News — 20 Oct 2026
Fire Safety in Offices 2026
Hybrid working has introduced fire safety compliance gaps in UK offices that the sector is only now beginning to address. Drills are incomplete, fire risk assessments are outdated, and overnight device charging policies are absent in many workplaces. Here is what the 2026 picture looks like and what responsible persons need to address.
Key issue
Fire risk assessments written before 2020 are almost certainly out of date. A switch from full-time to hybrid occupancy is a significant change that requires reassessment. Under the RRO 2005, this is a legal obligation, not an optional best-practice review.
Hybrid working fire safety risks: causes and actions
| Risk | Cause | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Incomplete evacuation drills | Hybrid working — not all staff in on drill day | Schedule at least two drills annually at different times; brief absent staff separately |
| Undetected fire hazards | Offices lightly occupied for days at a time | Weekly fire warden inspection even on low-occupancy days |
| Charging personal devices overnight | Staff leaving laptops, phones, e-bike batteries charging when office empty | Clear charging policy — no overnight charging; overnight automatic power cut-off |
| Outdated fire risk assessment | Significant change in occupancy pattern post-2020 not reassessed | Review fire risk assessment to reflect hybrid occupancy patterns |
| Hot-desking and unknown locations | Staff not assigned fixed desks; booking systems used | Integrate desk booking system with fire assembly roll call |
The evacuation drill problem
In the hybrid working model, a building that was previously 90% occupied on any given weekday may now see 40–60% attendance on different days, with no predictable pattern. Scheduling a single annual fire drill may mean that a significant proportion of staff never participate. Roll call at the assembly point — which depends on knowing who is in the building — becomes unreliable when desk booking systems are not integrated with emergency procedures.
The practical fix is to hold at least two drills a year on different days of the week, and to use the desk booking system or access control data to confirm attendance at the assembly point against the expected occupancy list. Brief any staff who were absent for a drill before their next attendance day.
Overnight charging: the emerging liability
Many UK offices now function as charging hubs — staff plug in laptops, phones, e-bikes, and e-scooters on arrival and leave devices connected overnight. An office is typically unoccupied for 12–16 hours each day. A lithium battery fire during that period will escalate unchecked until either a detector triggers the alarm or smoke is detected by a passer-by.
Responsible persons should implement a clear written charging policy: where charging is permitted; maximum device and battery sizes; prohibition on overnight charging for high-energy lithium devices; and a designated, risk-assessed area for e-bike batteries. See our lithium battery safety guide for the specific hazard profile of different device types.
What needs updating in 2026
If you are a responsible person for an office premises that shifted to hybrid working, you should check:
- Fire risk assessment reviewed since the occupancy change — if not, commission a review
- Evacuation drill completed within the last 12 months — with attendance records
- All fire wardens confirmed, trained, and covering the days they actually work on-site
- Charging policy written, communicated, and enforced
- Assembly point roll call process updated to reflect variable attendance
For a comprehensive practical guide to workplace fire safety obligations, see our fire safety in the workplace guide and the workplace fire safety refresher webinar (Oct 2027).
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