IFSEC Insider is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
FM Global has awarded its second annual International Codes and Standards Advocacy Award to Iain Cox, chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) and vice chair of the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN).
Cox, who retired from the fire service in 2013 after 34 years, was lauded for his commitment to promoting technical competence among fire safety professionals, the benefits of automatic fire sprinklers and the need to adapt building regulations to encourage, accommodate or mandate their use.
“At FM Global, we believe the majority of property loss is preventable, not inevitable,” said Thomas A Lawson, chairman and chief executive officer at the commercial property insurer.
“We applaud Mr Cox for going above and beyond his duties to promote, educate, and advocate the use of automatic fire sprinklers in industrial and commercial properties in the UK.”
Cox, whose final role in the fire service was as Chief Fire Officer of Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service, was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service medal in 2009. He also has a BSc in Physical Geography from the University of Reading and an MA in Management from Coventry University.
“As a serving fire officer, and as the national lead for the Chief Fire Officers Association on Fire Safety, I have seen the benefits that sprinkler protection can bring to business, communities and individuals,” he is quoted as saying on the BSA website. “Unfortunately I have also witnessed the devastation that is wrought by fire in unprotected premises.
“I sincerely believe that if more businesses understood the real benefits – and the true costs – of fire sprinklers, then more companies would install them.”
FM Global is a mutual insurance company which operates on the premise that most property loss is preventable. Representing one in three Fortune 1000 companies FM Global helps businesses understand the hazards that can undermine business continuity with a view to making cost-effective risk management decisions, informed by property loss prevention and insurance protection.
In the video below, filmed in the Sprinkler and Suppression Zone at FIREX 2019, Iain Cox talks compellingly about the much overlooked benefits of sprinklers and challenges some myths about their effectiveness that persist.
2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!
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.
Sprinkler advocate Iain Cox wins FM Global codes and standards awardFM Global has awarded its second annual International Codes and Standards Advocacy Award to Iain Cox, chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) and vice chair of the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN).
Adam Bannister
IFSEC Insider | Security and Fire News and Resources
Related Topics
Photo posts from the 2023 Security & Fire Excellence Awards
Winners revealed for 2023 Security & Fire Excellence Awards
2023 Passive Fire Protection Award winners announced!