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Lakanal House Interim Fire Report, Sir Ken Knight

Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham has welcomed the publication of Sir Ken Knight's report into issues emerging from the Camberwell fire.

The report discusses many issues and raises some good points that will now be considered in depth by the CLG.

The competency of the assessor to provide a suitable and sufficient assessment has been raised again and is a key point that the IFSM have been lobbying Government to review for some time now.

5.7 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

5.7.1 Emerging Issues

There is a requirement in the Fire Safety Order (FSO) to appoint one or more competent persons to assist the responsible person in undertaking the preventable and protective fire safety measures within premises. However, there is no similar requirement for a competent person to be appointed to assist in making a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.
It is important that assurance be given to both the responsible person for the premises and the enforcing authority that a risk assessment has been undertaken by a competent person, particularly in relation to high risk premises.

5.7.2 Areas for consideration

• Consideration should be given to conducting a review as to how the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, can be assured that their assessment of risk is suitable and sufficient, particularly where the premises is of a higher risk. This assurance is particularly important where the responsible person may be relying on using someone else to undertake the risk assessment
• Where appropriate, the current Fire Safety Order guidance would need to be amended accordingly.
  

The IFSM continue to raise the standard of fire safety and will continue to lobby for a national register of competent fire risk assessors. Download this article.