FOCUS
Assessing risk Richard Sutton looks at reasons why fire
risk assessments could fail those they aim to protect by overlooking the importance of passive systems
F
OR MANY UK building owners, businesses and landlords, fi re safety starts with the fire risk assessment and ensuring that it is regularly reviewed. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that this must be carried out by a competent person, someone with ‘sufficient training and experience or knowledge’. But the important question is, how
do you determine how much training, knowledge or experience is enough? Many organisations are not aware of any third party accreditations for fi re risk assessors, or simply don’t check. Obviously, practical experience counts for a great deal, as does having an understanding of building regulations, construction methods and building materials, which helps the assessor to better judge the risks. There have been cases which have
gone through the courts that have involved fi re risk assessors and responsible persons being jailed for failing to carry out a suitable fi re risk assessment. Also, what would be
52 JUNE 2018
www.frmjournal.com
considered a suitable and suffi cient fi re risk assessment for a block of apartments, a retirement home or an offi ce block would be totally different from the assessment needed for a retail or leisure complex or industrial site, and so in a multiple portfolio this could be challenging for the same risk assessor without adequate training. Without the relevant knowledge and
observational skills, it is highly likely that breaches of passive or active fi re protection measures will go undetected. Take the example of fire doors – a typical fire risk assessment of a set of fi re doors requires only a visual inspection, and does not require that every door is inspected. According to FDIS (Fire Door Inspection Scheme), potential punishments for fi re door related convictions can include up to two years in jail and unlimited fines. The reason that fi re doors are failing in
such large numbers is that problems are not being picked up in fi re inspections, or that thorough inspections are not being carried out by the responsible person.
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