Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Figure 5.5
HSE’s 
Five Steps to Risk Assessment 
guide
In its own fi re safety guidance documents HM Gov-
ernment has adopted a very similar approach in its guid-
ance on how an assessment of fi re risks can be achieved 
(Chapter 14).
The above steps identify the basic process of risk 
assessment and are discussed in more detail later in this 
chapter.
In order for organisations to conduct suitable and 
suffi cient risk assessment and ensure that all risks 
arising from work activities are identifi ed, evaluated and 
effectively controlled it is necessary to adopt a system-
atic approach to conducting risk assessments. It is likely 
that any such approach which require organisations to 
perform the following stages:
➤
Preparing an activity inventory that clearly identi-
fi es the types of workplace/s, any activities and 
pro cesses that are to be assessed

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
88
➤
Identifying the signifi cant hazards involved (some-
thing with the potential to cause harm, etc.) for each 
area, or task included in the inventory
➤
Identifying all persons who may be harmed by iden-
tifying various groups of people and considering the 
numbers of individuals from each group who may be 
harmed
➤
Evaluating the levels of residual risk taking into 
account the risk control measures that are already in 
place
➤
Applying (where necessary) additional control meas-
ures that may be required to reduce the risk to the 
lowest level reasonably practicable
➤
Recording the signifi cant fi ndings of the assess-
ment, which is a legal requirement when fi ve or more 
persons are employed
➤
Reviewing and where necessary revising the risk 
assessment
➤
Communicating the fi 
ndings to all appropriate 
persons.