Teesdale Fire Risk Assessments
If you own, manage or let a property in Teesdale, a written fire risk assessment is not optional. It is a legal duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Staines Safety Services provides professional fire risk assessments across Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Stanhope and the wider Teesdale area of County Durham. Our assessors hold the Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Fire Risk Assessment, the advanced competence level set out in BS 8674 for more complex and higher-risk premises.
Why Teesdale properties need a competent fire risk assessment
Teesdale is full of buildings that do not fit a standard office template: stone cottages used as holiday lets, listed pubs, farm buildings converted into workshops, shops on the front street, B&Bs and small blocks with shared stairwells.
These premises often have:
- Open fires or wood burners
- Older electrical installations
- Narrow stairs and limited escape routes
- Listed-building constraints on fire doors and detection
- Paying guests who do not know the layout
The government’s own guidance confirms that the Fire Safety Order applies to workplaces and to premises with paying guests, including self-catering holiday lets.
See Fire safety in the workplace and Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire.County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for this area. They can inspect your premises and expect a suitable and sufficient assessment. Further local information is available from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.
Who needs a fire risk assessment in Barnard Castle and Teesdale?
You need a fire risk assessment if you are the Responsible Person for:
- A shop, office, café or workshop in Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale or Stanhope
- A pub, hotel, guest house or B&B
- A holiday cottage, barn conversion or Airbnb
- The common parts of flats or an HMO
- A farm building used by employees, contractors or members of the public
- Any other non-domestic premises
Guidance for sleeping accommodation, including holiday lets and common parts of residential buildings, is set out in the Home Office guide Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation. Guidance for shops and offices is here: Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops.
A single private house let to one household does not always need a formal Fire Safety Order assessment of the dwelling itself, but holiday lets, HMOs and buildings with communal areas do. If you are unsure, we will tell you plainly before you book.
What our fire risk assessment covers
A Staines Safety Services fire risk assessment follows the five-step method used in official guidance:
- Identify fire hazards (ignition, fuel and oxygen)
- Identify people at risk, including guests, staff and anyone who may need help to escape
- Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks
- Record the significant findings, produce an action plan and advise on emergency arrangements
- Set a review date
For Teesdale properties we pay particular attention to:
- Wood burners, open fires and chimney maintenance
- LPG, oil and solid-fuel appliances
- Escape routes in older and listed buildings
- Detection, emergency lighting and fire doors
- Holiday-let information for guests
- Housekeeping, storage and arson risk
You receive a clear written report with prioritised actions. We do not sell fire alarms or extinguishers as part of the assessment, so recommendations stay independent.
Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Fire Risk Assessment
Competence matters. There is still no single licence to write a fire risk assessment in England, but government and industry guidance expect the assessor to be competent for the building in front of them.
Our fire risk assessors hold the Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Fire Risk Assessment (ProQual / equivalent advanced route aligned to BS 8674). That is the advanced level for higher-risk and more complex premises, above the more common Level 4 intermediate qualification.That matters in Teesdale when a cottage has a wood burner and paying guests, a pub has a kitchen and accommodation above, or a listed building has limited options for modern fire protection.
Areas we cover
We carry out fire risk assessments throughout Teesdale and western County Durham, including:
- Barnard Castle
- Middleton-in-Teesdale
- Stanhope
- Startforth, Cotherstone, Romaldkirk and surrounding villages
- Wider County Durham where travel is practical
We already work across Teesside and the North East, so Teesdale is a natural local service area rather than a distant add-on.
How to book a fire risk assessment
Call 07885 982771 or email info@stainessafetyservices.co.uk
Tell us the town, the type of building (holiday let, pub, shop, flats, farm building) and roughly how many floors or rooms. We will confirm whether you need an assessment, give a fixed price and book a visit.
You can also request a quote via Staines Safety Services.
A fire risk assessment in Barnard Castle or Middleton-in-Teesdale does not need to be complicated. It does need to be suitable, sufficient and written by someone qualified to judge the building. That is the service we provide.