What is BS 9792:2025?
BS 9792:2025 is the newly introduced Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) – Housing – Code of practice which come into effect on 31/08/2025.
This British Standard supersedes PAS 79‑2:2020, which was withdrawn on 6 August 2021.
As you can see for 4 years there has been no clear format for FRAs in residential buildings and until the newly introduced BS 8674:2025 come into effect on the 31/08/2025, it was down to the fire risk assessor’s competency which until last year, there was no Code of Practice to follow to ensure competency.
BS 8674:2025 is the Built environment framework for competence of individual fire risk assessors Code of Practice. Although not law this framework will be used to evidence competency of the fire risk assessor against.
Relationship with other publications
BS 9792:2025 gives recommendations for fire risk assessments (FRAs) in housing.
FRAs in premises other than housing are covered in PAS 79‑1.
Recommendations for Fire Risk Appraisals of External Wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats (FRAEWs) are given in PAS 9980.
Failure to appoint a demonstrably competent fire risk assessor AND not having a suitable and sufficient FRA 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.
This British Standard provides a methodology and a structured approach to undertaking a fire risk assessment (FRA), for use by competent persons with knowledge of the principles of fire safety. The methodology can be applied to housing premises falling within the scope of the standard, regardless of whether or not an FRA is required by legislation.
For some of the housing premises to which this British Standard applies, the persons, organisations or other entities having control of those premises are required by legislation to carry out an assessment of the fire risks (other than fire risks within private dwellings). The person, organization or other entity on whom a duty is imposed to carry out the FRA is described in different ways in different jurisdictions across the UK. Moreover, this duty can be imposed on more than one person within the same premises (e.g. freeholders, managing agents and management companies).
In BS 9792:2025, the term “duty holder” is used to describe any person, organisation or other entity on whom the relevant fire safety legislation imposes a requirement to carry out an FRA in housing premises.
This British Standard gives recommendations and corresponding examples of documentation for undertaking, and recording the findings of, fire risk assessments (FRAs) in housing premises and parts of housing premises.
This British Standard is applicable to:
This British Standard is not applicable to:
NOTE: The types of premises listed in items 2), 3) and 4) are covered in PAS 79‑1.
This British Standard is not applicable to premises during the construction phase*, before the building is used as housing, but it is applicable to vacant premises.
(*Fire risk assessments are required for construction sites. Nevertheless, fire risk assessments for housing premises, during the construction phase, are outside the scope of this British Standard).
The methodology in this British Standard addresses external walls, but does not cover specialist fire risk appraisals of external wall construction and cladding (FRAEWs). PAS 9980 gives recommendations for undertaking an FRAEW on existing blocks of flats.
The methodology in British Standard 9792 is intended to determine the preventive and protective measures that are necessary to protect occupants of housing premises and people in the immediate vicinity of the premises.
The methodology is not intended to address the safety of firefighters in the event of a fire on the premises*.
(* This means the methodology is not intended to address firefighting operations and tactics used in the event of a fire. Your building is still expected to be compliant with The Building Regulations to ensure compliancy with the Articles contained within the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which are legal duties for relevant duty holders)
It is not intended to address protection of property (the premises and their contents) or the environment, or protection of a business against interruption.
The use of either BS 9792 or PAS 79-1 will depend on premises and use of the building.
Ultimately if your building’s FRA is under taken and formatted to the wrong code of practice your FRA may be not suitable and sufficient. Non compliance is a criminal offence, particularly Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 9 (Fire Risk Assessment). As a result the duty holder may face financial penalties and/or imprisonment. Insurance companies may also withdraw insurance cover for the building/business.
If your FRA is not suitable and sufficient it means the assessor has not assessed your fire risk properly which may leave you vulnerable to becoming non-compliant with various other Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Articles. In the event of a fire this may lead to your fire safety management policies and emergency evacuation procedures failing resulting in injury (serious and/or minor), fatalities, loss of building.
BS 9792 Fire risk assessment – Housing – Code of practice (from 31/08/2025)
The New BS 9792:2025 9 step process:
Leads to > Completed fire risk assessment report.
PAS 79-1, Fire risk assessment – Part 1: Premises other than housing – Code of practice
The PAS 79-1 5 step process:
As you can see there is now a clear emphasis on knowing how the fabric of your building will behave in a fire. Kaden Fire Safety Consultants Ltd. are experienced in undertaking compartmentation surveys, invasive Type 2 & Type 4 FRAs and a range of fire door inspections to help you ensure your building will behave the way it is required to by law and the way it’s required to by you (the RP, leaseholder, tenant, employer etc.) in the event of a fire.
All of our Type 2&4 FRAs, Fire Door inspections, Compartmentation surveys and Fire Stopping inspections are carried out and performed by trained and competent surveyors/assessors who have at least a level 3 certificate or award or Diploma equivalent in Passive Fire Protection and Fire Door Inspections.
We can also help with getting a range of specialist surveys performed such as fire strategy reports, FRAEWs under PAS 9980, post FRA/FRAEW consultation and remedial project work assistance.
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.
