Fire Risk Assessment Action Plans: How to Track Findings to Completion

A fire risk assessment that identifies deficiencies is only useful if those deficiencies get fixed. The action plan is the part of your report that turns observations into outcomes — and it is the section your client, their insurer, and any enforcing authority will scrutinise most closely.

Too many action plans fail at the same points: vague descriptions, missing deadlines, no assigned responsibility, and no mechanism for tracking completion. This guide covers how to write action plans that work and how to track them through to closure.

What an Action Plan Must Include

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must implement the preventive and protective measures identified by the fire risk assessment. Your action plan is the documented record of what needs to happen.

Each action item should specify:

What the deficiency is (linked to a specific finding in your assessment)
What needs to happen to resolve it (in plain, actionable language)
Priority level with a defined timescale
Who is responsible (by role — facilities manager, landlord, building owner)
Target completion date
Evidence of completion (photo, certificate, contractor invoice)

PAS 79:2020 recommends a priority framework. A widely used approach:

Priority	Timescale	Examples
Immediate	Within 24-48 hours	Blocked fire exit, disabled fire alarm, combustibles in escape route
High	Within 1 month	Missing fire door closers, overdue alarm service, no fire action notices
Medium	Within 3-6 months	Emergency lighting gaps, outdated fire safety policy, staff training refresh
Low / Advisory	Within 12 months	Improved signage, cosmetic fire door repairs, documentation improvements

Writing Actions That Get Completed

The difference between an action plan that collects dust and one that drives change is specificity.

Vague (fails): "Improve fire door maintenance."

Specific (works): "Replace missing intumescent strips on FD30 door to ground-floor stairwell (Door Ref: FD-GF-03). Install 15mm x 4mm intumescent strip to head and both jambs. Engage fire door contractor. Complete within 1 month. Photograph completed work."

Every action should pass this test: could someone who was not present during your assessment read this action item and know exactly what to do, where to do it, and by when?

Tracking Completion: Methods That Work

Spreadsheet tracking

The baseline approach. Create a shared spreadsheet with columns for finding reference, action description, priority, responsible person, target date, status, and completion evidence. Share it with the responsible person.

Limitation: Spreadsheets do not send reminders. If the responsible person forgets, the spreadsheet sits untouched until your next visit.

Follow-up visits

Schedule a follow-up visit 4-8 weeks after the assessment to verify high-priority actions. This is standard practice for complex sites and is expected by many enforcing authorities for high-risk premises.

Build follow-up visits into your fee structure. If you quote separately for the initial assessment and a follow-up, clients treat the follow-up as optional. If you include it in your standard service, completion rates improve.

Digital tracking

Dedicated fire risk assessment software can automate much of this: actions auto-created from findings, status tracking (open → in progress → complete), due-date reminders, and evidence upload. The time saving is significant when you are managing action plans across 20+ sites.

Common Action Plan Mistakes

Writing too many actions. An action plan with 50 items overwhelms the client. Focus on the items that actually reduce risk. Minor observations can go in the body of the report without becoming formal actions.

No completion evidence. If a client tells you they fixed a fire door but you have no photo or contractor certificate, you have no evidence trail. If an enforcing authority asks, "Was this resolved?" you need to answer with documentation.

Missing the follow-through. Producing the action plan is not your only obligation. Under Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order, the assessment must be reviewed "regularly." If you return for a review and find that high-priority actions from the previous assessment remain unresolved, that becomes a significant finding in the new report.

Actions without owners. "The building should have an emergency lighting test" is not an action — it is a wish. Assign every action to a named role with authority and budget to complete it.

Linking Action Plans to Review Dates

Your action plan and your review date recommendation should work together. If you have set 15 actions with a 6-month completion target, recommending the next review in 12 months leaves a 6-month gap with no oversight.

Consider recommending a shorter review interval — or an interim check — when the action plan is substantial. This protects both your client and your professional reputation.

Build Action Plans Into Your Workflow

The most effective assessors build action plan management into their standard workflow rather than treating it as an afterthought. Photograph every deficiency on site, note it immediately with a priority and recommended action, and generate the action plan as part of your report rather than as a separate step.

AssessKit is being built to handle this: findings become trackable actions with priorities, due dates, and evidence upload — automatically linked to the site and client record. No separate spreadsheet needed. Join the waitlist to be notified when it launches.

Sources

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Article 9 — UK Legislation
PAS 79:2020 — Fire risk assessment: Guidance and a recommended methodology — British Standards Institution