In a detailed submission to the consultation on creating a regulated fire risk assessor profession, the FPA has laid out its position backing the power of a regulator with the authority to extend competency requirements beyond Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The FPA stated: “The regulator should have the power to introduce mandatory competence requirements where the duty involves professional fire safety judgement and compliance with the Fire Safety Order and its secondary legislation.”

The consultation response also highlights the importance of defining competence boundaries to prevent assessors exceeding their capabilities and “would help ‘Responsible Persons’ understand who is competent to advise” and would “reduce the risk of assessors working outside of their capability”.

Further, the FPA strongly supports the view that fire risk assessments for premises with a high potential risk to life safety should be restricted to regulated professionals only, noting that “higher-risk or complex buildings should not rely on unverified competence”.

A consistent competency framework for individuals and organisations is identified by the FPA as being critical to improving standards and enforcement. The organisation’s response stresses that “individual competence is essential because the assessor will show professional judgement on-site and in the report”. Organisational certification provides assurance on “QA, supervision, Continuing Professional Development, insurance, document control, validation and management systems”.

Clearer distinction

The need for clearer distinction between fire risk assessors and fire engineers also features prominently, with the FPA response arguing that the former should recognise when matters require specialist input, particularly so where issues involve “detailed design, engineering judgement, intrusive investigation or specialist product or system knowledge”.

Accredited certification and independent oversight have been raised as key to building confidence. The FPA also supports the introduction of a central fire risk assessor register with “clear referral routes, information sharing and better understanding so that professional misconduct and Fire Safety Order breaches are handled consistently without confusion or double jeopardy”.

Overall, the FPA response endorses a phased and risk-based implementation. “Mandatory competence requirements, a consistent competency framework, accredited certification, a professional Code of Conduct, a central register and proportionate sanctions should improve confidence in fire risk assessments.”

Industry training

Elsewhere, the FPA has provided feedback to the consultation on the Government’s proposal to bring together the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board and the Construction Industry Training Board to create a single, unified Industry Training Board that would act on behalf of the construction and engineering sectors.

While the FPA sees benefits in the streamlining of the points of contact for both employers and training providers and ensuring one process for funding applies for both industries, the organisation has raised issues with the merger. As they represent and serve different industries and training standards, the merger may impact the current scope and level of funding for both sectors.

The FPA’s feedback has stated: “Many companies who cannot afford the level of training use the Construction Industry Training Board levy fund. If the scope of the funding changes in application or cost, this would detrimentally impact raising standards and competency in the sector.”

The third lot of feedback relates to the consultation on the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture. The FPA response disagrees with the proposal to introduce reformed furniture fire safety sector legislation based on a smoulder test, observing: “We agree that steps should be taken to reduce the quantity of toxic fire retardants in furniture. However, we do not agree with reducing the fire safety requirements to achieve this. We believe it’s possible to reduce the use of fire retardants without reducing fire safety.”

Demonstrating compliance

In addition, the FPA has expressed disappointment that “a flame-retardant technology hierarchy is no longer being proposed”. It was hoped that this could provide a template for the rest of the fire sector, not just furniture.

However, the FPA does agree with the proposal to allow businesses to use composite/representative sample testing or component testing to demonstrate compliance with the new regulations.

The FPA concluded: “Testing the product as a system, rather than as individual components, allows products to demonstrate the performance of composite components such as barrier fabrics or fire protective covering materials.”

*Further information is available online at www.thefpa.co.uk

Recently, we talked about the ‘Sky’s the Limit’ mentality driving speculative warehouse development. Buildings pushing past 18 metres that are designed apparently without full awareness of what the regulatory guidance requires and what fire protection can actually deliver at those heights.

Height alone isn’t the whole story, though. The warehouses being built and occupied today present a more challenging fire risk than those the guidance was written for. It’s time the industry faced that truism.

The fuel load alone tells a story in itself. Modern logistics is driven by density. Automated storage and retrieval systems, multi-level mezzanines and high-bay racking have transformed what sits inside these buildings. Where a warehouse two decades ago might have held palletised goods with some degree of spacing and emerging plastics, today’s equivalent is a tightly packed, vertically stacked environment designed for maximum efficiency.

Some systems extract every cubic metre of value from the building envelope. More goods are stored higher and closer together, in turn creating a predominance of plastic items and containers. The fire load has grown substantially and, with it, so too has the potential rate of heat release in a fire.

Electrical complexity

Then there’s the question of ignition sources. Where two decades ago we were seeking to keep electrical installations out of the storage array, electrification of the internal logistics environment has accelerated sharply in another direction.

Automated guided vehicles, battery-charging infrastructure, conveyor systems and increasingly sophisticated control electronics are now embedded throughout the storage array itself, not just in ancillary areas. Each represents a potential ignition source and, unlike a forklift in an open aisle, many of these systems operate in and around the racking, in close proximity to the very commodity they’re supposed to move efficiently.

The electrical complexity inside a modern warehouse, then, bears little resemblance to the relatively simple environments that informed earlier thinking on fire risk.

Multi-level working adds another dimension. Intermediate floors and mezzanine structures, increasingly common as operators seek to maximise usable floorspace, create environments where fire behaviour becomes harder to predict and more difficult to suppress.

Sprinkler design standards have kept pace with these configurations and the installations are complex. The end result is a growing number of buildings where the occupier’s aspirations for how the space will function and the technical capability of available fire protection systems need careful co-ordination otherwise they will be moving in opposite directions.

Similar lesson

It’s worth recalling the lessons being learned, somewhat painfully, in the car park sector. Research commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive and incidents such as the Addenbrooke Hospital car park fire have confirmed that modern car park fires behave very differently from those the existing regulatory guidance was written for back in the day. Higher vehicle fire loads, greater parking density and the growing presence of electric vehicles have changed the risk profile significantly.

The conclusion being drawn in that sector (ie that regulations built on historic assumptions are no longer sufficient) applies equally in the warehouse space.

The fuel loads of today’s warehouses are heavier, the ignition sources more numerous and the configurations more complex. The industry needs to acknowledge that compliance with historic guidance is a floor, not a ceiling, and that the fire protection challenge has changed.

Running out of road in silence is simply not an option.

Tom Roche is Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)

Fire Aware’s CEO Gavin Skelly has issued this call to action as the fire safety industry continues to understand the implications of the post-Grenfell era and the legal process that’s underway.

Skelly explained: “There’s a wave of change and reality sweeping those sectors with a particular responsibility to protect people. People inhabiting the built environment are rendered vulnerable due to the poor moral performance of those who hold a Duty of Care to keep them safe. This is a widespread responsibility and is every bit as important to the owners of restaurants as it is to the owners of care homes, schools or Shopping Centres.”

He continued: “The change we are seeing is in those business owners, and many others, who are realising that they’re directly responsible and that it’s not acceptable to offset that responsibility to suppliers.”

Fire Aware is calling on decision-makers in the supply chains serving these sectors to examine their procurement commitments in the interests of public safety and to be clear about their responsibilities.

“Our own members are proud to commit to our Code of Conduct and our specific charters which take the safety process beyond legislation,” observed Skelly. “This is a vocation, not a job, and we are all in this together.”

Moral and ethical behaviours

Dame Judith Hackitt has called for cultural change through moral and ethical behaviours, supported by the independent Building Safety Regulator, which has been created to ‘promote competence and higher standards’

According to Skelly, all those involved in design, construction, management, maintenance and letting in the built environment need to understand that they have an obligation to fire safety even if their business isn’t directly connected with fire specialisms.

For its part, Fire Aware continues to focus on the moral responsibility of all those working in the fire safety supply chain including designers, developers, asset owners, managers and other stakeholders.

Fire Aware is a recognised membership body serving the built environment and related sectors whose constituents harbour the common aim of working and trading responsibly with Best Practice standards always at the forefront.

*Further information is available online at www.fireaware.org

Mr Vi Ciong Tang and Ms Ming Zhou were ordered to pay more than £9,200 after an investigation by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service found “serious fire safety deficiencies” in a property located above a restaurant on St Leonards Road in Windsor.

The pair also received a suspended 14-week custodial sentence after pleading guilty to eight offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Reading Crown Court on 22 May.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s investigation found a lack of a fire detection system within the commercial and residential units at the property, insufficient emergency lighting and inadequate fire doors that would have compromised the means of escape in an emergency scenario.

The investigation also found that the minimum fire, electrical and gas safety standards had not been met throughout the property.

Fire safety measures

Tang was fined £2,400, while Zhou received a financial penalty of £1,650. Both were also ordered to pay additional legal costs and a victim surcharge, bringing the total to £9,250.

Speaking about the case, Tim Benham (fire safety enforcement manager at the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service) said: “This case demonstrates that we will take steps to ensure businesses have the correct fire safety measures in place.”

Benham continued: “As a Fire and Rescue Service, our purpose is to help keep businesses, people and communities safe. We will continue to work with business owners to help them protect themselves and their livelihoods.”

Adding to that last point, Benham concluded: “However, fire safety is not optional. While we continue to work closely with businesses, we will take action to enforce the law and keep people safe if necessary.”

*Further information is available online at www.rbfrs.co.uk

Indeed, the AGM is an important opportunity for members to engage directly with the work and governance of their professional body. The gathering will include updates from the IFE and consideration of the annual accounts. The new Board of Trustee Directors will be announced and the new presidential team outlined with plenty of time for questions.

Following the success of the chosen delivery method last year, the AGM will be held once again in a hybrid format, ensuring members can take part in a way that best suits them. In-person delegates will be welcomed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon with online attendees able to participate via the AGM website.

Important moment

Paul Adams, CEO at the IFE, commented: “This AGM is a particularly important moment for me as it will be my first as CEO of the IFE. It provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved, reaffirm our commitment to professional standards and transparency and look ahead to the role we will continue to play in supporting our members and the wider sector.”

Adams continued: “I’m very much looking forward to engaging with members, hearing their views and working collaboratively to build on our strong foundations in the year ahead.”

Rasbash Lecture

The IFE is delighted to announce the return of the Rasbash Lecture, which will follow immediately after the AGM and be streamed live to online attendees.

This year’s lecture will be delivered by Dr Karen Boyce FIFireE, senior lecturer in the School of the Built Environment at the University of Ulster. Boyce’s presentation runs under the title: ‘Safe Evacuation for All: How Far Have We Come and How Far Are We Prepared To Go?’

The presentation will explore how current means of escape design guidance aligns with the realities of accessible building design and changing demographics, drawing on research and real-world evidence to question underlying assumptions, evacuation planning approaches and management expectations. Ultimately, it’s about challenging whether the profession is doing enough to deliver effective and inclusive safety for all.

Those attending the AGM and Rasbash Lecture in-person are invited to join Dr Boyce for an informal drinks reception following the event. A recording of both the AGM and the Rasbash Lecture will be made available to members on MyIFE shortly after the day has concluded.

Booking details

IFE members will receive an e-mail from AGM partner PIN Communications on 30 June. This contains a unique security code and instructions.

Anyone planning to attend the AGM and the Rasbash Lecture in-person must register their place via the IFE’s website before 3.15 pm on 28 July. Visit the IFE’s events page to book in-person places online

*Photo: Cameron House Hotel (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service)

It’s a development that also prompts a broader and more challenging question: ‘If fire risk exists across the sector, why focus only on historic hotels?’

The change follows years of scrutiny after tragic events, most notably the fire at Cameron House Hotel near Loch Lomond in 2017. That incident, which claimed two lives, remains a pivotal moment in the conversation around hotel fire safety in Scotland. It exposed vulnerabilities, raised questions about protection for sleeping occupants and led to recommendations that the Scottish Government should consider stronger fire suppression requirements in hotels created from older buildings.

Some will view this regulatory change as closing a loophole. It’s important to be clear about what this legislation does and doesn’t do. It applies specifically to historic building conversions (defined as traditional buildings). The broader reality, one that may surprise many travellers, is that hotels in Scotland (and those across the rest of the UK) are not generally required or even formally guided to install sprinkler systems.

A guest checking into a modern and purpose-built hotel tonight might think sprinklers are in place, but there’s no guarantee such systems are protecting them while they sleep. That’s a fact rarely surfaced in any hotel booking search, and one that deserves far greater public awareness.

Interesting question

This brings us neatly to an interesting question raised by the Scottish Government's own cost-benefit analysis, commissioned as part of the review of sprinkler requirements. The analysis found that non-traditional hotel constructions, which would include modern hotels, have a higher frequency of fire incidents and suffer greater degrees of physical damage in a fire episode than historic buildings. In the period studied there were less casualties.

The economic sustainability case for fire sprinkler system installation was stronger for non-traditional hotels than for the converted historic properties now covered by the new regulations.

While the difference in casualties for historic conversions was clear, it does mean we have to think about where to draw the line. If the data suggests that buildings underpinned by non-traditional construction are more susceptible to greater fire damage and greater fire area, then the logic of limiting the requirement to older buildings becomes, on the face of it, one that’s about ‘escapability’, with one type of premises prone to more damage, but perhaps with a better means of escape.

The regulatory response has been shaped by tragedies, but the evidence-led view of where risk actually resides across the entire hotel estate means that we need to keep an eye on this situation and hope no new tragedy strikes a non-traditional hotel.

Driving progress

That’s not to diminish the importance of what has been achieved. The Cameron House Hotel fire (the aftermath is pictured above), and the tragedy at the New County Hotel in Perth six years later, have energised progress on fire safety.

However, given that there are upwards of 400 hotel fires recorded annually across Britain (ie more than one fire every single day across a cohort of around 9,500 hotels), the evidence suggests that the economic sustainability case for making sprinklers a norm across new hotels remains compelling for the business owner and, it must be said, largely unaddressed.

Scotland has taken a step in the right direction. The question now is whether the industry and Government have the appetite to go further, viewing the protection of every hotel guest as a baseline rather than an optional extra.

Iain Cox is Chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)

The new publications are as follows:

*PFKG Knowledge Share 10: Active Fire Curtain Standards

*PFKG Knowledge Share 11: Active Fire Curtains – Insulation versus Radiation

*PFKG Knowledge Share 12: Fire Barriers and Cavity Barriers – What’s the Difference?

Taken together, these documents provide clear and practical guidance in areas where poor terminology, legacy standards and inconsistent interpretation continue to undermine compliance.

Knowledge Shares 10 and 11 focus on common specification errors associated with active fire curtains. Knowledge Share 10 addresses frequent confusion between smoke leakage-classified active fire curtains and simple smoke curtains. Simple smoke curtains are intended solely to control and direct smoke towards smoke control systems and provide no fire resistance (integrity) performance. This is in contrast to smoke leakage-classified active fire curtains, which are tested to fire resistance standards.

The document cautions against the use of the term ‘smoke and fire curtains’ in specifications as this is misleading and can result in the selection of incorrect products.

Frequent misapplication

Knowledge Share 11 highlights the frequent misapplication of insulation (I) performance where radiation (W) classification is more appropriate for active fire curtains. Insulation fire resistance (I) refers to the time taken for the temperature on the non-fire side of a curtain to rise more than 180°C above ambient under test conditions: a performance that most active fire curtains don’t achieve for any significant duration.

By contrast, the radiation criterion (W) measures the time taken for heat radiation at one metre from the non-fire side to exceed 15 kW/m². This typically provides a more realistic and meaningful measure of performance for active fire curtains, particularly so when combined with integrity (E) to form an EW classification.

For its part, Knowledge Share 12 addresses another long-standing area of confusion: the distinction between fire barriers and cavity barriers. The document explains the different regulatory roles these systems perform, along with the differing fire resistance requirements that apply to each. It also highlights how misunderstanding can lead to non-compliance, particularly where products are installed within cavities, above ceilings or beneath raised access floors without appropriate supporting evidence.

Early engagement

Across all three publications, the PFKG emphasises the overriding importance of early engagement between fire engineers, designers, contractors and manufacturers in order to ensure that specifications are clear, achievable and supported by suitable test evidence.

“These Knowledge Shares are about removing ambiguity from some of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of passive fire protection,” explained Will Pitt, chair of the PFKG. “Incorrect assumptions around standards or performance don’t just create technical issues. They also introduce avoidable compliance risk into fire strategies and, ultimately, undermine safety. Clear terminology and evidence-led specification are fundamental.”

All three Knowledge Shares are available now as free downloads from www.pfkg.org, duly supporting the PFKG’s ongoing commitment to improve competency and consistency across the fire safety community.

*The Passive Fire Knowledge Group’s mission is to improve the design, specification and installation of passive fire protection through expert-led collaboration, research and the sharing of knowledge across the industry. Further information is available online at www.pfkg.org

Named in honour of former Oxford United FC midfielder and star player Joey Beauchamp, The Joey Beauchamp Foundation aims to address the pressing requirement for mental health support and awareness within the local community. With a steadfast focus on collaboration and community engagement, the organisation seeks to empower individuals to overcome challenges and go on to thrive in their daily lives.

Key objectives

The Joey Beauchamp Foundation’s key objectives are to:

*promote counselling and support for those individuals and families in need of such attention due to mental health issues

*make grants available to organisations to enable such individuals to receive support and fund counselling and support programmes

*publicise and promote the resources available for supporting mental health and suicide prevention to members of the general public

*promote to the public an understanding of the issues surrounding mental health and suicide in order to encourage positive and productive discussions

*educate on the subjects of mental health resilience and suicide prevention

More than anything else, what Joey Beauchamp wanted to be was an Oxford United FC player. He fulfilled his dream by making 428 appearances for the club across two spells (1989-1994 and 1995-2002), scoring 80 goals in the process. It was his team, his city and his home. He loved life in Oxford.

However, Joey – recognised as a supremely gifted footballer – began to suffer from depression, alcohol addiction and financial problems. At the age of 50, he took the decision to end his own life.

Joey wasn’t aware that there was a network of support for the hundreds of people just like him suffering with mental health-related issues every day.

Raising funds

Commenting on the announcement, Mark Sennett (CEO of Western Business Media and the founder of Fire Safety Matters magazine) explained: “The announcement of this year’s charity partner for the Fire & Security Matters Awards means a great deal to me on a personal level.”

Elaborating on that point, Sennett stated: “Joey was a hero of mine when I was growing up. He was playing for the team I love: Oxford United FC. Undeniably, Joey was the club’s greatest ever player. In adulthood, I was fortunate to know Joey socially and he always went ‘above and beyond’ to help raise funds for charities when I served as chair of the Oxford United Supporters Trust named ‘OxVox’. He assisted me and many others. Joey meant so much to the people of Oxfordshire.”

Sennett continued: “Tragically, Joey took his own life on 19 February 2022. In his memory, the charity was established to address the pressing need for mental health support and awareness. We’re very grateful to Joey’s brother Luke, who helped to found the charity and is one of its Trustees, for giving us his blessing on our desire to support this vitally important cause.”

Charity auction

On the night of the Fire & Security Matters Awards – supported as always by Fire Safety Matters and its sister titles at Western Business Media, namely Security Matters, Professional Security Installer and Benchmark – there will be a charity auction featuring some fabulous prizes. All of the proceeds are being donated to The Joey Beauchamp Foundation.

*Further information concerning The Joey Beauchamp Foundation can be accessed online at www.joeybeauchamp.org Donations are always welcome

**Additional detail on the Fire & Security Matters Awards 2026 is available to view at www.firesecurityawards.com

The penalties, totalling £42,300, were issued for running an unlicensed HMO and failing to properly manage the property and keep tenants safe.

Council investigations uncovered a number of serious fire safety and management problems at the three-storey property, which was occupied by seven people from six households.

Among the problems identified were a faulty and inadequate fire alarm system, the lack of emergency lighting, the absence of a fire blanket in the kitchen, defective fire doors, obstructions on escape routes, bedroom and exit doors that required keys to open from the inside, a lack of proper safety checks, inspections and records and a failure to respond to requests for information and documents to support the investigation.

Council officers also found evidence that the property had been operating as an HMO for a significant period without the legally required licence being in place. HMOs are properties rented by several people from different households who share facilities such as kitchens or bathrooms. Landlords who operate HMOs must follow strict legal requirements to make sure tenants are safe, particularly so in relation to fire safety and property management.

Paying the penalty 

Following the issuing of the penalties, Jetsun Ltd paid the fine within 28 days and received a 15% discount under Gateshead Council’s enforcement policy. The funds will be reinvested into further enforcement work in the private rented sector to help improve housing standards across Gateshead.

Samantha Allcott, strategic director of housing, environment and healthy communities at Gateshead Council, said: “Landlords have a legal duty to make sure the homes they rent out are safe and properly managed. In this case, the conditions found at the property were unacceptable and could have put tenants at serious risk, notably so in the event of a fire.”

Allcott added: “We work closely with landlords across Gateshead to help raise and maintain standards. Tenant safety will always come first and, that being so, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where standards fall below what’s required by law.”

Gateshead Council introduced additional HMO licensing in parts of Gateshead in June last year to underpin ongoing work designed to improve housing standards and protect tenants living in privately rented accommodation. 

From this month onwards, all FIA examinations conducted through FireQual will be delivered via Surpass. The new platform provides an improved examination experience for candidates, while also supporting enhanced quality assurance, security and compliance requirements.

For most candidates the transition will be straightforward. The examination process remains familiar, although the appearance of the system and some functionality will differ from the previous platform. Going forward, candidates sitting examinations should expect a different user interface and are encouraged to read any guidance provided before commencing their assessment.

This change also marks the beginning of a wider programme of improvements that will be introduced over the coming weeks.

Online invigilation

As part of ongoing regulatory and Awarding Organisation requirements, the FIA and FireQual will begin introducing Online Proctoring (ie online invigilation) for examinations.

Online invigilation enables candidates to complete examinations remotely, while maintaining the same standards of security and integrity expected during in-person assessments.

Candidates taking online invigilated examinations will be required to:

*complete a system and equipment check before their examination

*verify their identity (note that company IDs are no longer accepted)

*provide a clear view of their examination environment

*ensure desks and workspaces are free from unauthorised materials

*remain alone in the room throughout the assessment

*follow all examination instructions and invigilation requirements

Full guidance documents and support materials will be made available before candidates are required to undertake online invigilated assessments.

What candidates need to do

The FIA and FireQual strongly encourage all candidates, employers and booking contacts to review any examination guidance issued by the FIA and FireQual. Examination arrangements that may have applied previously should not be assumed to remain unchanged under the new system.

Candidates will receive clear instructions in advance of their examination and will be given sufficient notice of any new requirements.

Supporting guidance

A range of support documents, including step-by-step guides and technical requirements, will be made available on the FIA website.

All candidates, members and training customers are thanked for their support during this transition. Both organisations look forward to delivering an enhanced examination experience through the new Surpass platform.

*For further information visit www.fia.uk.com and www.firequal.com