The move towards a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme for fire risk assessors has stepped up a gear with the appointment of Iain Cox, the Chief Fire Officers Association’s director of prevention and protection, as chair of an expanded working group.
The group – made up of representatives from professional bodies, trade associations and certification bodies – had previously met under the auspices of the Communities and Local Government department, and was set up following last year’s government report into the impact of the Fire Safety Order 2005. That report highlighted concerns over the variable quality of fire risk assessments and the need to clarify who has an appropriate level of competence.
The working group is aiming to conclude a set of competency criteria to carry out fire risk assessments, and has agreed that the needs of the ‘responsible person’ should be central to its work. The criteria could then be used for individual certification schemes – accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) – both for individuals and companies offering risk assessment services.
Last year, Warrington Certification announced a third party certification scheme for fire risk assessors accredited by the UKAS. In 2008, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) established its risk assessment council for companies providing risk assessment services. The FIA is now working with BAFE to develop a competency scheme for such companies, in parallel to the work being carried out on individual risk assessors.
Other professional bodies – such as the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Institute of Fire Safety Managers – run their own registration schemes for individual fire risk assessors.
Martin Duggan, general manager of the FIA, said: “It’s a difficult process trying to get all stakeholders to agree on anything, let alone a subject where everyone has already been developing their own pathways. However, the result would provide such a fundamental building block for fire risk assessors and assessments, it is worth the pain.”
