IFSEC Global Publishes Its 2020 Fire Safety Annual Report

Marking a year of challenges and change, IFSEC Global reviews a year of fire safety and publishes its list of the top influencers in fire safety. The Fire Safety Annual Report covers a wide range of fire safety topics and looks at how the fire safety industry has responded to Covid-19.

In his foreword to the report, Ian Moore, Chief Executive of the Fire Industry Association said: “It has been an unpredictable and a somewhat turbulent year for us all. Broadly speaking, our year has been shaped by three key themes: Covid-19, which has affected how we work; Brexit which has the potential to change who we work with; and the Grenfell Tower tragedy that clearly indicates the work we need to do to make us safe.”

Impact of Covid-19

Looking at the impact of COVID-19, the Report notes: “In a year full of change, the fire sector collaborated and evolved to overcome the challenges brought by the global pandemic. As firefighters continue to support the NHS in testing and vaccine operations, the importance of fire safety professionals to life safety has perhaps never been clearer.”

The importance of fire safety professionals to life safety has perhaps never been clearer

The Report covers the development of the Fire Safety Bill and Building Safety Bill along with some commentary around the ongoing Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

In a section called Fire safety, sprinklers and schools – a worrying trend, the Report states: “Growing concerns were reported in 2020 regarding the fire safety standards in schools across England. A study from insurance firm Zurich Municipal revealed that 480 primary and secondary schools experienced fires in 2019 – a staggering average of 40 incidents every month. The study also found that around two-thirds of the 1,000 schools inspected were rated with ‘poor’ for fire protection measures.”

IFSEC Global

Throughout the year, IFSEC Global has published a series of in-depth articles by Simon Ince, Project Engineer at UL, focused on firestopping. The Report provides a three-page summary and a nine-point guide for improvement.

In September, IFSEC Global announced its Global Influencers in Security and Fire. The list of winners is provided at the back of the Report and includes the Fire Minister, Lord Greenhalgh, Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue, Sir Tom Winsor and Nick Coombe, Building Safety lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council.