IFC Continue to Partner the Association of Building Engineers (ABE) in Risk Assessment Training and the Risk Assessment Register during 2005/6

Fire Risk Assessments now feature regularly in our vocabulary, but unlike civil engineering, structural engineering, physics, etc, it is not a formal taught discipline. Unfortunately, there is no curriculum, no exams, nor degree level qualifications, and yet anybody, who has examined the Government’s Consultation Paper on the Fire Safety Reform Bill, will know that fire safety will rely heavily on Fire Risk Assessments from April 2006. It is of concern that the fire safety of any employed person is only assured as a result of a Risk Assessment process performed on his/her place of work. The concern grows when, under the proposals, all buildings to which the public have access will be risk assessed as their primary method of demonstrating compliance with minimum fire safety standards.

Any person in receipt of a Fire Risk Assessment will soon be aware how the content reflects the knowledge (or lack of it) or the assessor. This is of some concern because there may be large omissions in the Fire Safety Strategy that went unrecognised by the assessor.

The ABE became one of the first professional Institutions to recognise this failing and put in hand measures to rectify it. They decided to run an intensive 2-day course on Fire Risk Assessment as a pre-cursor to being formally recognised and placed on a National ABE Register. However, the ABE would be the first to admit that they did not have the necessary expertise to undertake this task, and it was vital that they find a partner who did have the breadth of knowledge to provide and present the course.

International Fire Consultants Ltd (IFC) who had launched their ‘Gold Standard Fire Risk Management Service in 2002’, were the ABE’s partners of choice.

The breadth of expertise within IFC made them a natural choice, being able to deal with all aspects of Risk Assessment from extinguishers, signage, emergency lighting, staff disciplinary procedures, through to the selection of fire door hardware and the criticality of edge cover on fire glass. The first 2-day course was presented in May 2003. Frank Knowles, Senior Consultant and Peter Jackman, Technical Director presents the course.

This course is now a regular feature in the ABE Lecture Programme, and more information can be obtained from the ABE at Lutyens House, Billing Brook Broad, Weston Favell, Northampton NN3 8NW - Tel No: 01604 404121 Fax No: 01604 784220. In this autumn/winter period the course has been re-vamped with a one-day introductory course being introduced, again presented by IFC. In the spring of 2006, immediately before the introduction of the new Reform Order procedures, the ABE will again be running the full course, modified to integrate the one-day course. All applications for inclusion on the National ABE Register will be vetted by the ABE in conjunction with IFC (their partners), subject to the candidates meeting the further requirements defined by the ABE.

Like the ABE, IFC should be YOUR partners of choice when it comes to carrying out any Fire Risk Assessments on your premises whether for legislative compliance or business protection.

For further information contact:
Graham Wiles or Paul McGahey
International Fire Consultants Ltd
20 Park Street
Princes Risborough
Buckinghamshire
HP27 9AH - UK
Tel: + 44 (0)1844 275500
Fax: + 44(0)1844 274002
e-mail: ifc@intfire.com