Almost everyone running anything other than a private home. The question is usually not whether, but who is responsible for it.
Two people can both be responsible for the same building. A landlord who controls the stairwell and a tenant who controls the shop unit each hold duties, and the law expects you to co-operate and share information. That is one of the clearest changes brought in on 1 October 2023.
Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Fire Safety Order in Wales. Three things matter for ordinary businesses:
| Before | Now |
|---|---|
| Only had to record the assessment with five or more employees, or under a licence | Must record it in full in all circumstances, whatever the headcount |
| Fire safety arrangements often undocumented | Arrangements must be recorded too |
| Little duty to hand over information | Outgoing responsible persons must pass fire safety information to the incoming one |
If your paperwork predates October 2023 and has not been revisited since, it almost certainly does not meet the current recording requirement.
A single private dwelling occupied by one household is outside the Fire Safety Order. But the moment you let it commercially, take a paying guest, or it forms part of a building with shared parts, you are back in scope.
If you are not sure which side of the line you sit on, ring and describe the building. It takes two minutes and we will tell you straight.
Tell us the building and we will give you a price on the phone. Most assessments are booked within the week.