fire safety strategies for London co-working spaces: Essential Fire Safety Strategies for London’s Co-Working Spaces — Protecting Employees and Assets in 2025
Introduction
fire safety strategies for London co-working spaces will show you how to meet legal duties, reduce risk, and protect people and assets across shared workspace environments. In this guide you will learn who is responsible under the law, how to carry out a suitable fire risk assessment for a co-working environment, what active and passive measures are essential in 2025, and practical steps to keep occupants safe and maintain compliance. The guidance is focused on London co-working spaces but applies to similar shared workplaces across the UK.
Understanding responsibilities and legal context for shared workspaces
Co-working operators and landlords share responsibilities for fire safety. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places the duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment on the Responsible Person. For co-working spaces this usually means the building owner, manager, or the co-working operator depending on lease arrangements. You must record significant findings when you employ five or more people, or when required by other regulations. GOV.UK fire safety guidance for dutyholders.
In shared buildings coordination matters. Multiple tenants, hot desks, meeting rooms, and varied opening hours create complexity. You must identify all Responsible Persons and record which zones each one controls. The Government’s guide on persons with duties under fire safety laws sets out what information must be shared. Failing to agree responsibilities can delay evacuation planning and increase risk.
fire safety strategies for London co-working spaces: carrying out a co-working fire risk assessment
A robust fire risk assessment is the cornerstone of safe co-working operations. Begin by identifying fire hazards: cooking equipment in break areas, electrical charging stations, hot-desking tech, and any stored combustible materials. Next, identify people at risk. Co-working occupants often include visitors, freelancers, and contractors who may not know escape routes. That increases your duty to communicate and train.
Where possible, engage a competent assessor. The National Fire Chiefs Council explains how to find and verify a qualified fire risk assessor and why you should use recognised competency criteria. If you use an external assessor, remember that duty remains with the Responsible Person. NFCC guidance on finding a competent fire risk assessor.
Record the assessment and set clear actions with deadlines. For co-working spaces, reviews should happen more often than in static offices. Review when occupancy changes, when fit-out work is carried out, or when tenants bring unusual equipment. A dated log and version control help prove compliance and show due diligence to enforcement bodies.
Early detection and alarm systems: following the latest standards
Early detection saves lives and limits damage. In 2025 the updated BS 5839 guidance re-emphasises reliable detection in non-domestic premises. The revision provides clearer rules on design, installation, and maintenance. Co-working spaces must ensure alarm coverage across open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and communal facilities. Systems should link to a central panel and provide distinct audio and visual warnings tailored to the building layout.
If your building has mixed uses, check whether the system needs to trigger other safety measures, such as smoke control or automatic door release. Ask your installer or service provider about compliance with the revised BS 5839 guidance and how any upgrades will be tested and certified. For more detail on the standard and its 2025 update, refer to BSI’s announcement. BSI update on BS 5839 (2025).
Total Safe can advise and supply appropriate fire detection and alarm solutions. Consider scheduling a full system survey and testamentary maintenance plan to keep alarms working and compliant. See Total Safe’s installation and maintenance services for tailored support. Total Safe’s fire alarm installation and maintenance service.
Passive fire protection and compartmentation for shared spaces
Passive measures slow fire spread and protect escape routes. Fire doors, compartment walls, fire-stopping around service penetrations, and properly maintained escape stairs all matter. In co-working environments, tenant modifications such as fitted kitchens or partitioning can compromise compartmentation. You must inspect and maintain fire doors and seals regularly. Total Safe provides fire door installation and servicing that helps preserve compartmentation and extend escape time. Total Safe’s fire door installation and servicing.
Carry out frequent checks on doors and seals. Ensure that any temporary alterations are risk-assessed and that fire-stopping materials meet the required performance ratings. Where communal server racks or plant rooms are present, make sure those areas are separated by appropriate fire-resisting construction.
Evacuation planning and managing a shared occupant mix
Evacuation plans must reflect a building’s actual use. Co-working spaces have fluid occupancy patterns and varied familiarity with the premises. Create clear evacuation maps and ensure they are visible near lifts, stairs, and at reception. Appoint and train fire marshals from both the operator and regular tenant companies. Regular drills are essential to test procedures and the practicality of escape routes.
If the building has multiple Responsible Persons, cooperate on a whole-building approach. Share assessments, emergency plans, and contact details. The GOV.UK guidance on responsibilities highlights the need for coordination. Likewise, maintain up-to-date contact lists for security staff and building management so you can respond quickly to a fire alarm activation outside normal staffed hours.
Training, communication and tenant responsibilities
Everyone in a co-working space should know how to raise the alarm, where to assemble, and who the fire marshals are. Provide short induction briefings for new tenants and conspicuous signage for visitors. Offer refresher training quarterly or whenever significant changes occur.
Encourage tenants to reduce risks: avoid overloading sockets, store waste sensibly, and restrict hot desking near kitchen equipment. Use tenancy agreements to set clear expectations about fire safety behaviours. If you supply lockers or storage, inspect them to prevent unsafe accumulation of combustibles.
Training should include basic first-aid for burns and smoke inhalation awareness. Combine classroom sessions with practical extinguisher familiarisation. Total Safe offers fire marshal and extinguisher training tailored to workplace environments which can be scheduled to fit flexible occupier timetables.
Maintenance, testing and record keeping
Routine maintenance proves your fire safety systems will work when needed. Test and record fire alarm panel checks, detector tests, emergency lighting, and fire extinguisher servicing. British Standards require regular servicing; for example, fire extinguishers should be inspected annually by a competent provider and visually checked monthly by staff.
Logbooks and digital records show that you acted on defects quickly. Where a defect remains outstanding, document mitigation steps such as temporary patrols or compartmentation repairs in progress. Keep a planned maintenance schedule and review it after any incident or near miss.
Linking maintenance to the fire risk assessment closes the loop. Record the dates, the remedial work required, and the outcome. These records are essential if an enforcing authority reviews your procedures.
Protecting equipment and critical assets in co-working environments
Many co-working tenants rely on servers, AV equipment, and expensive hardware. To protect these assets, consider targeted suppression systems for server rooms and secure, fire-rated enclosures for critical infrastructure. Water-based suppression can damage electronics, so evaluate alternatives such as clean agent systems or localised inert gas solutions where appropriate.
Store backups off-site or in cloud services as part of your business continuity plan. Label critical utility shut-offs and integrate them into your emergency response plan so first responders can act fast. Regularly review insurance requirements and ensure your mitigation measures align with policy conditions to avoid gaps in cover.
Technology, monitoring and 24/7 resilience
Connected detection, remote monitoring, and alarm signalling provide resilience for co-working spaces open outside standard hours. Consider alarm receiving centre connections for out-of-hours monitoring. Integrate smart building controls with fire systems cautiously; ensure any automation follows fail-safe principles and does not create additional hazards.
Where smartphone apps or access control systems are used to manage building access, verify that they do not hinder safe evacuation. For example, doors should not be electronically locked in a way that blocks escape. Test fail-safes regularly.
Practical checklist and next steps for operators
Use this short checklist to act now:
Commission or review a full fire risk assessment with clear actions and deadlines.
Verify alarm coverage and compliance with BS 5839 guidance; schedule necessary upgrades.
Inspect and service fire doors, fire-stopping, and escape routes regularly.
Appoint and train fire marshals, and run evacuation drills during different occupancy scenarios.
Introduce tenancy clauses that set tenant responsibilities for fire safety.
Maintain a documented log of tests, maintenance and remedial actions.
If you need support with any of these tasks, Total Safe offers comprehensive services from fire risk assessments to alarm maintenance and fire door work. For a practical first step, arrange a site visit to prioritise actions and produce a costed work plan.
Conclusion and recommended actions
Co-working spaces in London require a practical, coordinated approach to fire safety. By focusing on robust risk assessment, compliant detection systems, passive compartmentation, clear evacuation plans, and ongoing maintenance you will protect people and property. Coordination between landlords, operators and tenants is essential. Start with a competent assessment, prioritise life-safety measures, and keep records to demonstrate due diligence. For help implementing these measures, consider working with competent providers who understand the specifics of shared workspaces.
For details on practical services that support these recommendations, explore Total Safe’s full range of fire safety services or book a consultation to get a tailored action plan.
FAQ
Q: Who is the Responsible Person in a co-working building?
A: The Responsible Person can be the building owner, manager, or co-working operator depending on lease and control. All must identify and share responsibility where duties overlap.
Q: How often should a co-working space review its fire risk assessment?
A: Review whenever occupancy, layout, or use changes significantly, and at least annually for high-turnover shared spaces.
Q: Are co-working spaces required to follow BS 5839 for fire alarms?
A: Fire alarm design should follow the relevant parts of BS 5839 as best practice; the 2025 revision provides updated guidance for non-domestic premises and should inform any upgrades.
Q: How can tenants help reduce fire risk in a co-working space?
A: Tenants should avoid overloading sockets, keep escape routes clear, follow storage rules, and report faults. Include these expectations in tenancy agreements.
Q: Where can I find official guidance on meeting legal duties for fire safety?
A: The GOV.UK collection on fire safety for dutyholders explains legal duties and practical guidance for small and complex premises. GOV.UK fire safety guidance for dutyholders
