Fire Risk Assessments in Kent & London

Fire Risk Assessments in Kent & London

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At SAMS LTD, we’re proud to be one of the most trusted fire risk assessment providers in Kent and the South East.

Our dedicated team of assessors has almost 40 years’ combined experience, and every assessor holds the respected NEBOSH Fire qualification, as well as FPA (Fire Protection Association) qualifications. That means your fire safety risk assessment is completed using current guidance, practical site experience, and a clear understanding of modern fire risk assessment requirements.

As a specialist fire risk assessment company working across Kent and London, we plan every visit around your operations. We’ll carry out your commercial fire risk assessment or office fire risk assessment at a time that suits you, with minimal disruption. While on site, we identify potential hazards, the people who could be at risk, and any working practices that may increase fire risk—then we assess whether your existing precautions are suitable and sufficient.

Alongside identifying hazards, we evaluate your current fire safety arrangements, including policies, procedures and day-to-day controls. Where we find gaps, we provide practical, cost-effective recommendations that are proportionate to the premises and the way it’s used. You’ll receive a clear fire risk assessment report that helps you prioritise actions, demonstrate compliance, and improve safety outcomes.

If you’re looking for a fire risk assessment specifically for a holiday let, we can help with that too. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a suitable and sufficient assessment is a legal requirement for many accommodation settings, and additional responsibilities were introduced from 1 October 2023 for responsible persons under amendments to fire safety legislation. (We have a dedicated holiday let service page for owners who need tailored guidance.)

To learn more about our Fire Risk Assessments in Kent & London and to arrange a site visit, contact us by email, contact form, phone, or our new chatbox feature at the bottom right of the page.

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

If you’ve ever asked “what is a fire risk assessment?”, the simple answer is: it’s a structured way to identify fire hazards, evaluate who may be at risk, and confirm that fire safety measures are suitable to keep people safe. A fire risk assessment is relevant for any workplace or premises where people may be present—employees, residents, visitors, customers, contractors, or members of the public.

The fire risk assessment purpose is to reduce the likelihood of a fire starting and to limit the potential harm if one does. When you book with SAMS, we complete a thorough fire risk safety assessment of your premises and provide reasonable, proportionate recommendations to help you meet your responsibilities under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In plain terms, that means helping you create a safer building, safer systems of work, and a safer experience for everyone on site.

Where there is a risk of fire, the “responsible person” must understand and manage key fire safety issues. This includes maintaining appropriate fire precautions, ensuring safe escape routes, providing suitable fire-fighting measures, and keeping fire risk assessments up to date through a sensible fire risk assessment review process. For many organisations, a professional assessment is the most reliable way to ensure legal compliance and robust safety management.

How to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment

While it’s always best practice to use a competent professional, it’s helpful to understand the core steps of fire risk assessment that a competent assessor will follow.

Below is a clear outline of the work we complete as part of your fire and safety risk assessment, including how hazards are identified and how controls are evaluated.

1) Identify and analyse fire hazards (ignition, fuel, oxygen)

We start by identifying significant hazards and evaluating the risk they create within your premises. This includes:

  • Possible sources of ignition (e.g., electrical faults, hot works, heating equipment, cooking equipment, smoking areas)

  • Sources of fuel (e.g., waste storage, flammable liquids, combustible stock, packaging, furnishings)

  • Sources of oxygen (e.g., oxidising agents, gas cylinders, piped oxygen in some environments)

We also look at how your building layout, compartmentation, and structural features may influence fire spread—because a risk isn’t just “will a fire start?”, it’s also “how quickly could it develop and affect people?”

2) Identify who is at risk (employees and others)

Next, we identify who could be affected if a fire occurs:

  • Employees working across different areas and shifts

  • Lone workers and out-of-hours staff

  • Contractors, deliveries and temporary workers

  • Visitors and members of the public

  • Anyone with mobility, sensory or cognitive impairments who may need additional support

This is especially important for premises with sleeping risk, public access areas, complex layouts, or higher footfall.

3) Evaluate existing controls (and whether they are adequate)

We assess your existing fire safety measures and consider whether they are suitable and sufficient for the building and its use. This includes checking the effectiveness of:

  • Means of escape (routes, doors, signage, travel distances, final exits)

  • Fire detection and warning (alarms, call points, audibility)

  • Emergency lighting

  • Fire-fighting equipment (appropriate type, location, maintenance)

  • Fire doors and compartmentation

  • Housekeeping and waste management

  • Electrical safety and relevant inspection/maintenance practices

  • Fire safety management arrangements (training, drills, responsibilities, record keeping)

This stage often functions like a practical, expert-led fire risk assessment checklist—but tailored to your specific environment rather than a generic tick-box approach.

4) Recommend improvements and prioritise actions

Where we identify gaps, we’ll highlight what needs improving and why. Recommendations are designed to be:

  • Reasonable and proportionate

  • Cost-effective where possible

  • Prioritised so you know what to do first

  • Practical for your operations (not disruptive “nice-to-haves”)

For many clients, this is where the value of using experienced fire risk assessment companies is clearest: you get a plan that makes sense commercially and operationally, while still meeting legal expectations.

5) Record findings and support ongoing management (Record, Plan, Inform, Train and Review)

You’ll receive a clear fire risk assessment report documenting hazards, controls, and recommended actions. We also help you understand how to embed the findings into your fire safety management system, including:

  • Informing managers and staff of relevant changes

  • Updating instructions, procedures, and training where needed

  • Planning ongoing checks and maintenance routines

  • Setting an appropriate schedule for fire risk assessment frequency and review

A good assessment isn’t just a document—it’s part of a living fire risk assessment system that’s maintained and reviewed as your workplace changes.

Fire safety information and resources

If you want to sense-check whether your past fire risk assessments were suitable, or you’re building a stronger compliance file, the following resources are commonly used to support a robust approach. These also help you gather the evidence needed for inspections, audits, insurers, or internal governance.

  • Relevant fire safety legislation and supporting guidance (including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and other applicable regulations)

  • Practical fire safety guidance relevant to your premises type

  • Existing fire safety plans and emergency procedures

  • Previous fire risk assessments and action trackers

  • Maintenance and inspection records (alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers, fire doors)

  • Electrical installation condition reports and appliance testing records where applicable

  • Fire logbook and routine check records

  • Incident and near-miss records (including false alarms and causes)

  • Visitor/contractor sign-in processes and control measures

  • Fire precaution checks (signage, exits, escape routes, housekeeping)

  • Staff training records and fire drill records

If you’re unsure what’s relevant for your premises, our team can advise and help you build a straightforward compliance pack alongside your assessment.

Summary of regulations

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to most non-domestic premises in England and Wales and is the core legislation driving fire safety responsibilities. It places duties on the “responsible person” to ensure appropriate fire safety measures are in place and that a suitable and sufficient fire safety risk assessment is completed and kept up to date.

This legislation commonly applies to you if you are:

  • Responsible for the business premises

  • An employer or self-employed person with business premises (including rented premises)

  • Responsible for common parts in blocks of flats or HMOs (where applicable)

  • A charity or voluntary organisation operating premises

  • A contractor with a degree of control over premises

  • Managing a construction site, temporary workplace, or certain events

Under the regulations, the responsible person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment, implement necessary measures, and maintain them. In practical terms, this includes ensuring safe escape routes, suitable fire detection and warning, adequate fire-fighting equipment, appropriate training, and a sensible fire risk assessment review process as the premises or activities change.

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Interested in booking a Fire Risk Assessment, or want more information about our services? Get in touch via our contact page, or check out our consultancy membership packages for ongoing support!

= Feel like you need an update on legislation? Read the updates here.