PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment: Section-by-Section Guide for Assessors

Every fire risk assessor working in the UK knows that a PAS 79 fire risk assessment is the benchmark for a credible, defensible report. But knowing the standard exists and actually producing a report structured per PAS 79:2020 — consistently, under time pressure, for different building types — are two very different things.

This guide breaks down all 10 sections of PAS 79:2020 with practical advice you can apply on your next site visit. No theory for the sake of theory. Just the specifics of what belongs where, where assessors commonly trip up, and how to tighten your reports. If you need a ready-to-use template, see our free PAS 79-structured fire risk assessment template.

Why PAS 79:2020 Still Matters for Every Fire Risk Assessment

PAS 79 is published by BSI and was most recently revised in 2020. It is not legislation itself, but it is referenced by enforcing authorities and regularly cited in court proceedings as the expected standard for fire risk assessment reports under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

If your report ends up in front of a fire safety inspector or — worse — an inquest, the first thing they will check is whether the structure and depth of your assessment aligns with PAS 79:2020. A report that skips sections or buries findings in the wrong place erodes your credibility fast.

The 2020 revision sharpened expectations around recording the rationale behind risk ratings, documenting what you did not inspect, and making action plans specific enough to be actionable. If you are still working from habits formed around the older 2012 edition, this guide will flag where you need to update.

The 10 PAS 79 Sections: What Each One Requires

Here is the full section-by-section breakdown. For each, you will find what to cover, what to avoid, and tips from the field.

Section 1: Premises Description

This section sets the scene. A reader — whether that is your client, a fire officer, or a solicitor — should be able to picture the building without visiting it.

Cover the building's age, construction type, number of floors, approximate floor area, and general layout. Note the primary use and any mixed-use elements (e.g., retail at ground floor with residential above).

Common mistake: Being vague. "A medium-sized office building" tells nobody anything useful. "A three-storey 1960s steel-frame office building, approximately 1,200 m², with a single staircase serving all floors" — that is what this section needs.

Include a simple plan or sketch if you can. Photographs of the exterior and key internal features strengthen this section significantly.

Section 2: Relevant Fire Safety Legislation

You need to state which legislation applies to the premises. For most assessments in England and Wales, this is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In Scotland, it is the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and associated regulations. Northern Ireland has its own framework under the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.

If the premises has a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence, the Housing Act 2004 and local licensing conditions are relevant — see our HMO fire risk assessment guide for detailed requirements. Buildings undergoing refurbishment may trigger CDM Regulations or Building Regulations Approved Document B.

Common mistake: Copy-pasting the same legislation block into every report regardless of building type. If you list the Housing Act 2004 for a warehouse with no sleeping accommodation, you look like you are not paying attention.

Keep it brief. A short paragraph or bullet list is sufficient. The point is to show you understand what legal framework governs this particular premises.

Section 3: Fire Hazards and Their Elimination or Reduction

This is the core of the assessment. Here you identify sources of ignition, sources of fuel, and sources of oxygen — the fire triangle — and record what you found on site.

Walk through ignition sources methodically: electrical installations, heating systems, cooking equipment, smoking materials, arson risk, hot work areas, and any process-specific hazards. For each, note what you observed and whether the risk is adequately controlled.

Fuel sources include furnishings, stored materials, building contents, and the building fabric itself. Pay particular attention to combustible cladding, ceiling tiles, and any polystyrene insulation visible in voids — these are exactly the issues that attract regulatory scrutiny post-Grenfell.

Practical tip: Use a consistent sub-structure here. If you cover ignition, then fuel, then oxygen/ventilation in the same order every time, your reports become faster to write and easier to peer-review. AssessKit provides built-in templates structured per PAS 79:2020 that enforce this kind of consistency across your entire caseload.

Common mistake: Listing hazards without recording what controls are already in place. PAS 79:2020 expects you to note both the hazard and the existing mitigation, so that your risk evaluation in Section 8 makes sense.

Section 4: Fire Protection Measures

Document all passive and active fire protection measures present in the building.

Passive measures include compartmentation (fire-resisting walls, floors, and doors), cavity barriers, fire-stopping around service penetrations, protected escape routes, and the fire resistance of structural elements.

Active measures include fire detection and alarm systems (state the category — L1, L2, P1, etc.), emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and other suppression systems, smoke control or ventilation systems, and sprinklers if fitted.

For each, record the type, coverage, and apparent condition. If a fire door has a closer that is not working, note it here. If the detection system is Category L3 but the building use arguably demands L2, flag it.

Common mistake: Saying "fire alarm system present" and leaving it at that. Enforcing authorities expect you to record the category of system, whether you checked a recent test certificate, and whether coverage appears adequate for the building's risk profile.

Practical tip: If you cannot confirm a system category because no documentation was available on site, say so explicitly. PAS 79:2020 expects you to record the limitations of your assessment.

Section 5: Management of Fire Safety

This section assesses the people and processes side of fire safety, not the physical measures.

Cover: Who is the responsible person? Is there a named fire safety manager? Are fire risk assessments reviewed at a documented frequency? Is there a fire safety policy?

Check whether fire drills are conducted and recorded. Ask to see the fire log book. Review maintenance records for fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, and fire door inspections.

Staff training is critical here. Determine whether staff receive fire safety induction training and periodic refreshers. In care homes, hospitals, or HMOs, training requirements are more demanding — make sure your assessment reflects the occupancy type.

Common mistake: Treating this section as a tick-box exercise. A fire log book might exist, but if the last drill was 18 months ago or the last alarm test was weeks overdue, that needs to be recorded clearly — not buried in a passing comment.

Section 6: Occupancy Details

Record who uses the building, when, and in what numbers. Peak occupancy matters for escape route calculations. Note any vulnerable occupants — very young children, elderly residents, people with mobility impairments, or anyone who might need assistance to evacuate.

If the building has variable occupancy (e.g., a conference venue or school), document the range and what scenario you assessed against.

Sleeping risk changes everything. A building where people sleep requires a higher standard of fire detection, means of escape, and structural fire protection. Make this explicit.

Common mistake: Failing to distinguish between occupancy at the time of your visit and the realistic maximum occupancy. Your assessment must account for the worst plausible scenario, not just what you happened to observe on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.

Section 7: Significant Findings

This is where you bring together the output of Sections 3 through 6 into a clear summary of what matters. PAS 79:2020 expects this to be more than a repeat of earlier observations — it is your professional judgement on which hazards and deficiencies are significant enough to require action.

Each significant finding should be specific, traceable to an observation in an earlier section, and clearly linked to a recommended action in Section 9.

Practical tip: Number your significant findings and cross-reference them to your action plan. This makes the report far easier for your client to act on. It also makes it easier for a fire officer to confirm that issues have been addressed during a follow-up visit.

Common mistake: Dumping every observation here, regardless of significance. If a single fire extinguisher is slightly past its service date, that might be worth noting in Section 4, but unless it represents a broader maintenance failure, it probably does not warrant a "significant finding." Reserve this section for the things that actually move the risk needle.

How to Structure Your PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment Report Efficiently

Section 8: Fire Risk Evaluation

Here you assign a risk rating. PAS 79:2020 uses a standard risk matrix approach: likelihood of fire multiplied by consequence of fire to determine overall risk.

Be explicit about your reasoning. State what likelihood category you have assigned and why. State what consequence category you have assigned and why. Then show how these combine into your overall risk rating.

The 2020 revision specifically emphasises that your rationale must be recorded. A risk rating without reasoning is essentially meaningless — anyone reviewing the report cannot tell whether you applied professional judgement or just picked a number.

Practical tip: A three-storey office with modern detection, maintained fire doors, and a trained workforce might be "tolerable risk." The same building with a disabled detection system, wedged-open fire doors, and no evidence of any staff training might be "substantial risk." Spell out the factors that drove your rating.

Common mistake: Assigning a blanket risk rating to the entire premises when different areas have materially different risk profiles. A commercial kitchen has a different risk level to the adjacent dining area. Where differences are significant, assess and rate them separately.

Section 9: Action Plan

The action plan is often the most-read part of your report. Your client will flip straight to it. The fire officer will compare it to what they see on site six months later.

Each action should specify:

• What needs to be done (in plain language)
• Why it needs to be done (linked to a significant finding)
• Priority (using a clear, defined timescale — not vague terms like "soon")
• Who is responsible (by role, not by individual name)

PAS 79:2020 recommends a priority framework. Many assessors use a tiered system: immediate (within 24-48 hours), short-term (within 1 month), medium-term (within 3-6 months), and long-term or advisory.

Common mistake: Writing actions that are too vague to act on. "Improve fire safety management" is not an action. "Appoint a named fire safety manager and document their responsibilities within the fire safety policy — to be completed within one month" — that is an action.

Practical tip: If you find yourself writing more than 30 action items, consider whether you are conflating minor observations with genuine significant findings. An action plan with 50 items is overwhelming for a client and often means the lower-priority items never get done. Focus on the actions that reduce risk most effectively.

Using fire risk assessment software instead of manual report writing, dedicated tools can cut the time you spend formatting action plans by half or more — and they make tracking completion status far easier for your clients.

Section 10: Conclusions and Recommendations

Close the report with a summary of the overall fire risk level, the most critical actions required, and a recommended date for the next review.

State clearly whether, in your professional opinion, the premises meets the requirements of the applicable fire safety legislation — or whether it falls short. If it falls short, summarise the key areas of non-compliance.

Recommend a review date. For most low-to-moderate risk premises, annual review is standard. Higher risk premises — care homes, HMOs, buildings with complex layouts — may warrant six-monthly reviews or reviews triggered by specific events such as a change of use. For detailed guidance on scheduling, see our guide on fire risk assessment review frequency.

Common mistake: Omitting a review date entirely. Without one, your client has no prompt to reassess, and you lose a natural touchpoint for repeat business.

Common Pitfalls Across the Whole PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment Report

Beyond the section-specific issues above, these problems show up repeatedly across assessors' reports:

Failing to state limitations. If you could not access a roof void, a locked plant room, or a tenant's flat, you must record this. PAS 79:2020 is explicit: the scope and limitations of the assessment need to be documented. This protects both you and your client.

Inconsistent terminology. If you call something a "fire-resisting door" in Section 4 and a "fire door" in Section 7, it creates ambiguity. Pick your terms and stick with them throughout.

No photographs. While PAS 79:2020 does not mandate photographs, they dramatically strengthen your report. A photograph of a wedged-open fire door is worth ten lines of description. Photograph significant findings, building features, and any areas of concern.

Overlooking the building exterior. Bin stores against external walls, combustible cladding, and poorly maintained external escape routes are all legitimate fire hazards. Your assessment should not stop at the front door.

Not recording what is working well. PAS 79:2020 expects you to record adequate measures alongside deficiencies. If the fire alarm system is well-maintained and appropriately categorised, say so. This provides a balanced assessment and demonstrates thoroughness.

Making Your PAS 79 Reports Faster Without Cutting Corners

Structuring reports per PAS 79:2020 does not have to mean starting from a blank page every time. The most productive assessors build repeatable systems: standardised section templates, consistent observation checklists, and reusable text blocks for common building types. For practical tips on cutting your write-up time, see our guide on writing fire risk assessment reports faster.

The risk with templates is that they encourage lazy copy-paste. The solution is a template system that enforces the structure while requiring site-specific input in every section. That is the approach behind AssessKit — the section framework is fixed to PAS 79:2020, but every field requires assessor-written, premises-specific content.

If you currently produce reports in Word or PDF and find yourself spending as much time formatting as you do assessing, it is worth looking at how purpose-built tools handle this. Check the pricing page to see whether a dedicated platform fits your practice.

Keep Your Reports Defensible

A PAS 79 fire risk assessment report is a professional document that may be scrutinised by fire officers, solicitors, coroners, or insurers. Every section exists for a reason. Skipping one, or filling it with generic boilerplate, weakens the entire report.

The strongest assessors treat PAS 79:2020 not as a bureaucratic hoop but as a framework that makes their professional judgement visible and traceable. Follow the structure, be specific in your observations, justify your risk ratings, and write action plans that your clients can actually execute.

If you are looking to tighten your workflow and produce reports structured per PAS 79:2020 from your first site visit onward, AssessKit gives you the section framework, built-in guidance, and action plan tracking to do exactly that — without locking you into rigid checklists. See how it works on the pricing page.