A reminder of the need for competency.
Howard Passey, Director of Operations and Principal Consultant at the Fire Protection Association, explores fire competency and what those responsible for health and safety within a building need to know.
Competent provision of fire safety is more than just a tick box operation. When approached and conducted properly and appropriately, it can save lives and protect buildings and businesses. Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the issues surrounding fire competency were brought to the fore, with the Hackitt review revealing multiple failings with regards to high-risk buildings such as large residential blocks.
In response, the government drafted the Building Safety Bill which will place responsibility for the safety of high-risk buildings on all involved in the design, construction and management of buildings. Within this, day-to-day responsibility will be placed on Building Safety Managers (BSMs) – a newly created role anticipated to be met in large part by the health and safety manager or officer.
Competency and the law
Over the past few years, several major fires, including those at Grenfell Tower and Lakanal House, have raised questions about what competency looks like for those responsible for fire safety. Currently there is no consistent legal definition, despite the subsequent Hackitt Review which highlighted the lack of a coherent and comprehensive approach to competence and warned of its potential to compromise safety. So, the problem has been acknowledged, but where do health and safety managers start? Here we outline three key guiding principles for ensuring you are acting competently over fire safety.
