Introduction to Fire Safety Management

5.5.7 Reviewing and revising the assessment
The assessment must be kept under review to ensure 
that it remains valid for the activity or premises to which 
it relates. If circumstances change, the assessment 
must be reviewed and where new hazards are intro-
duced or the overall risk changes, the assessment must 
be revised, amended or a new assessment completed 
to take account of the changes that have invalidated the 
original assessment.
It should also be noted that when a prioritised 
system for implementing controls is used the assess-
ment should be reviewed at each stage to ensure that 
the required level of control is maintained.
Figure 5.13
A fi re door retaining device – an example of 
the application of technical progress

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
96
Circumstances that may require a review of the any 
risk assessment may include:
➤
Changes 
of:
➤
The premises – internal or external layout
➤
The people affected – numbers, ages, disabilities
➤
The plant or tools – power supplies, heating 
systems
➤
The procedures in place – systems shutdown, 
emergency arrangements
➤
The introduction of new work processes – hot work, 
confi ned spaces mechanical handling
➤
Changes in legislation
➤
As a result of hazard reports
➤
Following a safety event (fi 
re/false alarm or 
accident/incident)
➤
Results of occupational health assessment or 
monitoring
➤
As a result of enforcement action
➤
Following consultation and discussion in a safety 
committee meeting.
Having completed the initial assessment, it is import-
ant to review the whole risk assessment process to 
determine:
➤
The accuracy of the initial assessment
➤
The effectiveness, applicability and practicability of 
the selected precautions
➤
Whether the risk assessment team operated 
effectively.
Risk assessment should not be seen as a ‘one-off pro-
cess’ but as an evolving exercise which continues to 
improve the overall management of safety within the 
workplace.