Do you need a qualification to do a fire risk assessment?

According to the terms of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all UK businesses have a responsibility to conduct regular risk assessments. The law outlines the duties of a ‘responsible person’ who is defined as “the employer, if the workplace is to any extent under his control”, “the person who has control of the premises” or “the owner” of a building. If you meet the requirements of being the ‘responsible person’ you have a legal obligation to comply with fire risk assessment regulations. Section 9 of the regulations outlines the necessary fire safety risk assessment steps, which include the requirement to record the assessment and regularly review it. You can learn more about Fire Risk Assessments here.

How long is the fire safety qualification valid?

The Fire Safety Certificate validity is for three years. We recommend that you retake our Fire Safety courses every three years to keep up to date with legislation and changes in the law. You can find our full Health and Safety Package here.

Is fire safety training a legal requirement?

Fire safety training for staff is a legal requirement in the UK. The Virtual College online fire safety course helps you to fulfil this obligation by providing your staff with the knowledge and understanding required to act safely in the event of a fire in the workplace. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers general fire safety in England and Wales. Under the order, anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be a ‘responsible person’ for example a manager/employer, owner or occupier for instance self-employed people. By law this person has to provide information, instruction and training to employees about fire precautions in the workplace. You can learn more about this by clicking here.

What does fire safety training include?

This course covers many aspects of fire safety, including the importance of knowing what to do and fire safety law, potential causes of fire, methods of fire detection and raising the alarm, maintenance and testing and legal requirements at work and many more. If you are looking for other fire safety courses and packages, you can find them here.

Fire Safety Training

Do you know that employers are legally required to provide fire safety training in order to meet the Fire Safety Regulations The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005? Meet these requirements easily with our thorough but engaging fully online Fire Safety Training course. Suitable for all role types in all sectors.

This course was reviewed and updated in February 2025

Course Overview

Format

Intermediate
30 - 45 Minutes
Online Study
Self-Printed Certificate

Accreditation

1 CPD Hour
CPD Certified
RoSPA Assured

Course description

Employers are legally required to provide information, instruction and training to employees about fire precautions in the workplace.

This online fire safety course helps you to meet this obligation by providing your staff with the knowledge and understanding required to act safely in the event of a fire in the workplace.

On completion of the course and test you will receive a digital Fire Safety certificate which you can download and keep for your records.

Fires can quickly cause a lot of damage and endanger people’s lives. History is littered with tragedies as a result of uncontrolled fires, so knowing how to prevent a fire from happening is essential. When a fire does break out, we all want to know how to act safely too.

Fire is the probably the biggest risk to life that most people face at work, with around 50 people being killed and over 2000 seriously injured every year. To minimise the risk of fire in the workplace, it is vital that everyone is aware of the common causes of fire and the appropriate actions to take in the event of a fire, including how to escape safely from the scene.

Proper fire safety training should be a top priority for your workplace’s health and safety training priorities.

Employers are legally required to provide information, instruction and training to employees about fire precautions in the workplace. This online fire safety course helps you to meet this obligation by providing your staff with the knowledge and understanding required to act safely in the event of a fire in the workplace.

On completion of the course and test you will receive a digital Fire Safety certificate which you can download and keep for your records.

You will learn

The key legislation involving fire safety
The legal requirements for workplace safety
The "Fire Triangle" and how it may be used
How to react in a fire and understand the different warning systems
The importance of an evacuation plan and key evacuation legislation
The different types of fire and what the causes may be
Which type of fire extinguishers to use
Take steps to minimise the risk of a fire occurring

What does this Fire Safety Training course cover?

While this fire safety course is designed for workplace training, it's valuable for anyone who wants to learn about fire prevention and emergency response.

Module	What it includes
Introduction and Learning Outcomes	The course starts by running you through the learning outcomes of the training, explaining what fire is and the risks associated with it. There is also a self-assessment to allow you to assess your current knowledge of the topic.
Fire Safety Fundamentals	Fires have devastating effects, to avoid the dangers this section explains the fire triangle, causes of fire, fuel and heat sources, fire classes and how it spreads. These topics are covered with interactive features including video, graphics and challenges.
Preventing Fires	Everyone has a responsibility to prevent fires, here we look at employer and employee responsibilities, what you can do to prevent a fire from happening, how to spot and prevent arson and the importance of a fire risk assessment.
Protection from Fires	Preventing fires is the best solution but this is not always possible so here we look fire safety features, fire detection, raising the alarm, automatic fire detection systems, evacuations and the different types of fire extinguishers. Included in this section is a series of interactive challenges and knowledge checks.
Fire Safety Preparedness	Being prepared for fires is one of the best ways to stay safe should one occur, here we look at how you can be prepared, the roles different people play, fire tests, drills and plans and what you should check for in a fire drill.

Who should take this fire safety training online course?

Any person or business who needs to fulfil their legal obligation to provide fire safety training for their employees will benefit from this course. It's ideal for all staff members - from kitchen and bar teams to full and part-time employees, and is ideal as part of new hire training.

Our fully online learning management system allows you to:

Train your whole team simply
Learn at your own pace
Access training 24/7
Learn without any classroom attendance
Start immediately upon purchase
Track team progress online
Certify multiple staff members efficiently

Why take this online fire safety course?

Fire safety training for staff is a legal requirement in the UK. The Virtual College online fire safety course helps you to fulfil this obligation by providing your staff with the knowledge and understanding required to act safely in the event of a fire in the workplace.

This fire safety course will help learners understand the legal requirements for fire safety. Learners will gain knowledge of fire prevention and will understand warning systems and what to do. They will learn what key factors are involved in the event of an evacuation, recognise different types of fire, and what fire extinguishers they can use.

CPD accredited training

This online fire safety training course has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines. CPD certification ensures the training meets rigorous quality standards and can contribute to your professional development hours - increasingly important for many professional bodies and employers.

No prior qualifications or experience are needed to take this course, making it accessible for all staff members. Upon completion, you'll receive an instant digital CPD certificate for your records.

Get your workplace health and safety up to scratch

While fire safety is crucial, maintaining a safe workplace requires health and safety knowledge in other areas too. Virtual College offers a complete suite of CPD-certified courses designed to help you create a safe and secure working environment that meets all UK legal requirements.

Here are some other popular courses to complete:

Fire Marshal Training - Support your fire safety certification by becoming a fire warden for your business, a key role in ensuring the safety of your staff during the event of an emergency.
Manual Handling Training - Learn proper lifting techniques to prevent workplace injuries and ensure staff safety across all departments.
Risk Assessment in the Workplace - Master the skills to identify hazards, evaluate risks and implement effective control measures across your organisation.

If you’re responsible for staff training, take advantage of our bulk buying discounts or explore our great value training subscription plan for unlimited online learning for your employees.

Accreditation

The content of this online fire safety training course has been independently assured by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). It is also approved by Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and completing the course earns you 1 CPD point.

Duration

This online fire safety training course will take approximately 30 - 45 minutes to complete, depending on how quickly learners can study and absorb the material. Learners do not have to complete all the training in one session as progress is recorded throughout so it can be completed at your convenience.

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this course.

Why is Fire Safety important?

Fire Safety legislation

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers general fire safety in England and Wales. Local fire and rescue authorities are responsible for enforcing this legislation in most premises. HSE has enforcement responsibility on construction sites, for nuclear premises, and on ships under construction or undergoing repair.

Under the order, anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be a ‘responsible person’ for example a manager/employer, owner or occupier for instance self-employed people. By law this person has to provide information, instruction and training to employees about fire precautions in the workplace.

Test and Fire Safety certificate

The end of course test consists of 17 multiple choice questions. Learners are required to achieve an 80% pass mark, and, if necessary, may attempt the test as many times as needed.

Learners will be able to download a digital Fire Safety certificate on completion. This can be printed, and we suggest you keep it for your records.

What other courses can I complete?

Before completing our Fire Safety Training you may wish to take a look at two of our popular packages, First Aid and Fire Safety Training Package and Complete Health and Safety Training Package.

If you need fire marshal training our Fire Safety for Fire Marshals and Wardens Training Package combines two of our popular fire safety online courses.

You will learn

The fire triangle: how fires ignite and are maintained, including different types of fire

Fire hazards and removing them

Automated fire detection systems, how to tackle a fire with fire extinguishers and safe evacuations

The purpose and benefits of fire tests and fire drills

Who is it for?

Roles including:

Businesses needing to train their staff in fire safety procedures in the workplace

Anyone who wishes to learn how to prevent fire in the workplace and deal with it effectively should it occur

Businesses looking to cover their legal responsibilities to train employees on fire safety

Legislation

Fire Safety Training FAQs

Do you need a qualification to do a fire risk assessment?

According to the terms of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all UK businesses have a responsibility to conduct regular risk assessments. The law outlines the duties of a ‘responsible person’ who is defined as “the employer, if the workplace is to any extent under his control”, “the person who has control of the premises” or “the owner” of a building.
If you meet the requirements of being the ‘responsible person’ you have a legal obligation to comply with fire risk assessment regulations. Section 9 of the regulations outlines the necessary fire safety risk assessment steps, which include the requirement to record the assessment and regularly review it.
You can learn more about Fire Risk Assessments here.
How long is the fire safety qualification valid?
Is fire safety training a legal requirement?

Fire safety training for staff is a legal requirement in the UK. The Virtual College online fire safety course helps you to fulfil this obligation by providing your staff with the knowledge and understanding required to act safely in the event of a fire in the workplace.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers general fire safety in England and Wales. Under the order, anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be a ‘responsible person’ for example a manager/employer, owner or occupier for instance self-employed people. By law this person has to provide information, instruction and training to employees about fire precautions in the workplace.
You can learn more about this by clicking here.
What does fire safety training include?