Fire Risk Assessments – Are You Competent?

• Fire safety legislation requires that, for most premises except private dwellings, a fire risk assessment must be carried out to determine the risks to people from fire.

• Do you have to employ the services of a fire safety specialist, such as a consultant, to carry out your fire risk assessment?

• For small, simple premises, it is often the duty holder that carries out the fire risk assessment.

• Arguably, in these premises, the duty holder is the best person to do so because of their intimate knowledge of the premises and the activities therein.

• However, for many premises, the duty holder seeks the services of an external consultant - ‘a fire risk assessor’.

• In the case of larger, more complex or high risk premises, this is often appropriate, as the task might well be beyond the ability of the duty holder.

• This is not an umbrella!!!!!!

Hotel Fire Risk Assessment

Hotel Fire Risk Assessment• A manager appointed consultant to

carry out fire risk assessment of his hotel• Fire Service visited premises and

issued prohibition notice• No fire alarms, inadequate MOE,

blocked exits and other breaches

Hotel Fire Risk Assessment• 8 months prison

• How do you know if they are competent?

• You should demonstrate “Due dilligence”• You took all reasonable measures to

avoid the offence

• There are good and bad fire risk assessors

• If they look competent are they??

Boat

• Data from the English Fire and Rescue Service suggests that the main compliance failure leading to enforcement action is a failure by duty holders to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.

43% Unsatisfactory

Hospitals 39%Schools 40%Hotels 51%Licensed premises 52%Care Homes 44%

Fire and Rescue Service Fire Risk Assessments

• It is suggested that it would be helpful for those who want to use the services of a commercial fire risk assessor to be able to access information on those with an appropriate level of competency in fire risk assessment to help them comply with the legislation.

• As a result of these concerns, the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council produced the core competency standard

• A benchmark for fire risk assessors to be measured against

• Its objective has been to establish agreed, industry-wide, criteria against which the competence of a

fire risk assessor can be judged.

• It is anticipated that these criteria will be used by professional bodies and third party certification bodies who register or certificate fire risk assessors and, by commercial companies providing fire risk assessment services.

Fire Risk Assessor

Fire Risk Assessor• A person is regarded as competent

where they have sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to implement their role.

Fire Risk Assessor• In the case of simple premises, where

the fire risk assessor might, for example, be an employee of the occupier, it is possible that the following attributes of a fire risk assessor might be sufficient in conjunction with a study of suitable guidance documents.

Fire Risk Assessora) An understanding of relevant current best fire safety practices in premises of the type in question;

Fire Risk Assessorb) An awareness of the limitations of the fire risk assessor's own experience and knowledge;

Fire Risk Assessorc) A willingness and ability to supplement existing experience and knowledge, when necessary, by obtaining external help and advice.

Core Competencies

Core Competencies• The assessment of risk from fire (appendix A) • Applicable Legislation (appendix B) • Appropriate Guidance (appendix C) • Behaviour of fire in buildings (appendix D)• Behaviour of people in fire situations (appendix E)

Core Competencies• Means of Escape (appendix F) • Fire Prevention (appendix G) • Fire Protection (appendix H – includes Passive &

Active)• Management of Fire Safety (appendix I)

• This is the benchmark for the minimum standard for a fire risk assessor

NEBOSH

NEBOSH• NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk

Management – Does it cover ALL the core competencies?

Competence – How do you check?

Third Party Certification

UKAS accredited

UKAS accredited• Warrington certification is a UKAS

accredited third party certification body

• They are completely linking their accreditation process to the core competencies

• Insufficient time to cover whole syllabus

• Market forces – companies would not release employees to attend

Fire Risk Consultancy Ltd

• Decided to produce web based training

• Organised professional studio

Fire Risk Consultancy Ltd

LABC Consult

• 80 LABC Building Control Officers have successfully completed this online course

LABC Consult

Benefits of Web Based Training

• You don’t have to leave your workstation

Benefits of Web Based Training

• Allow employees to set their own fire safety training schedule thereby reducing the impact training may have on their day-to-day work schedules

Benefits of Web Based Training

• Reduce training costs by removing the need for expensive centralised instructor-led fire safety training

Benefits of Web Based Training

• Provide essential fire safety training in smaller modules that are proven to help improve understanding and maintain retention levels (20 minutes)

Benefits of Web Based Training

• Access 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Benefits of Web Based Training

• If you cant sleep?

Benefits of Web Based Training

Holiday

• You can view modules again and again

Benefits of Web Based Training

Benefits of Web Based Training

Managing Fire Safety – Core Competence

Standards

• 50 hours CPD• IFE accredited• IFSM accredited• Available on Itouch

Managing Fire Safety

Fire Safety and Timber Framed Buildings

Fire Safety in High Rise Residential Buildings

Smoke Management Course

Smoke Management Course

Fire Risk Consultancy• Offer a full range of fire safety

training courses to suit your needs

• Online or in house

• Online training is the future in training!!!!

• How do you feel about the online training right now?

Fire Service