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PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment Methodology
PAS 79 is a recognised British Standard Institution methodology for carrying out and recording fire risk assessments in a clear, structured and consistent way. It has long been used to help responsible persons, fire risk assessors and organisations approach fire risk assessment in a more methodical and defensible manner, rather than relying on vague or inconsistent reporting.
In practical terms, PAS 79 is about more than paperwork. It helps ensure that fire risk assessments properly examine fire hazards, people at risk, fire prevention measures, fire protection measures, management arrangements, and the action plan needed to improve safety. That makes it useful not only for assessors, but for clients who need reports they can actually understand and act on.
A Structured and Proportionate Approach to Fire Risk Assessment
For non-housing premises, the current relevant BSI publication is PAS 79-1:2020, which sets out a pragmatic and holistic approach to assessing fire prevention, fire protection and fire safety management in premises other than housing. For housing, PAS 79-2:2020 provided corresponding recommendations, although BSI published BS 9792:2025 as a newer benchmark for housing fire risk assessments.
That matters because a good fire risk assessment should never be a rushed checklist exercise. It needs to be proportionate to the building, suitable for the type of occupancy, and properly documented so that the responsible person can understand the level of risk, the deficiencies found, and the action required. A structured methodology helps bring consistency to that process.
What a PAS 79 Style Fire Risk Assessment Is Designed to Achieve
The purpose of PAS 79 is not to replace legal duties under fire safety law, but to provide a recognised framework for meeting them through a well-organised assessment process. It helps assessors document findings in a form that is more likely to be understandable, useful and satisfactory to enforcing authorities, while also helping to dispel misconceptions about what a fire risk assessment should involve.
A structured methodology is valuable because different buildings present different levels of complexity. A small office, a school, a warehouse, a mixed-use premises or a residential block will not all require the same depth or focus. PAS 79 helps support a risk-based, building-specific approach rather than a generic template with little practical value.
- Provide a recognised structure for carrying out and recording fire risk assessments.
- Support a pragmatic, holistic and risk-proportionate methodology.
- Help identify fire hazards, people at risk and existing control measures.
- Produce clearer findings, action plans and documented recommendations.
- Improve consistency between assessments and reporting standards.
- Help responsible persons better understand risk and required actions.
Why Methodology Matters in Fire Risk Assessment
A fire risk assessment is only as useful as the method behind it. If the process is inconsistent, overly vague or poorly recorded, the responsible person may be left with an unclear picture of the actual risks in the building. That can lead to poor decision-making, missed deficiencies and weak evidence of compliance. PAS 79 became influential because it offered a more disciplined framework for identifying hazards and presenting findings properly.
For clients, this matters because the goal is not just to “have an FRA on file.” The goal is to have an assessment that is usable, proportionate and capable of driving sensible fire safety improvements. A recognised methodology makes it easier to understand what has been assessed, what standards have been applied, and what action should happen next.
PAS 79 provides a recognised framework for carrying out and documenting fire risk assessments in a clear and consistent way.
It promotes a pragmatic, holistic approach covering fire prevention, fire protection and fire safety management measures.
The methodology supports assessments that are proportionate to the type, use and complexity of the building being assessed.
A well-structured assessment should include clear findings and recommendations so deficiencies can be addressed in a practical order.
PAS 79 was intended to help produce reports that are more useful to clients and more likely to satisfy enforcing authorities.
The methodology supports proper assessment; it is not a substitute for competence, judgement or building-specific fire safety knowledge.
PAS 79 remains one of the best-known structured approaches to fire risk assessment in the UK and has helped shape how assessments are carried out and recorded in practice. Whether used directly or as a reference point, its core value lies in promoting a more organised, proportionate and understandable assessment process.
At Westgate Fire Services, we believe fire risk assessments should be practical, clearly documented and genuinely useful to the responsible person. A good methodology helps turn fire safety from a vague obligation into something that can be properly reviewed, managed and improved.