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Do you really need a new fire risk assessment every year?

By Pete · WestCountry Safety · 4 min read

It’s one of the most common questions I get from hotel and holiday-park owners: “Someone told me I need a brand-new fire risk assessment every year — is that true?” The short answer is no, not usually. The law asks for something more sensible than that.

What the law actually says

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must make a “suitable and sufficient” fire risk assessment and keep it up to date. It doesn’t set a fixed annual deadline. What it expects is that your assessment reflects your premises as they are now.

A fire risk assessment isn’t a certificate you renew. It’s a living picture of your building that has to stay accurate.

When a review is enough

If nothing significant has changed, a documented review — rather than a full reassessment — is often perfectly appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to review it every year and reassess when something material changes, such as:

• Building work, a layout change, or a new extension
• A change of use for part of the site
• A significant increase in guests or staff
• A near-miss, a fire, or a new hazard being introduced

When you do need a fresh assessment

If your last assessment is several years old, was done before recent building work, or you’re honestly not sure it reflects the site any more, it’s worth starting fresh. The same is true if the previous one reads like a generic template rather than something specific to your premises.

The practical takeaway

Don’t pay for a full reassessment every year out of habit — but don’t let a good assessment quietly go stale either. Diarise a yearly review, and reassess when the building changes. If you’re not sure which camp you’re in, that’s exactly the kind of quick question I’m happy to answer.