Introduction to Fire Safety Management

5.6
Communicating the fi ndings of a risk 
assessment
If risk assessments are going to be more than just words 
in a docu ment then the signifi cant fi ndings need to be 
acted upon. Managers and other staff need to under-
stand the risks in the workplace, what needs to be done 
to control them and what role they have to play in the 
process. The only way for the fi ndings of the risk assess-
ment to be effectively implemented is for them to be 
effectively communicated.
Besides being a requirement of current legislation, 
it is good business sense for the fi ndings of any risk 
assessment to be communicated to all those who may 
be affected. Groups of people who should be provided 
with information should include, but not necessarily be 
limited to:
➤
Employees
➤
Members of the management team (who are likely 
to be involved with implementing the action plan)
➤
Visitors and contractors
➤
Other employers/employees sharing the workplace
➤
Landlord and ‘responsible persons’ (particularly in 
the case of fi re).
There are a variety of different mechanisms by which 
the signifi cant fi ndings can be communicated. It may 
be that providing written copies of the assessment may 
be effective, or the information is included in staff meet-
ings, tool box talks or other formalised programmes. The 
information is also often included in pre-planned training 
sessions as part of both induction and ongoing training 
programmes.
The key issues that should be included in the 
information provided from the fi re risk assessment are 
Figure 5.14
Reviewing and revising risk assessments
Figure 5.15
Communicating the signifi cant fi ndings of 
a risk assessment

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