Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Our team has a varied range of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours. We work in alignment with the competence framework contained within BS 8674:2025 (BSI, 2025), Built environment – Framework for competence of individual fire risk assessors – Code of practice, ensuring that each assessment is allocated to an assessor with the appropriate level of competence for the nature, complexity and risk profile of the premises.

Where specialist knowledge is required, we work collaboratively with appropriately competent professionals and remain within the limits of our individual competence. This approach enables us to provide proportionate, evidence-based and professionally defensible fire risk assessments while maintaining a clear focus on life safety.

Daedon Group provides independent, technically informed fire risk assessments with a strong emphasis on clarity, proportionality and practical risk reduction.

We do more than identify deficiencies. We explain the significance of the findings, distinguish priority actions from longer-term improvements and provide clients with a clear, manageable action plan.

Our approach is based on a simple principle: Know the risk. Prioritise the action. Protect what matters.

Clients have direct access to experienced professionals and receive advice that reflects the premises, its use, its occupants and its actual risk profile.

Yes. Daedon Group provides independent fire risk assessment and consultancy services.

We do not manufacture, sell or install fire alarms, extinguishers or other fire safety equipment. This means our recommendations are based on the findings of the assessment and the needs of the premises, rather than on generating installation or product sales.

Where remedial work is required, we can help the client understand the required outcome and identify the type of competent contractor they may need.

No. Daedon Group is an independent fire risk assessment and consultancy business.

We assess the premises, identify significant findings and recommend proportionate action. Where specialist testing, maintenance, installation or remedial work is required, this should be completed by an appropriately competent contractor.

Our independence helps ensure that recommendations are driven by risk and legal compliance rather than the sale of equipment or services.

We undertake fire risk assessments for a range of non-domestic and commercial premises, including offices, shops and retail units, restaurants, cafés and takeaways, salons and beauty businesses, warehouses and light-industrial premises, community buildings, places of worship, hospitality premises, communal areas of residential buildings, houses in multiple occupation where appropriate, educational and childcare premises, healthcare and care-related environments subject to the required level of competence, and mixed-use and multi-occupied buildings.

Before accepting an instruction, we consider the building type, occupancy, complexity and risk profile to ensure that the work is allocated appropriately.

Daedon Group provides fire risk assessment and consultancy services across Cheshire, including Nantwich, Crewe, Sandbach, Northwich, Middlewich, Knutsford, Chester and the surrounding areas.

We also undertake work across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Staffordshire, Shropshire and other locations throughout England and Wales by arrangement.

For businesses with several premises, we can discuss coordinated multi-site assessments and reporting.

Most non-domestic premises in England and Wales are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This includes workplaces and commercial premises such as offices, shops, restaurants, salons, warehouses, community buildings, educational premises and hospitality venues.

The Fire Safety Order also applies to the common parts of residential buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises, including purpose-built blocks of flats, converted buildings containing two or more flats, houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), maisonettes with shared common areas, mixed-use buildings containing residential accommodation, and supported housing and other multi-occupied residential premises.

In these buildings, the fire risk assessment will generally cover the common parts, such as communal corridors, stairways, entrances, plant rooms and shared facilities. It must also take account of the building’s structure, external walls and doors between domestic premises and the common parts, including flat entrance doors.

The Fire Safety Order does not generally apply inside an individual private dwelling, although other housing and fire safety legislation may apply.

The Responsible Person must ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment of fire risk is carried out, recorded and kept under review. The assessment should identify fire hazards, the people who may be at risk and the general fire precautions required to protect them.

The duty may apply to employers, business owners, freeholders, residential or commercial landlords, HMO landlords, licence holders, managing agents, residents’ management companies, right-to-manage companies, housing providers, occupiers and others who have control of the premises.

The Responsible Person is the individual or organisation that has legal responsibility for fire safety under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Who this is will depend on the type of premises, the contractual arrangements and who has control over the building or relevant parts of it.

The Responsible Person may include an employer where the workplace is under their control, a business owner or occupier, a commercial landlord or freeholder, a residential landlord, the owner or freeholder of a block of flats, a right-to-manage company or residents’ management company, a managing agent, an HMO landlord or licence holder, a person or organisation with full management control of an HMO, a facilities management provider, a housing association, local authority or other housing provider, a person responsible for the common parts of a multi-occupied residential building, or another person who has control of the premises to any extent.

In blocks of flats and other buildings containing two or more domestic premises, the Fire Safety Order generally applies to the common parts rather than the interior of individual private dwellings. It also extends to the building’s structure, external walls and doors between domestic premises and the common parts, including flat entrance doors.

In an HMO, the Responsible Person is commonly the landlord, licence holder or managing agent with control of the premises. The Fire Safety Order applies to the common parts, including shared corridors, stairways and other communal areas. Separate housing legislation may also apply to the accommodation itself.

There may be more than one Responsible Person for the same building. For example, a landlord may control the structure and common areas while individual employers or tenants control their own workplaces.

Where duties are shared, each Responsible Person must take reasonable steps to identify the others, exchange relevant information, cooperate and coordinate their fire safety arrangements. The precise division of responsibility should be established from the lease, tenancy, management agreement and the actual level of control exercised by each party.

Fire safety law does not automatically require every business to appoint an external fire risk assessor.

Under Article 9(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person must make a “suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed” for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions required.

The Responsible Person may carry out the assessment themselves where they have sufficient competence to do so. However, they remain legally responsible for ensuring that the completed assessment is suitable and sufficient.

Where the Responsible Person appoints one or more people to assist with fire safety duties, Article 18 requires those persons to be competent. For the purposes of Article 18, a person is regarded as competent where they have sufficient training and experience, or knowledge and other qualities, to enable them to properly assist in undertaking the required preventive and protective measures.

Whether it is appropriate to complete the assessment internally will depend on factors including the size and complexity of the premises, the nature of the building and its use, the people who may be at risk, the fire hazards and processes present, the complexity of the fire precautions, and the knowledge, training and experience of the person completing the assessment.

For small and relatively straightforward premises, a Responsible Person may be able to carry out the assessment themselves using the relevant government guidance.

Where the premises, occupancy or fire precautions are more complex, or where the Responsible Person does not have sufficient knowledge and experience, appointing a competent fire risk assessor is the appropriate course of action.

The Responsible Person should also be aware that appointing an external assessor does not transfer the legal duty. The Responsible Person remains responsible for ensuring that the assessment is suitable and sufficient and that its significant findings are acted upon.

Under Article 32, a failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order may constitute a criminal offence where that failure places one or more relevant persons at risk of death or serious injury in the event of fire.

Fire risk assessments should be kept under review rather than treated as documents with a fixed universal expiry date.

A review may be needed following alterations to the building or layout, refurbishment or fit-out works, a change in the use of the premises, changes in occupancy or staffing, the introduction of new equipment, processes or hazardous materials, a fire, near miss or significant fire safety concern, evidence that existing precautions may no longer be effective, or the passage of time since the previous assessment.

Daedon Group records an appropriate review recommendation based on the circumstances and risk profile of the premises.

A Daedon fire risk assessment is a life-safety assessment undertaken to identify significant fire hazards, consider the people who may be at risk and evaluate the general fire precautions provided within the agreed scope of the instruction.

The assessment is based on a visual inspection of those areas that are safely and readily accessible at the time of the visit, appropriate discussion with the client, Responsible Person or site representative, the fire safety information, records and supporting documentation made available to the assessor, and professional judgement applied to the circumstances observed on the assessment date.

Where relevant to the premises and the agreed scope, the assessor may consider the nature, use, layout and occupancy of the premises, significant sources of ignition and combustible materials, people who may be especially at risk, the visible means of escape and evacuation arrangements, the apparent provision of fire detection, warning and emergency lighting, visible fire-resisting construction and measures intended to limit fire and smoke spread, a representative sample of fire doors where appropriate and accessible, the apparent provision of firefighting equipment and fire safety signage, fire safety management arrangements, information relating to staff instruction, training and drills, available evidence of inspection, testing, servicing and maintenance, and relevant cooperation and coordination arrangements where responsibility for the premises is shared.

The report will record the significant findings identified within the agreed scope and provide a prioritised action plan where further measures are considered necessary.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, the assessment is visual, non-intrusive and non-destructive. It does not include the opening up of the building fabric, testing or commissioning of fire safety systems, verification of system performance, detailed design assessment, confirmation of compliance with Building Regulations, identification of concealed or latent defects, or specialist surveys.

The assessment is based only on the conditions observed, areas accessed and information made available at the time of the visit. Any limitations, inaccessible areas or matters requiring further specialist investigation will be identified in the report where relevant.

You will receive a written fire risk assessment report containing the significant findings of the assessment.

The report will typically include details of the premises and its use, the people who may be at risk, existing fire precautions, identified hazards and deficiencies, an evaluation of fire risk, photographic evidence where appropriate, a prioritised action plan, recommended timescales, matters requiring specialist investigation or further evidence, and a recommended review point.

Our reports are designed to help the Responsible Person understand what needs to be done, why it matters and which actions should be addressed first.

Yes. Recommendations are prioritised according to their significance and the potential effect on life safety.

We distinguish between matters requiring urgent attention, actions that should be completed within a defined period and lower-priority improvements.

This helps clients direct resources toward the most important risks rather than receiving an unstructured list of observations.

Daedon Group provides independent fire risk assessment and consultancy services. We do not supply fire safety equipment, undertake remedial works or enter into servicing and maintenance contracts, so our recommendations are not influenced by an opportunity to sell additional products or ongoing services.

Our purpose is to help the client understand the significant risks identified within the agreed scope of the assessment, the reasons why action may be required and the relative priority of those actions.

Recommendations are made using professional judgement and are intended to be proportionate to the premises, its use, the people who may be affected and the information available at the time of the assessment.

Where a matter cannot be determined through a visual, non-intrusive fire risk assessment, the report may recommend that further information, evidence or specialist advice is obtained. This does not mean that particular remedial work is automatically required; it identifies that the Responsible Person may need additional competent advice before deciding what action is appropriate.

Responsibility for selecting contractors, obtaining quotations, determining the final technical solution and implementing any work remains with the Responsible Person or client.

Yes. We can review the premises and produce a new assessment where an existing report may be outdated, incomplete, generic or no longer representative of the building.

A new or reviewed assessment may be appropriate where the layout or use has changed, the business has moved into the premises, refurbishment has taken place, occupancy has changed, significant actions remain unresolved, the previous assessment lacks sufficient detail, the Responsible Person has concerns about its suitability, or there is no clear evidence that it has been reviewed.

An existing report can be made available to the assessor as part of the available fire safety information.

Yes. We work with commercial landlords, residential landlords, managing agents, facilities managers and property professionals.

The scope of the assessment will be agreed according to the areas under the client’s control, the nature of the premises and any shared responsibilities within the building.

In multi-occupied premises, we also consider the need for cooperation and coordination between the relevant Responsible Persons.

Yes. Daedon Group can provide coordinated fire risk assessment services for businesses operating from more than one location.

A multi-site approach can provide consistent assessment methodology, standardised report formats, consolidated action tracking, clearer oversight of recurring risks, support with prioritising expenditure across the estate, and identification of common management issues.

We can agree a programme based on location, property type, operational priority and risk.

Yes. Daedon Group maintains appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance for the services it provides.

Evidence of relevant insurance can be provided to clients during the appointment or supplier-onboarding process.

Report timescales depend on the size and complexity of the premises, the availability of supporting information and the urgency of the instruction.

We confirm the anticipated delivery period when the work is commissioned. Where an issue requiring immediate attention is identified during the visit, we will raise it with the client without waiting for the completed report.

The cost depends on factors including the type and use of the premises, floor area and number of storeys, occupancy and operating arrangements, building complexity, the quality of available fire safety information, travel requirements, whether several buildings or sites are included, and whether specialist input may be needed.

We provide a clear quotation based on the available information before the assessment is confirmed.

To prepare an accurate quotation, we will normally ask for the property address, the type and use of the premises, approximate floor area, number of floors, approximate number of occupants, operating hours, details of sleeping accommodation where applicable, whether vulnerable occupants are present, any existing fire risk assessment, floor plans where available, and details of recent alterations or known concerns.

Photographs or a brief preliminary call may also help us understand the required scope.

Where available, it is helpful to provide the existing fire risk assessment, fire alarm testing and servicing records, emergency lighting testing and servicing records, fire extinguisher servicing records, staff training and fire-drill records, fire door inspection records, electrical inspection and testing information, gas-safety records where relevant, maintenance records, evacuation plans, floor plans, information about previous fires or false alarms, and relevant construction or fire-strategy information.

The absence of records does not necessarily prevent an assessment, but it may result in recommendations to obtain evidence or undertake further inspection.

Yes. Daedon Group provides fire door inspection services in addition to fire risk assessments.

The scope of a fire door inspection is agreed separately and may include examination of the door leaf, frame, gaps, seals, hinges, glazing, self-closing device, ironmongery, signage and visible condition.

A general fire risk assessment may identify concerns relating to fire doors, but it is not automatically equivalent to a detailed inspection of every fire door unless that scope has been specifically commissioned.

Yes. We can provide proportionate consultancy support to help clients understand and manage the findings of the assessment.

This may include discussing the action plan, helping to prioritise work, clarifying the intended outcome of recommendations, reviewing evidence submitted by contractors, assisting with fire safety management arrangements, supporting multi-site action tracking, and advising when specialist input may be required.

Responsibility for implementing and maintaining the required fire precautions remains with the relevant Responsible Person.

Contact Daedon Group by telephone, WhatsApp, email or through our website.

Provide the premises address, building use, approximate size and any relevant concerns. We will review the information, confirm whether the instruction is within our scope and provide a quotation or request any further details needed.

Contact Daedon Group by telephone, WhatsApp, email or through our website. Provide the premises address, building use, approximate size and any relevant concerns. We will review the information, confirm whether the instruction is within our scope and provide a quotation or request any further details needed.

Phone: 07423 661550 Email: info@daedon.co.uk