How often should fire safety training be done? What the law and GOV.UK say

What the law says

Under article 21 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must make sure employees get adequate safety training:

• when they are first employed, and
• when they are exposed to new or increased risks because they are transferred or given new responsibilities, or because new work equipment, new technology or a new system of work is introduced.

The training must:

• include suitable and sufficient instruction on the precautions and actions to take to keep themselves and others safe
• be repeated periodically where appropriate
• be adapted to new or changed risks
• be provided in a way that suits the risks found in the fire risk assessment
• take place during working hours

Fire drills

GOV.UK says "You should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results", and keep the results as part of your fire safety and evacuation plan. A drill tests whether people actually know the escape routes and assembly point, and whether the alarm can be heard everywhere.

Recommended refresh intervals

Refresh sooner when the fire risk assessment changes, when someone moves to a new area or role, or after a drill shows people did not know what to do.

What a refresher costs

Here is what each provider showed on its own course page on 22 October 2026. Rival prices are as a buyer pays them.

Keeping records

Keep a record of who was trained, when and on what, alongside your fire risk assessment and drill results. Fire safety officers from your local fire and rescue authority check that the fire risk assessment and fire prevention measures are appropriate, and staff training is one of the things the assessment must cover.