This assessment examines the hazards, risks and control measures relating to Fire and Rescue Service personnel, the personnel of other agencies and members of the public when fighting fires in domestic chimneys, including similar structures in other buildings such as public houses. It also covers false chimneys.

Industrial chimneys pose specific risks and fall outside the scope of this generic risk assessment. This publication also does not cover fires in ducting and extraction units.

There are significant hazards and risks which face Fire and Rescue Service personnel at fires in domestic chimneys. Chapters within this GRA include:

Falling masonry and exploding chimney pots
• Fire and smoke spread
• Working on a roof/falls from height
• Working within a roof space/falls from height
• Blow back
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Access and egress
• Ground conditions
• Overhanging branches and overhead cables
• Nesting insects/birds and vermin
• Domestic back boiler explosion
• False chimneys.

Depending on the nature and scale of the operational incident a variety of significant hazards may be present. Therefore contents of other specific Generic Risk Assessments may also need to be considered.

As with all GRAs, this assessment provides a starting point for each FRS to conduct their own assessments and produce their own Safe Systems of Work within the context of local conditions and existing organisational arrangements.

This GRA is supplied as an A4, loose-leaf publication. A binder pack containing an introduction to the series, foreword by Sir Ken Knight, contents, and dividers is available to order separately. The binder is the ideal solution for storing these loose-leaf GRAs.