What is arson risk?
Arson risk is the risk of a fire being started deliberately. It is assessed as part of a fire risk assessment, and it is managed mainly by removing opportunity rather than by detection.
Deliberate ignition accounts for a substantial share of fires in non-domestic buildings, and unlike accidental ignition it targets the places nobody watches — external stores, bin areas, and anywhere combustible material accumulates against a building.
The controls are mostly about housekeeping and security: waste not stored against walls, bins secured away from the building, external areas lit, and access controlled after hours.
It is the risk most often left out of an assessment because it is not a process risk. Nothing in the building's operation creates it, which is exactly why it needs to be looked for deliberately.
In practice
A school with wheelie bins stored against an external wall.
It is the tidiest place for them and they are out of sight of the road, which is also what makes them attractive.
Deliberate ignition is a significant proportion of fires in some premises types, and the controls are mundane: bin location, waste accumulation, external lighting and securing the perimeter.
It is the hazard most often omitted from an assessment because it does not feel like a building issue.
What goes wrong in practice
- Waste and pallets stored against an external wall or under a canopy.
- Bins left unsecured next to the building overnight.
- Assessed for the inside of the building only, with the perimeter never considered.