BB7-Fire Safety Engineering - Experts & Thought Leaders

Great two days exhibiting at London Build Expo 2022, between the 16 and 17 November 2022, otherwise known as the ‘festival of construction,’ the UK’s pioneering construction show. Offering a unique experience with over 500 speakers across eight different stages, 350+ exhibitors and live product demos, London Build has yet again proved to be a successful show. The theme of the built stand this year was to portray a journey. This a journey that is essential with the ever-changing climate of the construction industry and one that is in line with regulations: fire-stopping compliance and how can support all parties from design through to installation to achieve this. Fire-stopping journey One is to understand that both fire-stopping and building compliance are journeys There are two strands to the fire-stopping journey. One is to understand that both fire-stopping and building compliance are journeys. This is why competency and cross-party communication is key to understanding what is needed along the way to achieve ultimate building compliance. The second strand is that for many people in the industry, this is a cultural change and as change has demonstrated many times before, it does not happen overnight. There are still attitudes that allude to leaving fire stopping until the end for the installers to sort out. Early engagement process The start of the journey features the early engagement process, CPD training and the QuelSelector tool through to the end of the journey which focuses on installation guides, toolbox talks, and keeping up to date via socials. The overarching message is the utilization of tested solutions and the extensive technical support offered. This year did something a little bit different by showcasing two examples of identical wall installations, one of them burnt. They essentially show a before and after-fire scenario and how the correct fire-stopping products should work when installed in the correct way. Attaining Firestopping Compliance On the first day of London Build, at the Fire Safety Stage, hosted a panel discussion. Two of the own, Craig Wells, Sales Director, and Alec Purdie, Technical Coordinator, were joined by Mandy Youssef, Senior Fire Engineer at BB7 and Joshua Raper, Director at Fire Shield. Since joining BB7, Mandy has worked on a wide range of impressive projects throughout the UK Since joining BB7, Mandy has worked on a wide range of impressive projects throughout the UK and has recently won the ‘Rising Star’ award at the Women in Fire Safety Awards in London. Joshua Raper was appointed as Director of Fire Shield in January 2021 after spending the first six years working with clients to develop schemes at an early stage to ensure their Passive Fire Protection expectations were met. Importance of early engagement The panel discussion, titled "The Journey to Achieving Firestopping Compliance," focussed on the importance of early engagement in firestopping, designing a building around the tested solutions available and the changing legislation with emphasis on the Golden Thread. Craig said: “We’re really grateful for the panelists that have joined us today to bring some perspective to the complexities of passive fire protection. We’ve had some very thought-provoking discussions and some clear takeaways that our audience can implement into their responsibilities whatever their involvement might be with regards to protecting people and property.” Discussions on the fire safety stage There was a strong theme across the panel discussions on the fire safety stage There was a strong theme across the panel discussions on the fire safety stage which drew on the need for change by focusing on early engagement, collaboration, trust, and competency. Craig also said: “We’d also like to extend our thanks to the organizers of London Build 2022. Once again, it has proven to be a vibrant and diverse collaboration of professionals from across the construction industry.” Achieving building compliance Although the show is over, the journey to achieving building compliance does not end here. This is something that wholeheartedly believe in and has become one of the main messages when educating the industry. Just as look forward to the continued journey in educating the industry about the messages found important in fire safety, look forward to continuing the conversations have had with industry professionals looking to start/improve their fire-stopping journey!

Ben Bradford, CEO of BB7 announces the appointment of Pierre Palmberg as new Director of Quality and Innovation, and Chairman of Professional Advisory Board. This appointment is a strategic move intended to drive technical excellence, quality, and innovation. A watershed moment “Before the Grenfell tragedy in 2017, we noticed that designers, developers, and contractors were requesting greater involvement from Fire Engineers beyond design, throughout the construction phase, and on to occupation and completion.” “Now the time spent consulting throughout the project lifecycle is longer than at any other point in my career.  The full circle of fire safety, total fire engineering, soft landings, and the golden thread, whilst topical are not new conversations in our profession and our profession has had the word ‘competency’ on the tip of its tongue for well over a decade before 2017.” Our profession is evolving “The fire safety profession has changed a lot over the last decade, it is still changing and not all these changes are positive.  We live in a more litigious environment than we did three years ago, let alone ten, and there has been a rapid rise in Expert Witness appointments.” Should we not be seeking to achieve a situation whereby the need for Expert Witnesses in fire safety-related litigation is non-existent?   “It is predictable that following a national trauma linked to fire, the pendulum for ‘risk appetite and risk tolerance’ will swing in the opposite direction and for a period of time as we grapple with the balance between protection and over protection. Our approach may become out of proportion to the actual risk faced, and in turn, this will stifle innovation.” Performance-Based “I have long thought of Fire Engineering as a profession in its infancy when compared to other engineering disciplines such as Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering. It was back in 1984 that the Building Act first introduced into law the concept of ‘approved documents’ prescribing standard solutions to standard problems, underpinned by functional or performance-based requirements within the building regulations. That was almost four decades ago.” “Our profession has evolved, and could now be described as in its teenage years and just like a teenager our profession is morphing into something or somebody else as its constituents and wider stakeholders learn important lessons about the profession and its place in the world, and develop new skills and capabilities.” “As the profession matures, there must be companies of scale in the marketplace that do not simply practice fire or security consulting but have the resources to contribute to the betterment of the profession itself, and we will always be a practice-based business.” About Pierre “Pierre is a transformational leader who will Chair our Professional Advisory Board, and work closely with our Technical, Commercial, Construction, and Talent Development teams to ensure we are at the forefront of the profession.” “Having studied at Lund University, Sweden, Pierre joins BB7 with a vast amount of experience and credibility within the industry. His most recent appointment being Vice President, Innovation and Development Director, COWI Fire and Buildings SE leading 70+ fire safety and risk management engineers.” “Pierre has years of experience within Lund Fire department working on preventive work and training, which led to the opening of the consultancy department within the Fire department at Lund in 1993. From here Pierre managed and developed Pantektor AB’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering and Risk Management, and later became Business Area Manager of Sweco Fire Protection Engineering and Risk Management, Sweden. Pierre has worked with clients globally, with some prestigious projects in Saudi Arabia, and the Nordics.”

In the wake of some prominent multi-fatality fires, organizations have spent considerable sums of money on fire safety but have not necessarily achieved an improved level of fire safety assurance. Having spent several years undertaking fire risk assessments on the same portfolio of buildings, it is noticeable that some organizations are beginning to wonder if the current practice is sustainable. It’s been almost eight years since the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 prompted many organizations to undertake fire risk assessments within the premises under their control and many organizations have spent significant financial resources on consultant fire risk assessors (a person who carries out and documents the significant findings of a fire risk assessment) only to discover that the advice they received may have been offered with the best of intentions but was not wholly appropriate and may have differed from the advice of a ‘competent fire risk assessor. Fire risk assessment The practice of fire risk management within a built environment is a much broader discipline than many give it credit for At the same time, the fire industry has spent a considerable amount of time in the last few years deciding how to define a ‘suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and deciding how to tackle the ‘cowboy’ market. It would appear that, at long last, there is now at least a ‘defined’ competency criterion for fire risk assessors and guidance for those charged with delivering fire risk assessment programs on how to seek out the services of a competent fire risk assessor. Following a recent review of Enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 undertaken by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is committed to promoting the use, and acceptance, of recognized professional certification and accreditation for commercial fire risk assessors. Life beyond Article 9 Fire risk assessments are the cornerstone of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order yet the value of a fire risk assessment, even when undertaken by a competent fire risk assessor, is largely dependent on the organization’s ability to manage the outcomes. A fire risk assessment is a means to an end but not the end in itself. When reviewing the high profile prosecutions that have hit the headlines over the past few years, one quickly realizes that failure to undertake a ‘suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment (under Article 9) is not the only compliance obligation imposed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; there are numerous other duties by which the responsible person is bound. Fire Risk Management Enter the concept of ‘fire risk management. With very few fire fatalities arising in commercial premises, fire risk management is not just about life safety or the risk of injury or death in the event of fire occurrence. It encapsulates life safety, property protection, mission continuity, and sustainability in the face of fire. Building Programs In today’s global and interconnected market place issues such as corporate social responsibility and reputational risk are very prominent and news headlines travel fast via both traditional and new media forms. The cost of the fire is at an all-time high and in these tough economic times, organizations need to be frugal with finite financial resources. They need to build resilience and ensure that fire risk assessment programs deliver the intended outcomes. Many organizations have a policy in place setting out an overarching statement of intent (signed by the CEO) and firmly establishing the ‘what and why'. Policies and objectives  Less common yet essential is the Fire Risk Management Strategy; a document that defines an organization’s fire risk management system and method of implementing the overarching policy and which firmly establishes the details of ‘how, when, and who’. These two pieces of documentation form the backbone of an organization’s fire risk management system (a set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organization to establish policies and objectives and processes to achieve those objectives and manage fire risk) and are generally underpinned by operational procedures. The discipline The practice of fire risk management within a built environment is a much broader discipline than many give it credit for. It is often delegated to the Health & Safety Manager or Security Manager within an organization and whilst not suggesting that all organizations should have a dedicated fire specialist responsible for fire risk management, they must acknowledge that fire safety is not just a sub-discipline of health and safety. Fire risk management is a discipline in its own right with its own set of competencies Fire risk management is a discipline in its own right with its own set of competencies. The discipline does not always sit neatly in the Health & Safety department due to the need for interaction with property, estates, or facilities management functions, and the adage about ‘Jack of all trades’ most certainly applies. Too many Fire Safety Manager Roles are advertised with the essential qualifications stated as a NEBOSH Diploma, which emphasizes the confusion often found in organizations regarding the scope of the Health & Safety Manager’s role. Organizational Fire risk When undertaking fire risk management system audits, those organizations that recognize fire risk management as a discipline in its own right, regardless of which department the function sits, are in a far better position to maintain governance over organizational fire risk than those that do not. Sector takes initiative The Fire Sector Federation has recognized that having established the competency council and published the competency criteria for fire risk assessors, the next logical step is to consider the competency criteria for those actively engaged in fire risk management. Following an initial meeting of key stakeholders, organized jointly between the Fire Sector Federation and the Fire Industry Association, there is a proposal afoot to reform the competency council and tackle this issue. Fire Safety Certification  Some organizations have formalized their fire safety policy, strategy, and procedures and are now in the process of gaining fire risk management system certification via a third-party certification body. Those organizations that already hold a certification of their Health and Safety Management System to OHSAS 18001, or Business Continuity Management System to ISO 22301, are well placed to integrate their management systems and streamline the internal or external audit process. A holistic approach towards risks Fire risk management system certification via a UKAS accredited third-party certification body will provide a means to reduce the burden on enforcing authorities and will significantly support the Primary Authority, or Fire Authority, Partnership Schemes. Fire risk management is evolving both as a discipline and a practice as an integrated or holistic approach to understanding and managing the risks posed by the threat of fire which enables an organization to optimize its underlying processes and achieve more efficient results. Those responsible for fire safety in organizations would do well to consider formalizing their fire risk management system, and not focus solely on the process of documenting fire risk assessments.