Fire Risk Assessments for Warehouses, Factories and Industrial Units
Updated October 2026 · England and Wales, with notes for Scotland and Northern Ireland · Prosecutions checked against fire service sources
Short answer: every warehouse, factory, workshop and industrial unit needs a written fire risk assessment, recorded in full. On a multi-let estate, the landlord covers the shared parts and each tenant covers their own unit. Where you store flammable liquids or dusts, or charge forklifts and lithium batteries, the assessment has to deal with those specifically. A small unit typically costs £250 to £450. Large warehouses and high-risk processes are quoted individually, often £1,000 or more.
Industrial fires are rarely small. Stock stacked to the roof, long distances to an exit and few people on site at night mean a fire can be well established before anyone knows. And the prosecutions in this sector tell a second story: units where people were secretly living or sleeping among the stock.
This guide covers what the law and the official guide expect, the extra rules that apply on top, lithium batteries, what fire services keep finding, and what an assessment costs. Sources are linked throughout.
Why industrial fires are different
Racking test: Fire safety risk assessment: factories and warehouses, the official guide (p.44). Losses: Fire Protection Association analysis of large fires, 2009 to 2019. Prosecution pattern: our review of the four cases below.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service puts the business risk plainly: it says 80% of premises that suffer a serious fire never fully recover (factories and warehouses guidance). For a warehouse, the fire risk assessment is as much about keeping the business as keeping people safe.
What fire services have taken to court
All four had no working fire detection, or not enough of it. Three involved people sleeping in a building designed for storage or production. That’s the combination that turns an ordinary warehouse fire into a fatal one, and fire services treat it accordingly.
Waste and recycling sites face a second regulator. The Environment Agency requires a fire prevention plan for permitted sites that store combustible waste, and it prosecutes too: a waste warehouse fire at Margate in 2018 burned for 25 days and led to suspended prison sentences for two operators in 2025 (Health and Safety Matters; EA fire prevention plans).
Landlord or tenant: who does what on an industrial estate
On a multi-let estate or in a subdivided building, there’s usually more than one responsible person. The government’s guidance is that the landlord, freeholder or managing agent is responsible for the shared areas, and each tenant is responsible for the premises they control (GOV.UK, who’s responsible).
- Tenant: the fire risk assessment for your unit, your stock and processes, your staff training, and keeping your own exits clear.
- Landlord: shared yards, access roads, shared corridors and stairs, and any shared alarm, sprinkler or emergency lighting system.
- Both: since October 2023, responsible persons must take reasonable steps to find out who the other responsible persons are, and cooperate and share information with them. If your neighbour’s unit is full of lithium batteries, that’s relevant to your assessment.
Watch out for alterations. A mezzanine, a new partition wall or a fitted-out office inside a unit can lengthen escape routes and block alarms or sprinklers. Many mezzanines also need building regulations approval. The fire risk assessment should be reviewed whenever the layout changes.
The extra rules that often apply
The Fire Safety Order sets the general duty. Depending on what you store and do, other rules and standards sit on top of it, and a good assessment should pick them up:
| If you have | What else applies | What the assessment should check |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids, gases or combustible dust | DSEAR 2002 (HSE) | A DSEAR risk assessment, storage quantities, ventilation, ignition sources, hazardous zones |
| High-rack storage | The official guide’s storage advice; insurer sprinkler requirements | Sprinkler heads not shielded, aisle widths, flue spaces kept clear, stock height |
| Forklift or battery charging | Official guide, p.47; FPA RC59 for vehicle charging | A ventilated charging area, a fire-resisting wall behind it, clearance from stock |
| Lithium-ion battery stock | FPA RC61; insurer conditions; fire service guidance | Separation, stock levels, charge state, detection, suppression |
| Combustible waste under an environmental permit | Environment Agency fire prevention plan | Pile sizes, separation distances, quarantine area |
| A mezzanine or new internal structure | Building Regulations Part B | Escape from the upper level, detection and protection beneath it |
Table compiled by us from the sources linked, October 2026.
Storing or charging lithium-ion batteries
E-bikes, e-scooters, power tools, vapes and spare battery packs are now normal warehouse stock, and lithium-ion fires are hard to put out. The insurer-backed recommendations in RISCAuthority RC61, published by the Fire Protection Association, are the most useful checklist:
Source: RISCAuthority RC61, Recommendations for the storage, handling and use of batteries (FPA). Check with your insurer, who may impose its own conditions.
Fire services are blunt about it too. Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service says premises storing or charging e-bike and e-scooter batteries must have a full written fire risk assessment by a competent assessor, and warns that some cabinets sold as fire containment can be forced open by gas build-up (HWFRS guidance). The National Fire Chiefs Council recommends heat alarms rather than smoke detectors in charging and storage areas (NFCC e-bike and e-scooter guidance).
What assessors keep finding in warehouses and factories
Source: Fire safety risk assessment: factories and warehouses (escape routes p.27, roller shutters p.26, external storage pp.42 to 43, hot work and smoking p.18, lone working p.21, sprinklers and racking pp.42 and 44).
Real questions from unit owners and managers
“The big question is, does the charging area need to be enclosed within fire rated / non-combustible materials?”
Manager of a new 6,500 m² warehouse, UK Fire Service Resources forum, April 2021
The fire service had advised enclosing the forklift charging area, but building control had already signed the building off without it. That gap is common: building regulations approval is about the building as designed, while the fire risk assessment is about how you actually use it. The official guide says charging points should be in a well-ventilated area and, if inside, against a fire-resisting wall. If you’re charging lithium-ion trucks or lots of batteries, expect the assessor to push for a fire-resisting enclosure or a separate charging area.
The owner of a newly built 150 m² industrial unit with no fire alarm asked whether the roller shutter could count as the second exit, and what he could fit instead of a full alarm system.
Paraphrased from Safelincs Fire Safety Forum, May 2024
In a small, single-storey unit with short travel distances, one well-placed door may be enough, and a full commercial alarm isn’t always needed. The fire risk assessment decides that. What a manually operated roller shutter generally can’t do is count as a fire exit, because it can’t be opened quickly. If the shutter is your only other way out, a wicket door or a separate pedestrian door is usually the answer, and simple interlinked alarms may be proportionate for a small, simple unit.
“We are exploring different options with putting offices, a mess room/locker room and a toilet block into our warehouse.”
Warehouse operator, Safelincs Fire Safety Forum, July 2014
The reply was that portable cabins inside a warehouse fall under the Fire Safety Order like any other room, and that people inside them can only get out through the warehouse. Putting them near a final exit helps, and so does making sure the people inside will hear the alarm. Review the fire risk assessment before the cabins go in, not after.
What a warehouse or factory fire risk assessment costs
| Premises | Typical time on site | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Small industrial unit or workshop | 1–2 hours | £250–£450 |
| Medium warehouse or factory | 2–4 hours | £400–£900 |
| Large distribution centre, high-rack, or high-risk process | A day or more | £1,000–£2,500+ |
Our bands, checked October 2026, from published prices by Fire Risk Assessment Bolton (manufacturing and warehouse from £195 + VAT), Flagship Partners (£250 to £900), Fire Risk Assessment Network (£400 to £900), Acorn Safety Services (light industrial £500 to £1,200 + VAT), TJC Fire and Electrical (commercial from £450 + VAT), Fire Response UK (factory, warehouse and chemical storage £1,500 to £2,500+) and Clear Fire Compliance (from £249). A DSEAR assessment, if you need one, is usually a separate cost. For other building types, see our fire risk assessment cost guide.
If your site isn’t in England or Wales
Scotland: the duties come from the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The Scottish Government’s practical guidance for existing non-residential premises covers industrial buildings.
Northern Ireland: the Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (NI) 2010 apply, and NIFRS publishes its own factories and warehouses guide.
What happens during the assessment
The assessor walks the whole site: production areas, racking aisles, mezzanines, offices, welfare areas, plant rooms, charging areas, the yard and the outside of the building. They’ll want to see how the site runs on a normal shift, so a working day is better than a quiet one.
Have ready: your previous assessment, alarm, sprinkler and emergency lighting service records, a list of hazardous substances and their quantities, any DSEAR assessment, your hot work permits, staff training records, a site plan, and your lease if you share the building. Our booking page has the general checklist. If a fire officer has set you a deadline, see urgent assessments. Offices inside or next to the unit are covered in our offices guide.
What a typical warehouse assessment looks like
Example
The property: a 1,500 m² unit on a multi-let estate storing e-bike parts and batteries, with a mezzanine office and a forklift charging point.
The visit: three to four hours on a normal working day, plus a look at the shared yard.
What usually comes up: pallets parked in front of the rear fire door at busy times, batteries charged in the same area they’re stored, no fire-resisting wall behind the charger, a mezzanine added without anyone checking the way down from it, and skips against the back wall.
Cost: in the £400 to £900 band for a medium warehouse, plus a conversation with the landlord about the shared alarm.
An illustrative example based on the guidance and prices on this page. Not a real customer or property.
Warehouse and factory fire safety questions
Does a small industrial unit need a fire risk assessment?
Yes. Every non-domestic premises in England and Wales needs one, and since October 2023 it must be recorded in full whatever the number of staff. On a shared estate, the landlord covers the common parts and you cover your own unit.
Can a roller shutter be used as a fire exit?
Generally no. A manually operated roller shutter can’t be opened quickly enough to count as an escape route. A pedestrian door, or a wicket door in or beside the shutter, is the usual solution.
Can staff sleep in a warehouse or industrial unit?
Not without proper fire separation, detection and escape designed for sleeping, which ordinary industrial units don’t have. People sleeping in units is one of the most common reasons for prohibition notices and prosecutions in this sector.
Do warehouses need sprinklers?
The Fire Safety Order doesn’t require sprinklers in an existing warehouse, but your fire risk assessment, your insurer and building regulations for new or extended buildings may. Where you do have them, stock must be kept clear of the heads.
What is a DSEAR assessment and do I need one?
It’s a risk assessment under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, required where you store or use flammable liquids, gases or combustible dusts. It’s separate from the fire risk assessment but should be referenced in it.
How should lithium-ion batteries be stored in a warehouse?
Separate bulk stock from the rest of the building with fire-resisting construction, never charge in the storage area, keep stock and charge levels low, and check what your insurer requires. Automatic suppression is strongly recommended for bulk storage.
How much does a warehouse fire risk assessment cost?
Typically £250 to £450 for a small industrial unit, £400 to £900 for a medium warehouse or factory, and £1,000 to £2,500 or more for large or high-risk sites.
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