Office building compliance means carrying out the inspections, tests and assessments that health, safety and fire law require, at the right frequency, and keeping records to prove it. The core items are a fire risk assessment, fire alarm and emergency lighting testing, a legionella risk assessment, electrical safety (fixed wiring and portable appliances), gas safety and lift inspections. This guide gives you a statutory compliance checklist in the form of a year-round calendar, with the typical frequency, legal basis and who usually does each task.
Why an office compliance calendar matters
Most compliance failures in offices are not caused by ignorance of the law. They happen because a test was missed when a contractor changed, a certificate expired unnoticed, or nobody owned a task after a facilities manager left. A calendar fixes that by turning scattered duties into a single schedule with named owners.
Some frequencies are fixed by law, many come from British Standards or HSE guidance, and others are explicitly risk-based. Knowing which is which helps you avoid both over-testing and dangerous gaps. It also gives you a clear record to show insurers, landlords, fire inspectors and auditors.
Who is responsible for office building compliance?
Responsibility depends on how the building is occupied. In a single-occupier office, the employer usually holds most duties. In a multi-let building, the landlord or managing agent often controls common parts, lifts, central plant and the fire alarm, while each tenant is responsible for its own demised space, staff and equipment. Under fire safety law this is the “responsible person”, and where there is more than one they must cooperate and share information.
Check your lease and any facilities management contract so that every task in the calendar has one clear owner. If responsibilities are unclear, our guide to hard FM vs soft FM services explains how building services are usually split.
Office statutory compliance checklist: the calendar
The frequencies below are typical for a standard office. Your own risk assessments, manufacturers’ instructions, insurers or a competent person may require more frequent checks.
| Task | Typical frequency | Legal basis / guidance | Who does it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire risk assessment | Review regularly and whenever there is a significant change; many organisations review annually | Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; Building Safety Act 2022 s.156 | Responsible person or competent fire risk assessor |
| Fire alarm user test | Weekly (different call point each week) | BS 5839-1 guidance | Trained in-house staff |
| Fire alarm service | Every six months | BS 5839-1 guidance | Competent fire alarm engineer |
| Emergency lighting functional test | Monthly (brief flick test) | BS 5266 guidance | Trained in-house staff |
| Emergency lighting full-duration test | Annually (full rated duration, often 3 hours) | BS 5266 guidance | Competent electrician or contractor |
| Fire extinguisher service | Annually, plus regular visual checks | BS 5306-3 guidance; fire risk assessment | Competent extinguisher engineer |
| Fire drill | At least annually is common practice | Fire Safety Order duties on procedures and training | Responsible person, fire wardens |
| Legionella risk assessment | Review regularly and when anything changes (risk-based) | COSHH 2002; HSE ACOP L8 and HSG274 | Competent water hygiene specialist |
| Water temperature checks | Monthly at sentinel outlets | HSE L8 guidance | Trained staff or water hygiene contractor |
| Flushing little-used outlets | Weekly | HSE L8 guidance | Cleaning or maintenance team |
| Fixed wiring inspection (EICR) | Commonly every 5 years for offices | Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; BS 7671 / IET guidance | Qualified electrician |
| Portable appliance checks (PAT) | Risk-based; user checks and visual inspections in low-risk offices | Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; HSE guidance | Trained staff or competent tester |
| Gas appliance maintenance | Regularly, in line with manufacturer instructions (commonly annual) | Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 | Gas Safe registered engineer |
| Passenger lift thorough examination | Every 6 months, or per a written examination scheme | LOLER 1998 (for lifts used at work) | Competent person, usually an insurance engineer |
| Lift maintenance | As set by the maintenance contract and manufacturer | PUWER 1998 | Lift maintenance contractor |
| COSHH assessments | Review regularly and when products or processes change | COSHH Regulations 2002 | Employer or cleaning contractor |
| General workplace risk assessment | Review regularly and after changes or incidents | Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 | Employer |
Fire safety: fire risk assessment for offices
The fire risk assessment is the foundation of office fire safety. The responsible person must carry one out and review it regularly. Since 1 October 2023, changes made under section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 require all responsible persons in England to record the full findings of their fire risk assessment, regardless of the number of employees, along with their fire safety arrangements and the name of the person who carried out or reviewed it.
Review the assessment after refurbishments, layout changes, a change of use, a significant increase in occupancy, or a fire or near miss. Many organisations also set an annual review date so it does not drift.
Fire alarm testing
BS 5839-1 recommends a weekly user test, operating a different manual call point each time so every device is tested over a cycle, with results recorded in the fire logbook. A competent engineer should then inspect and service the system, typically every six months.
Emergency lighting testing
Emergency lighting testing under BS 5266 normally involves a short monthly functional test to confirm each luminaire operates on battery, and an annual full-duration test. Because batteries need time to recharge afterwards, schedule the annual test out of hours or when the building has low occupancy.
Water safety: legionella risk assessment
Employers and those in control of premises must assess and manage the risk from legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems. HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L8 sets out how. There is no fixed legal interval for reviewing a legionella risk assessment; it should be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to think it is no longer valid, such as changes to the water system, building use or occupancy.
Typical control measures in an office include:
- Monthly temperature checks at sentinel outlets: hot water should reach at least 50°C within one minute, and cold water should be below 20°C within two minutes.
- Weekly flushing of little-used outlets, which is often built into cleaning schedules.
- Regular cleaning and descaling of shower heads where showers are fitted.
- Recording all checks and keeping the written scheme up to date.
Office buildings that have been under-occupied since hybrid working became common may have more low-use outlets than before, so it is worth revisiting the assessment.
Electrical safety: fixed wiring and PAT testing frequency
Fixed wire testing (EICR)
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained so they are safe. They do not set an inspection interval, but IET guidance under BS 7671 commonly recommends periodic inspection of office installations at intervals of up to five years. The electrician carrying out the Electrical Installation Condition Report will recommend the next inspection date, which may be sooner.
PAT testing frequency
There is no legal requirement to test portable appliances every year. HSE is clear that the law requires equipment to be maintained in a safe condition but does not specify testing frequency. In a low-risk office, user checks and formal visual inspections find most faults, and a full test may only be needed occasionally. Equipment that is moved often or used heavily, such as kettles, extension leads and vacuum cleaners, warrants more frequent checks. See HSE’s guidance on portable appliance testing for details.
Gas safety
Gas boilers, water heaters and kitchen appliances in offices fall under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and appliances, pipework and flues must be regularly maintained in line with manufacturers’ instructions. For most commercial boilers that means an annual service, but follow the manufacturer’s schedule and your engineer’s advice.
Lift inspections (LOLER)
Where a passenger lift is used by people at work, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require thorough examination by a competent person. Equipment used to lift people must be examined at least every six months unless a written examination scheme sets a different interval. This thorough examination is separate from routine maintenance by your lift contractor. In multi-let buildings this is usually the landlord’s responsibility, but tenants should ask to see the reports.
Cleaning, hazardous substances and contractors
Cleaning chemicals bring COSHH duties, and cleaning teams often carry out water flushing and report defects such as damaged emergency lights. Our COSHH guide for cleaners covers assessments, safety data sheets and training.
Whoever delivers each task, keep evidence: certificates, logbooks, remedial action records and contractor competence checks. A planned approach also reduces breakdowns, as covered in our article on preventive vs reactive maintenance.
How to build your own compliance calendar
- List every system and asset in the building: alarms, lights, extinguishers, water outlets, boilers, lifts and electrical installations.
- Confirm who is responsible for each under the lease or FM contract.
- Record the last test date, the next due date and the frequency source (law, standard, manufacturer or risk assessment).
- Assign a named owner and a backup for every task.
- Set reminders well ahead of due dates to allow time to book contractors.
- Track remedial actions to completion, not just test dates.
- Review the calendar at least annually and after any change to the building or its use.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a statutory compliance checklist?
It is a list of the inspections, tests and assessments a building needs to meet health, safety and fire law, with frequencies and owners, so nothing is missed.
Is PAT testing a legal requirement for offices?
No specific test frequency is required by law. Equipment must be kept safe, and in low-risk offices user checks and visual inspections are usually the main control.
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed for an office?
Regularly and after any significant change. The law does not set a fixed interval, but many organisations review annually.
How often should emergency lighting be tested?
BS 5266 guidance recommends a short functional test monthly and a full-duration test annually, with results recorded.
Who is responsible for compliance in a multi-let office?
Usually the landlord or managing agent for common parts and shared systems, and each tenant for its own space. Check the lease and agree responsibilities in writing.
Keep your building compliant
WWSG delivers facilities support, cleaning and compliance services across corporate, retail, airport and hospitality environments. Find out more about our risk, compliance and training services, explore our wider facilities management services, or contact us to talk through your compliance calendar.