Retail premises present unique fire safety challenges. High customer footfall, combustible stock, electrical displays, and complex layouts all contribute to fire risk. Whether you run a small high street shop or manage a large retail unit, understanding your fire safety obligations is essential.
This guide covers everything retail owners and managers need to know about fire safety in shops, from risk assessments to evacuation procedures.
Key Points for Retail Fire Safety:
- Every retail premises needs a fire risk assessment — it's a legal requirement under the Fire Safety Order 2005
- Stock rooms are often the highest fire risk area in retail — proper storage and housekeeping are critical
- Customer safety during evacuation requires clear escape routes, trained staff, and regular drills
- Most retail premises need an L3 or L4 fire detection system covering escape routes
- Fire extinguishers must be appropriate for your specific fire risks (electrical, ordinary combustibles)
- Staff training is essential — every employee should know the evacuation procedure
Fire risk assessment for retail premises
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the "responsible person" for any retail premises must carry out a fire risk assessment. In most cases, this is the shop owner, franchisee, or the person with day-to-day control of the premises.
Your fire risk assessment must identify:
- Fire hazards in your shop (ignition sources, fuel sources, oxygen)
- People at risk (staff, customers, contractors, vulnerable individuals)
- Existing fire safety measures and whether they're adequate
- Improvements needed to reduce risk
Retail-specific hazards to assess
When assessing fire risks in a retail environment, pay particular attention to:
Sales floor:
- Electrical displays and point-of-sale equipment
- Lighting (especially spotlights and display lighting)
- Extension leads and multi-plug adapters
- Promotional displays with combustible materials
Stock rooms and storage:
- Cardboard packaging and packing materials
- Overloaded shelving and poor housekeeping
- Electrical equipment (heaters, chargers, refrigeration)
- Blocked access routes
Back of house:
- Staff rest areas with kettles, microwaves, toasters
- Cleaning chemical storage
- Electrical distribution boards
- Waste compactors and bins
Stock rooms cause a disproportionate number of retail fires. Cardboard packaging is highly combustible, and stock rooms often have poor housekeeping, overloaded electrical circuits, and limited fire detection.
Can you do your own fire risk assessment?
For a small, simple retail unit with no sleeping accommodation, you may be competent to do your own assessment using the government's fire safety guide for offices and shops.
However, consider professional assessment if:
- Your premises are large or have a complex layout
- You have multiple floors or basement areas
- You store significant quantities of flammable goods
- You're not confident assessing the risks yourself
A professional fire risk assessment for a typical retail unit costs between £200-£400.
For comprehensive guidance on fire safety requirements, see our Fire Safety Compliance Guide.
Stock rooms and storage areas
Stock rooms deserve special attention in any retail fire risk assessment. They're often where fires start and where fire safety standards slip.
Common stock room fire hazards
Combustible materials:
- Cardboard boxes and packaging
- Paper, bubble wrap, and packing materials
- Wooden pallets
- Product packaging (especially polystyrene)
Ignition sources:
- Portable heaters (often used in cold stock areas)
- Charging devices (phones, tablets, scanners)
- Faulty or overloaded electrical equipment
- Old or damaged wiring
Poor housekeeping:
- Stock piled too high, blocking sprinklers or detectors
- Boxes stacked against electrical panels
- Waste accumulating rather than being removed
- Aisles and access routes blocked
Stock room fire safety requirements
To manage stock room fire risks:
- Keep combustibles away from ignition sources — maintain clear space around electrical equipment and heaters
- Good housekeeping — remove packaging waste regularly, don't let it accumulate
- Proper stacking — leave clearance below sprinkler heads and smoke detectors (typically 500mm)
- Electrical safety — avoid overloading sockets, don't use damaged equipment, have fixed wiring tested regularly
- Fire detection — ensure smoke or heat detectors cover the stock room
- Fire separation — stock rooms should ideally be separated from the sales floor by fire-resistant construction
If your stock room is separated from the sales floor by fire-resistant construction (fire doors, fire-rated walls), a fire that starts there is contained longer, giving everyone more time to evacuate safely.
Customer safety and evacuation
Retail premises must be able to evacuate customers safely in an emergency. Unlike staff who know the building, customers are unfamiliar with the layout and may panic.
Evacuation planning for retail
Your evacuation plan should address:
Alerting customers:
- How will customers know there's an emergency? (Fire alarm, PA announcement, staff direction)
- Is the alarm loud enough to be heard throughout the premises, including fitting rooms and toilets?
Directing customers to exits:
- Staff should guide customers to the nearest exit
- Customers will naturally head for the entrance they came in — you may need to redirect them to other exits
- Never let customers use lifts during evacuation
Managing vulnerable customers:
- Wheelchair users, elderly customers, those with young children
- Anyone who may need assistance evacuating
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) aren't practical for customers, so staff need general training on assisting people
Assembly point:
- Where will customers gather after evacuating?
- Is it away from the building and emergency vehicle access routes?
- For shopping centres, coordinate with centre management
Evacuation drills
Regular evacuation drills help staff practice their roles. For retail premises:
- Conduct drills at least every 6 months (quarterly is better)
- Include drills during trading hours, not just before opening
- Time how long evacuation takes and aim to improve
- Brief staff on their roles after each drill
During trading hours, a good approach is a "silent drill" where you walk through the evacuation procedure without sounding the alarm. This trains staff without alarming customers.
Fire detection requirements for retail
The type of fire detection system your retail premises needs depends on the building, occupancy, and risk level. Most retail premises need either an L3 or L4 category system.
Fire alarm categories explained
Category L4 (escape routes only):
- Detectors in escape routes and circulation areas
- Minimum standard for most simple retail premises
- Designed to give early warning when escape routes are affected
Category L3 (escape routes + high-risk areas):
- Detectors in escape routes plus areas of high fire risk
- Often required for retail with significant stock rooms or back-of-house areas
- Provides earlier warning if fire starts in a high-risk area
Category L2 or L1:
- More comprehensive coverage
- Typically only required for larger or higher-risk retail premises
- Your fire risk assessment will determine if this level is needed
What detectors where?
Sales floor: Smoke detectors are usually appropriate, though heat detectors may be better if false alarms are a problem (e.g., near entrances where smoke/fumes enter from outside).
Stock rooms: Smoke detectors are preferred for early detection. Heat detectors are acceptable but give less warning time.
Kitchens/staff rooms: Heat detectors to avoid false alarms from cooking.
Electrical cupboards: Heat detectors or smoke detectors depending on the risk assessment.
Manual call points
Break glass call points should be located:
- At each final exit
- At storey exits to protected stairways
- Generally so that no one needs to travel more than 45m to reach one (30m in high-risk areas)
Use our Fire Safety Checker to assess whether your current fire detection is adequate.
Emergency exits and escape routes
Customers and staff must be able to escape safely from any fire. The number, location, and width of exits depends on the number of people who might need to use them.
Exit requirements
Number of exits:
- Small shops may only need one exit if travel distance is short enough (typically under 18m to the exit in one direction, or 45m where there's alternative directions)
- Larger premises or those with higher occupancy need multiple exits so people aren't all trying to use one door
Exit width:
- Exits must be wide enough for the number of people using them
- As a rough guide: 850mm minimum for up to 60 people, wider for higher occupancy
- Revolving doors don't count as fire exits unless they fold flat or have adjacent pass doors
Exit doors:
- Must open in the direction of escape (outwards)
- Must be openable without a key from the inside
- Panic bars or push pads are required where significant numbers of people may need to escape
- Electronically locked doors must release automatically on fire alarm activation
Keeping escape routes clear
A common failing in retail fire inspections is blocked or obstructed escape routes:
- Don't store stock in corridors or near exits
- Don't let delivery boxes accumulate in back corridors
- Keep final exit doors clear at all times — no displays, no bins, no trolleys
- Ensure fire exit doors aren't locked or blocked during trading hours
Locking or blocking fire exits during trading hours is one of the most serious fire safety offences. People have died because exits were chained shut. Fire services treat this extremely seriously.
Emergency lighting
If escape routes don't have adequate natural daylight, or if you trade during hours of darkness, you need emergency lighting to illuminate escape routes if the power fails.
Emergency lighting must:
- Illuminate all escape routes to at least 1 lux
- Operate automatically on power failure
- Maintain illumination for at least 1 hour (3 hours in sleeping premises)
- Be tested monthly (function test) and annually (full duration test)
Fire extinguisher requirements
Retail premises need portable fire extinguishers appropriate for the fire risks present.
What extinguishers do retail premises need?
Water extinguishers (red):
- For ordinary combustibles: paper, cardboard, wood, textiles
- Suitable for most general retail stock fires
- Don't use on electrical fires or in areas with significant electrical equipment
CO2 extinguishers (black label):
- For electrical fires and flammable liquid fires
- Essential near electrical equipment (tills, server rooms, electrical cupboards)
- Don't use on paper/cardboard fires — they can re-ignite
Foam or powder extinguishers:
- Foam is versatile for liquid and solid fires
- Powder is effective but creates mess and visibility issues
- Often not recommended for retail sales floors due to clean-up issues
How many extinguishers?
The general rule is one extinguisher per 200m² of floor area, with a minimum of two extinguishers per floor. However, your fire risk assessment should determine actual requirements based on:
- Size and layout of the premises
- Fire risks present
- Distance to the nearest extinguisher from any point
Placement and maintenance
- Extinguishers should be mounted on brackets or stands, not left on the floor
- Place them near exits and at identified fire risk points
- All staff should know where extinguishers are located
- Extinguishers must be serviced annually by a competent person
The primary purpose of extinguishers in retail is to tackle small fires in their earliest stages, allowing safe evacuation. Never expect staff to fight developed fires — if in doubt, get out and call 999.
Staff training for retail environments
Every member of staff needs fire safety training appropriate to their role. In retail, this includes temporary and part-time staff who may be present during an emergency.
What training should cover
All retail staff should know:
- The fire evacuation procedure and assembly point
- Location of fire alarm call points
- Location of fire exits (including those they wouldn't normally use)
- What to do when they hear the fire alarm
- How to raise the alarm if they discover a fire
- Basic fire prevention in their work area
Senior staff and fire wardens should additionally know:
- How to sweep their designated area during evacuation
- How to assist customers with disabilities
- How to use fire extinguishers (if expected to tackle small fires)
- How to liaise with fire services on arrival
- Roll call procedures at the assembly point
Training frequency
- Induction training for all new staff before they start work
- Refresher training at least annually
- Additional training when procedures change or after any incident
Fire wardens in retail
Larger retail premises should designate fire wardens (sometimes called fire marshals) to:
- Ensure their area is evacuated completely
- Check toilets, fitting rooms, and stock rooms during evacuation
- Report to the fire controller that their area is clear
- Prevent re-entry until the all-clear is given
The number of wardens depends on the premises size, but ensure coverage during all trading hours, including cover for breaks and absences.
Back of house vs front of house
Retail premises have distinct fire safety considerations for customer-facing areas versus staff-only areas.
Front of house (sales floor)
Key considerations:
- Customer safety is the priority
- Clear, well-signed escape routes
- No security measures that impede evacuation
- Displays and merchandising shouldn't block routes
- Staff trained to guide and assist customers
Common issues:
- Security gates that could impede evacuation
- Displays placed too close to exits
- Fire exit signs obscured by promotional materials
- Loud music drowning out fire alarms
Back of house (stock rooms, offices, staff areas)
Key considerations:
- Often higher fire risk than sales floor
- May have fewer staff present to discover fires
- Fire detection is critical
- Housekeeping standards often slip
Common issues:
- Cardboard and packaging accumulation
- Portable heaters used in cold stock areas
- Personal electrical items (phone chargers, heaters)
- Fire doors propped open for convenience
- Emergency lighting not installed or maintained
Fire doors between stock rooms and the sales floor should be kept closed. If they need to be held open for operational reasons, fit automatic door holders linked to the fire alarm system — never use wedges.
Shopping centres vs standalone shops
Fire safety requirements differ depending on whether you're in a shopping centre or a standalone retail unit.
Standalone shops
If you're the sole occupier of a retail premises, you're fully responsible for:
- Fire risk assessment for the entire premises
- All fire detection and alarm systems
- Fire extinguishers
- Emergency lighting
- Escape routes and exits
- Staff training
You control all aspects of fire safety, but you bear all the responsibility.
Shops in shopping centres
In a shopping centre, responsibilities are typically split:
Shopping centre management is usually responsible for:
- Common areas (malls, corridors, shared service areas)
- Main fire alarm and PA system
- Emergency lighting in common areas
- Evacuation of common areas
- Liaison with fire services
Individual shop tenants are usually responsible for:
- Fire risk assessment for their unit
- Fire safety within their premises
- Their own staff training
- Evacuation of their customers
- Ensuring their premises integrates with the centre's fire strategy
Check your lease carefully — it should specify fire safety responsibilities. If unclear, discuss with the shopping centre management to ensure there are no gaps in responsibility.
Shopping centre fire safety coordination
Work with centre management to understand:
- The overall fire evacuation strategy (simultaneous or phased evacuation)
- How your alarm system integrates with the centre system
- Your role in a centre-wide evacuation
- Assembly points for your staff and customers
- Communication protocols during emergencies
Common fire hazards in retail
Electrical hazards
Retail premises are often full of electrical equipment:
- Point-of-sale systems
- Electronic displays and screens
- CCTV and security equipment
- Lighting (especially hot spotlights)
- Extension leads and adapters
Prevention:
- Regular PAT testing of portable appliances
- Fixed wiring inspection every 5 years
- Don't overload sockets or use damaged equipment
- Ensure adequate ventilation around electrical equipment
Packaging and combustibles
Cardboard, paper, and packaging materials are everywhere in retail:
- Stock deliveries
- Product packaging
- Promotional materials
Prevention:
- Remove packaging waste promptly
- Don't let cardboard accumulate in stock rooms
- Store combustibles away from ignition sources
- Consider fire-resistant waste bins
Display materials
Promotional displays can introduce fire hazards:
- Paper and card signage
- Fabric banners and drapes
- Foam or polystyrene props
- Lighting close to combustible materials
Prevention:
- Keep displays away from escape routes
- Use flame-retardant materials where possible
- Ensure display lighting doesn't overheat nearby materials
- Consider fire risk when planning seasonal displays
Frequently asked questions
Yes. All retail premises require a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This applies whether you own or lease the premises, and regardless of size. The responsible person (usually the shop owner or person in control) must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date.
Most retail premises need at least a Category L4 fire detection system (covering escape routes) or Category L3 (escape routes plus high-risk areas like stock rooms). The specific requirement depends on your fire risk assessment. Small shops may be adequately served by interlinked smoke and heat alarms, while larger premises typically need a full fire alarm system with manual call points.
Fire drills should be conducted at least every six months, though quarterly is better practice for retail premises with significant staff turnover. Drills should include scenarios during trading hours where staff must evacuate customers. Keep records of all drills, including evacuation time and any issues identified.
Fire exits must be openable from the inside without a key during trading hours. You cannot chain or padlock fire exits while staff or customers are present. If security is a concern, you can use panic hardware (push bars) or electronic locks that release automatically when the fire alarm activates. Locking fire exits while people are in the building is a serious offence that can result in prosecution and imprisonment.
Next steps
If you're a retail owner or manager, take these steps to ensure your fire safety is compliant:
- Conduct or review your fire risk assessment — if you don't have one, or it's more than a year old, this is your priority
- Check your fire detection — ensure alarms cover escape routes and high-risk areas, and are tested weekly
- Review escape routes — walk every route and check they're clear, properly signed, and doors open easily
- Train your staff — every team member should know the evacuation procedure
- Establish maintenance schedules — weekly alarm tests, monthly emergency lighting checks, annual extinguisher service
Resources:
- What is a fire risk assessment? — understand the assessment process
- Fire Safety Compliance Guide — comprehensive fire safety requirements
- Fire Safety Checker — assess your current fire safety measures
Not sure if your retail premises meets fire safety requirements? A qualified fire risk assessor can audit your shop, identify deficiencies, and provide a clear action plan for compliance.
Related content:
- Fire extinguisher types — choosing the right extinguishers
- Emergency lighting requirements — when and what you need
- Evacuation strategies — planning effective evacuations
This article provides general guidance on fire safety requirements for retail premises under UK law. It is not legal advice. Fire safety requirements can vary based on specific circumstances, building characteristics, and local authority requirements. Always consult with a qualified fire risk assessor for advice specific to your premises.