Hi
I just want to make a point on this.
Any fire risk assessment has, of course, to be "suitable and sufficient." What does this mean? Well there are a million opinions on this but a big clue is given in the ACOP to the M of H&SAW Regs 1999 as follows:
"Record keeping demonstrates that an assessment is suitable and sufficient and is helpful for two purposes:-
1. To satisfy management
2. To satisfy the enforcing authorities
In both cases it is easier to demonstrate that an assessment is suitable and sufficient if the record shows not just the conclusion but also the reasoning."
To me, this would tend to indicate that a recording of a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has to be clearly understood by the enforcing authority. A FRA in Chinese (as I have come across) or Spanish or whatever, may be very clear to someone who can read that language but will not be clear to an english speaking fire authority without the additional costs of translation.
Of course, it would take a test case to finalise the matter but I would be surprised if the costs had to be borne by the fire authority.
Stu