Requirement for Fire Risk Assessments covering external residential common areas

[Suttonfire]

Hi All,

Although it is well established that fire risk assessments are required for common areas serving flats, what are your views when flats are served by external common areas only, i.e. maisonettes accessed via a private pathway.

If a fire risk assessment were to be carried out at a property which has internal common areas, consideration would still be given to hazards on external pathways/refuse stores etc, and the potential for external fire spread.

In view of this, would you not consider that a fire risk assessment (although limited in scope) should be undertaken at properties where flats are served by external common areas only (particularly if the landlord is the local council/housing association - responsible for maintaining pathways, gardens, refuse stores etc)?

[AnthonyB]

I'm sure if you are selling FRA's it sounds an excellent idea!

Realistically it's the sort of thing you could cover as a section in an external areas H&S assessment if you desired

[kurnal]

Theres all sorts of issues we could discuss here, the definitions in the Fire Safety Order, the need to record prescribed information etc etc but the bottom line in my opinion is that although the Order does include the external access to premises it does this to provide a means of control should this be needed. It would be absolutely and wholly unnecessary  to record an assessment confined only to these external areas unless for some reason relevant persons were at risk.

[Mike Buckley]

My view is that the FRA should only cover up to a place of ultimate safety which may include external areas. I am thinking of a complex of flats where the  sole MOE from the flats lead down an exterior passageway where there was a front door to a ground floor flat which I recommended should be made up.