Institution of Fire EngineersIFE Register of Fire Risk Assessors & Auditors
Background |
How can IFE help |
To apply please email katy.priestley@ife.org.uk |
What is it?
The IFE has created a Register of Fire Risk Assessors and Auditors to assist employers, building owners and managers to source appropriately skilled consultants to help them meet the requirements of legislation. Assessors are those who carry out fire risk assessments on behalf of those on whom legislation imposes a duty to do so. They may carry out this service, as consultants, on a commercial basis, or they may carry out this work for their employer. Auditors are officers of enforcing authorities, who enforce legislation, but do not carry out fire risk assessments.
The register provides an opportunity to search for registered assessors and registered auditors by name, company, area or stream. Please read the important information provided in the Clauses for Clients/Users, the conditions of which must be accepted before progressing to the search function.
Background
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into force in October 2006. It applies only to England and Wales. In Scotland, the equivalent legislation is the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, which also came into force in 2006. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent legislation is the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, which came into force in November 2010.
Each of the three legislative regimes across the UK imposes a duty to carry out a fire risk assessment. In England and Wales, the duties are imposed on the Responsible Person, who, in a workplace, is the employer, but, in premises that are not a workplace, is the person having control of the premises. The duty can also be imposed on other persons having control of the premises, such as managing agents. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the term 'responsible person' is not used, but, again, the duty will fall on the employer and/or certain other persons having control of the premises.
The legislation does not specifically require that the fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person. However, if as a result of a failure to properly carry out a fire risk assessment, an occupant of the building (or even someone in the immediate vicinity of the building) is put at risk of death or serious injury in case of fire, an offence is commited, which can lead to a heavy fine or, in serious cases imprisonment.
How can the IFE help?
How can employers, who are still ultimately responsible for the fire risk assessment, ensure that their choice of consultant is a good one? In this potential minefield, The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has created a Register of Fire Risk Assessors. It was appropriate for the IFE, as the leading professional body in the field of fire, to take this initiative to ensure that anyone having need of the services of a fire risk assessor can refer to the Register and thereby verify the credentials of their choice of assessor.
David Bonnett (Chairman of the Fire Industry Confederation) states: "We encourage the development of third party certification schemes to provide businesses with peace of mind that they are choosing a competent supplier. The rapidly growing fire risk assessment consultancy market is unregulated and confusing for buyers - this is a potentially dangerous situation, as incorrect advice may be given by unqualified consultants. The IFE register is a step towards defining the competence of fire risk assessment consultants to alleviate this situation".
Who can apply?
Members and non members of the IFE may be registered; the only prerequisite is that each applicant is able to demonstrate to a Professional Review Panel that they have suitable education, training, and experience in the principles of fire safety and fire risk assessment and this involves submitting examples of their work for evaluation.
Fire Risk Assessment Training Courses
Fire Risk Assessment Training courses, approved by the IFE for the purpose of the Fire Risk Assessors Register, are listed below:
| Course Provider |
Course Title |
Duration |
Contact |
Valid From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Compliance & Safety Franchise Ltd |
Fire Risk Assessors Course |
5 days |
bob.ward@fire-compliance-safety.com | 16th February 2009 |
| Fire Protection Association |
Fire Risk Assessment | 3 days |
training@thefpa.co.uk | November 2005 |
| Fire Protection Association |
Fire Risk Assessment & Fire Safety Management |
5 days |
training@thefpa.co.uk | September 2006 |
| Fire Protection Association |
Fire Risk Assessment for Houses in Multiple Occupation |
3 days |
training@thefpa.co.uk |
November 2008 |
| Fire Protection Association |
NOS 3.1 Fire Risk Assessment of Simple Premises |
5 days |
training@thefpa.co.uk |
November 2008 |
| Fire Protection Association |
NOS 4.1 Fire Risk Assessment of Higher Risk Premises |
5 days |
training@thefpa.co.uk |
February 2009 |
| Fire Service College |
HM Prison Service Fire Advisor Course Module 1: Foundation - General Principles of Fire Safety HM Prison Service Fire Adviser Course Module 2: Fire Risk Assessment Nb - Both modules must be successfully completed. |
5 days |
ppinney@fireservicecollege.ac.uk | Sept 2008 |
| Fire Service College |
Fire Safety Management and Risk Assessment - an accredited course | 5 days |
cherrington@fireservicecollege.ac.uk | May 2006 |
| International Training & Development Centre |
Advanced Fire Risk Assessment Course | 5 days |
TonyAshworth@lancsfirerescue.org.uk |
January 2006 |
| London Fire Brigade |
Fire Risk Assessor Course | 4 days |
marksharman_gdf@hotmail.com | January 2007 |
| Northern Ireland Fire Safety Panel, & delivered for the Panel by C S Todd & Associates |
Fire Risk Assessment |
3 days |
cstodd@btconnect.com | April 2002 |
| Northern Ireland Fire Safety Panel, & delivered for the Panel by C S Todd & Associates |
Fire Risk Assessment | 5 days |
cstodd@btconnect.com | August 2002 |
How to apply
The links below provide all the information you should require in order to make an application for Registration. Please read the Assessor Guidance Notes and review the application process flowchart carefully. Should you have any questions please contact the Fire Risk Registration Department via email to: katy.priestley@ife.org.uk .
