Pub & Restaurant Fire Risk Assessments for busy trading environments

Customers see the front of house. The greatest risks often sit behind it. Fire risk assessments for pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

What we find

The busiest areas are rarely the highest risk.

Most hospitality businesses focus on service, staffing and customer experience. Fire risk develops elsewhere, in kitchens, storage areas, plant spaces, delivery routes and the routines that happen before opening and after closing.

The challenge is that trading environments change constantly. Menus evolve, equipment is replaced, layouts shift and occupancy levels fluctuate throughout the year.

ClearFire assesses pubs and restaurants as operational businesses, reviewing customer areas, kitchens, storage spaces and fire safety arrangements together to create a realistic picture of risk.

The busiest areas are rarely the highest risk.

The issues that appear most often in pubs and restaurants

Drawn from recurring findings identified across hospitality venues, dining establishments and licensed premises.

Kitchen extraction systems

Grease accumulation, missed cleaning schedules and poorly maintained extraction systems remain among the most common fire safety concerns in commercial kitchens.

Fire door misuse

Fire doors wedged open between kitchens, service corridors and customer areas, reducing compartmentation where it matters most.

Combustible storage

Packaging, supplies and waste stored too close to cooking equipment, extraction systems or other potential ignition sources.

Gas shut-off awareness

Kitchen staff unsure how to isolate gas supplies during an emergency or unaware of emergency shut-off locations.

Gas shut-off awareness

Furniture layouts, deliveries and temporary storage reducing the effectiveness of escape routes during busy trading periods.

Staff turnover

New starters unfamiliar with evacuation procedures, fire safety responsibilities or the emergency arrangements for the premises.

Detection coverage

Fire detection arrangements no longer reflecting changes to layouts, occupancy levels or operational areas within the venue.

Late-night trading

Occupancy patterns changing significantly between daytime and evening service, creating different evacuation and management challenges.

Maintenance records

Inspection, servicing and testing records incomplete, outdated or unavailable when requested by insurers or authorities.

Built around trading realities

Your assessment arrives as a signed PDF with a management summary, photographic evidence linked to every finding and a separate evidence appendix suitable for insurers, landlords and licensing stakeholders.

Actions are grouped by priority, helping operators understand what requires immediate attention, what can be scheduled and what should be monitored as part of normal venue management.

P1

Immediate

Within 14 days · risk to life
P2

Short-term

Within 3 months · serious
P3

Medium-term

Within 12 months · moderate
P4

Advisory

Best-practice · advisory
Request a redacted sample FRA
Client Voice

I highly recommend Kevin Bonnar for fire risk assessments. He is incredibly professional, punctual, and conducted an extremely thorough inspection of our property.

Dr. Mersedeh Dad Mohammadi
Verified Google review
★★★★★ · Bonnar FRA
Case Study

How we run multi-site fire compliance as one programme.

For clients with several buildings, we run every site to one report format, one assessor relationship and one annual review cycle, so your responsible person and insurer see a consistent evidence trail across the whole portfolio.

4 Reduction in open compliance findings year-on-year
2 compliance findings year-on-year

Licensing visit approaching? Stay prepared.

Request same-week visit

Everything you need to know about pub and restaurant fire risk assessments.

Still have questions?

If you're unsure what applies to your venue, speak directly with the assessors who carry out the work. You'll get practical guidance based on how the business operates.

Yes. Pubs, restaurants and licensed premises are generally required to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment under fire safety legislation.

Yes. Kitchens are often one of the most significant fire risk areas within hospitality premises and form an important part of the assessment.

Yes. Customer areas, circulation routes and means of escape are reviewed alongside operational spaces.

Kitchen extraction maintenance, fire door misuse, storage practices and staff training gaps are among the most common findings.

The assessment can provide supporting evidence that fire risks have been reviewed and managed appropriately.

Yes. Temporary seating, event layouts and operational changes can affect escape routes and occupancy arrangements.

Insurers may request evidence that fire risks have been identified and managed appropriately.

Reviews should take place whenever significant changes occur and as part of ongoing fire safety management.

Related services

Retail

The public sees the shop floor. The responsibility extends far beyond it. Fire risk assessments for retail premises across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, built around customers, staff and day-to-day trading.

Explore service

Airbnb & Serviced Accommodation

Guests change every few days. The responsibility does not. Fire risk assessments for Airbnb properties, serviced accommodation and short-let portfolios across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

Explore service

Small Business

Most business owners are not fire safety specialists. They still carry the responsibility. Fire risk assessments for small businesses across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, written to be understood and acted upon.

Explore service
URGENT FIRE SAFETY REQUEST

Insurer deadline this week? Enforcement notice landed?

PARTNER LINE · 24 / 7 01844 896967