Contents 1 New UKAS-Accredited Scheme Gives Greater Choice
FIA MEMBERSHIP 3 Welcome to the FIA 4 2012/13 Membership Survey - Results
TECHNOLOGY NEWS 5 What’s New In Technical? 6 5th International Reebok Firefighting Foam Seminar
INDUSTRY NEWS 7 Fire Sector Environmental and Legislation News 8 FIA Export Update 9 The Progress of Third Party Certification 10 The Trade’s Look at Sir Ken’s Review ‘Facing the Future’
EVENT NEWS 11 FIRESA Reception 11 Events Calendar 11 Don’t Miss Out
12 FIREX International waves farewell to the NEC and moves to the Big Smoke!
13 Named and Shamed 14 Staff Q&A
Contacts:
FIA Tudor House Kingsway Business Park Oldfield Road Hampton
Middlesex TW12 2HD Tel: +44 (0)203 166 5002 Fax: +44 (0)208 941 0972
PRESS/EDITORIAL Becky Reid
breid@fia.uk.com
MEMBERSHIP Michael Gregg
mgregg@fia.uk.com
TRAINING Melena Blake
mblake@fia.uk.com
PRODUCTION & DESIGN Doug MacKay
dougm@deeson.co.uk
ADVERTISING Rob Aspin
ads@fiafocus.co.uk Tel: 01795 542410
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scheme, which is now ready to launch and accept applications. Nationally agreed competence criteria are integral to the new life safety based corporate IFCC 0099 Fire Risk Assessor Certification Scheme. The scheme has already received applications from a number of companies with positive feedback received from the companies and also from industry professionals.
‘One size fits all’ IFCC 0099 has several features that meet the specific needs of fire risk assessment and the fire sector; it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ scheme trying to ‘shoe horn’ candidates into artificially high levels of competence. Such schemes would typically require considerable training, exams and professional interviews to ensure that the candidate has been trained to cover the most complex and high risk projects such as, petrochemical, nuclear, mining and complex process or
non-compliant types of facilities. More complex projects can,
for example, often require the knowledge and experience of an appropriately qualified and experienced Chartered Engineer, whose professional training is geared to recognising when a project is beyond the limits of their own expertise and knowledge. In reality a large proportion of fire risk assessments required in the market are far simpler and better suit the skills of individuals with less formal training and academic qualifications; nonetheless their services and experience are valid and should be verified. IFCC 0099 recognises this and helps the applicant and end user to understand the extent and complexity of projects that an individual within an organisation can undertake and their exams and interviews are targeted accordingly. IFCC 0099 recognises and accommodates fire risk assessors of all levels, especially those who may specialise in certain areas of expertise on projects of varying degrees of difficulty. The idea that a fire risk assessor will have specific levels of training, knowledge, qualifications and experience is recognised within the scheme. Those dealing with low risk and less complex buildings and processes do not have to possess the higher levels of experience and knowledge typically required to carry out more complex, higher risk assignments.
Companies certified under the IFCC 0099 scheme nominate individuals for assessment at the appropriate technical level. Defined levels within the scheme take into account a number of risk factors including but not limited to, building type, size, layout, occupancy, hazards, risk and building usage, for example. The scheme identifies three main areas or levels of required experience, typically: • small blocks of flats, small retail units, simple industrial buildings
• larger accommodation, retail complexes, mixed use, larger
industrial
• complex specialist facilities, power stations, nuclear, historic buildings
How does it work? The scheme is designed to ensure that the fire risk assessors engaged in carrying out surveys and reports for the applicant company have the required technical competence, knowledge and experience to carry out such evaluations, and the management systems and document controls to support this activity. The certification process involves seven straightforward steps: 1. Submission of example reports previously carried out by the risk assessors
2. Remote review 3. Professional interview 4. Desk top exercise 5. Examination 6. Audit of office management systems
7. Random sampling of reports and witnessed audits
The IFCC scheme is available to companies and organisations that: • offer professional fire risk assessment services to other organisations and individuals
• have internal fire safety professionals available to undertake fire risk assessments of facilities owned and/ or operated by their own organisation
The IFCC 0099 scheme
supports companies wishing to develop fire risk assessment skills, competence and experience through structured learning and development. The IFCC 0099 scheme can also accommodate sole traders. IFCC 0099 is a scheme
certifying the applicant company or organisation, not the individual fire risk assessors within that company or organisation, although their demonstrable competence verified through the assessment process is key to the company or organisation’s certification.
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