Introduction to Fire Safety Management

5.5.3 Identifying who is at risk
The third stage of the risk assessment process involves 
identifying who could be harmed (i.e. who is at risk) and 
how. When considering who is at risk, it is important to 
consider all those who may be affected by the activity 
or be on the premises, as well as those who are directly 
involved. Groups of people who could be at risk may 
include the following:
➤
Those directly involved with work within a facility, or 
undertaking an activity – skilled operatives, trainees, 
new workers
➤
Contractors – new contractors or regular main-
tenance contractors
➤
Visitors – clients, business representatives, consult-
ants, regular visitors, fi rst time visitors, those who 
only use facilities for meetings
➤
Members of the public and passers-by
Figure 5.7
It is important to understand the nature of the 
risks from fi re from hazards such as LPG cylinders
Figure 5.8
Diagram illustrating ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’
Time
Acute
Chronic

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➤
Adults, children (under school leaving age), includ-
ing other people on whose site the activity is taking 
place, etc.
➤
Young persons – under the age of 18 (due to age, 
have limited knowledge, awareness, strength, etc.)
➤
Those who share the building or facilities – other 
employers, staff members and the self-employed
➤
Other persons – those whose building or facilities 
are close enough to be affected by the organisa-
tion’s activities or the result of an emergency within
Introduction to Fire Safety Management
90
Figure 5.9
Building contractors have the potential to 
increase fi re risk
➤
Lone workers – those persons who work on their 
own either in a remote location within a workplace 
or those whose work is peripatetic moving from site 
to site.
In addition, within each group, individual people may be 
at greater risk due to their age, inexperience, compe-
tence, physical condition, etc.:
➤
Disabled/sensory impaired persons
➤
Those with physical impairments or sensory impair-
ment that may prevent awareness or response
➤
Expectant/nursing mothers, who may be more sus-
ceptible to physical/mental stresses.
The assessment should also take into account how 
many people are involved, anyone who is particularly at 
risk and why.