A Fire Prevention Plan (FPP) sets out how a site will prevent fires from starting, detect them quickly, and respond effectively if one occurs. If your site handles combustible or flammable materials – common across waste and recycling operations – you’re likely to need an FPP as part of your environmental permit.
Regulators expect to see and approve an FPP for new permit applications, and can request one at other points too, including after a fire incident or where they have concerns about your fire risk. Our consultants build Fire Prevention Plans in line with current regulatory guidance, covering prevention, detection and response, so your plan reflects both the standards expected and how your site actually operates.
When You’re Likely to Need a Fire Prevention Plan
An FPP is typically required in the following circumstances:
- You’re making a new permit application.
- You’re varying an existing permit in a way that could increase fire risk.
- You’re transferring a permit.
- There’s a fire incident on your site, or the regulator has concerns about your fire risk.
Sites storing or handling combustible waste, flammable materials, or other high-risk substances are the most likely to fall under these requirements, given the greater potential for fire to start, spread, or cause environmental harm. Regulators expect an FPP to follow current guidance and reflect how the site actually operates.
What Fire Risks Information Does a Fire Prevention Plan Cover?
A Fire Prevention Plan needs to reflect the specific layout, materials and operations of your site, covering the key elements regulators expect to see. Our consultants review the information relevant to your fire risk, including:
- The types and quantities of hazardous materials and combustible materials stored or processed on site, along with proper handling and storage procedures.
- Site layout, including storage areas, separation distances, and their relationship to site boundaries and neighbouring premises.
- Existing prevention measures and how fire risk is currently managed, including the identification of major fire hazards, potential ignition sources, fuel source hazards, and the control measures in place.
- Arrangements for detecting and responding to a fire, including firewater management.
This site-specific information forms the basis of a plan that regulators can assess with confidence, and that genuinely reflects how fire risk is managed in practice, while regular inspections help identify fire hazards such as overloaded electrical outlets.
Key Benefits of Our Fire Prevention Plan Service
Working with our consultants on your Fire Prevention Plan gives you:
- Careful attention to regulatory standards, regulatory requirements, and regulations, ensuring your plan meets all elements of current FPP guidance.
- A clear review of your fire risks, helping identify common causes of fire and any major hazard areas on site before you submit your application.
- Support in managing fire risks to help protect businesses, the environment, and day-to-day operations from disruption, damage, and knock-on impacts on neighbouring sites.
- Clear ownership within the plan, with each job title and the employees responsible for key actions defined to improve accountability for fire safety.
What to Expect From the Process
Our consultants will ensure your fire protection plan follows the guidance set by your applicable regulatory body, assisting in the development of a plan that supports strong fire safety outcomes and will:
- Minimise the likelihood of fire risks arising on site.
- Manage firewater runoff in the event of a fire.
- Put measures in place for a fire to be extinguished as soon as possible, including fire detection, alarm systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and other fire protection equipment as examples of equipment and safeguards installed that may require regular maintenance.
- Minimise the spread of fire within the site and to neighbouring sites, using appropriate separation and containment measures for the site.
We work with you to translate these requirements into practical measures and procedures for your site, rather than a generic document, so the finished plan supports your permit application and gives your team a clear reference for day-to-day fire risk management, including control measures for heat producing equipment, accidental ignition, and procedures to control accumulations of combustible waste materials.
Reviewing and Updating Your Fire Prevention Plan
A Fire Prevention Plan isn’t a one-off document. It should be reviewed whenever your operations, materials, employees, or site layout change, including when onboarding new hires, and it’s good practice to revisit it periodically even without a specific trigger, to confirm it still reflects how the site actually operates. Periodic reviews should also confirm that emergency procedures, evacuation plans, exit routes, evacuation routes, exit doors, and procedures for notifying employees remain accurate, while checking the regular maintenance and maintaining equipment that support the fire prevention measures already in place. Our consultants can support you with these reviews as well as the initial plan, helping keep your fire prevention measures aligned with current regulatory expectations. Regular fire drills and evacuation drills should be carried out at least once a year so employees stay prepared for a fire emergency.
