Under UK fire safety legislation, all non-domestic premises are required to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment in place.
This is essential to ensure compliance with current legislation and to protect staff, visitors, and tenants.
Absolute Health Fire Safety provides professional and trusted workplace fire risk assessments across Yorkshire, helping businesses identify and address potential fire hazards before they develop into serious risks.
Whether it’s an office, hotel, school, warehouse, or care home, we regularly identify a range of common fire safety failures during our assessments and provide clear, practical recommendations to resolve them efficiently.
Common fire safety failures found in workplace assessments include:
• Poor housekeeping and unsafe combustible storage
• Inadequate or outdated fire risk assessments
• Insufficient fire safety training for staff
• Faulty or poorly maintained fire safety equipment
• Poorly signed or obstructed escape routes
• Incorrect selection or use of fire extinguishers
• Lack of clear and effective emergency procedures
Need a fire risk assessment in Yorkshire?
Call our team today on 0113 418 2911 or use our online contact form.
Failure #1 – Poor Housekeeping and Combustible Storage
During workplace fire risk assessments across Yorkshire, our expert fire risk assessors regularly identify poor housekeeping and unsafe combustible storage as a major fire safety issue.
This typically includes blocked or partially obstructed escape routes, which can significantly delay evacuation in an emergency. We also regularly find combustible materials stored too close to electrical equipment, heat sources, or ignition risks, which increases the likelihood of fire spread.
In addition, the build-up of waste or general clutter in non-designated storage areas is a recurring issue that further elevates fire risk within the workplace.
• Expert Recommendation: Keep all escape routes clear at all times and implement a designated, regularly monitored storage and waste disposal system.
Failure #2 – Inadequate Fire Risk Assessments
Another common fire safety failure we regularly encounter is missing, outdated, or inadequate fire risk assessments.
In some cases, businesses have previously completed “tick-box” assessments that do not fully reflect the current risks within the premises or provide meaningful actions to improve fire safety.
These assessments often fail to ensure full compliance or effectively protect staff, visitors, tenants, and members of the public.
We also frequently find that fire risk assessments have not been reviewed following significant changes to the building, occupancy, or staffing structure. This can leave gaps in compliance and result in unmanaged fire risks within the workplace.
• Expert Recommendation: Ensure your fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly and updated whenever there are changes to your premises, processes, or occupancy.
Failure #3 – Lack of Fire Safety Training
During fire risk assessments, we can quickly identify whether staff have received adequate fire safety training, including general fire awareness training and fire warden training.
A common issue we encounter is staff uncertainty around evacuation procedures in the event of a fire, or training that has not been refreshed within an appropriate timeframe (typically every 12–18 months, depending on risk and workplace requirements).
In many cases, this lack of ongoing training results in reduced confidence and slower response times during emergency situations. This can significantly impact the effectiveness of an evacuation and increase the overall risk to life and property.
• Expert Recommendation: Make sure all staff receive regular refresher training so they fully understand their roles, responsibilities, and evacuation procedures.
Failure #4 – Faulty Fire Safety Equipment
Fire detection and fire safety systems are routinely inspected during a fire risk assessment, and it is common to identify issues such as non-working fire alarms, out-of-date or unserviced extinguishers, and inadequate or missing emergency lighting.
A lack of regular inspection and maintenance is another key concern we frequently encounter. Without routine checks in place, there is a higher risk that essential fire safety systems may fail when they are needed most.
• Expert Recommendation: Ensure all fire safety equipment is properly maintained, tested, and fully operational for both legal compliance and emergency response.
Failure #5 – Poorly Signed Escape Routes
Another common issue identified during workplace fire risk assessments is poorly signed, obstructed, or unclear escape routes. This can often arise from confusing building layouts, missing or inadequate signage, or escape routes that are partially blocked by storage or equipment.
While these issues are sometimes viewed as minor, they can have serious consequences in an emergency situation where clear and immediate evacuation is critical.
This type of failure is particularly prevalent in offices, warehouses, and larger commercial premises where unfamiliar layouts or poor signage can significantly delay safe evacuation.
• Expert Recommendation: Regularly check that all escape routes are clearly marked, unobstructed, and easy to follow from any point within the building.
Failure #6 – Incorrect Fire Extinguisher Use
Fire extinguishers must be correctly selected, installed, and positioned to ensure they are suitable for the specific fire risks and fire classes they are designed to tackle. During workplace fire risk assessments, we frequently identify issues such as extinguishers being incorrectly placed, poorly positioned, or obstructed, making them difficult to access in an emergency.
In addition, it is common to find that staff are unsure of which extinguisher to use for different fire types, which often links back to a lack of fire safety training.
• Expert Recommendation: Ensure all fire extinguishers are clearly accessible, correctly located, and that staff receive practical training on how to use each type safely.
Failure #7 – Lack of Clear Emergency Procedures
A lack of clear and documented emergency procedures is another serious fire safety failure we regularly identify during workplace fire risk assessments. In many cases, businesses do not have a written evacuation plan in place, or staff are unclear about their roles and responsibilities in the event of a fire.
This is a clear indication of non-compliance and should be addressed immediately.
• Expert Recommendation: Ensure you have a clear written emergency evacuation plan in place, supported by regular fire drills so all staff understand procedures.
Contact Us Today
Need a professional fire risk assessment for your commercial premises in Yorkshire?
Absolute Health Fire Safety provides a full range of fire safety services designed to identify and resolve the issues highlighted in this blog, including fire risk assessments, fire warden training, fire safety awareness training, and assessment reviews.
Fire safety failures can have serious legal, financial, and safety consequences.
Taking proactive action now helps protect your people, your premises, and your business.
Call 0113 418 2911 or use our online contact form to arrange your fire safety consultation.