On Competence

Two hours of e-learning does NOT make someone a competent Fire Risk Assessor.

Speaking at FIREX 2019, Howard Passey stated that the growing emphasis on FRA competence was something “we all have to get used to – especially in high risk premises”, where you simply won’t get the job unless you can validate your credentials.

If you’re not already working towards demonstrating competence, he told risk assessors in the audience, it’s time to start.

A quick Google search for ‘fire risk assessors’ will generate an enormous list of results. Unfortunately, however, standards vary widely.

Speaking in the Expertise & Guidance Theatre at this year's FIREX conference, Howard Passey (a former engineer and site manager in the construction industry), stated that any assessor whose training extends to two hours of e-learning – a “nonsense”, frankly “frightening” – will likely sit at the inferior end of the spectrum.

One of more than 100 training providers in this discipline, the FPA had trained around 1,000 FRAs in the last 12 months, said Passey.

He listed the FRA registers and the number of companies on each (as of that time, Mid June 2019):

• IFE: 241
• IFSM: 55
• FRACS (Warrington Fire) 48 individuals, four companies
• BAFE SP205 – 78 companies

Three tiers of competence

Much of the FRA role’s complexity, said Passey, lies in balancing multiple variables. For instance, they might compensate for ageing fire systems by recommending more staff such as fire wardens.

Hackitt said FRAs must be free do make these judgements – but this was contingent on a high level of competence: “An outcomes-based framework requires people who are part of the system to be competent,” she wrote – “to think for themselves rather than blindly following guidance, and to understand their responsibilities to deliver and maintain safety and integrity throughout the life cycle of a building.”

The aim is to create tiers of competence and assigning appropriately qualified FRAs depending on building type. BAFE has set the template here in terms of developing a certification scheme for assessors.

Three grades are proposed:

• Trainees: for simple premises only
• General practitioner: intermediate complexity
• High-risk: premises like hospitals, care homes, high risk residential

He also recommended that FRAs become an OSHCR (Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register) consultant, the requirements of which are set out here.

Evaluating a site’s risk level is not necessarily always just about the type of building... it’s about the users too. Fire stats prove that vulnerable people are at greater risk... therefore fire risk assessors need to have significant experience and credentials.

Dutyholders and Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs)

The ‘responsible person’ – the person ultimately responsible for fire safety in a building – will be replaced by a duty holder. Whereas the identity of the responsible person is often unclear – it could be an individual, a board of directors, or even a corporation – duty holders will be qualified by accredited industry bodies and listed on a public register.

Passey was in doubt about the need for greater transparency here. He recalled numerous occasions where recommendations he’d made in a fire risk assessment had still not been acted on 12 months later.

In Building a Safer Future Dame Judith Hackitt wrote: “The dutyholder for a HRRB should proactively demonstrate to the JCA through a safety case at regular intervals (as determined by level of risk) that they are discharging their responsibilities. The safety case must identify the hazards and risks, describe how risks are controlled, and describe the safety management system in place.”
And: “The dutyholder should ensure that any recommendations / requirements outlined in the fire risk assessment are undertaken and completed in a timely manner. Fire risk assessments should be reviewed at least annually until a first safety case review has been completed, where this applies.”

Evaluating a site’s risk level is not necessarily always just about the type of building, said Passey – it’s about the users too. Fire stats prove that vulnerable people are at greater risk, he said, therefore fire risk assessors need to have significant experience and credentials.