Table of Contents
- Step 1: Identify Fire Hazards in Your Commercial Property
- Step 2: Identify People at Risk
- Step 3: Evaluate, Remove, or Reduce Risks
- Step 4: Record Findings and Prepare an Emergency Plan
- Step 5: Review and Update Your Assessment
- Your Fire Safety Compliance Checklist for Ongoing Maintenance
- How to Verify QBSA Fire License and Insurance
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: September 16, 2026
Step 1: Identify Fire Hazards in Your Commercial Property
A commercial fire risk assessment starts with a systematic walk-through to find anything that could start a fire or feed one. Miss a hazard here and every later decision rests on incomplete information.
Common Ignition Sources and Combustible Materials
Ignition sources generate enough heat to start a fire; combustible materials will burn. The danger multiplies when the two sit close together.
Typical ignition sources in commercial premises include:
- Electrical equipment, overloaded power boards, and damaged wiring
- Cooking appliances, deep fryers, and exhaust hoods
- Heaters, welding equipment, and grinding tools
- Smoking materials and discarded matches
- Faulty lighting and batteries
Combustible materials to look for:
- Cardboard, paper, and packaging stockpiles
- Cleaning chemicals and solvents
- Textiles, furnishings, and foam insulation
- Flammable liquids and gases
- Waste and recycling stored against the building
Step 2: Identify People at Risk
Once hazards are mapped, identify who would be harmed if a fire started and how, staff, customers, contractors, and anyone else on site.
Ask three questions for every area:
- Who is here during normal hours, and who is here after hours?
- Could anyone be sleeping on the premises?
- Would everyone hear an alarm and know the way out?
Step 3: Evaluate, Remove, or Reduce Risks
For each hazard, decide what to do: remove the risk where you can, reduce it where you cannot, and put safety measures in place to manage what remains.
Score Each Risk Before You Spend a Dollar
The harder question is what to fix first with twenty findings and a limited budget. Score every hazard on two axes before committing money:
- Likelihood, how often could this realistically ignite? (Daily exposure scores higher than a once-a-year maintenance task.)
- Consequence, if it did ignite, how many people are in the path, and how fast would the fire spread?
A practical three-tier ranking keeps decisions defensible:
| Tier | Definition | Target timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Priority 1 | Life-safety risk, blocked exits, failed detection, disabled fire doors | Immediate, within days |
| Priority 2 | Spread or escalation risk, combustible storage near ignition, missing compartmentation | Within 30 days |
| Priority 3 | Administrative or housekeeping, signage, records, minor storage issues | Within 90 days |
Build a Remediation Roadmap, Not a Wish List
An assessment that lists actions without sequencing them is a wish list. Turn it into a roadmap by attaching an owner, due date, and cost estimate to every action.
An assessment that identifies hazards but never implements controls is worse than useless. If an incident occurs, an auditor or insurer will ask what you did after the assessment, not what you wrote in it.
Budgeting the Work Over 12 Months
Fire safety spending is rarely a lump sum. A workable annual cycle spreads the load:
- Quarter 1, clear all Priority 1 items and book any statutory testing.
- Quarter 2, complete Priority 2 remediation and any equipment servicing.
- Quarter 3, address Priority 3 housekeeping and refresh staff training.
- Quarter 4, review the assessment, verify all actions closed out, and plan next year’s capital works.
Step 4: Record Findings and Prepare an Emergency Plan
Write everything down. A commercial fire risk assessment that exists only in your head will not satisfy regulators or help anyone during an emergency.
Using a Fire Risk Assessment Template
A fire risk assessment template keeps you from missing sections and makes records consistent across multiple properties. Most follow the same structure as the five steps in this guide.
What a good template includes:
- A property and occupancy description
- A hazard identification checklist
- A people-at-risk section, including vulnerable persons
- A controls and actions table with responsible persons and due dates
- An emergency plan summary
- A review schedule and sign-off
Step 5: Review and Update Your Assessment
A fire risk assessment is a living document, not a certificate you file away. Review it at least annually, and update it whenever something changes.
Triggers for an immediate review include:
- A change of occupancy or new tenant moving in
- Renovation, extension, or a change to the building layout
- New equipment, processes, or stored materials
- An incident, near miss, or fire drill that revealed a problem
- A change in the people on site, such as new night-shift staff
Put the review date in a shared calendar with a reminder two weeks out, and name a backup person. The most common reason assessments go out of date is that the one person who owned it went on leave.
Your Fire Safety Compliance Checklist for Ongoing Maintenance
Use these checklists to keep day-to-day obligations on track between formal reviews. Core obligations are the same across all premises, but the hazards that matter most differ by environment, start with the universal list, then apply the checklist for your business type.
Universal Checklist (All Commercial Premises)
- Fire extinguishers inspected and tagged on schedule
- Smoke alarms and detection systems tested
- Emergency lighting tested and batteries checked
- Fire doors close fully and are never propped open
- Emergency exits clear and unlocked from the inside
- Fire signage visible and undamaged
- Evacuation routes free of stored goods
- Fire drills completed and logged
- Staff trained on equipment use and evacuation
- Records filed and accessible for audit
Office and Low-Risk Environments
Offices carry fewer ignition sources but accumulate hazards nobody owns.
- Server rooms and comms cupboards kept clear of paper and cardboard
- Power boards not daisy-chained, and not hidden under desks or carpet
- Kitchenette appliances (kettles, microwaves, sandwich presses) on a tested circuit and switched off after hours
- E-waste and paper recycling not stored against walls or under stairs
- Hot-desking areas checked for personal heaters, which are a recurring cause of after-hours incidents
- Evacuation plan accounts for visitors and contractors who do not know the floor layout
Retail and Hospitality
High foot traffic, cooking equipment, and public access make this the highest-consequence category for most operators.
- Deep fryers, grills, and exhaust hoods cleaned on a documented schedule, grease build-up in ductwork is one of the most common causes of serious commercial kitchen fires
- Cooking equipment fitted with a fire suppression system and the system serviced on schedule
- Staff trained to isolate gas and power at the source, not just to use an extinguisher
- Stockrooms and back-of-house corridors kept clear, retail floors are usually compliant while the stockroom behind the wall is not
- Flammable retail stock (aerosols, solvents, spirits) stored away from ignition sources and in line with any dangerous goods requirements
- Public exits unlocked during trading hours and staff trained on crowd egress
- Occupancy limits enforced, particularly for licensed venues and function spaces
Warehouse and Industrial
Large open volumes, high fuel loads, and mobile plant create risks that escalate faster than in any other environment.
- Racking and pallet storage kept clear of light fittings and sprinkler heads, a common audit finding is stock stacked to the ceiling and defeating the sprinkler system
- Flammable liquids and gases stored in dedicated cabinets or compounds, with quantities documented
- Hot work (welding, grinding, cutting) controlled by a permit system, with a fire watch during and after the task
- Forklift and battery-charging areas ventilated, with charging equipment inspected and hydrogen build-up managed
- Dust-generating processes (wood, flour, metal) assessed for explosion risk, not just fire risk
- Site access and egress routes kept clear for emergency services, including turning circles and hardstand areas
- Contractors inducted on site fire procedures before starting work
Adapting the Checklist to Your Premises
Generic templates are a starting point, not a finish line. A warehouse and a café have very different hazards, so adapt the checklist rather than ticking boxes that do not apply. If your premises span more than one category, a retail shop with a commercial kitchen and a small warehouse out the back, apply all relevant checklists and note where controls overlap.
| Task | Frequency | Who Owns It |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard walk-through | Monthly | Site manager |
| Extinguisher inspection | Per standard interval | Fire provider |
| Emergency lighting test | Per standard interval | Fire provider |
| Fire drill | At least annually | WHS officer |
| Full assessment review | Annually | Property manager |
How to Verify QBSA Fire License and Insurance
Before you engage any fire protection provider, verify their credentials. This protects you if something goes wrong during testing or installation, and protects your compliance record.
A licence number means nothing until you have checked it against the official register. It takes two minutes and it is the single best protection against unqualified or uninsured work on your property.
Conclusion
Getting a commercial fire risk assessment right is less about paperwork and more about walking your property, asking hard questions, and acting on what you find. Compliant businesses treat the assessment as a working document, not an annual formality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 steps of a fire risk assessment?
The five steps are: identify fire hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate and reduce risks, record findings and prepare an emergency plan, and review regularly. This structured approach applies to any commercial property, from retail shops to warehouses. Following these steps helps you meet legal duties and keep occupants safe. Each step builds on the last, so skipping one weakens the whole assessment.
Can a business owner conduct their own commercial fire risk assessment?
A business owner can conduct a basic assessment if they are competent to do so. Competence means understanding fire hazards, building regulations, and the specific risks of your premises. For complex sites like multi-tenancy strata or industrial warehouses, a qualified fire safety professional is recommended. They can identify risks you might miss and ensure your documentation holds up during an audit.
What documentation must be included in a commercial fire risk assessment?
Your assessment should record the date, the person who conducted it, identified hazards, people at risk, actions taken or planned, and the review date. Include evacuation routes, fire safety equipment locations, and maintenance schedules. A fire risk assessment template helps standardise this. Keep records for at least the period required by your insurer and regulator, as vague reports can fail an audit.
How often should a commercial fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Review your assessment at least annually, or sooner if your premises change, such as new equipment, renovations, or a change in occupancy. High-risk environments like hospitality kitchens may need more frequent reviews. After any fire incident or near miss, update the assessment immediately. Regular reviews keep your fire safety compliance checklist current and demonstrate ongoing due diligence.
