A fire safety log book is where you record your fire safety checks, tests, servicing, drills and training. It's the simplest way to show that you're keeping your premises safe – and it's the first thing an inspecting fire officer or insurer will ask to see.

Is a Log Book a Legal Requirement?

The law doesn't require a "log book" by name. But it does require you to keep your fire safety equipment maintained and in good working order, and to record your fire risk assessment (always in England and Wales; in Scotland and Northern Ireland, in most businesses). A log book is the accepted way to show you're doing both. Many fire and rescue services publish free templates.

What to Record

  • Fire risk assessment – the date it was carried out or reviewed, and by whom.
  • Fire alarm – the weekly test (which call point, and the result), six-monthly servicing, faults and false alarms. See Fire Alarm Systems for Businesses.
  • Emergency lighting – monthly checks and the annual full-duration test. See Emergency Lighting: What You Need and How to Test It.
  • Fire extinguishers – monthly checks and annual servicing. See Monthly Checks You Can Do Yourself.
  • Fire doors – regular checks and any repairs. See Fire Doors: Types, Signs and Simple Checks.
  • Escape routes – checks that they're clear and exits open easily.
  • Fire drills – the date, how long the evacuation took, any problems and what you changed.
  • Training – who was trained, when, what it covered and who delivered it.
  • Contractor visits – service certificates and reports.
  • Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) – and their reviews.

Blocks of Flats in England

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 add specific checks for blocks of flats – for example, in buildings over 11 metres, communal fire doors must be checked every three months and flat entrance doors every year. Recording these checks is the best way to show they've been done.

How Long to Keep Records

Keep them for at least three years – Scottish guidance recommends this – and keep the log book on site, where it can be found easily.

Worth remembering… your fire risk assessment is what decides what your premises need. This guide is general advice, not a substitute for it.

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