Check back regularly for the latest news from the IFSM.
Lakanal House Coroners Reports.
The inquest into the Lakanal House fire in the London borough of Southwark on 3 July 2009 ended on March 28 2013. The verdicts into the deaths of six people and the Coroner’s recommendations can be found by visiting Lambeth Council's website. Daily transcripts of the proceedings and other documents are also available.
A Lakanal House Statement from The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) has been released.
New Determination Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Safety Advisor has produced a determination with regard to the adequacy of existing fire doors in an hotel. All determinations can be viewed on the CLG website but here is the the PDF file for the determination.
New Fire Kills Web Site
In 2006/7 there were 36,500 accidental fires in the home. Many of these are caused by a single moment of carelessness and could be easily prevented. It is important to be aware of possible fire hazards around the home and to take steps to protect you and your family from fire.
Chief Fire Adviser Successor Announced
Chief fire adviser successor announced.
Peter Holland CBE, former chief fire officer of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority, is to succeed Sir Ken Knight as the Government'’s chief fire adviser.
Fire safety provisions of Local Acts Repealed
The Government repealed the fire safety provisions incorporated into Local Acts in England on 9 January 2013.
A prior announcement by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) concerning the introduction of the Building (Repeal of Provisions of Local Acts) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/ 3124) on that date was met with surprise in many quarters.
Press Release - Primary Authority Scheme for Fire
The Chief Fire Officers Association and the Local Government Association, in conjunction with the Better Regulation Delivery Office, is pleased to announce that Fire and Rescue Authorities across the country will be participating in pilots to test the application of the Primary Authority principle to the fire sector.
Assessing the Role for Fire Sprinklers.
The above report is now available for the benefit of Members on our Technical page.
The study, carried out by Bureau Veritas for the Business Sprinkler Alliance, provides an independent and impartial look at related research and fire incident data in relation to environmental and community impacts of fires in single storey commercial and industrial buildings, where sprinklers were or were not fitted.
NEWS - FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT COMPETENCY COUNCIL
‘A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor’
Following on from the successful publication of the competency standards for fire risk assessors, the Competency Council focussed its attention last year to producing a guide for responsible persons in how to choose a fire risk assessor.
The guide, as its name implies, is intended to be an easy to read introduction to choosing a competent fire risk assessor. A copy of both the competency standards and the guide for the responsible person can be found on the Technical Papers of the website and each member will be sent a copy. In addition, both documents will be held on the website for the Fire Sector Federation at www.firesectorfederation.co.uk as a national database and archive.
NEWS – Competency Criteria for Fire Risk Assessors
The Institute can announce that the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council, which we were instrumental in creating, has now produced its publication ‘Competency Criteria for Fire Risk Assessors’. It is believed than any third party accreditation or certification will use this document as a benchmark as the minimum criteria for assessing fire risk assessors. The full version of the document can be found on the Technical Papers page of the website and a copy has been sent to all members of the Institute
NEWS – Fire Risk Assessors Registers
The Nationally Accredited Fire Risk Assessors Register (NAFRAR) has been introduced by the Institute to ensure that those assessors who are eligible to register must have been through a process that has recognised their achievement at the highest standards and levels of competency for fire risk assessors that is available. This means that their experience and competency has been successfully examined and tested by an independent third party accreditation / certification scheme.
The register is there to aid people who have been designated as ‘responsible persons’ under current legislation, including employers, building owners, building managers etc. in selecting a competent fire risk assessor to carry out fire risk assessments on their behalf.
The register holds details of individuals, including various services they provide, their location and contact details. Individuals using the register should note that the register shows first the names of the individuals in alphabetical order. Further searches can be carried out by clicking on the name for their details.
People using the register are reminded to read the important notes provided prior to entering the register, the conditions of which you must accept before proceeding.
Note: Until 2013, the original fire risk assessors register will be kept on this website whilst registrants ‘migrate’ via the process of third party accreditation onto the new NAFRAR. Any person using the registers should note that registrants on either register may be just as competent, but that those on the NAFRAR have proved their competency by going through an independently assessed scheme.