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Rob Ratcliff was the Content and Community Manager of IFSEC Global.com. He is a self-confessed everyman in the world of security and fire, keen to learn from the global community of experts who have been a part of IFSEC for 40 years now.
October 30, 2013

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Is It Time for a National Fire Safe Register?

Those working in the fire industry have long spoken about forming a national Fire Safe register, but for whatever reason, such a register has never got off the ground.

The oft-quoted comparison is the Gas Safe Register, a nationally recognised mark that must be used if maintenance or installation is being carried out on a gas system or appliance in your home or business. Engineers who work on a gas appliance in the United Kingdom are legally required to be on the Gas Safe Register. They will be in possession of an ID card which informs you exactly which types of work they are able to carry out — boiler maintenance, for instance.

Watch the video below for an overview of the Gas Safe Register scheme.

In a workshop sponsored by BM TRADA at last week’s Fire Sector Summit chaired by Mike Wood, chairman of the Passive Fire Protection Federation, involving a range of experts from throughout the industry, including the ASFP, FBU, and Warrington Certification, the overwhelming answer to the question of whether the UK needs a Fire Safe Register was yes.

In fact, almost no one in the room opposed the idea. The problems with forming one, though, are fairly straightforward but no less insurmountable.

  • There will be no legal requirement to use a Fire Safe-registered professional; the Government’s policy of light regulation or deregulation has made this clear.
  • Who would run the scheme?
  • How would it be paid for?

Third-party certification

The most likely form of a Fire Safe Register would be as an umbrella scheme representing the third-party certification schemes that are already established. Any UKAS-approved third-party accreditation scheme would be eligible to be included in the register. This would cover areas such as fire door installation, fire risk assessment, and fire detection and alarm systems.

There are third-party schemes around already, such as BAFE SP205 for fire risk assessors and Warrington FIRAS for fire doors. Many of these are covered in the FIA’s recently published guide to third-party certification schemes.

Taking this as a blueprint for a national Fire Safe Register, you could then look to the backers of the third-party certification schemes to fund the idea. Marketing is the key here, because you would finally be bringing a whole raft of schemes and logos under an easily recognisable banner.

Water Safe Scheme

This has parallels with the industry-backed Water Safe Scheme. It is an umbrella scheme paid for and operated by seven Approved Contractors’ Schemes designed to give customers the confidence in their plumbers that they would already have in a Gas Safe Register engineer.

If this blueprint were followed, then what would stop the fire industry from forming a Fire Safe Register itself, independent of Government underpinning?

One delegate at the Fire Sector Summit, Warrington Certification’s Simon Ince, said with obvious frustration at the lack of a register, “Give me GB pound 10,000, and I’ll set it up tomorrow. All we need is a website.”

Fire Door Installer Register

Isn’t that a tantalising thought? And almost as if it had heard Ince speaking (maybe it did), BWF Certifire, the organiser of Fire Door Safety Week, announced this week that it is launching a Fire Door Installer Register. The register will launch in January, allowing any fire door installers with certification from BM TRADA, FIRAS, or IFC to join for free.

Iain McIlwee, chief executive of the British Woodworking Foundation, said in a press release:

Our intention with the Fire Door Installer Register is to close any gaps in the supply chain, so that we can ensure every building owner, estates or facilities manager can access third-party certificated fire doors and doorsets, and have them installed by properly qualified professionals.

A closing thought from the Fire Sector Summit was that, yes, it might take five years, but let’s at least start moving on establishing a register. Could the Fire Door Installer Register be that first step?

Seeking views

BM TRADA are now seeking views from the sector on the need for a Fire Safe Register in an online survey. Speaking after the workshop, BM TRADA’s Ross Newman said:

With the responsibilities placed on building occupiers by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order having led to a renewed focus ensuring the competency of all those involved in the installation and maintenance of fire protection systems, BM TRADA felt the time was right to discuss the viability of a competent person scheme in the fire sector.

While there are many issues to be discussed with regards to how such a scheme would be structured and managed, there was clear endorsement from all the organisations involved for the creation of a Fire Safe Register.

The outcomes from the workshop will now be taken forward for further discussion at the ‘Understanding Fire Safety in Buildings’, Parliamentary Seminar, on 4 December.

 

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fireman999
fireman999
October 31, 2013 8:55 am

It is a good idea in theory but using a Fire Safe-registered professional will not automatically give you a Fire Safe-registered building which is what I think we should be working towards. In the USA they have the Fire Safe Hotel/Motel scheme http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/hotel/ and surely something like this would offer the public and building owner a better alternative.
I believe that being able to offer a fire safe building is more of an incentive to owners and employers than saying you have employed a Fire Safe-registered assessor, installer or maintenance company.

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
October 31, 2013 10:21 am
Reply to  fireman999

Really interesting alternative way of looking at the situation. I think that would work for buildings used by the public, (including hotels, businesses etc.) but I’m not sure it would help for HMOs etc. quite to the same degree. For instance, a terraced house broken up into 4 flats, 2 are rented 2 are lived in by the owner. OK, the rented properties might seek to be in the register, but the privately owned home would have less incentive to do so as their home isn’t going to be used by anyone but them.

Lankylad
Lankylad
October 31, 2013 4:26 pm
Reply to  fireman999

As with all things “National” or nationally organised, there is a risk, especially if government departments are involved, that the “rules and Guidelines” may be more copious and extend to obscurity. This is usually mostly because these organisations are set up as well, to benefit the people running the “Scheme”. At every fire authority there is, (or was), an official usually a fire officer whose task is to inspect town.city premises. Using the database at his disposal the “Register” being proposed should already be in existence, even though job titles may have changed during any re-organisation. IMO we should make… Read more »

Simon Ince
Simon Ince
November 1, 2013 6:44 am

  Standardise Accredited third party certification provides a big chunk of due diligence when selecting fire safe products or service providers. It provides an assurance that the service provider or product conforms to an appropriate standard and is fit for purpose. It is a model supported by UK government and conforms to British standards with the added assurance that the checkers are being checked by UKAS. Simplify There are lots of different accredited schemes covering the same products or services, all with different registers. All these schemes are accepted as membership requirements by the trade associations in both active and… Read more »

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
November 1, 2013 7:19 am
Reply to  Lankylad

I don’t think Government would be interested in a national or a local register, the impetus to set one up would very much be on the industry itself. For that reason, I think your fears of Government interference can be relatively allayed. I think the Government would, however, recognise and praise the industry for showing the initiative to come together and form this. Perhaps we could have an appointed representative who works on a voluntary or close-to voluntary basis within each FRS terriotory, feeding into a national group of people organsing the overarching scheme?

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
November 1, 2013 7:42 am
Reply to  Simon Ince

And on the last point, Simon, the opportunity for new business would more than pay for the cost of maintaining the register, in my opinion.

batye
batye
November 1, 2013 9:34 am
Reply to  Rob Ratcliff

as long as lifes get saved… you could not put a price on human life, how I see it… 

batye
batye
November 1, 2013 9:35 am
Reply to  Simon Ince

thank you, interesting points/clarification…. thanks

ITs_Hazel
ITs_Hazel
November 1, 2013 12:33 pm
Reply to  fireman999

This is interesting, Fireman999. Thanks for providing the link as well. The policies certainly are comparable, and it would be beneficial to many if such schemes are adopted and perhaps modified for relevance before being implemented.

Bob Docherty
Bob Docherty
November 3, 2013 4:37 pm

Yes there is a need, but there is one register already in being that recognises third party accreditation/certification.  Its called the Nationally Accredited Fire Risk Assessors Register – NAFRAR- and it is run by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers.
 
I would personally like to see a national register and third party accreditation/certification for competency of fire and rescue personnel who deal with fire safety.

Trade Certificates
June 4, 2015 11:05 pm

I think that this industry should become separated and specialised as at the moment anyone can work on fire alarm installations yet not many people have knowledge of the actual system they are installing. I would recommend this is done asap but I guess only time will tell but it has worked in the gas industry insuring that gas certificates are provided for all installations.

http://tradecertificates.co.uk/gas-certificate

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