Fire risk assessments
Find out what a Fire Risk Assessment is, how it helps with fire safety and what you can do to read one for your building.
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) describes the communal areas of a building. The FRA shows any possible fire hazards (such as a build-up of rubbish), checks the fire safety measures in place (like fire doors) and recommends any extra controls that should be put in place to stop, control and reduce the effects of a fire.
How we carry out Fire Risk Assessments
In Islington, we carry out FRAs on all of the council’s social housing – that's any purpose-built block of flats or converted street property that has shared communal areas.
A member of our fire safety team inspects the building and puts together a report. We share the report – including any major problems and recommendations –with departments across the council, who carry out any necessary work.
Our FRA survey is based on national guidance and includes new requirements from the Fire Safety Act 2021. The FRA will:
- find and recommend solutions to any fire hazards
- work out how likely a fire is to happen
- check how good fire protection measures are
- consider any extra fire protection measures that might be needed
- check the overall fire risk
- work out what the results of a fire would be
- create an action plan to deal with any issues
- set the date when works should be finished
- make a review date for the FRA.
Understanding your Fire Risk Assessment
Each FRA includes an overall assessment of fire risk within the building. The FRA front page includes an overall fire risk rating.
Risk ratings
- Tolerable: The lowest-risk rating. Most blocks in Islington are in this category. We will inspect properties that are smaller than 18m or six floors or less in height at least every three years.
- Moderate: Many larger blocks are in this category, often because of the number of flats and large number of people living there. We will reinspect all blocks rated as moderate within 12 months. We will inspect all blocks of 18m or seven floors or more (high-rise buildings) every year whatever their overall risk rating.
- Substantial: Rare. This rating is based on one or two significant issues. We reinspect all blocks with a substantial rating within three months.
- Intolerable risk: The highest risk category means we need to take action straight away to make sure people living in the building are safe. Immediate actions are usually about one concern. For example, liquid petroleum gas cylinders in communal areas, which are a major fire hazard. We review FRAs for these blocks within one month.
We take action on any urgent issues from the FRA straight away, followed by any other issues in order of importance.
We need to solve these issues straight away:
- liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders
- blocked emergency exits
- charging/storage of mobility scooters or e-bikes.
We will send all other issues, such as routine repairs (for example, missing or broken door closers), to the Estate Services team and decide a time period for when it should be done.
Who to contact for problems about safety
| Who to contact | Issue |
|---|---|
| Tenancy Management | A tenant breaks any conditions of living in their home, including storing things outside like gas cylinders or flammable waste. |
| Estate Services | Any vehicles including bikes, scooters, mobility scooters have been left in communal areas. If rubbish or bulky waste needs removing from communal areas. If rubbish bins aren't locked. |
| Estate Maintenance Team/Housing Repairs Service | If there are repairs needed in communal areas - they will send the Housing Repairs Service or a contractor for some repairs. |
| Cyclical Improvement Programme/Fire Safety Works Team | Dealing with long-term improvements or upgrade works which are considered part of future capital work programmes, for example installing emergency lighting. |
| Cyclical Testing Team | For testing and maintenance of dry or wet rising mains(used by the fire brigade), emergency lighting and fire detection/warning systems. |
| Housing Safety and Compliance Team | Giving residents fire safety information, changes to fire safety strategy, or surveys where tenants must be involved. |
| Tenancy Management Organisation (TMO) or Co-Op | Where a TMO or Co-Op is involved, there may be some issues that they can help fix or solve. |
| Building Safety Liaison team | If you live in a high-rise building and see something that could cause a fire or structural damage to the building then email the team on HRBSafetyTeam@islington.gov.uk. |
How to read your FRAs
If you live in a high-rise building
We publish FRAs for high-rise buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022 through the online building safety system, Twinnedit.
If you do not live in a high-rise building
Tenants and leaseholders who do not live in a high-rise building can still access the FRA for their building by emailing the Building Safety Team on FireSafety@islington.gov.uk. This inbox is only for FRA queries about council-owned housing stock.
If you live in Housing Association or private renting
If you are a Housing Association resident or privately renting, you can report an issue to Residential Environmental Health for them to investigate.
For commercial properties
For questions about commercial properties, visit the Environmental Health webpage.