What this guidebook covers
Under the Fire Safety Order, the employer or occupier is the responsible person, and breaches are criminal: unlimited fines and up to 2 years in prison. Paint, fuel, tyres and batteries make every dealer a fire risk, and a blocked exit is an offence.
This guidebook covers 6 fire standards with 18 checkpoints across the showroom, workshop, paint shop, stores and EV bays: the fire risk assessment, flammables and paint storage (DSEAR), escape routes, alarms and emergency lighting, extinguishers, training and drills, and EV and battery fire risk.
The 6 fire safety standards
| Code | Standard | Ideal fix time |
|---|---|---|
| FIR-01 | Fire risk assessment | 7 days |
| FIR-02 | Flammables and paint storage (DSEAR) | Immediate |
| FIR-03 | Escape routes clear | Immediate |
| FIR-04 | Alarms and emergency lighting tested | 72 hours |
| FIR-05 | Extinguishers, training and drills | 7 days |
| FIR-06 | EV and battery fire risk | 72 hours |
How to run a UK fire safety audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Name the responsible person for each site; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety laws with similar duties.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 18 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Walk every escape route, check where thinners and paint are kept, and read the alarm and emergency lighting test logs.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: the fire risk assessment, test logs, training and drill records, and photos of exits and storage.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from immediate to 7 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Dealer principals
- Facility managers
- Safety officers
- Auditors
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
