How to Read a Fire Risk Assessment Report: A Guide for Facility Managers in Bangladesh

A fire risk assessment report lands on your desk. It is 30 pages long, references BNBC 2020, contains a risk matrix with colour-coded cells, and lists 23 findings ranging from "critical" to "informational." What do you do with it?

Many facility managers receive fire risk assessment reports without fully understanding how to interpret them, how to prioritise the findings, or how to use them to brief contractors and management. This guide explains the structure of a professional fire risk assessment, how to read each section, and how to translate the findings into an actionable improvement programme.

What a Fire Risk Assessment Covers

A fire risk assessment (FRA) is a structured evaluation of a building's fire hazards, the risk those hazards pose to occupants and assets, and the adequacy of the existing fire precautions. A professional FRA for a commercial building in Bangladesh typically covers:

1. Building and occupancy description: Physical description of the building, its occupancy type, the number and profile of occupants (including vulnerable persons), operating hours, and any special activities.

2. Fire hazard identification: A systematic search for potential sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen that could combine to start or sustain a fire. This section forms the basis for all subsequent risk findings.

3. People at risk: Identification of who is at risk in the event of a fire — staff, visitors, contractors, members of the public, and particularly vulnerable persons (mobility-impaired, hearing-impaired, those unfamiliar with the premises).

4. Fire precautions evaluation: An assessment of existing fire precautions — detection, alarm, suppression, emergency lighting, exit routes, fire doors, compartmentation, management procedures, and staff training.

5. Risk matrix and risk rating: A scored assessment of the likelihood of a fire occurring and the severity of the consequences, producing an overall risk rating for the premises.

6. Findings and recommendations: A prioritised list of deficiencies and recommended corrective actions.

7. Review schedule: When the FRA should next be reviewed.

Understanding the Risk Matrix

The risk matrix is the core analytical tool of a fire risk assessment. It provides a visual and numeric method of prioritising findings based on two dimensions: likelihood (how probable is a fire, or a specific hazard, to realise harm?) and severity (how serious would the consequences be?).

A standard 5×5 risk matrix assigns scores from 1 to 5 on each dimension:

Risk Score = Likelihood × Severity

Risk scores are then mapped to risk bands:

• 1–4: Low risk (green) — monitor, no immediate action required
• 5–9: Medium risk (amber) — action required within defined timescale
• 10–16: High risk (red) — urgent action required
• 17–25: Critical risk (red/black) — immediate action required; may recommend cessation of operations

Reading the Risk Matrix in Your Report

When you receive an FRA, the first thing to check is whether the overall risk rating for the premises is acceptable. A building rated at Critical Risk (score 17–25) requires immediate action before normal operations continue. A High Risk rating requires urgent corrective action within a short defined period (typically 1–4 weeks). Medium Risk findings require action within an agreed timeframe (typically 1–3 months).

Do not treat all findings as equal. The risk matrix directs you to the highest-priority actions first.

Hazard Identification Categories

The hazard identification section of the FRA categorises fire hazards by type. Understanding these categories helps you match the findings to the right contractors and remediation actions.

Ignition Hazards

Sources of heat capable of starting a fire:

• Electrical: Overloaded circuits, faulty wiring, damaged plugs, inadequate earthing, overheating equipment
• Smoking materials: Cigarette disposal facilities, staff smoking areas
• Cooking: Kitchen equipment, cooking processes, hot surfaces
• Heating systems: Portable heaters, boilers, generator exhaust
• Lightning: Buildings without adequate lightning protection
• Arson: Access control failures that allow unauthorised persons to bring ignition materials

Fuel Hazards

Materials that will burn if ignited:

• Combustible structural materials: Timber construction elements, suspended ceiling materials, carpet
• Work processes: Paper, packaging materials, solvents, lubricants
• Stored materials: Stationery stores, archive rooms, bulk storage of combustible goods
• Waste: Combustible waste accumulations, bins positioned near ignition sources

Oxygen (Air Supply) Factors

Factors that affect how fire spreads:

• HVAC systems: Poorly maintained HVAC distributes smoke and provides oxygen to fire
• Roof voids and ceiling plenums: Unprotected void spaces allow fire to spread above ceilings
• Open-plan layouts: Large open spaces allow rapid fire spread without compartmentation

The Three Types of Recommended Actions

A professional FRA categorises its recommendations by the urgency of the required action. These three action categories are the most important for your remediation planning.

Immediate Actions

Actions required now — before normal operations continue, or within 24–48 hours. Immediate actions address hazards that pose an unacceptable and current risk to life safety. Examples:

• Fire exits that are locked or blocked
• Emergency lighting that is completely non-functional
• Alarm systems that cannot be silenced or are continuously alarming
• High fire loads in areas adjacent to ignition sources with no detection

For any finding categorised as an immediate action, do not wait. Implement temporary measures — removing the hazard, restricting access to the area, or posting a fire watch — while permanent solutions are arranged.

Short-Term Actions

Actions required within 1–3 months. These address significant deficiencies that increase fire risk but do not pose an immediate life safety risk in isolation. Examples:

• Additional detectors required in a specific area
• Replacement of non-rated fire doors with certified FD30 or FD60 doors
• Provision of missing fire extinguisher coverage
• Repair of damaged fire alarm cabling
• Creation of a fire evacuation plan and procedure

Allocate budget and assign responsibility immediately for short-term actions. Delay beyond the recommended timeframe changes the risk profile and may affect your insurance coverage.

Long-Term Actions

Actions to be addressed within 6–12 months. These are improvement works that represent good fire safety practice but are not addressing an immediately critical deficiency. Examples:

• Installation of a sprinkler system in a building that does not yet require one
• Upgrading from a conventional alarm panel to an addressable system
• Installing HVAC duct smoke detectors
• Comprehensive staff fire safety training programme

Long-term actions should be incorporated into your capital improvement planning and maintenance budget cycle.

Legal Basis: BNBC 2020 and the Fire Prevention Act

The fire risk assessment references the legal and regulatory framework that gives its findings authority. The two primary legal references in Bangladesh are:

BNBC 2020 Part 4

As described in our detailed BNBC guide, the Bangladesh National Building Code 2020 Part 4 specifies the minimum fire safety requirements for every building type. When a fire risk assessment identifies a deficiency, it will typically cite the specific BNBC clause that requires the missing or inadequate measure. Understanding BNBC is not required of the facility manager — but knowing that FRA findings citing BNBC non-compliance carry legal weight is important for resource allocation decisions.

Fire Prevention Act

Bangladesh's Fire Prevention Act (most recently updated via the Fire Prevention and Extinguishment Act, 2003, with current amendment discussions) gives FSCD enforcement authority and defines penalties for fire safety violations. Findings in a fire risk assessment that represent statutory non-compliance under the Fire Prevention Act are subject to FSCD enforcement action — including prohibition notices that can close your business.

When briefing your board or senior management on FRA findings, the legal basis section of the report provides the authoritative reference for why compliance is not optional.

Periodic Review Requirements

A fire risk assessment is not a one-time document. It must be reviewed and updated when:

• There is a significant change to the building's layout, structure, or use
• There is a significant change in occupancy (more persons, new vulnerable persons)
• New fire safety systems are installed
• A fire incident occurs (even a small one)
• The existing assessment is more than 12 months old (recommended review frequency for commercial premises)
• Prior to FSCD NOC renewal

Document all reviews and maintain the FRA with its revision history. FSCD inspectors may request the fire risk assessment during inspection — a current, well-documented FRA supports a smooth inspection process.

How to Use the FRA to Brief Fire Safety Contractors

The fire risk assessment is your brief to fire safety contractors. When inviting SSAL or any other contractor to quote for remediation works, provide:

1. The full FRA report: The contractor needs to understand the context of the findings, not just the conclusions
2. Your prioritised action list: Highlight which findings you want addressed in the first phase (immediate and short-term actions)
3. Your budget envelope: Be realistic about what is achievable in the current period vs. what needs to be deferred
4. Your FSCD timeline: If you have an NOC renewal deadline, the contractor must know to ensure remediation is complete before the inspection

A reputable fire safety contractor will review the FRA findings, visit the site, and provide a detailed quotation that maps each work item to the corresponding FRA finding. This traceability — showing that each remediation action addresses a specific FRA finding — is important for your records and for demonstrating due diligence to your insurer and to FSCD.

Fire Safety Officer Responsibilities

Every commercial building in Bangladesh above a minimum size should designate a Fire Safety Officer (also called a Fire Warden, Fire Marshal, or Fire Safety Representative in different organisations). The Fire Safety Officer's responsibilities include:

• Maintaining the fire risk assessment and ensuring it is reviewed on schedule
• Coordinating fire drills (minimum annual, recommended 6-monthly)
• Maintaining fire safety records (maintenance logs, drill records, training records)
• Being the FSCD point of contact during inspections
• Ensuring FRA-identified actions are tracked to completion

The Fire Safety Officer is not a specialist fire safety engineer — but they should have basic fire safety training and know when to escalate technical questions to a professional.

Get Expert Help

SSAL provides fire risk assessment services for commercial, industrial, healthcare, and government buildings across Bangladesh. Our FRA reports provide clear, actionable findings mapped to BNBC 2020 requirements, risk-rated for prioritisation, and formatted for FSCD inspection and insurance purposes.

We also provide the remediation works identified in FRA reports — from detector installation and fire door replacement through emergency lighting and suppression system design — as a single integrated scope.

Get Free Consultation — contact SSAL's fire safety team for a fire risk assessment of your facility. We will provide a clear picture of your current compliance status and a practical roadmap to FSCD certification.