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New Fire Risk Assessor Competency Board

In its latest Fire Safety Reform Programme Bulletin, the Home Office has […]

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Jun 2024
New Fire Risk Assessor Competency Board

In its latest Fire Safety Reform Programme Bulletin, the Home Office has announced it is introducing a new competency verification board for fire risk assessors.

In line with the commencement and implementation of Section 156(4) of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Home Office’s newly introduced Interim (Fire Risk Assessor) Competence Verification Board (ICVB) will work closely with industry leaders to ensure assessors have the necessary capacity and capability to carry out fire risk assessments (FRAs). Part of their work will involve “refining and finessing the delivery plan and monitor[ing] progress”.

Chairing the ICVB are the Home Office and the Fire Sector Federation (FSF), with membership extending to various FRA certification bodies and schemes, UKAS, the National Fire Chiefs Council, and devolved administrations. Notably, FSF published an Industry Benchmark Standard for fire risk assessors in early 2023.

In addition to the board, the Home Office is in the process of establishing an Industry Engagement Group (IEG), aimed at providing a “forum through which members of the wider fire and building safety sectors, and anyone else with an interest in this work, can be kept up to date on developments”.

IEG is a replacement for the Competence Steering Group’s Working Group 4, which primarily focused on the fire risk assessor role, and the new group is an “early opportunity to influence the direction of travel”.

The first IEG meeting took place on 19 February, with the next meeting scheduled for 15 April 2024 at 2 pm. Those with an interest in fire risk assessor competence are encouraged to attend and can contact colin.coxon@homeoffice.gov.uk directly for an invitation.

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