Fire Risk Assessment
Sunderland

Areas We Urgently Assess

• City Centre — high-rise flats and retail
• Student HMOs near the university
• Nissan Plant (Washington) — automotive manufacturing
• Stadium of Light — matchday safety
• Sunderland Docks — port industry

Common Mistakes in Sunderland

• 11m+ flats missing the monthly flat-door check regime
• Student HMO common parts not assessed under Article 9 RRO 2005
• Converted industrial units used as offices without a completed FRA
• Not co-ordinating duties across mixed-use schemes

Book Online

Select a date that suits you. We cover all of Sunderland and typically offer appointments within the same week.

Assessor Visits

A NEBOSH-qualified HawkSwift assessor visits your Sunderland premises and conducts a thorough inspection against RRO 2005 requirements.

Report in 48hrs

Your full court-defensible fire risk assessment report is delivered within 48 hours — ready for inspectors, insurers, and your records.

Do I legally need a fire risk assessment in Sunderland?

Yes. Under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any non-domestic premises in Sunderland must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and keep it up to date. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing fire and rescue authority for Sunderland, but the duty to hold the assessment sits with the responsible person — not with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, responsible persons must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Buildings over 11m require monthly flat entrance-door checks and quarterly common-parts checks.

What fire risks are most common in Sunderland?

Across the North East area, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service attends incidents in Sunderland's non-domestic premises — a large town where mixed-use and multi-occupied buildings are common. Premises types we most often assess here include: Sunderland city centre — high-rise flats, mixed-use towers and the retail core; Student HMOs and houses in multiple occupation (common parts need an FRA under Article 9 RRO 2005); Retail, hospitality and night-time-economy venues; Industrial units, warehouses and manufacturing sites.

What are the most common fire safety mistakes in Sunderland?

The most frequent compliance failures we see in Sunderland are: the responsible person assuming Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service will inspect on their behalf — the duty to hold a suitable and sufficient assessment sits with the responsible person, not the fire and rescue service.; Forgetting that common parts (stairs, corridors, shared kitchens) require an FRA under Article 9 of the RRO 2005 even where rooms are let individually; Mixed-use buildings (shop below, flats above) where the commercial and residential responsible persons fail to co-ordinate; Buildings over 11m where monthly flat entrance-door checks are a legal duty under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

How much is a fire risk assessment in Sunderland, and how fast?

Fixed-fee from £199 + VAT for a small premises in Sunderland, rising with floor area, occupancy type and number of buildings. We cover Sunderland and the surrounding North East with NEBOSH-qualified assessors, typically same-week appointments, and your court-defensible RRO 2005 / PAS 79 report is delivered within 48 hours.