Commercial & Non-Domestic Fire Risk Assessments

Clear, proportionate fire risk assessments for businesses and organisations responsible for non-domestic premises across Cheshire and the North West. We assess your premises, identify what matters and give you practical, prioritised actions you can act on.

Who needs a commercial fire risk assessment?

If you are the responsible person for a non-domestic premises, you have a legal duty to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place. This applies to a wide range of workplaces and commercial buildings, including:

  • Offices and professional premises
  • Shops and retail units
  • Warehouses and industrial units
  • Factories and manufacturing
  • Restaurants, pubs, cafes and hospitality
  • Hotels and guest accommodation
  • Care and supported living settings
  • Surgeries, clinics and community premises
  • Places of worship, halls and education settings

Your legal duty as the responsible person

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person (often the employer, owner or occupier) must make sure a fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date. Since changes introduced by the Building Safety Act 2022 (in force from 1 October 2023), the assessment and your fire safety arrangements must be recorded in full, whatever the size of the business or premises. Our role is to make that straightforward: we carry out the assessment, explain what we find in plain English, and set out what needs to happen and in what order.

What is PAS 79-1?

PAS 79-1:2020 (BSI, 2020) is a recognised code of practice for carrying out and recording fire risk assessments in non-domestic premises (premises other than housing). Published by BSI, it sets out a structured, evidence-based method for assessing fire hazards, the people at risk, the fire precautions in place and the overall level of fire risk.

PAS 79-1 does not replace the law. The legal duty to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment comes from the Fire Safety Order 2005. PAS 79-1 simply provides a robust, consistent framework for meeting it. We follow this structured approach so your assessment is thorough, proportionate and easy to act on.

The nine steps of a PAS 79-1 fire risk assessment

A structured assessment works through the premises methodically rather than ticking boxes. Our assessments follow these nine stages:

1

Gather premises information

Building type, use, layout, occupancy, processes and any existing fire safety information.

2

Identify people at risk

Employees, visitors, contractors, the public and anyone who may need help to escape.

3

Identify fire hazards

Sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen, and any unsafe working practices.

4

Assess fire prevention

Whether hazards are removed or controlled through safe systems of work.

5

Assess fire protection

Escape routes, fire doors, compartmentation, alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers and signage.

6

Assess fire safety management

Procedures, staff training, testing, maintenance, drills and record keeping.

7

Assess likely consequences

How a fire could affect occupants and escape, especially anyone vulnerable.

8

Determine the level of risk

A reasoned judgement on the current level of fire risk in the premises.

9

Produce an action plan

Practical, prioritised and proportionate steps to reduce or maintain risk at a tolerable level.

What you receive

You receive a clear, written fire risk assessment report with an overall risk rating and a prioritised action plan. Recommendations are proportionate and practical, so you can focus on what genuinely reduces risk rather than work through a generic checklist.

Our consultancy approach

Daedon is a building surveying and fire safety consultancy. We assess, advise, review and report. Where works are needed, such as emergency lighting, alarms or signage, we identify the gaps and can recommend competent contractors. We do not install or maintain equipment ourselves, which keeps our advice independent and focused only on what is right for your building.

Commercial fire risk assessment FAQs

Is a commercial fire risk assessment a legal requirement?
Yes. If you are the responsible person for non-domestic premises, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires you to ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date.
What is PAS 79-1, and is it the law?
PAS 79-1:2020 (BSI, 2020) is a recognised code of practice for fire risk assessment in non-domestic premises. It is a methodology, not legislation. The legal duty comes from the Fire Safety Order 2005, and PAS 79-1 gives a structured, consistent way to meet it.
What is the difference between a fire hazard and fire risk?
A fire hazard is something with the potential to start or fuel a fire, such as faulty wiring or combustible waste. Fire risk considers both how likely a fire is and how serious the consequences would be, so a low likelihood does not always mean a low risk.
How often should the assessment be reviewed?
Regularly, and whenever something significant changes, such as the layout, use, occupancy or processes, or after any fire or near miss. Higher-risk premises usually need more frequent review.
Does it cover external walls?
No. The fire risk appraisal of external walls is a separate specialist assessment under PAS 9980 (BSI, 2022). Where this is relevant to your building, we will tell you and can point you to the right specialist.
Who is the responsible person?
Usually the employer, owner, landlord or whoever has control of the premises. In some buildings the duty is shared between more than one person.
Do you carry out the remedial work?
No. We are a consultancy: we assess, advise and report, and can recommend competent contractors for any works. That independence keeps our recommendations focused on your building.

Responsible for a block of flats, an HMO or communal residential areas? See our residential fire risk assessments, or return to our fire risk assessments overview. You can also use our fire safety checklists to prepare.

Need a commercial fire risk assessment?

Tell us about your premises and we will provide a clear, no-obligation quote.

Request a Quote

References

  • British Standards Institution (2020) PAS 79-1:2020 (BSI, 2020) Fire risk assessment. Premises other than housing. Code of practice. London: BSI. Available at: bsigroup.com (Accessed: 17 June 2026).
  • British Standards Institution (2022) PAS 9980:2022 Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats. Code of practice. London: BSI. Available at: bsigroup.com (Accessed: 17 June 2026).
  • Building Safety Act 2022, c. 30. Available at: legislation.gov.uk (Accessed: 17 June 2026).
  • Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541). Available at: legislation.gov.uk (Accessed: 17 June 2026).