Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT)
This article introduces the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT), explains what it is and how to use it. FRAPT is an online tool that helps Responsible Persons (RPs) to prioritise their fire risk assessments. It does this by giving a score and priority rating for the building, based on a series of questions about the building. The tool is designed to help RPs focus their resources on those buildings that are most at risk of fire.
Contents
Introduction
The PPRU has supported the Home Office Task and Finish Group in the production of a new Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT). The FRAPT is an online tool designed to assist responsible persons to develop a strategy to prioritise their buildings to review their fire risk assessments, to ensure they take into account the clarifications outlined in the Act.
This approach is also designed to ensure that competent professionals who have the required skills to assess external walls (such as fire engineers, fire risk assessors, surveyors, or architects) prioritise their resources to buildings identified as high priority.
Please note: The Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool does not constitute a fire risk assessment in itself, nor does it remove the need or requirement for both FRS’s and RPs to act upon known or suspected risk in all premises.
How Can DDS International Help?
All of the required information for the FRAPT is already available and collected in PYRAMID when an FRA is completed. Please see the table at the end of this article with information on where to find the information on PYRAMID.
The FRAPT can be completed in-house or DDS can help support and submit in addition to the FRA process.
What is the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT)?
The FRAPT is an online tool that helps Responsible Persons (RPs) to prioritise their fire risk assessments. It does this by giving a score and priority rating for the building, based on a series of questions about the building. The tool is designed to help RPs focus their resources on those buildings that are most at risk of fire.
The tool should not be used as a substitute for a competent and thorough fire risk assessment, which must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Fire Safety Order 2005. However, it can help RPs to focus their resources on those buildings that are most at risk of fire.
The tool consists of a series of questions about the building, which are designed to assess factors that may increase the risk of fire. Each question is given a score, and the total score is used to generate a priority rating for the building.
How Do You Use the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT)?
The FRAPT is an online tool that can be accessed at the following link: – https://bpt.homeoffice.gov.uk/
To use the tool, you will need to answer a series of questions about the building. The questions are designed to assess factors that may increase the risk of fire. Each question is given a score, and the total score is used to generate a priority rating for the building. Please see the table below for a list of questions.
The tool can be used by any RP who wishes to prioritise their fire risk assessments. However, it is important to note that the tool does not constitute a fire risk assessment in itself, and it is not a substitute for a competent and thorough fire risk assessment.
The FRAPT is designed to be used as part of a strategy to ensure that all buildings are given a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. It is not a replacement for regular fire risk assessments, which must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Fire Safety Order 2005 and Fire Safety Act 2021.
FRAPT Questions and where to find them on PYRAMID
| Question No. | FRAPT Question | Response | Found on PYRAMID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the building | Residential Mixed | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 2 | How many storeys are there in the building? | 1-3 4-6 7-11 12-18 Over 18 | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 3 | What is the material predominantly used on the external walls? | Masonry Glass Render / External thermal systems (ETS) Brick slip Timber High pressure laminate Metal Don’t know | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 4 | Are the materials used on the external wall likely to ignite and spread fire easily? | Yes No Don’t know | Question on FRA |
| 5 | Are the materials used to construct balconies likely to ignite and spread fire easily? | No Yes No balconies | Question on FRA |
| 6 | What materials are predominantly used for the window frames in your building? | Metal frames UPVC Wooden frames Don’t know | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 7 | Does the building have spandrel or infill panels? | No Yes | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 8 | How many staircases does the building have? | Single staircase Multiple staircase | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 9 | What is the general condition of the flat entrance (fire) doors? | Poor Good Not applicable | Question on FRA |
| 10 | What is the condition of the communal (fire) doors? | Poor Good Not applicable | Question on FRA |
| 11 | Do the flats in the building have a fire detection and/or smoke alarm system installed? | Yes No | Fire Protection section of FRA |
| 12 | Have any of the intolerable, substantial or moderate risks from your last fire risk assessment been completed? | All actions satisfactorily completed Some priority actions outstanding No actions completed No fire risk assessment carried out within the last 3 years Not applicable (The FRA carried out within the last 3 years did not raise any actions considered to be intolerable, substantial or moderate) | Highlighted on any question where the issue was previously raised but not addressed. |
| 13 | What is the evacuation strategy for your building? | Simultaneous Stay put Temporary measures | Building Overview section of FRA |
| 14 | Has a compartmentation survey been carried out? | Yes and actions complete Yes and actions not complete No compartmentation survey undertaken | Questions on FRA. Any compartmentation surveys can be uploaded to PYRAMID and held as a record on the Fire Activity menu. |
| 15 | Are residential sprinkler systems fitted? | Yes No | Fire Protection section of FRA |
| 16 | Have there been more than one instance of fire reported in or around the building in the last 12 months? | Yes No | Fire Protection section of FRA |
| 17 | What category does your building fall under? | General Specialised | Building Overview section and Front Cover of FRA |
| 18 | Are there unusual or complex internal structures and/or arrangements in the building that have a significant impact on fire safety? | Yes No Don’t know | Building Overview section and Significant Findings of FRA |
Conclusion
The FRAPT is a tool that can be used by any RP to prioritise their fire risk assessments. It does this by giving a score and priority rating for the building, based on a series of questions about the building. The tool is designed to help RPs focus their resources on those buildings that are most at risk of fire.
However, it is important to note that the FRAPT does not constitute a fire risk assessment in itself, and it is not a substitute for a competent and thorough fire risk assessment. The tool should be used as part of a strategy to ensure that all buildings are given a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
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