Fire safety resources and guides
Not everyone who lands here wants a quote straight away. Sometimes you just need to understand what a fire risk assessment actually covers, who counts as the “responsible person” in a shared building, or how often a fire alarm has to be serviced, before you decide what to do next. This section exists for that: plain explanations of the fire safety topics that come up most often for commercial buildings, written for the person who has to make the decision, not for other fire safety professionals.
These guides sit alongside our services, not instead of them. Where a guide answers “what is this and why does it matter”, the matching service page covers “here is how we do it and what it costs to get started”. Read as much or as little as you need, then use the links through to the relevant service or get in touch if you would rather just talk it through.
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Fire risk assessments
A fire risk assessment is where almost every other fire safety decision starts, so it is worth understanding before anything else on this list.
Commercial fire risk assessment guide explains what a fire risk assessment covers, how it is carried out, and what you should expect to receive at the end of it.
Who is responsible for fire safety? sets out who the “responsible person” is under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including in shared buildings, leased premises and managing agent arrangements where it is less obvious.
Once you know what an assessment involves, our fire risk assessment service covers how we carry one out for your building.
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Fire alarm systems
Fire alarms generate the most questions of any topic here, because the terminology (zones, cause and effect, commissioning) is not always explained in plain terms.
Commercial fire alarm systems explained is the starting point: what a system is made up of, how it is designed around a building, and what standard it is expected to meet.
Fire alarm commissioning explained covers what happens between installation and handover, including the testing and documentation a competent engineer should provide.
Fire alarm zone plans explained looks at what a zone plan shows, why it matters to anyone responding to an alarm, and when one needs updating.
Commercial fire alarm testing, servicing and maintenance explains the weekly, six-monthly and other checks a system needs to stay reliable and compliant.
For the service itself, from design through to servicing and monitoring, see fire alarm systems.
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Fire extinguishers
Commercial fire extinguishers guide explains the different extinguisher types, which ones suit which hazards, and how often they need to be serviced. Our fire extinguisher service covers supply, installation and servicing.
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Emergency lighting
Emergency lighting guide explains what emergency lighting is for, where it is required, and the monthly and annual testing it needs. See emergency lighting for how we design, install and test it.
Fire doors
Commercial fire doors guide covers what makes a fire door actually perform as one, from the door leaf to the seals, hinges and self-closing device, and why a fire door that looks fine can still fail. Our fire doors service covers supply, installation, inspection and remedial work.
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Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection and fire-stopping guide explains how compartmentation and fire-stopping hold a fire back within the building structure, and why gaps left after cabling or pipework go in can undo the rest of the building’s fire safety. See fire-stopping and passive fire protection for the survey and remedial work we carry out.
How these guides connect to the bigger picture
Each of the topics above is one part of a wider system. A fire risk assessment identifies what a building needs, detection and escape lighting warn people and get them out, doors and passive protection hold the fire back, and extinguishers give trained staff a way to tackle it early. Our fire safety page sets out how all of these measures fit together, which is worth reading if you want the whole picture rather than one topic at a time.
Fire risk also depends on what a building is used for. An office, a warehouse and a care home covered by the same law can still need very different answers, which our industries and premises section explains in more detail.
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When you are ready to talk
These guides are here to help you understand what your building needs, not to replace a proper conversation about your premises. Once you have a clearer idea of what applies to you, whether that is a first fire risk assessment, an alarm system that needs bringing up to standard, or fire doors that have not been inspected in a while, tell us about your building and we will talk you through the right next step. We work with businesses across Birmingham, Walsall, Worcester, Worcestershire, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, covering the areas listed on our locations page.
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Tell us about your premises and what you need, and we will get back to you to arrange the next step.