A warning that fire engineering solutions should not just become a byword for cost cutting, has come from the president of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection, Brian Robinson.
Speaking at the association’s annual lunch, Mr Robinson said although a sensible balance between safety and cost had to be struck, if “the cost envelope were to take precedence and the average ‘solution’ were designed to strip out as much passive protection as possible…then the outcomes would be financially and litigiously significant in the longer term.”
One way of avoiding this, he said, was for designers to ensure that contractors understood their plans, and that contracts should be supported by third party certification.
Looking back at what he described as a good year for the association – which had seen its membership increase by around 10% – he welcomed the implementation of the Regulatory Reform Order and the related issue of the modernisation of the fire and rescue service. But although he is “a firm believer in a risk based approach to safety, that safety was based to some extent on [an] untried process…where qualifications for competence in a number of spheres is unclear”. In view of this, “surely it was reasonable to have in place checks and balances that give national confidence regarding its implementation?” But at present, he could not “see much in the way of a national audit to ensure the safety of this country during the transition, or to ensure that the outcomes of this brave new world are the ones which ensure stability in the safety process.”
He added: “It would be a sad day if we only carried out this examination after the event, and would give credence to those who espouse its demise before it has even begun.”
He also paid tribute the work of the industry. He highlighted the association’s direct marketing campaign on the RRO and its CPD seminars; the large strides made by the Intumescent Coatings Forum under the chairmanship of Geoff Deakin; and the revamping of the ASFP Yellow and Blue Books, soon to be followed by the Orange Book.
The ASFP has won two separate monthly awards from the National Specialist Contractors Council for the most progress reported in getting specialist workforces suitably qualified. The NSCC brings together 28 specialist trade organisations representing over 7000 businesses involved in designing, constructing, refurbishing and maintaining the built environment. In addition an ASFP contractor company – 20 of whose operatives were successful in obtaining CSS cards – won the monthly ‘assessor’ prize under the involved in designing, constructing, refurbishing and maintaining the built environment. In addition an ASFP contractor company – 20 of whose operatives were successful in obtaining CSS cards – won the monthly ‘assessor’ prize under the scheme.
Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
