Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) – BAFE Scheme SP205

A high-quality fire risk assessment is a vital legal obligation for all non-domestic and commercial premises across the UK

A “suitable and sufficient” fire risk assessment forms the foundation of any building’s fire safety strategy, identifying hazards and providing essential information to the Responsible Person or Duty Holder to manage and reduce risk effectively.

While the appointed person or team may carry out the fire risk assessment themselves, BAFE strongly recommends engaging a provider who holds UKAS-accredited Third-Party Certification if there is any uncertainty regarding capability.

SSAIB is a UKAS-accredited third-party certification body that certifies organisations to the BAFE SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment Scheme. This scheme provides independent assurance that a provider – whether a sole assessor or a larger organisation with a team of assessors – is competent to deliver reliable fire risk assessment services.

The BAFE SP205 Scheme sets out strict criteria to ensure certified providers:

• Maintain a robust and effective management system.
• Appoint only competent fire risk assessors.
• Regularly review the competence of assessors, at intervals not exceeding 36 months.

To achieve certification through SSAIB to the BAFE SP205 Scheme, fire risk assessors must provide strong evidence of:

• Practical experience in fire safety.
• Appropriate and current training.
• Successful application of knowledge in real-world settings.
• Documented Continual Professional Development (CPD).
• The scheme also requires that fire risk assessments be presented clearly and understandably. Reports must include all significant findings, an evaluation of the risks identified, and specific recommendations for risk reduction or elimination.

Each fire risk assessment carried out under the BAFE SP205 Scheme must be reviewed and signed off by a designated Validator within the certified organisation. Validators must meet stringent competency requirements and carry out their reviews independently from the assessor. This validation process provides an additional layer of quality assurance before the assessment is issued to the client.

Selecting a provider certified by SSAIB to the BAFE SP205 Scheme ensures that fire risk assessments are thorough, professionally validated, and meet the highest standards of fire safety competence.