A risk assessment model has been developed in the form of a checksheet using a risk ranking system to assess the fire risk of buildings in terms of life safety. This involves a simple points system which assigns scores to various hazard and protection features of a building. These scores are then manipulated using addition and multiplication to arrive at an overall risk score for the building. The final value which represents the risk of the building is obtained using the definition of risk where risk is equal to the product of the likelihood of a fire occurring and its consequences. The proposed model which focuses on risk in terms of life safety can be extended to include property protection, environmental impact and social impact. . It was found that the influences that human behaviour has on the fire risk within a building are significant and very difficult to quantify.