What is a Fire Risk Management System, and why is it essential?

Failures in fire risk management are often stated as a contributory factor in serious fires.

A fire risk management system consists of a set of policies, processes and procedures that an organisation can use to ensure it can fulfil the tasks required to achieve its objectives.

Some organisations operate an informal fire risk management system, whereas others choose to operate a more formal approach aligned to a specific standard, such as BS 9997:2019.

BS 9997:2019 Fire Risk Management Standard

BS 9997:2019 is a fire risk management system standard which follows a high-level structure compatible with other standards.

BS 9997:2019 adopts the Plan, Do, Check, Act model used for the control and continuous improvement of processes and/or products. The four steps can be described in summary as:

Plan: establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the organisation’s fire policy.

Do: implement the processes.

Check: monitor and measure processes against fire policy, strategic objectives, legal and other requirements.

Act: take actions to improve fire risk management performance continually.

BS 9997:2019 Framework

Any professional auditing a fire risk management system aligned with the BS 9997:2019 Standard would be looking for evidence of the following:

• Leadership commitment and clearly written organisational policies.
• Specific and measurable objectives which demonstrate the organization’s commitment to managing and controlling fire risk alongside a robust strategy for managing changes.
• Demonstrable resources, competence and communication to ensure that all parties clearly understand their roles and responsibilities relevant to fire-related activities.
• Well-written fire risk assessments, maintenance and testing schedules, emergency procedures and contractor arrangements demonstrating good practice at operational level.
• A thorough performance evaluation of business objectives and activities with demonstrable initiatives for continuous improvement.

Article 11 of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to implement an effective monitoring and management system.

The Building Safety Act 2022 also requires the implementation of a safety management system to manage building safety risks and includes tough new sanctions for those in breach of the law.

Drivers of a Fire Risk Management System

• Assurance that all legislative requirements have been identified and that the organisation is compliant.
• Improved overall management of fire-related risks.
• A consistency of approach across multiple sites to the management and control of fire risks.
• Ensuring that key fire safety objectives are put into action.
• A more efficient distribution of resources to enable risks to be managed to as low as reasonably practicable.
• A holistic approach to fire risk management in premises from design, through to construction and occupation.
• Assurance for stakeholders that fire risks are being well-managed and that the organisation can react to changes in the fire risk profile.

Why choose us?

Fire risk management can be seen as an organisational risk that requires the application of a formal management system to control those risks.

There are a number of benefits to implementing a fire risk management system regardless of size and structure.

With specialist knowledge of the technical and legal landscape as well as extensive auditing experience, we can help you implement a comprehensive Fire Risk Management system and/or deliver a consistent and bespoke auditing programme against any current arrangements.

Contact Rebecca Usher Usher or Rachel Dobson Dobson for more information.