hi,
can anyone tell me what qualification are you expected to hold to carry out a fire risk assesment .
thanks

It depends on who is in need of the fire risk assessor?

I know from recent experience that Full Member of IFE or appointed to the IFE register of fire risk assessors is a minimum requirement.

Someone else may have other requirements, i.e. NEBOSH fire certificate with some experience of fra's.

You could go on and on second guessing here, as I say it depends on who has the need.

Shaun, your final sentence mentions going elsewhere, some good fire risk assessors will not join one of those lists due to the cost involved. £95 to apply to the IFSM, then no guarantee of acceptance.

Similar with IFE.

Having said that the IFE list is more populated, Warrington way behind in second and, as you say the IFRM list is blank.

Make you own opinion?

There has to be the right blend of training and experience before anyone can consider themselves competent in fire risk assessment.

I agree that a fire training certificate itself cannot be considered on its own, neither can an ex fire fighter with no fire safety expertise, as Heather says it's not the same thing.

An ex fire service officer with fire prevention/safety training and experience coupled with up to date knowledge of the RRFSO and having carried out fire risk assessments will be considered competent, without having to have their name on any list of approved assessors.

One question must be asked, when/at what stage does a fire risk assessor carry out his/her first fire risk assessment, is this a chicken and egg situation? (two questions).

You are quite right Chris. I am one of those that won't join any of these and you won't get a better fire risk assessor than me ;-)

HI,
Thanks ror that info, i hold a nebosh construction cert, but one of our clients has a large number of flats maily 3 story victorian houses converted in flats over the three floors,nothing too complex. i have enroled in a IFE part 1 course as a start, just wanted to make sure i was heading in the right direction,
once again thanks

Whilst you are taking a step in the right direction I would exercise some caution with converted Victorian buildings. These are the types of buildings where fire and combustion products can spread unseen. The construction methods and materials used in Victorian buildings do not provide the same standard of fire resistance as more modern buildings (but you are in the construction industry so I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs). The timber may be more prone to pyrolysis due to ageing and less moisture content. Gaps between close boarded timber will allow toxic products to filter through to floors above.The situation is worse if they are used as sleeping accommodation. Fire places may be sealed at each floor level but may not be sealed sufficiently to provide adequate fire separation between floors. So I would raise these points on your course. Try and get as much info as you can.

sorry, and thanks again

In the threads I have seen on this subject I'm rather surprised that nobody from the insurance industry has stood up and declared their route to competence. In fact there appear to be very few who own up to such employment!

There are a sizeable number of personnel who have vast experience in risk assessment on behalf of property insurance underwriters and have used that experience and often examination achievement to seek and gain the additional knowledge required for the life safety aspects of fire risk assessment.

Their knowledge and experience of industrial, commercial and instititutional fire management and risk control gives them a very valuable insight in to what causes fires, how they spread and how to prevent small fires becoming big ones. The property insurance people may be focussed on the fabric and contents of buildings together with the effects of fire on businesses but this is a significant part of what we are all trying to do. Add in the extra life safety considerations and I think that a well-trained and experienced insurance surveyor can make an competent fire risk assessor, given training.

As readers may have gathered, this is my background before I chose to concentrate on H&S. During my more recent fire risk assessment training I found that the background knowledge I had was very valuable and I believe this allowed me to move towards competence in medium-low fire risk assessment much more quickly than may otherwise have been the case.

I hope others will contribute to this debate.

Heather, I think I detect the voice of experience there!