Fire Risk Assessment Checklist for Australian Workplaces

Table of Contents

• Why a Fire Risk Assessment Checklist Matters for Your Premises
• Fire Hazard Identification: What to Look For on Site
  • Sources of ignition and fuel sources
  • Housekeeping and combustible materials
• Checking People at Risk, Including Employees, Visitors and Contractors
• Building Your Fire Risk Assessment Template
• Scoring Risk, Setting Priorities and Writing the Fire Risk Assessment Report
• Planning Evacuation: An Accessible Fire Evacuation Plan Checklist
• Arranging Your Next Fire Safety Review With FyreWise
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why a Fire Risk Assessment Checklist Matters for Your Premises

Last Updated: November 7, 2026

A fire risk assessment checklist gives you a repeatable way to find fire hazards, decide who is at risk and record what you will do about them. For most Australian workplaces, it is the starting point for showing that fire safety has been considered rather than assumed. Common gaps in premises include blocked exits, stored materials near switchboards and assessments that were written once and never reviewed.

A good checklist does not replace professional judgement. It makes sure nothing obvious is missed before a specialist looks at the building in detail. It also gives your team a common format, so the person walking the site and the person signing off the report are working from the same list.

Use the checklist to answer three questions for every area of the premises: what could start a fire, who would be affected, and what controls are already in place. For more detail on structure and content, see the commercial building fire risk assessment guide. The rest of this guide takes each of those questions in turn.

Fire Hazard Identification: What to Look For on Site

Fire hazard identification is the stage where most checklists succeed or fail. Walk the premises at normal working hours, not just during a scheduled inspection, because blocked routes and stored materials often appear once activity picks up.

Sources of ignition and fuel sources

A fire needs three things: a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen. Your checklist should prompt you to note each source of ignition, such as electrical equipment, heaters, cooking appliances, hot work and smoking areas, and each fuel source, such as paper, packaging, liquids and waste.

Pay particular attention to electrical equipment. Extension leads chained together, extension leads under carpet and overloaded outlets are common hazards to look for. Record the location of each one, not just a general note that electrical safety needs attention.

Housekeeping and combustible materials

Housekeeping is one of the most practical areas to check. Look for stored cardboard near heat sources, rubbish accumulating in corners and under stairs, and materials stacked against walls or in front of fire doors.

Ask whether storage areas are clearly defined. A simple photo of each area, dated and linked to the checklist entry, makes the finding easier to follow up later.

Checking People at Risk, Including Employees, Visitors and Contractors

The people section of a checklist is often thin, which is a mistake. A fire affects different people in different ways, and your checklist should reflect that.

Start with employees, including those who work alone, night staff and anyone who works in the building outside normal hours. Then consider visitors, customers and contractors, who usually do not know the layout and may not hear alarms clearly.

Note anyone who may need help to leave the building. This includes people with limited mobility, hearing or vision impairments, and anyone who may be affected by a medical condition. Record these needs in the checklist itself, with the agreed support arrangement next to each name or role. Keeping personal details to the minimum necessary is sensible, and you should follow your privacy obligations when storing this information.

Building Your Fire Risk Assessment Template

A template turns the checklist into a document you can file, review and act on. The most useful templates share a consistent structure: premises details, date of assessment, assessor name and competence, a hazard list, people affected, existing controls, a risk rating, an action column and a review date. Keep that structure identical across sites so one assessment can be compared with the next and changes over time are easy to spot.

A workable template for most small to medium premises includes these fields for every finding:

• Location (building, floor, room or grid reference)
• Hazard description and the type of hazard (ignition source, fuel, oxygen, housekeeping, electrical, hot work)
• People at risk and how they would be affected
• Existing controls already in place
• Likelihood rating and consequence rating
• Overall risk rating
• Corrective action required
• Person responsible (a named individual, not a team)
• Target completion date
• Date completed and evidence attached
• Review date

A common pattern is to build the template around the areas you walk: external areas, storage, plant rooms, switchboards, kitchens, workshops, offices, escape routes and assembly points. That way the person walking the site works through the building in a logical order rather than jumping between unrelated questions.

Watch out: a generic template copied from another site can create false confidence. Check every field against your own building, because a template that does not prompt you to record the location of a finding is difficult to action later.

A simple checklist suits small, low-complexity premises such as a single-storey office, a small retail unit or a workshop with a stable layout and few occupants. It is not enough for complex or high-risk premises, multi-storey buildings, sleeping accommodation, premises with significant quantities of flammable liquids or gases, large public venues, or sites with unusual layouts or vulnerable occupants. In those cases, engage a competent fire safety assessor who can apply a more detailed method.

Scoring Risk, Setting Priorities and Writing the Fire Risk Assessment Report

Once hazards and people are recorded, you need a way to decide what to fix first. Score each hazard by how likely a fire is and how serious the consequences would be. A simple three-level scale, low, medium and high, is enough for most premises.

Turn the findings into a prioritised action plan. For each action, record:

• The hazard or deficiency it addresses
• The corrective measure
• The person responsible (a named individual)
• A deadline
• The date it was completed
• The evidence of completion (photo, invoice, service record or training record)

This is where many assessments stop short. A list of problems with no owners and no dates does not reduce risk. Assign each action to a named person, set a realistic deadline and revisit the list at each review. A useful discipline is to sort actions into three bands: immediate (fix before the premises are used again), short-term (within a set number of weeks) and planned (within the review cycle).

Your fire risk assessment report should summarise the premises, the method used, the main findings, the actions taken or planned and the review date. Keep the supporting evidence with the report, including:

• Completed checklist and assessment forms
• Photographs of findings, dated and linked to the relevant entry
• Equipment servicing and maintenance records
• Staff training records and induction records
• Fire drill records and their outcomes
• Completed corrective actions and the evidence attached to each
• Records of any fire, near miss or false alarm

Reassess when something changes. Knowing the triggers that mean your fire risk assessment needs review helps you decide when an update is due. A new tenant, a building alteration, a change in how the space is used, a change in occupancy or a recorded fire or near miss should each trigger a review, regardless of the scheduled date.

Measuring completion is what separates a live assessment from a filed one. Practical indicators include the number of overdue actions, the proportion of scheduled inspections completed, training coverage across staff and contractors, and the outcome of evacuation drills, whether the building was cleared, how long it took and what problems were identified.

Planning Evacuation: An Accessible Fire Evacuation Plan Checklist

An evacuation plan is only as good as the people who can follow it. Your fire evacuation plan checklist should confirm that every route is clear, signed and lit, and that the assembly point is known to everyone on site.

Check the following:

• Escape routes are unobstructed and clearly signed
• Fire exits open easily from the inside without a key
• Emergency lighting works on each route
• Assembly points are marked and suitable
• Staff know who checks the building and who takes the register
• A plan exists for people who need assistance to leave
• Fire drills are carried out and the outcome is recorded

Accessible evacuation deserves specific attention. Some people cannot use stairs or may not respond to a standard alarm. Agree on how they will be assisted, who is responsible for that assistance and whether refuges or evacuation chairs are needed. Test the arrangements during drills, not just on paper.

The checklist below sets out the core points to confirm before the plan is accepted.

Check	Requirement	Note
Escape routes	Unobstructed and clearly signed	Confirm on every walk-through
Fire exits	Open easily from inside	No key needed
Emergency lighting	Working on each route	Test on each route
Assembly points	Marked and suitable	Known to everyone on site
Staff roles	Named checker and register taker	Agreed in advance
Assisted evacuation	Plan for people needing help	Tested during drills
Fire drills	Carried out and recorded	Outcome written down

Arranging Your Next Fire Safety Review With FyreWise

A checklist can identify many issues, but some situations need a qualified assessor. Complex buildings, unusual layouts, high-occupancy premises and any site where the existing controls are unclear are good reasons to get specialist input.

If you are ready to arrange a review, FyreWise provides fire risk assessment services in Brisbane, Australia that identify, evaluate and reduce fire hazards. To check whether a provider suits your project, consider their chartered or RPEQ credentials and how they handle your building type. Our guide on how to choose a fire risk assessment service sets out what to compare. When you are ready to talk through your premises, get in touch with FyreWise to arrange a review or request a quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a fire risk assessment checklist include?

A useful checklist covers sources of ignition, fuel sources and oxygen, the people who could be affected (employees, visitors and contractors), the existing fire detection and warning systems, fire-fighting equipment and its maintenance, escape routes and emergency lighting, and the controls already in place. It should also leave space to record each finding, rate the risk level, note the remedial action required, and name who is responsible for completing it. A simple checklist is a starting point; complex premises usually need a more detailed assessment prepared by a qualified person.

Can I use a fire risk assessment template for a complex building?

A template can help you organise findings, but it is not a substitute for a site-specific assessment in a complex building. Multi-storey, mixed-use or innovative designs often depend on fire safety systems, compartmentation and evacuation strategies that a generic template does not test. For these buildings, use the template to record your observations and engage a qualified fire engineer to confirm that the design meets the Building Code of Australia and the relevant Australian Standards.

How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?

Review the assessment regularly and whenever something changes that could affect fire safety. Triggers include alterations to the layout, a change in use or occupancy, new equipment or processes, a fire or near miss, and changes in the number or type of people using the building. Keep a dated record of each review so you can show what was checked, what was changed and what is still outstanding.

What should be included in a fire risk assessment report?

The report should identify the premises and the person responsible, list the fire hazards found and the people at risk, describe the existing controls, and rate the risk level for each hazard. It should set out the actions needed to reduce or remove each risk, with a priority, an owner and a deadline, and record when each action was completed. Keep the report with your fire safety records so it can be reviewed and updated over time.