September 2026
The client had recently moved into the office and wanted to make the premises compliant. ClearFire carried out a fire risk assessment, with Jon assessing the fire precautions and management arrangements that needed attention.
Jon found that several routine arrangements had not been established. First aider and fire marshal training remained outstanding, fire evacuation drills had not been conducted, and there was no Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) regime in place. Fire extinguishers were also overdue for inspection and maintenance, with their last service recorded in September 2024.
No emergency lighting was installed within the office accommodation or at the rear final exit. No monthly or annual emergency lighting inspections had been undertaken. Jon also identified the need for a manual call point at the rear exit door and fire doors between the office and the common area, and to the kitchen.
Fire compartmentation was limited. A single fire-resisting wall formed the front office area, while the remaining internal divisions were partition walls. The site photographs recorded visible openings around cables passing through wall and ceiling linings, as well as cabling within the suspended ceiling void.
Recorded during the assessment. Grey areas are privacy masks.
Jon recommended completing the outstanding training, introducing evacuation drills and a PAT regime, and arranging the overdue extinguisher maintenance. His recommendations also covered the identified fire doors, the rear-exit manual call point and emergency lighting, with monthly and annual inspection arrangements to be established.
He advised reviewing, formalising and fully documenting the existing fire safety procedures. The findings called for improvements to ongoing management as well as the physical fire precautions within the office.
For the building’s compartmentation, Jon recommended a more detailed fire safety review by a compartmentation surveyor. A suspended ceiling ran throughout the premises, and concealed voids could affect the effectiveness of the fire separation.
The assessment identified the improvements needed following the client’s move and highlighted the need for specialist investigation of the compartmentation. Completion of the recommended works and the specialist review has not been confirmed.
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