The long-awaited issue of BS 8674:2025 Built Environment – Framework for Competence of Individual Fire Risk Assessors – Code of Practice is upon us.
Post Grenfell and the changes that brought about to the Building Safety Act (the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, PAS 79-1, and the evolution of PAS 79-2 to BS9792), it is now required that the Responsible Persons (RP) must ensure that their fire risk assessments are carried out by competent people.
BS 8674:2025 – its scope and purpose
The standard provides recommendations that fire risk assessors are expected to meet to be deemed competent by the RP to conduct the fire risk assessment of their building. It provides a set of expectations to be used by assessors, employers, certified bodies and the regulators. BS 8674 also aligns with BS 8670-1:2024, the recently applied competency framework for building safety.
The fire risk assessments that are expected to be conducted within these competency frameworks are non-invasive, which means they are based on visual examination and the examination of relevant records. Also, be aware that the standard applies to individuals, not organisations, and is limited to general fire risk assessments. It does not include, for instance, competence relating to fire risk appraisals of external walls (FRAEWs), invasive inspections, or fire engineering services.
What the standard does and doesn’t cover
BS 8674:2025 defines what a fire risk assessor is expected to be able to do at each level of competence, including:
- Understand a building’s construction, use and occupancy
- Evaluate fire risk through systematic analysis
- Identify measures for fire prevention, protection and safety management
- Interpret documentation, including prior reports and maintenance records
The three levels of competence outlined in the standard are:
- Foundation: For assessors working in low-risk environments (i.e., small offices/shops)
- Intermediate: For those assessing medium complexity buildings (i.e., public venues / mid-rise residential properties)
- Advanced: For highly experienced professionals working in complex, multi-occupancy environments, where advanced risk understanding is necessary (i.e., care homes, large residential blocks)
This tiered structure is designed to prevent assessors from overstepping their capability and enables organisations to match the right level of expertise to the risk profile of the building.
It’s also important to understand that BS 8674:2025 deliberately:
- Does not prescribe how to perform a fire risk assessment; this is for PAS 79-1 and BS 9792:2025 to prescribe, as they are the procedural guides.
- Excludes assessments requiring destructive inspection, fire engineering, external wall analysis, and assessments in specialist environments (i.e., a nuclear facility).
- Does not cover the design, testing or maintenance of fire protection systems.
Who benefits from using BS 8674:2025?
Fire Risk Assessors as it provides:
- A structured competency framework that they can use to demonstrate capability
- A clear career progression route, from Foundation to Advanced
- A benchmark to seek certification or professional recognition where such schemes are available
Professional Bodies and Trade Associations, as it supports organisations by:
- Validating the competence of their members
- Guiding membership criteria, CPD development and disciplinary procedures
- Providing a reference standard for collaboration with regulators or insurers
Certification Bodies, as it enables:
- Third-party verification schemes for individual assessors, improving public trust
- Objective, consistent assessment of applications, audits and renewals
Academic and Training Institutions that can:
- Develop curricula and qualifications that reflect real-world competence needs
- Create practical training programmes aligned with industry expectations
- Support learners to transition from education into professional roles with clarity and assurance
BS 8674:2025 in the context of broader reform
This standard does not stand in isolation. It aligns with BS 8670-1:2024 and fits within a larger body of competence standards that aim to:
- Improve life safety outcomes
- Create a more professionalised workforce
- Enhance accountability across the building lifecycle
BS 8674:2025 fills a long-standing gap in the UK’s fire safety landscape by providing a long-needed structured competency framework for fire risk assessors, in alignment with the legal duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 and complementing other standards such as PAS 79-1, BS 9792, PAS 9980 and BS 8670-1.
Note: It’s important to be aware of the latest editions of these standards as they are regularly updated.