Enforcement in Pembrokeshire sits with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Knowing what they ask for takes most of the fear out of it.
An audit is not a raid. It is a structured check that the responsible person has done what the law requires, and it usually starts with a request for a document.
The recorded fire risk assessment, in full. Since 1 October 2023 that applies to every responsible person in Wales regardless of headcount, so “we are too small” is no longer an answer.
How you plan, organise, control, monitor and review the preventive measures. In a small business that is a page. It still has to exist and be written down.
Alarm tests, emergency lighting tests, extinguisher servicing, drills and training. A working alarm nobody records testing is worth less than you think at this point.
Escape routes, doors, storage, housekeeping, signage. They will compare what they see against what your assessment claims, and a gap between the two is worse than a shortcoming you had already identified.
Anything from informal advice to a notice with a deadline. Most outcomes are advisory where the assessment is genuine and the actions are in progress.
An honest assessment with outstanding actions on it lands far better than a tidy one that does not match the building.
Officers see a great many premises. A document that identifies real problems and shows a plan reads as a business taking it seriously. A document that says everything is fine, in a building where the back door is padlocked, reads as the opposite, and it moves the conversation from advice to enforcement.
That is why we write findings plainly rather than softening them. The assessment is meant to be useful to you, not flattering.
Sometimes, not always. Audits can be scheduled, triggered by a complaint, or follow an incident at similar premises. A fire officer can attend without notice.
An alterations notice requires you to tell the fire authority before you make certain changes. An enforcement notice tells you to put something right by a stated date. A prohibition notice is more serious again and can stop you using part or all of the premises immediately.
A prohibition notice can restrict or prohibit use of premises where the risk to people is serious. It is not common, and in our experience it almost always follows a blocked or locked escape route rather than a paperwork failure.
The recorded fire risk assessment, then the fire safety arrangements, then the test records for the alarm and the emergency lighting. If the first one does not exist, the rest of the visit goes differently.
Tell us the building and we will give you a price on the phone. Most assessments are booked within the week.