Posted By martinw
Partially because they knock back 40% of applicants simply due to the presentation of their risk assessments or the criteria they use. Tough crowd. Plus, I suspect that specific experience helps(fire service) but that is just my prejudice. Who knows?

Posted By Crim
OK chaps that's one goal each!

I'm fairly confident that I would get through as I have shed loads of experience and training as a former fire service officer, plus a good recent record of fire risk assessments that I can prove and provide the referees.

I am just unable to justify to myself the cost as I am self employed.

Posted By D. Hilton
Not required in ROI otherwise I would register

Posted By shaun mckeever
Don't forget the other acreditation schemes at BRE and Warrington fire.

Posted By GeoffB4
Wouldn't it be best to talk to some members and see what their experience is?

Posted By DPK
Why not join as a member, if you have the relevant fire safety qualifications you will obtain the designatory letters behind your name which also shows a level of competence as you have had to obtain them through assessment in the first place.

I can not recall the exact price for this membership but i think it is cheaper than the register.

Just a thought.

Another point, in the past five years of conducting FRA's for businesses, only twice have i been asked for evidence of competence. The majority of business people do not know the IFE even exists.

DPK

Posted By tony fog
I'm an accredited fire risk assessor on the IFSM (institute of fire safety managers), although i would easily qualify for the IFE register due to qualifications and experience i find the Register I'm on is excellent and great value for money, google and have a look

ta

tony

Posted By Crim
Hi Tony,

I did have a look but as other posters say how many people know they exist?

Do you get any value from being a member as you are?

Do you know if prospective clients have a look at the register you are on?

Thanks.

Posted By Richard Hammer
When attending a fire seminar recently, hosted by IFSM, they are hoping in time a national register is established by a independent party.

You have currently three memberships IFSM, IFPO (Institute Fire Prevention Officers) and IFE. The first two being break away groups and only been around recently compared to IOSH and IFE.

IFSM,IFPO,IFE, BRE and Warrington fire (since changed their name)have registers. I would advise become a member, this process is in line with IOSH (prove of 5 years experience in fire safety, academic qualifications, level of work environments etc,etc will depend on what level you join at). I am a member of IFSM and IFPO which provides some sort of evidence of my level of competence. I will be applying for the register for IFSM again to further my prove of competence.

I have currently not got involved with IFE, due to mainly my working environment being low to medium level risk work. If I started to do a lot of high risk, then IFE would be my next step.

No doubt in 5 or so years time, clients will become more and more aware of such organisations along the lines of how IOSH is established in H&S. More and more medium/high risk environments are requesting such prove and just being Grad/CMIOSH is not acceptable.

I am enrolling into the CFPA Europe Diploma in Fire Prevention next year to provide and add to my academic side.

And no doubt in time a national register will be up and running, accredited by a third party, independent (same lines as UKAS).

Best to move now rather than later.

Posted By shaun mckeever
Not! It is a bit too black and white. If you are promoting yourself as an expert in fire safety fair enough, in which case you might also argue that you should be familiar with NFPA 101 too. However if your business is a chain of small corner shops and you are conducting FRA's on each of them then why the hell should you need to be familiar with BS9999?

Posted By shaun mckeever
BS9999 is a British Standard as of October last year

Posted By Crim
Pardon my ignorance?

I don't get involved with building design - only with fire risk assessment of existing premises and premises following refurbishment.

There is probably a need for me to familiarise myself with BS9999 but having just googled the BSI and see the cost is £290.00 I will not be purchasing a copy for myself.

Now I suppose I should ask myself "am I competent"?

Posted By shaun mckeever
Martin, familiarity with the principles adopted in BS9999 would be useful for anyone undertaking a FRA, so although applicable to new builds, refurbishments etc there is no reason why you, I, or anyone else on this forum can't use it to make a difference to our FRA's.

Posted By Crim
I recently had two very long conversations with a Fire Safety officer from the local fire brigade, the first included some guidance on a fire risk assessment I had recently carried out, the second followed me sending a sample fire risk assessment to gain his opinion on the quality or otherwise of my assessments.

At no time during our discussions did he mention BS9999!

He did mention the FSRRO a few times, and also some recently received guidance all fire brigades have received re the fire risk assessments they will audit in future.

I an awaiting a copy of that further guidance as he was good enough to offer me a copy.

His opinion of my assessments is that they "tick all the boxes" and if he came accross that standard in future it will be good enough for him.

His work currently involves auditing fire risk assessments and that is good enough for me thank you.

Posted By martinw
Richard
this comes back to a number of occasions on various threads where it has been pointed out that the RRO does not demand competence for the fire risk assessor. LACORS guidance says that for simple premises little expertise is likely to be required.
I agree with the idea that you should be able to give more than the minimum. But if minimums of levels of ability are not formally or legally required, there will always be those who will not push improvement of their own competence.
I have to admit that I have not been into 9999 in detail. Does it specify requirement for competence?

Posted By Crim
I would love to charge the £500 to £600 mantioned but my concience will not allow.

I do them on an hourly rate basis, the smaller the premises the less the fee.

Usually works out about half of the fee mentioned above.

Posted By shaun mckeever
I agree with Messy. Membership of IFE is not necessarily an indication of competence with respect to FRA's.

With regard to the fees charged, as a general rule you get what you pay for. A decent fire engineer may actually save the client money. For example to insert intumescent strips into a fire door may cost the client up to £180 a time. I am aware of this being recommended by a fire consultant when it was not necessary. As I say you, get what you pay for.