This guide is general information for UK premises teams and is not legal advice. Check the official guidance for your premises and use a competent fire safety professional where needed.
Paper logbooks are familiar but fragile
Paper fire logbooks are simple to understand, but they depend on the binder being present, legible, complete, and protected from damage.
They also make it harder to search across sites, attach supporting evidence, spot missed tasks, or share a focused evidence pack without exposing the whole book.
Digital logbooks improve access and resilience
A digital fire logbook stores records in a cloud workspace, making it easier for approved users to find the correct site record, upload evidence, and export information for review.
QR-code access can connect the physical premises to the right logbook, reducing the chance that staff or contractors record activity against the wrong location.
Compliance is about trustworthy evidence
The legal duty is not simply to own a logbook. The responsible person needs arrangements that help demonstrate fire risk assessment, maintenance, training, and emergency planning activity.
Digital records support that goal by preserving timestamps, user history, attachments, and exportable evidence, while paper records usually need manual checking and scanning.
Sources reviewed
These sources were reviewed when preparing this guide.
Next step
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