Fire Engineers wanted in:
Aberdeen, Ashford (Kent), Basingstoke, Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Buxton, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carmarthen, Chelmsford, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, London, Milton Keynes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxted, Plymouth, Sheffield, Wrexham, or York

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About Us

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. Our work helps to protect people and places, ensuring everyone can lead safer and healthier lives at work.

We are now looking for six Fire Engineers to join us on a full-time, permanent basis at our locations throughout the country.

The Benefits

- Salary of £62,898 per annum
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- 25 days’ annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays and one day of Civil Service privilege leave
- Flexible working options
- Family-friendly and carer-friendly policies
- Parental leave benefits
- Access to a wide range of benefits, including the Cycle to Work Scheme, e-gift cards and vouchers via EdenRed

This is a unique opportunity for a qualified fire safety engineer with expertise in fire safety design and assessment of complex or higher-risk buildings to join our nationally significant regulatory organisation.

You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of building safety in England, whilst further developing your expertise and growing your portfolio of experience within a critical area of H&S.

What’s more, alongside meaningful work, you will have the advantage our exceptional public sector benefits, including market-leading pension contributions and plenty of family-focused leave and support initiatives.

The Role

As a Fire Engineer, you will provide specialist fire safety expertise to support the assessment and approval of high-rise building applications, helping to protect people in and around buildings across the country.

Working within the Building Safety Regulator’s building control team, you will act as the principal advisor on fire safety matters for caseworkers managing Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 applications for high-rise and complex developments.

You will evaluate fire safety aspects of building applications and provide clear, competent advice to support regulatory decision-making. Contributing expert technical guidance to Multi-Disciplinary Teams, you will ensure all advice and assessments align with the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022, Building Regulations 2010 and associated standards. Through this work,

Additionally, you will:

- Support our commitment to high performance
- Enable continuous improvement initiatives
- Help to create lasting cultural change in building safety across England

About You

To be considered as a Fire Engineer, you will need:

- Demonstrable experience in fire safety design and assessment for complex and higher-risk buildings (HRBs)
- Experience applying Approved Document B, BS999, BS7974 or equivalent fire engineering standards
- Experience interpreting and critically analysing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling
- Experience working with a wide range of building types, including complex and non-standard buildings
- Knowledge of relevant legislation relating to building safety and fire safety
- Experience assessing compliance against the Building Act 1984 and Building Regulations 2010
- Knowledge of approved documents, best practice and technical guidance relating to building safety
- Experience in fire safety, construction safety, building systems, health and safety and design and construction
- Experience carrying out site inspections, plan assessments and inspection schedules
- Level 6 (Degree) qualified in fire engineering, building studies, construction or another relevant discipline
- Professionally qualified Fire Engineer – e.g. Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or an equivalent recognised fire safety engineering qualification

The closing date for this role is midday on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

Other organisations may call this role Fire Safety Engineer, Building Safety Engineer, Fire Safety Consultant, Fire Engineering Consultant, H&S Engineer, Senior Fire Warden, Fire Safety Assessor, Building Safety Consultant, or Fire Risk Engineer.

Webrecruit and the Health and Safety Executive are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you want to become a Fire Engineer and lead the way on building fire safety approaches for this country, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

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The Fire and Security Matters Awards are supported by Security Matters and its sister security titles at Western Business Media (namely Professional Security Installer, Benchmark and Risk Xtra), in addition to Fire Safety Matters.

In 2026, the Fire and Security Matters Awards are once again free to enter and duly recognise excellence and innovation in the security and fire safety sectors.

It only takes a few minutes of your time to prepare and submit entries for the Fire and Security Matters Awards. This is the perfect way in which to gain deserved recognition for either yourself, your team, a colleague, your organisation, a particular product/service or a specific project.

Enter online NOW!

In 2026, the categories are as follows:

Security categories

*Security Manufacturer of the Year

*Security Guarding Company of the Year

*Security Installation Company of the Year

*Security/Risk Manager of the Year

*Security Team of the Year

*Security Project of the Year

*Security Industry Woman of the Year

*Security Innovation of the Year

*Security Consultancy of the Year

*Security Training Company of the Year (new for 2026!)

Fire categories

*Fire Safety Innovation of the Year

*Fire Safety Training Company of the Year (new for 2026!)

*Fire Safety Manufacturer of the Year

*Fire Safety Installation Company of the Year

*Fire Safety Project of the Year

*Fire Safety Manager of the Year

*Fire Safety Team of the Year

*Fire Industry Woman of the Year

*Fire Safety Consultancy of the Year

Joint Security and Fire categories

*ESG Company of the Year

*Distributor of the Year

*Commercial Person of the Year

*Customer Service Award

*Unsung Hero of the Year Award (new for 2026!)

*Rising Star of the Year Award (new for 2026!)

As always, there’s also going to be the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, the recipient of which will be chosen by the members of the independent Judging Panel.

Deadline for entries

*The final deadline for entries is 20 March 2026 at 23.55 pm

**Click here to submit your entry/entries!

***Further information about the Fire and Security Matters Awards 2026 is available online

Sponsors in 2026

The Headline Sponsor is the BAFE Fire Safety Register.

Our sponsors also include Apollo Fire Detectors, the Association of Security Consultants, EMS, Hyfire, Suprema, The Fire Safety Event and The Security Event.

The winners of the Fire and Security Matters Awards 2026 will be revealed at a gala black-tie dinner and ceremony to be held at the CBS Arena in Coventry on the evening of 2 July.

Enter online NOW!

This is a sector built on protecting lives, safeguarding communities and upholding the highest standards of safety and professionalism. Yet, historically at least, it has been one of the most male-dominated industries. As the sector evolves, addressing this imbalance is not simply about representation. It’s also about ensuring the industry benefits from the widest possible range of skills, perspectives and talent.

Encouragingly, change is underway. More women are entering technical, operational and leadership roles, in turn helping to shape the future of fire and life safety, while also challenging outdated perceptions about who belongs in the industry.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, the FIA has spoken with women who’ve built – or are building – successful careers across the sector. They’ve shared insights into how the industry has evolved, the opportunities available and what more can be done to accelerate progress.

According to the latest workforce data, women now account for around 9.7% of firefighters in England, which is up from 8.2% in 2022. Encouragingly, 15% of apprentice firefighters in the year ending March 2024 were women, highlighting progress having been made in attracting more females into the profession.

These statistics highlight two important realities: meaningful progress is happening, but sustained action is required to accelerate change.

Ian Moore OBE, CEO of the FIA, said: “The fire and life safety industry is evolving, and with that evolution comes a responsibility to ensure that it reflects the full breadth of talent available. The growing number of women entering technical, operational and leadership roles is strengthening the sector and bringing valuable new perspectives. At the FIA, we firmly believe that supporting diversity across the industry is not only about fairness. It’s also about building a stronger, more innovative and more resilient profession that’s better equipped to protect people and communities.”

Driving innovation, collaboration and growth

Across the fire and life safety industry, women are influencing how organisations innovate and grow.

Michelle Agius has spent 36 years in the industry and was the first female Board director at Apollo Fire Detectors, appointed in the role of sales and marketing director. In this role, Agius helped to expand the reach of life safety systems internationally, particularly so across the Middle East.

Reflecting on the industry’s development, Agius stated: “When I first entered the fire safety sector, it was an overwhelmingly male-dominated environment. Over the years, I’ve been encouraged to see more women entering the industry and contributing across technical, commercial and leadership roles. The sector benefits when we open the door to a wider range of perspectives and experiences.”

Agius also established an independent panel partnership network that brought together manufacturers to support legislative change and product development. This helped to make the open protocol market more accessible and encouraged wider innovation across the sector.

Sixteen years ago, Agius founded her own company (ie Eurotech Fire Systems) to design, manufacture and supply life safety systems. The business now exports its products to 44 countries and has received numerous industry awards recognising excellence in collaboration, partnership and manufacturing.

“The fire and life safety industry offers incredibly rewarding careers,” noted Agius. “It’s a sector where the work genuinely matters, and where there are real opportunities to grow, innovate and make a difference.”

Agius has served as a main Board director with the FIA since 2018 and currently chairs the Trade Association’s Export and Marketing Group, supporting the UK fire sector’s engagement with global markets.

Leadership that strengthens

Leadership within organisations is equally important in shaping the industry’s future. Elaine Walters, fire and building safety manager at Gentoo, brings almost a decade’s worth of experience in fire safety, supported by earlier roles in planned and responsive maintenance within the housing sector. This background has afforded her a strong understanding of building safety, regulatory compliance and the challenges involved in protecting residents who reside within higher-risk buildings.

Today, Walters leads a team of six fire safety professionals and plays an important role in developing future talent within the sector. She currently supports three colleagues in development roles, including a graduate, a trainee and an apprentice fire and building safety advisor, helping them to build the knowledge and confidence required for progression in the profession.

“Championing the next generation of fire and building safety professionals is something I care deeply about,” affirmed Walters. “By sharing knowledge, building confidence and creating clear growth pathways, I hope to play a small part in shaping a stronger, more diverse and resilient profession for the future.”

Expanding roles

The range of careers within fire safety is broader than many people realise. According to Stacey Adams (project specification and business growth lead at Apollo Fire Detectors), women are now working across every area of the industry.

“From my own experience,” commented Adams, “women are working right across the fire industry, not just in one area or type of role. I see women in technical and specification roles, project delivery, operations, commercial leadership, training, sustainability, compliance and senior management. Many are also heavily involved in industry collaboration and standards work through organisations like the FIA.”

Adams concluded: “Importantly, their contributions are not peripheral. Women are influencing strategic decisions, shaping projects and delivering outcomes that directly affect customers, partners and end users.”

Many professionals highlight that women have strengthened communication and collaboration across teams. Fire safety is highly technical as a discipline, but also relies on trust, responsibility and strong relationships with customers and partners.

As the experiences shared here demonstrate, women operating across the fire and life safety sector are contributing directly towards project delivery, leadership and professional development. From expanding international markets and supporting legislative change through to mentoring new entrants and strengthening training pathways, their work is helping to shape the industry’s continued growth and professionalism.

More inclusive future

Increasing female representation in the fire safety sector must begin with greater awareness of the opportunities it offers. Many women are unaware of the wide range of careers available in fire safety. Early engagement with schools, colleges and universities can help introduce these opportunities through career talks, industry presentations and partnerships with educational institutions.

Employers also play an important role. Apprenticeships, training programmes and entry-level opportunities can create clear pathways into the sector, while inclusive recruitment practices serve to encourage more women to consider technical and operational roles.

Perhaps most importantly, showcasing real career journeys helps to demonstrate that there’s no single path into the industry.

Now a director at APS, Jenny Mair began her career in the civil service before transitioning into the fire safety and compliance sector. “Working in a small and supportive team gave me the chance to learn from experienced engineers, suppliers and auditors who emphasised one key principle: in fire safety, making sure it’s right matters because lives depend on it. That mindset shaped my career. As APS grew, so did my role, progressing from administrator to office manager and director, all while gaining FIA qualifications along the way.”

Mair added: “Fire safety remains a traditionally male-dominated industry, but it’s changing and for the better. My experience has shown me that with support, curiosity and confidence, women can thrive here. I hope more women continue to explore this industry as the opportunities are real, the work is meaningful and the future is increasingly inclusive.”

Looking ahead

The fire and life safety industry has a strong future. As buildings become more complex and safety expectations continue to rise, demand for skilled professionals across engineering, compliance, research and leadership will continue to grow.

Increasing the number of women working in the sector will help the industry reach its full potential. A more diverse workforce strengthens innovation, improves collaboration and supports the industry’s continued development.

In an industry dedicated to protecting lives, embracing the full breadth of talent available is not simply the right thing to do. It’s essential for ensuring the

highest standards of safety and continued progress.

*The Fire Industry Association would like to thank those professionals who generously shared their experiences and insights. We are grateful to Michelle Agius, Elaine Walters, Stacey Adams and Jenny Mair for contributing their perspectives. Their stories serve to highlight the growing impact of women across the fire and life safety sector and inspire the next generation to explore the many opportunities the industry has to offer

The independent chair for the BSR Residents’ Panel is an important leadership role within the new building safety regime. The chair will provide independent oversight and direction to the Residents’ Panel. This will help ensure residents’ perspectives are heard, understood and meaningfully reflected in regulatory thinking, policy development and decision-making.

The BSR Residents’ Panel brings together people with direct experience of living in higher-risk buildings. It provides a structured and consistent forum for residents to share their views on building safety, raise concerns and contribute insight into how the system works for those whom it’s designed to protect.

The Residents’ Panel doesn’t replace formal regulatory processes. Instead, it ensures that residents’ voices remain embedded in the wider building safety conversation, thereby helping to inform how regulation is applied and improved over time.

An effective and trusted chair is central to making this work well. The chair will be a current resident of a high-rise residential building and will bring direct, lived experience of the higher-risk building regime. This requirement is intended to ensure that the Residents’ Panel’s leadership actively reflects the perspectives of those directly affected by building safety policy and regulatory decisions.

Core responsibilities

The chair will play a pivotal role in ensuring the Residents’ Panel operates confidently, independently and with real impact. Responsibilities include:

*leading quarterly Residents’ Panel meetings

*creating a safe, respectful and inclusive space for discussion

*supporting residents to articulate their experiences and concerns

*helping to translate lived experience into practical insight that can inform the BSR’s work

*working constructively with the BSR, while also maintaining independence and credibility

The BSR is seeking someone with strong facilitation and leadership skills who understands the importance of trust, fairness and clear communication. Experience in housing, resident advocacy, regulation or public service may be helpful. What matters most, though, is the ability to listen carefully, challenge constructively and represent residents’ interests with confidence.

This recruitment reflects the BSR’s wider commitment to placing residents at the centre of building safety, not simply as consultees, but rather as active participants in shaping a safer and more accountable system.

*Further information is available on the Health and Safety Executive’s website

To be chaired by Mark Sennett (CEO of Western Business Media and the founder of Fire Safety Matters magazine) on 8 May from 10.30 am-11.30 am, this interactive session is underpinned by a core objective: to increase diversity across the fire safety domain.

Taking part are Stacey Adams (project specification and business growth lead at Apollo Fire Detectors), Kelly Nock (managing director at Xact Consultancy and Training), Julie Saunders FISFM AIFireE ATPI (fire safety inspector representing the Institute of Fire Safety Managers) and Isabel Elswood (fire suppression manager at the Fire Protection Association’s fire testing laboratory).

During the course of the webinar, there will be an exploration of not only what more can be done to encourage more women to seek a career in the fire sector, but also a concentration on how leading females in the sector have achieved career progression to date.

In what’s going to be a hugely informative Q&A-style format, the participants will share personal experiences from their time in the sector to date.

Fire Safety Matters’ Women in Fire Safety campaign is very much part of the mix. Indeed, feedback from webinar attendees is going to help shape the magazine’s new and ongoing campaign, which runs in parallel with the Women in Fire Safety Awards (recently acquired by Western Business Media).

All those industry practitioners who register to view the webinar will qualify for CPD courtesy of Fire Safety Matters’ arrangement with the Institute of Fire Safety Managers.

*Register for Fire Safety Matters’ Women in Fire Safety webinar NOW!

National Careers Week showcases the guidance and support available to young people for future career pathways. As such, the IFE is joining the management teams at schools, colleges, universities and other organisations in order to showcase different possibilities.

Throughout the campaign, the IFE will be showcasing a series of interviews with members who share their career journeys, insights and guidance for the benefit of aspiring professionals.

Alongside these Case Studies, the IFE has also produced a suite of practical resources in the form of job packs, covering career pathways across the fire sector: from fire response and compliance through to design, systems, safety management and academia. These materials aim to inspire emerging talent by offering clear and accessible information about the breadth of opportunities available in the profession. Details of available careers can be accessed online.

Diverse skill set

Reflecting on National Careers Week, IFE CEO Steve Hamm said: “Fire safety is far from a one-size-only career. It’s wide open to a diverse skill set regardless of where you are in your career, whether you are just starting out or you’ve been in the same role for years.”   

Hamm added: “We need to encourage future generations to pursue their goals and the careers that they desire.”

The IFE is committed to developing future professionals. Through its Elevate webinars and annual Graduate Lecture, the organisation provides learning, recognition and networking opportunities that help to build skills and improve confidence.

*Further information is available online at www.ife.org.uk

Tarlochan Singh, aged 48, from Cryfield Grange Road in Coventry, served as the director of 5th Capital Limited, the owner of Ridgemount House on Bede Way in Peterlee, when concerns were raised with County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service that people were sleeping inside the “derelict” building.

Fire safety officers made a late-night visit to the premises and discovered nine men sleeping on the third floor. They also found several other serious fire safety breaches, which placed one or more people at risk of death or serious injury in the event of a fire.

These breaches included a failure to make a fire risk assessment, a failure to ensure the premises had appropriate fire detectors and alarms, a failure to ensure that emergency exits were kept clear, a failure to provide adequate emergency lighting and a lack of sufficient fire doors.

Durham Crown Court heard that, in the wake of these serious breaches, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service contacted Singh and learned that the nine people found in the building had been working on another building (also owned by Singh) in the Peterlee area.

Guilty pleas entered

Singh pleaded guilty to a total of eight charges, all of them relating to breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Prosecutor Rosalind Scott Bell explained: “Singh knew the state of the building and knew the workers were being housed in it. He must have seen the risk, but he chose to take that risk.”

Sentencing Singh on 24 February, Judge Joanne Kidd ordered him to pay a £48,000 fine within 12 months or otherwise face being jailed. He must also pay £45,711.48 in costs.

Addressing Singh, Judge Kidd stated: “These premises were fundamentally derelict and nobody could have thought they were suitable for anyone to spend any period of time in them. It would have been obvious to you and to anyone that they were in a state of dilapidation. If there had been a fire inside the building, these nine men would have been very much at risk of not being able to exit the building.”

Serious breaches

Director Ben Cairns from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has welcomed the outcome of this case.

“In 2022, we were informed by the Health and Safety Executive of concerns that people were sleeping at Ridgemont House,” said Cairns. “Our primary aim is to keep the people of County Durham and Darlington safe from fire. Our specialist fire safety officers attended the premises. The breaches of fire safety legislation they discovered were so serious that there was an immediate risk posed to life. As such, the inspecting officers immediately prohibited the use of the building.”

Cairns continued: “In this case, there was a serious disregard for fire safety and the risk to life was so serious that it was in the public interest to pursue prosecution. While it has taken an extended period of time to reach this point, I welcome the outcome of the legal process as this demonstrates our commitment to keeping the people of Durham and Darlington safe.”

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service urges all property managers and landlords to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at all times and to act promptly on risk assessments and Enforcement Notices.

The Remediation Improvement Plan will be formally announced and introduced over the coming weeks and set out a targeted package of measures purpose-designed to improve the “efficiency, quality and timeliness” of applications for remediation projects.

The focus is set to be on three core areas: strengthening the BSR’s resource capacity, improving internal processes and also supporting industry to submit higher quality applications.

Gateway 2 new-build applications in the 12-week rolling period to 25 February have seen 108 decisions with 82 new applications received. Overall closed applications continue to exceed previous rates with 639 made (including 273 invalidations). The number of live applications of all categories is 1,212.

Legacy cases have reduced to three, with 18 long-term cases featuring significant technical challenges having now been transferred to a ‘Complex Case’ category. This is where account managers work closely with applicants to try and progress to a successful outcome and deliver safe homes. Approval rates of legacy cases continue to be high at 53%.

65% of all closed applications across all Gateway 2 categories related to London cases with 404 made in the capital over the past 12 weeks. New-build applications representing 15,178 residential units were received and decisions on 23,197 units duly issued, with a total of 10,514 approvals. There are currently 31,191 units in live cases.

Innovation Unit progress

During the past 12 weeks, the Innovation Unit (itself a dedicated team of registered building inspectors, technical engineers and regulatory leads) has made 27 decisions, ten of which were in London. Eleven applications have now been approved with a median approval time of 18 weeks.

For applications post-validation, 33% are approved (up 3% from last month) and 33% rejected. The remainder are under active account management. The BSR is continuing to work to reach approvals despite them having failed to demonstrate sufficient evidence to warrant approval at 12 weeks.

The continued focus is on increasing approval rates for safe applications and supporting those parties making applications in order to ensure more cases pass the validation stage.

Enabling the delivery of safe homes is vital. The BSR is accelerating work to drive down approval times through enhanced consistency conventions to address areas of technical dispute between experts, exploring third party independent validation of key design elements and accelerating the onboarding of specialists (such as geo-spatial engineers or computer modelling specialists) when needed.

The Innovation Unit is currently managing 123 live new-build applications representing 26,224 units. 69 of those cases are for projects in the capital.

Batching pilot

While the model for bundling new-build and remediation applications for accelerated assessment through specialised engineering suppliers remains under evaluation, initial data confirms that processing times are significantly faster than under previous methods.

In-house teams are continuing to manage most new-build applications, using batching only for supplemental support. Indeed, this strategy is now a core component of the BSR’s overall workflow and continues to drive the resolution of cases.

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, explained: “We continue to witness improvements in terms of the numbers of decisions being made for new-build applications and also the numbers of safe homes being made available for the future. We continue to engage even more closely with applicants to help improve the quality of those applications. That continues to drive tangible results that will make a real difference.”

Pugsley continued: “However, we recognise that current determination times are falling short of our targets for remediation. Our Remediation Improvement Plan, which will be formally announced and rolled-out operationally over the coming weeks, represents a targeted package of focused measures to reset the system.”

In conclusion, Pugsley noted: “Speed can never come at the cost of safety, whether that be for new-build or existing homes. Our goal continues to be to ensure that industry can construct safe buildings and residents can see the essential safety improvements they deserve without unnecessary delays.”

*Building Control approval application data to 25 February 2026

PAS 2000 Construction Products – Bringing Safe Products to Market – Code of Practice, which is sponsored by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), sets a practical framework for construction product manufacturers to adopt to demonstrate that they’ve taken reasonable steps to best ensure the products they place on the market are safe for their intended use.

As referenced, the Code of Practice was developed following recommendations contained within the pages of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report in addition to the final document produced as a result of the extensive Morrell/Day Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime (entitled Testing for a Safer Future). Further, it responds directly to the Government’s programme of regulatory reform for construction products, which saw the launch of the Construction Products White Paper on 25 February.

Aligning with Recommendation 3.3 of the Morrell-Day Review, which called for industry collaboration with BSI to produce guidance, PAS 2000 illustrates the due diligence expected when placing a construction product on the market.

The PAS aims to help organisations demonstrate robust product safety governance, embed clear and proportionate due diligence processes, improve transparency and accountability and align with evolving regulatory expectations. It’s purpose-designed to strengthen confidence across supply chains that products will be safe for their intended use.

Clear commitment

Ian Richardson, sector lead at the BSI, commented: “This publication reflects our clear commitment to responding constructively to the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Morrell-Day Review, and to supporting safety across the built environment.”

Richardson added: “At a time of significant regulatory reform, PAS 2000 has been developed to support greater transparency, accountability and due diligence across the supply chain. By setting clear expectations and good practice, manufacturers and other economic operators should be empowered to embed robust product safety governance and align with evolving regulatory requirements. We encourage organisations across the built environment sector to engage with PAS 2000 and support its adoption.”

Launch event

The BSI is hosting a launch event in London on 10 March, which will explain the background to the development of PAS 2000, outline the structure, content and practical benefits of the standard, clarify how organisations can implement the framework and provide an opportunity for questions and industry engagement.

The event will include speakers from the OPSS and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in addition to Dr Hywel Davies OBE, the technical author for PAS 2000.

*Further information is available to view online at https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/construction-products-bringing-safe-products-to-market-code-of-practice

The report, entitled What is the Cost of Fires in Schools?, finds that six-to-seven school fires occur every week, damaging classrooms, displacing pupils and disrupting communities. Over a 30‑year period, the likelihood of a secondary school experiencing a fire reaches the 70% mark.

Analysis shows the average cost of a school fire is circa £282,200, with total annual losses reaching a figure of £126 million. These numbers exclude the wider human and social impacts, including trauma, lost coursework and the disruption faced by vulnerable pupils.

Government data cited in the report shows that each lost day of education reduces a child’s future lifetime earnings by approximately £750. The research concludes that, in secondary schools, a single day of closure is enough to justify the cost of installing sprinklers.

The evidence presented on sprinkler performance is equally clear. It emerges that upwards of 97% of school fires occur in buildings without sprinklers, while sprinkler systems that activate are 98% effective at extinguishing or otherwise controlling fires.

BB 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools

In recent years, the NFSN has observed a decline in the number of new-build school premises being constructed with fire sprinklers as developers move away from the expectation of the primary guidance (ie BB 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools) and ‘sidestep’ the provision of sprinklers on the grounds of perceived cost-effectiveness.

The research finds that if the non-monetised benefits (eg reductions in stress, disruption to education and environmental effects) of installing sprinkler systems into new secondary school buildings are £460 per pupil per year, the costs of installing sprinkler systems are equal to the benefits. This figure is less than the lost future earnings of one pupil missing one day of school.

A Case Study of Ravensdale Infants School in Derbyshire is included within the report and illustrates the extent of the challenges faced by pupils, staff and parents alike in relation to the substantial effects of a devastating fire.

Preventing devastation

Terry McDermott QFSM MA, secretary of the NFSN, explained: “Every week, schools are impacted by fire and every closure harms children’s learning in addition to community stability. Sprinklers work. They’re cost‑effective and prevent devastation. Protecting school buildings and the pupils and teachers within them isn’t an option. It’s essential.”

On the back of the research report, the NFSN is urging central Government and education authorities to strengthen regulations and ensure that sprinklers are included as standard in all new and refurbished school buildings.

*Further information is available online at www.nfsn.uk

**Organisations who contributed to the research document include the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the European Fire Sprinkler Network, the Business Sprinkler Alliance and the International Fire Suppression Alliance