As responsibility for employing a competent fire risk assessor now falls on building owners and managers, Claire Wright looks at the importance of evidencing fire risk assessor competence
Our October issue of F&RM focused on the much-anticipated Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report and the FPA’s relationship to the outcomes from this. Whilst the release of the report may prove to be a pivotal point for change there remains no clear ‘road map’ to an ultimate destination.
This does not mean that until such a road map appears that there is nothing we can do to contribute to improvements, however there are many wise and experienced professionals who demonstrate good practice every day of their working lives to improve safety from fire in the built environment, for themselves and those around them.
New approaches
We often speak of the fire safety ‘industry’ as separate from every other industry. However, if fire safety is primarily about people and secondarily about property and assets, this puts fire safety concerns at the heart of every built asset and not in addition to or separate from the way a building and its occupants operates.
Should we then be looking at improvements in competence from a more inclusive viewpoint? How do fire safety professionals equip themselves to understand other’s views, and understand the context they are working in? Welcoming the approach that there is always more to learn and being open to working with others is a skill which should be practised and improved.
Earlier this year, the FPA launched its 2024 Policy Manifesto to coincide with both a change of leadership within the association and a change of government for the UK. The manifesto set out six priorities for us to provide as a statement of commitment of purpose and a clear direction for the organisation. To ensure the competency of fire risk assessors is the second of these objectives, which we propose is carried out through appropriate qualifications and training, and certified through suitable third-party schemes. To progress this agenda, we must raise awareness of the benefits to the end user of these schemes and support the mandated requirement of the role.
The industry continues to raise the importance of competence and over time has developed a number of frameworks in which to operate, based on decades of expertise of individuals who have spent many years trying to raise the bar. In April 2025, the BSI is due to publish the ‘Framework for competence of individual fire risk assessors’, however, the challenge of if, when, and how the government choses to regulate the profession remains unanswered. Until this time, a high number of end users are likely to remain confused about when a fire risk assessment is suitable or sufficient for their needs.
Equipping a competent professional
In an unregulated industry where definitions of ‘competent’ are open to interpretations that will change over time, an individual may be wise to operate on the premise that they will be required to prove their competence on a periodic basis. As a fire safety professional, being prepared for scrutiny and justifying your own competence should be the result of a continually evolving career journey.
Education, gaining experience, and getting used to evidencing what you have learned is not only personally reassuring, but will be a necessary practice to maintain registration should it become mandatory to do so, particularly as the government looks to respond to the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 2 Report.
In support of providing this body of evidence, there are a number of factors an individual should consider. You need to ask yourself if it is robust, relevant, and recent.
- Robust – to verify that another party agrees with your assessment of your competence, consider applying for third-party certification. This shows others that you have put yourself up for scrutiny against a set of criteria and this can be easily verified by a prospective customer or employer. You will be required to provide ongoing evidence to a third party which could also act as a useful portfolio of your competence journey.
- Relevant – is the evidence I am offering relevant to the purpose for which it is being used. For example, do you have experience of working in the type of premises you are being asked to risk assess? Do you know enough about the construction, use, occupancy type, or environment you are working in, or do you need advice and guidance from others? Be clear in your portfolio where your expertise lies and where it does not.
- Recent – skills and knowledge can fade over time, the built environment changes and the way people live and work changes. Can you ensure your portfolio demonstrates recent knowledge acquisition and upskilling? In our fast-paced world, the term ‘recent’ now refers to the last 12-18 months.
Finally, a development plan is an often overlooked part of your portfolio that may help individuals focus on where they wish to be or feel they require improvement. Rather than looking back to document where you may have acquired recent knowledge, try putting a forward plan together of what you would like to do. This could include attending seminars and webinars, developing product knowledge, or engaging with a mentor. Forward planning also helps you gain better value from time spent on professional development as you will have a clear picture as to what you are hoping to achieve. Your development plan may include technical skills and knowledge, but also ‘softer’ skills, such as communication.
Choosing a competent professional
As a business owner or building manager it is your responsibility to ensure you employ a competent professional to carry out a fire risk assessment. It requires effort from the end user to reassure themselves that they are receiving accurate and reliable information. Advice in this matter has existed for some time, for example the Fire Sector Federation’s Guide to choosing a competent fire risk assessor, however responsible persons may still be liable in the event of a fire if they cannot evidence that they have implemented best efforts to use a competent provider.
As discussed above, those signing their names to work they have carried out may also be held to account for this and they should be prepared to work with you to ensure they are the right person/company for the job.
Before seeking professional help, you should prepare your own criteria for selection in the same you would any other provider in your supply chain. Research what you require and define what competence means to you and your business.
Complete your due diligence in reference to your criteria and be sure to record how your selected professional met these criteria at the time of employment.
If you are considering an individual rather than a company, you should understand that they will usually be specifically trained in undertaking ‘fire risk assessments’. This is a very different skillset to any other fire safety professionals such as an installer, engineer, or maintenance professional and the different roles should not be transposed or confused with each other. Individuals should be able to provide you with evidence of their training either by providing copies of certificates or witness statements and testimonials from those they have previously worked with or been trained by. You will be able to look up what the various accreditations or certificates are telling you by a simple internet search and we would encourage you to be curious about what they are telling you and seek further clarification if you are not satisfied.
Fire risk assessors will likely have gained competence over a variety of ‘building types’ – again, you should ensure not only that the risk assessor is trained, but that they are experienced in carrying out fire risk assessments on premises similar to your building or occupancy type. If you are responsible for a school, a church, or a leisure centre, for example, you must ask whether they have previous experience with this type of building. Ask for references and contact their previous customers to see if they were satisfied with the service provided. A competent fire risk assessor should have no trouble in sharing this information with you.
Finally, as discussed above, the fire risk assessor may be accredited by a third-party organisation. Currently there is no legal requirement in the UK for fire risk assessors to be registered, however, we would advocate this as good professional practice as it means that the individuals or the organisation have been deemed competent, and ongoing accreditation will require evidence that they continue to be able to provide a competent service and to ensure they remain up to date in their practices.
If you wish to find out more about third-party verification schemes for fire risk assessors, you may find the following useful:
- BAFE SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment
- FRACS operated by Warringtonfire for the certification of competence of individuals and companies carrying out fire risk assessments
- UKAS – ISO/IEC 17024: Certification of Persons
Fire & Risk Management is the UK’s market leading fire safety journal, published 10 times a year, and is available exclusively to FPA members in digital and print format depending on your requirements. You can find out more about our membership scheme here.
Claire Wright is the Director of Training and Digital Services at the FPA