BS 8674:2025 is the UK code of practice that sets out a clear framework for the competence of individual fire risk assessors.
While it is not legislation, it represents the most up-to-date and authoritative benchmark for demonstrating competence under current fire safety law.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as strengthened by the Building Safety Act 2022, responsible persons (RP) have a legal duty to:
• Carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, and
• Appoint competent persons to assist them (unless the RP has the required competency level).
In the event of enforcement action, a fire, or a serious incident, enforcing authorities and courts will ask: “How did the responsible person satisfy themselves that the assessor they appointed was competent for this premises?”
BS 8674:2025 is increasingly likely to be used to answer that question, as it now the Code of Practice framework for competency for fire risk assessors.
Failure to appoint a demonstrably competent fire risk assessor may result in:
• enforcement notices requiring reassessment,
• prosecution with unlimited fines,
• increased scrutiny of directors and senior managers,
• invalid or unreliable fire risk assessments,
• increased civil liability and insurance challenges following an incident.
Importantly, legal responsibility cannot be delegated. Reliance on a contractor does not remove liability from the
responsible person.
The standard defines:
• levels of fire risk assessor competence,
• the knowledge, skills and experience required for different building risk profiles,
• ongoing competence and professional development expectations.
It provides a defensible benchmark against which assessor competence can be judged.
If your fire risk assessment were audited today, could you clearly evidence that the assessor you appointed was competent for the complexity and risk of your premises?
Fire risk assessments are no longer judged solely on whether one exists — they are
judged on who carried them out and whether they were competent to do so. BS 8674:2025 sets out the nationally recognised framework for the competence of
individual fire risk assessors.
While not law, it is rapidly becoming the benchmark used by enforcing authorities, insurers, and courts when assessing whether responsible persons have met their legal duties. Kaden Fire Safety have risk assessors on IFSM’s NFRAR (National Fire Risk Assessors Register) and validators who can undertake foundation level to advanced level FRAs and we are aligned with BS 8674:2025.
As a company comprising of BAFE SP205 scheme approved validators Intermediate & advanced-level fire risk assessors, our approach is built around:
Our service is designed to protect you not just operationally — but legally, should your fire risk assessment ever be scrutinised. Because the real test of a fire risk assessment is not the day it’s written — it’s the day it’s challenged.
