The publication of BS 8674:2025 Built Environment – Framework for Competence of Individual Fire Risk Assessors – Code of Practice marks a major milestone in strengthening fire safety across the UK.
The new British Standard establishes, for the first time, a clear and consistent framework for assessing the competence of individual fire risk assessors. Developed through wide industry collaboration and public consultation with alignment to BS 8670-1:2024, the Code of Practice sets out the skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours expected of professionals working at three progressive levels:
- Foundation – New entrants and those assessing simple premises, such as small offices or shops.
- Intermediate – Those assessors requiring greater experience, responsible for medium complexity buildings such as public venues or mid-rise residential properties.
- Advanced – Highly experienced professionals working on complex, high-risk buildings including hospitals, residential towers, and large public spaces.
By providing a structured, transparent, and verifiable set of criteria, the standard offers clarity for assessors, duty holders, regulators, and professional bodies. It supports consistent practice, career development and lays the foundation for the profession’s future regulation.
The move comes at a critical time as the UK’s Building Safer Future reforms—driven by the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Safety Act 2021, and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022—continue to reshape the construction and fire safety landscape. The government has previously signalled its intention to require independent, third-party certification of fire risk assessor competence, further reinforcing the likelihood of a regulated profession.
Building Safety Minister, Alex Norris, welcomed the Standard’s publication, saying:
“The introduction of this new standard marks a significant step forward in the collective effort to make buildings safer for residents. By improving safety and accountability, it helps ensure that a tragedy like Grenfell is never repeated, and it reflects a clear commitment to implementing the Inquiry’s recommendations.
A clear and consistent benchmark for fire risk assessors will help to raise standards of competency across the profession and I’m grateful to the British Standards Institution and all committee members involved in making this happen.”
A Fire Sector Confederation-led working group, in collaboration with regulators, government and industry stakeholders, played a key role in shaping BS 8674. It follows years of work to raise professional standards and support the need to build capacity and capability within the fire risk assessor profession.
Dennis Davis, Competence Director at the Fire Sector Confederation, added:
“The publication of BS 8674 is a significant achievement for the profession and a vital step towards building a safer future. It gives all stakeholders confidence that competence can now be clearly demonstrated against a professional framework capable of independent verification.”