to update your assessment.
In a similar vein, landlords remain legally responsible for taking steps to assess and mitigate the risk of exposing their tenants to legionella bacteria, which can cause serious illness if inhaled via, say, shower water.
Finally, an EICR, or Electrical Inspection Condition Report – similar to a PAT test – must be fulfilled in order to ensure that all on-site electricals provided to tenants meet a certain standard of safety.
Your Role as an HMO Owner
Owners of Houses in Multiple Occupation are responsible for the same factors as landlords, although the methodology behind an HMO fire risk assessment will likely be a little different, owing to the presence of communal areas such as kitchens and living spaces.
An FRA for any HMO must reflect the current state of the building, which means that any significant additions or changes should prompt you to get an updated FRA as soon as possible.
Ensuring proper measures are taken to ensure fire safety is a legal requirement for anyone who owns an HMO that accommodates five or more people.
What About the Three Storey Rule?
Previously, only HMO Owners of buildings three storeys or more needed to fulfil an FRA to be compliant. As of late 2019, however, the conditions were amended, and now HMOs of any size – provided they accommodate at least five unrelated individuals – are subject to the same legal requirements for fire risk assessment.
Your Role as an Employer
An employer holds many of the same responsibilities to their employees as a landlord does to tenants. The role of ensuring that the building and its contents are not increasing your fire risk – and the risk of serious injury or death – lies with you, which means holding an FRA that reflects the current state of your physical premises is essential.
Similarly, ensuring that all electrical appliances and equipment are properly maintained remains your obligation. While the government does not stipulate a specific methodology, PAT, or Portable Appliance Testing, has long since been regarded as your most efficient option.
Ensuring proper measures are taken to ensure fire safety is a legal requirement for anyone who owns an HMO that accommodates five or more people.
How Fire Risk Manchester Can Help
Our team have been delivering the highest possible standard to businesses and landlords across the country for many years, and, as such, hold significant experience in ensuring not only that owners are operating in accordance with the laws that pertain to their properties, but also that those who live and work within their properties are genuinely safeguarded against the myriad risks posed by electrical appliances, fire hazards, and the design of the building itself.
From working with you to find the right level of alarm system, to ensuring that you are supplying proper safety measures like fire blankets and extinguishers on each floor, PAT testing your electrical equipment, educating employees on proper practice, and ensuring that building alterations comply with current regulations, our team can provide help, expertise and support throughout your journey to compliance and, most importantly, safety.
Contact Us
At Fire Risk Manchester, we hold extensive knowledge and practical experience in ensuring safety for landlords, tenants, business owners and employees in accordance with the very latest in government regulations within the UK. Whether you require a fire risk assessment in Manchester, or PAT testing in Wales, our team are ready to help.
Whatever your query, simply get in touch with Fire Risk Manchester today to find out more about how we can help you to minimise the risk inherent within any domestic or commercial property, and ensure a high standard of safety for those for whom you hold responsibility.