Over 2,500 delegates joined the latest Fire Protection Association webinar, produced in association with Barbour EHS, that looked at the important topic of Best Practices in Fire Risk Assessment and Competency.
Howard Passey, Director of Operations and Principal Consultant at the FPA, addressed the challenges presented by forthcoming updates to legislation, guidance, and competency requirements that will see fire risk assessors coming under increased scrutiny.
responsible person
Beginning by looking at who is responsible for fire safety on-premises, he outlined how even the seemingly simple task of establishing who the responsible persons are is more challenging than it first seems. Howard Passey said, “The employer is the responsible person but this can also extend to the controller of the premises or those responsible for the maintenance, repair, or safety of the premises.”
For the fire risk assessor, it is important to remember that, while there might be any number of people with a degree of responsibility in any given environment, they must ensure that the fire risk assessment is both suitable and sufficient to allow appropriate fire precautions, whether physical or managerial, to be introduced.
assessment Factors to Consider
The assessor must take into account the risk appetite, which will differ in each circumstance
Given the complexity of the fire risk assessment, Mr. Passey went on to look at some of the interlinked factors that the assessor will need to consider, along with the way different audiences will need to engage with the assessment.
Howard Passey stated, “There are numerous areas to consider when determining whether a building is safe that apply to both life safety risk to building and property protection. These include material selection, compartmentation, design, fire resistance, construction method, suppression, and management.”
When considering these areas, the assessor must take into account the risk appetite, which will differ in each circumstance, and he reiterated the point that it is “important to have the scope of the work agreed in advance of the fire risk assessment taking place.”
practical factors
The webinar then moved on to look at the practical factors in ascertaining the type of fire risk assessment required. One of the key tasks outlined for the assessor was the need to judge whether the information that has been supplied to them is sufficient.
It was noted that often the owner or occupier of a building does not have access to the required Regulation 38 information from the contractor at the end of the building process.
information
There is a level of detail that needs to be considered, covering both the building details and the fire strategy"
This would outline exactly what exists in the building in terms of fire safety.
Mr. Passey advised that “the type of fire risk assessment chosen depends on the individual circumstances. There is a level of detail that needs to be considered, covering both the building details and the fire strategy, and it is up to the fire risk assessor to look in detail to ensure all the necessary information is gathered for the fire risk assessment to be deemed both suitable and sufficient.”
guidance
An overview of some of the guidance available to fire assessors was given, including some of the templates available.
While templates are useful to ensure the assessor has been prompted to consider every facet potentially relevant to that specific premises for their fire risk assessment, Mr. Passey noted, concerning the PAS79 assessment proforma, in particular, that “the most important parts are the Relevant Information sections of the fire risk assessment."
Relevant Information sections
Whatever the circumstances, be inquisitive and most importantly, be thorough"
"This provides an opportunity for the assessor to provide descriptions related to the various sections of the assessment (such as ‘Means of Escape’) that ensures whoever is reading it can recognize that you have undertaken a thorough investigation and consideration of all issues."
"A fire risk assessment is a complex piece of work which needs that level of thoroughness.” Mr. Passey’s clear message to all attendees was, “Whatever the circumstances, be inquisitive and most importantly, be thorough.”
clear and concise findings
It was noted that the presentation of findings clearly and concisely is another essential aspect of a successful fire risk assessment and tools such as a clearly defined risk factor matrix which allows for effective ranking of the risk can assist with this, alongside a good working relationship with the client.
Mr. Passey noted that “as fire risk assessors we need to be able to understand how the building is managed and the organization is run to help support the end-user or responsible person find appropriate solutions to the recommendations of the fire risk assessment.”
legislative changes
The presentation closed by looking at the current, somewhat complex, legislative changes forthcoming and highlighted the undertakings of Working Group 4 established under the Steering Group on Competences for Building a Safer Future, which has published and continues to progress more detailed requirements for competent fire risk assessors. These include industry benchmark expectations that help define competence.
Mr. Passey concluded by saying that with this “rapidly changing legislative environment it is vital for assessors to maintain their competency and knowledge through CPD.” Numerous useful questions were put forward to Mr. Passey to answer by the engaged attendees.