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Fire Risk Assessments

A fire risk assessment is the foundation of fire safety compliance and a legal requirement for almost every non-domestic building, as well as the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings. Our assessors examine your premises systematically — evaluating ignition sources, fuel loads, means of escape, fire detection and warning, emergency lighting, signage, compartmentation, and management arrangements — and identify what needs to change. You receive a clear, risk-graded report with prioritised, proportionate recommendations that your team can act on and that stands up to scrutiny from enforcing authorities.

Suitable for: offices, retail, industrial premises, warehouses, care environments, education, healthcare, hospitality, and the common areas of residential blocks.

Fire Strategies

A fire strategy sets out how a building is designed to protect life and property in the event of a fire — covering means of escape, compartmentation, fire spread, structural fire protection, access for  the fire service, and the management measures that hold it all together. We produce fire strategies for new build, refurbishment, extension, and change-of-use projects, providing the documented rationale that designers, building control, and approved inspectors need. A robust fire strategy developed early avoids costly redesign later and gives every stakeholder a single, coherent reference point.

Suitable for: new build and refurbishment projects, planning and building control submissions, developers, architects, and design teams.

Fire Engineering Consultancy

Not every building can — or should — be made to comply through prescriptive guidance alone. Our fire engineering consultancy applies a performance-based approach to buildings and situations where standard codes do not fit: complex geometries, large or unusual spaces, heritage constraints, phased construction, or designs that need an evidence-based justification. We use recognised engineering analysis to demonstrate that a design achieves the required level of safety, working alongside your wider project team and liaising with building control and other stakeholders to get the solution agreed.

Suitable for: complex, large, heritage, or non-standard buildings; projects seeking fire-engineered or alternative solutions to prescriptive guidance.

Who We Are

A Fire Safety Consultancy That Understands Compliance, Risk, and Consequence

Fire safety legislation in the UK has never placed greater demands on building owners, employers, and responsible persons. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Building Safety Act 2022 create a complex set of legal duties, and the consequences of non-compliance range from enforcement notices and unlimited fines to criminal prosecution and, in the worst cases, the loss of life.

At Life Environmental, our fire safety services are delivered by qualified specialists who combine technical expertise with practical experience across a wide range of building types and sectors. We do not offer generic, tick-box inspections; every fire risk assessment, fire strategy, and fire engineering appraisal is carried out methodically, documented thoroughly, and followed by clear, proportionate recommendations your team can act on.

We work with commercial property managers, social housing providers, local authorities, developers and design teams, industrial operators, and facilities managers across the UK. Whether you manage a single building or a large and varied property portfolio, our teams are structured to respond promptly, deliver consistently, and provide the compliance evidence your organisation needs.

Talk to the team.

When Does Your Building or Business Need Fire Safety Advice?

You Are the Responsible Person Under the Fire Safety Order

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal duty on the responsible person to carry out — and regularly review — a fire risk assessment. If your premises has never had one, or your assessment is out of date or pre-dates recent changes to your building or its use, a fresh fire risk assessment is needed.

You Are Planning a New Build, Refurbishment, or Change of Use

Fire safety is far cheaper and easier to get right at design stage than to retrofit. If you are developing, extending, refurbishing, or changing the use of a building, a fire strategy gives your design team and building control a clear, agreed framework from the outset.

Your Building Does Not Fit Standard Guidance

Prescriptive codes are written for conventional buildings. If your project involves unusual geometry, large open spaces, heritage fabric, phased works, or a design that prescriptive guidance simply cannot accommodate, fire engineering consultancy provides an evidence-based route to a compliant, agreed solution.

Your Circumstances or the Building Have Changed

A material alteration, a change of occupancy, a near miss, or an enforcement notice are all triggers to revisit your fire safety arrangements. Reviewing your fire risk assessment — and, where needed, your fire strategy — keeps your compliance current and defensible.

Fire Safety Specialists

The Fire Safety Specialists UK Organisations Rely On

Qualified, Experienced Specialists

Our fire risk assessments, fire strategies, and fire engineering work are delivered by qualified specialists with hands-on experience across commercial, industrial, residential, and public sector buildings. We bring genuine technical knowledge to every project — not just a checklist.

Systematic, Evidence-Based Approach

Every assessment and appraisal follows a structured methodology, supported by photographic evidence, precise recording, and risk-graded findings. You receive a complete, defensible record of our findings and recommendations.

Practical, Proportionate Recommendations

We do not produce reports that list every minor imperfection as a critical risk. Our recommendations are practical and proportionate, focused on the findings that matter most and giving you clear guidance on what to prioritise and why.

Cross-Discipline Compliance Expertise

As a multidiscipline environmental compliance consultancy, we can identify where fire risks intersect with other compliance requirements, such as asbestos-containing materials disturbed during remedial works. Our asbestos management and asbestos training services are available alongside our fire safety work, giving you joined-up compliance support from a single provider.

Nationwide Coverage

Six regional offices across the UK — in Hertfordshire, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Willenhall, and Newcastle — ensure our fire safety services are delivered wherever your properties are located, at consistent quality and without delay.

ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management

All Life Environmental services are delivered within our ISO 9001-certified quality management system, providing assurance of technical consistency, service quality, and robust documentation across every engagement.

View our Accreditations and Awards.

Additional Fire Safety Surveys

Specialist surveys available on request

Alongside our three core fire safety services, we also carry out specialist surveys where a more detailed inspection of specific fire protection measures is required:

  • Fire door surveys — inspection of fire doors and their components to confirm they will perform as intended.
  • Fire compartmentation surveys — assessment of fire-resisting walls, floors, and service penetrations to identify breaches in passive fire protection.
  • DSEAR assessments — evaluation of fire and explosion risks from dangerous substances in the workplace.

Speak to our team if you would like to discuss any of these alongside a fire risk assessment, fire strategy, or fire engineering appraisal.

FAQs

A fire risk assessment is a structured evaluation of the fire hazards in a building, the people at risk, and the measures in place to protect them. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for almost every non-domestic premises — and for the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings — must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date. It is a legal requirement, and failure to comply can result in enforcement action, unlimited fines, or prosecution.
A fire strategy is a document that sets out how a building is designed and managed to protect life and property in the event of a fire — covering escape routes, compartmentation, fire spread, structural protection, fire service access, and management arrangements. You typically need one for new build, refurbishment, extension, or change-of-use projects, where it provides the rationale that designers, building control, and approved inspectors rely on. Developing a fire strategy early in a project avoids costly redesign and keeps every stakeholder working to the same agreed approach.
Fire engineering applies a performance-based approach to fire safety, using recognised engineering analysis to demonstrate that a building achieves the required level of safety where standard prescriptive guidance does not fit. A fire strategy describes how a building is designed to be safe; fire engineering consultancy provides the technical justification when a building’s geometry, size, heritage value, or design means prescriptive codes cannot reasonably be applied. The two often work together — a fire strategy for a complex building may rely on fire-engineered solutions for specific elements.
A fire risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to believe it is no longer valid — for example, after building alterations, a change of use or occupancy, an increase in the number of occupants, a near miss, or a fire. As a general guide, an annual review is good practice, with a full reassessment typically carried out every few years or sooner if circumstances change. Our team can advise on the right interval for your building.
We deliver fire risk assessments, fire strategies, and fire engineering consultancy across a broad range of sectors, including commercial property, social housing, local authority and public sector buildings, education, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing facilities, care environments, hospitality, and mixed-use residential developments. Whatever the building type or occupancy profile, our specialists have the experience to deliver accurate, practical advice.
Yes. As a multidiscipline environmental compliance consultancy, we provide a broad range of services alongside our fire safety work — including fire door and fire compartmentation surveys; DSEAR assessments; asbestos surveys, management and training; Legionella risk assessments and water hygiene services; and mould inspection and remediation. Many of our clients work with us as a single compliance partner across multiple service areas, simplifying procurement, improving coordination, and reducing overall compliance risk.