Getting started
Getting started with Buildings and compliance
What to have to hand, and the first things to do once you've signed in. None of them takes more than an hour.
Before you start
It helps to have these to hand. Don't worry if you can't find everything: you can add it later.
- The address of each building you look after, and a rough idea of what’s in it: gas, a fire alarm, a kitchen, a play area.
- Your fire risk assessment, if you have one.
- Recent certificates and reports: the gas safety check, the electrical report (EICR), the fire alarm service.
- Your insurance certificate.
Sign in, set up your organisation and choose Buildings and compliance. Your home screen in Trivet suggests what to do next, and you can take the steps in any order.
First steps
- Step 1
Add your building
Tell us about the place you look after: its address and what's in it. We'll suggest the safety checks it needs.
about 15 minutes
- Step 2
Invite one more person
It's easier when it's shared. Invite someone who helps run things, so more than one person knows what's due.
about 5 minutes
- Step 3
Add when things were last done
For each safety check, add the date it was last done if you know it. Then you get a reminder before the next one is due.
about 30 minutes
- Step 4
Record your fire risk assessment
In England and Wales, the law requires a written fire risk assessment for buildings used by groups. Record when yours was last reviewed and add a copy.
about 30 minutes
- Step 5
Upload your insurance certificate
Keep your public liability certificate where everyone who needs it can find it. You'll be reminded before it runs out.
about 10 minutes
- Step 6
Test your fire alarm
Set off the alarm from a call point, check you can hear it, and record the test. From now on it takes five minutes a week.
about 10 minutes
- Step 7
Record your gas safety check
Gas appliances should be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer, usually every year. Record the last check, or book an engineer if it's due.
about 15 minutes
- Step 8
Record your electrical safety report
The fixed wiring should be inspected every few years, often every five years for a hall, and you get a report called an EICR. Record the last one, or book an electrician if it's due.
about 15 minutes
- Step 9
Start your premises self-assessment
Work through the safety questions about your building. You can stop and carry on later: this week, make a start.
about 45 minutes
- Step 10
Share your progress with your trustees
Print or download the trustee report and take it to your next meeting. It shows what's up to date and what still needs doing.
about 10 minutes
For a Scout Group, the app also suggests “Do the Safe Scouting premises audit”. If you use other parts of Trivet, their steps come in between these.
Our wording and guidance are checked against legislation and official guidance (such as HSE's), but each organisation is responsible for its own compliance. Where to get help.
Try it free for 90 days
Sign in and answer four questions about your organisation. There's no card to enter. When the 90-day trial ends, choose what to pay for, or carry on with the free plan. Nothing is deleted.