Fire Risk Assessment.

The fire risk assessor is generally looking at an existing building which is occupied and will assess the risk of fire taking in to account the potential ignition sources, the existing control measures and the management oversight of them. So, for example, he or she may consider travel distances to be a tad too long and may recommend upgrading the category of fire alarm to compensate. However, it is not their function to design the system.

We are increasingly finding that our services are required at an early stage in the design process where we will produce a fire safety strategy to assist the architect in delivering a fire compliant proposal. In more complicated projects we may need a fire engineer but in any event, the fire alarm system along with other services are designed by consultants. When the building is occupied it will meet Building Regulations either through the associated approved documents, BS9999 or perhaps a bespoke fore engineering solution. All that information will be available for the fire risk assessor who will acknowledge the statutory compliance but will want to further assess the management of the various systems. Done properly, they will have the overalls on, a head torch and poking their head above ceilings and into voids as well as pouring over the documentation.

The fire risk assessor is generally looking at an existing building which is occupied and will assess the risk of fire taking in to account the potential ignition sources, the existing control measures and the management oversight of them. So, for example, he or she may consider travel distances to be a tad too long and may recommend upgrading the category of fire alarm to compensate. However, it is not their function to design the system.

We are increasingly finding that our services are required at an early stage in the design process where we will produce a fire safety strategy to assist the architect in delivering a fire compliant proposal. In more complicated projects we may need a fire engineer but in any event, the fire alarm system along with other services are designed by consultants. When the building is occupied it will meet Building Regulations either through the associated approved documents, BS9999 or perhaps a bespoke fore engineering solution. All that information will be available for the fire risk assessor who will acknowledge the statutory compliance but will want to further assess the management of the various systems. Done properly, they will have the overalls on, a head torch and poking their head above ceilings and into voids as well as pouring over the documentation.