Village hall fire risk assessment
For a village hall the Responsible Person is usually the management committee or trustees. Halls are used by many different groups, so the assessment has to work for every hirer, from toddler groups to evening parties.
Start the village hall and community centre template
What the law asks
- Assess the fire risk of the premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 if you are the Responsible Person: usually the employer, owner or whoever controls the premises.
- Record all the findings, your fire safety arrangements and who carried out the assessment. Since 1 October 2023 this applies to every Responsible Person, whatever the size of the business (Building Safety Act 2022, section 156).
- Review it regularly and whenever something significant changes.
Government guide for this type of premises: Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly. Checked October 2026. FireRiskKit is written for England and Wales.
Typical fire hazards
- Kitchen use by hirers who do not know the equipment
- Decorations, stage drapes and stored chairs and tables
- Candles and portable heaters brought in for events
- Electrical equipment brought in by hirers
- Waste left after events
People at risk
- Hirers and their guests, who may not know the building
- Children, older people and anyone who needs help to escape
- Volunteers working alone
Precautions to check
- A maximum number of people for each room, based on exits and space
- Fire safety instructions in the hire agreement and a checklist for hirers
- Exits unlocked and clear whenever the hall is in use
- Emergency lighting and signs on escape routes
- Extinguishers checked and serviced annually
Choose “Village hall and community centre” in FireRiskKit and the template asks about these points, then turns every gap into a dated action with an owner.
When to use a professional
A small single-room hall is often assessed by a committee member. Use a competent assessor for larger halls, buildings with a stage or balcony, or where occupancy is high.
Fill in the template in your browser, add your own findings and download a signed PDF with the action plan.
Start the free templateQuestions
Is the hirer responsible for fire safety?
During a hire the hirer has duties too, but the committee as Responsible Person must make sure the premises are safe and that hirers get the information they need. Put both in the hire agreement.
How many people can we let in?
It depends on the exits and floor space. The government guide for small (up to 60 people) and medium (up to 300 people) places of assembly explains how to work it out; record the figure in your assessment.
Other premises
See also: Do I need a fire risk assessment? · Fire risk assessment checklist