Fire Risk Assessment vs Fire Safety Policy: Key Differences
A fire risk assessment (FRA) and a fire safety policy are two of the most commonly confused documents in UK fire compliance. They are not interchangeable — each has a distinct legal purpose under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005), and most businesses need both.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a systematic evaluation of your premises to identify fire hazards, the people at risk, and whether your existing precautions are adequate. Under Article 9 of the RRO 2005, the responsible person must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment and keep it up to date.
An FRA is premises-specific and evidence-based. A competent assessor inspects the building, records significant findings, and produces an action plan with priorities and deadlines. It answers the question: *what could go wrong here, and what are we doing about it?*
What is a fire safety policy?
A fire safety policy is a written statement of how your organisation manages fire safety. It sets out responsibilities, arrangements, and procedures — who does what, how staff are trained, how evacuation is coordinated, and how the assessment is reviewed.
Where the FRA is about the *building*, the policy is about the *organisation*. It typically names the responsible person, deputy fire wardens, training schedules, evacuation procedures, and record-keeping arrangements.
The key differences at a glance
| | Fire Risk Assessment | Fire Safety Policy | |---|---|---| | Focus | The premises and its hazards | The organisation and its procedures | | Legal basis | Article 9, RRO 2005 | Articles 11–21, RRO 2005 | | Content | Hazards, people at risk, findings, action plan | Responsibilities, training, evacuation, review | | Frequency | Reviewed annually or after significant change | Reviewed with the assessment | | Who writes it | A competent person / qualified assessor | The responsible person, informed by the FRA |
Do you need both?
In almost every case, yes. The FRA identifies the risks; the policy puts the arrangements in place to manage them. If you employ five or more people, the significant findings of your FRA must be recorded (Article 9), and your policy should reference the assessment and its action plan.
A policy without a current FRA is guesswork. An FRA without a policy means the findings may never be acted on.
How HawkSwift helps
HawkSwift produces court-defensible fire risk assessments that feed directly into your fire safety policy and action plan. Our NEBOSH-qualified assessors document significant findings in line with PAS 79, so your policy rests on real evidence rather than a generic template.
Book a fire risk assessment and we'll deliver the findings your policy needs — from £199 + VAT, with a report in 5 working days.
*General guidance, not formal legal advice — for advice on your specific duties, consult a qualified fire safety professional.*