Kingfell Guide KF913 - Second edition: Fire risk assessments for complex buildings (Kingfell Guides)

Around the world, fire risk assessments are increasingly recognised as a fundamental part of a proper fire safety management regime. Furthermore, since the revised 2005 fire safety legislation, they are a legal requirement in the United Kingdom for most building profiles other than domestic dwellings. The fire risk assessment process can be a straightforward exercise; identifying simple fire risks and prescribing basic fire precautions to mitigate or protect against those risks. As the complexity of the building or infrastructure increases, so will the complexity of the fire precautions and protection systems. The layout of escape routes, the use of active and passive fire protection, the management systems, etc. will be much more sophisticated than would be the case for simple building layouts. Paul Bryant, Kingfell s founder and a fire engineer himself, believes that many complex buildings would have been fire risk assessed at some stage as part of the formulation of a fire strategy. Consequently, the assessment process would need to use the strategy and other supporting documents and agreements as a basis for the assessment. Note: New edition planned for early 2017 in a revised format and to include a number of tips for the assessor whilst preparing for the inspection or on site. Watch this space!