4 ways to automate a fire risk assessment

#1 - Simple assessment

Who it's for: Single-site businesses recording the fire risk assessment themselves, where you know the building and just need a clear, structured record.

What it is: A fire risk assessment records each fire risk, the people it could harm, the controls in place, and any further action. This version keeps each risk in one group: what the hazard is, who might be harmed and how, the controls already in place, the risk level with those controls, and any further action. You add one group per risk. A fire risk assessment is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for almost all non-domestic premises.

Available on: Basic.

In practice: A single-site cafe owner works through the building. For the hazard "deep-fat fryer", they note who's at risk (kitchen staff, customers), the controls (fixed suppression, training, no overfilling), rate it medium, and note the further action: service the suppression system. Next risk, next group.

Why it works: Each risk's five answers live in one group, so a control can never be recorded without the hazard and who it protects beside it. That's what makes the assessment defensible, and what an inspector or insurer reads.

Steps included:

• 1 grouped assessment (one group per fire risk): hazard, who's at risk, controls in place, risk level, further action
• Duplicate the group for each fire risk

When to upgrade:

1. A manager rather than a fire specialist is doing the assessment
2. You want photo evidence of the hazards and controls
3. You run more than one site and need a signed, dated record

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Businesses where a manager, not a fire specialist, completes the assessment and needs the method in front of them.

What it is: The simple assessment with a guidance note in the group. It explains how to work through fire risks: sources of ignition, fuel, and people at risk (especially anyone who can't easily escape); and the order of controls, remove or reduce the risk first, then protect people with detection, alarms, escape routes, and equipment.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. The method for finding fire risks is on screen as you assess
2. The manager knows the order of controls, not just to list them
3. The assessment is consistent whoever completes it

Why it works: The guidance sits in the group with the fields, so the person assessing reads the method as they work. It turns a specialist's approach into a prompt anyone competent can follow.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the group (how to assess fire risk, order of controls)
• 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action

When to upgrade: When the assessment needs photo evidence of hazards and controls (Fire RA #3), or a signed, dated record (Fire RA #4).

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Businesses that want to show the state of hazards and controls, not just describe them, useful for insurers and for tracking action over time.

What it is: The guided assessment plus a photo in the group. A photo of a blocked fire exit, a serviced extinguisher, or a clear escape route is evidence of the condition at the time of the assessment, far stronger than a written line.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A photo of the hazard or control, captured at the time
2. Evidence an insurer or fire officer can see, not just a description
3. A visual baseline to compare against at the next review

Why it works: A photo ties the assessment to the actual condition of the building. If a control later fails or a hazard returns, you have a dated record of how it looked when assessed.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the group (how to assess fire risk, order of controls)
• 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action
• 1 photo in the group (the hazard or control)

When to upgrade: When the assessment needs a named, dated sign-off for an audit or multi-site standard (Fire RA #4).

#4 - With photo and signature

Who it's for: Multi-site groups where each site's fire risk assessment has to be signed, dated, and reviewable from head office.

What it is: The photo assessment plus a signature in the group. The assessor signs to confirm the assessment and set a review date. A fire risk assessment has to be a "suitable and sufficient" record by a competent person; the signature is what makes it a named, dated, accountable document.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A signature confirming who assessed and when
2. A clear point to set the next review date
3. A complete record (assessment, photo, signature) an enforcing authority treats as best practice

Why it works: A fire risk assessment is a legal document that has to be owned by someone competent and reviewed. The signature turns the record into exactly that, and across sites it lets a safety lead confirm every premises has a current, signed assessment.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the group (how to assess fire risk, order of controls)
• 1 grouped assessment: hazard, who's at risk, controls, risk level, further action
• 1 photo in the group (the hazard or control)
• 1 signature in the group (assessed by)

When to upgrade: When you want Poppi to remind you when the assessment is due for review, or pull every site's fire risk assessments into one report. Those versions are coming in the next post update.

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Just answer three questions.

Is it just you assessing, or does a manager do it?

If you do it yourself and know how to assess fire risk, a plain assessment is enough. The moment a manager who isn't a fire specialist does it, the method needs to be on screen. If only you assess, #1 is fine. If a manager does, start at #2.

Do you need evidence, or is a written record enough?

A written assessment meets the duty. Photos make it stronger for insurers and for tracking action. If a written record is enough, stop at #2. If you want evidence of hazards and controls, #3 adds photos.

Does it need a signed, dated sign-off?

A fire risk assessment should be owned by a competent person and reviewed. For a single site, the record can stand alone. Across sites, an auditor wants a signature on each. If no sign-off is needed, #3 is enough. If you run more than one site, #4 adds a signature.

Related workflows

• Kitchen risk assessment - the kitchen's own hazards, including fire sources
• Fire alarm testing - the weekly check that one of your fire controls works
• Fire extinguisher check - keeping the extinguishers ready

Conclusion

A fire risk assessment is a legal document that has to be current, competent, and acted on, and the records are the first thing an enforcing authority asks for. The versions above move from a simple structured assessment to a signed, photo-backed record, so what you keep holds up.

Five more versions are coming in the next refresh that bring AI into the assessment. Poppi can remind you when a review is due, and pull every site's fire risk assessments into one report. Those need more review time and will land separately.

→ Build your own fire risk assessment on Pilla. The Basic plan unlocks the simple assessment today.