Fire Protection Equipment- As Part of Competence and Risk Assessment by Brian Ayling

Fire Protection Equipment- As Part of Competence and Risk Assessment
by: Brian Ayling

The involvement of facility managers and business owners in fire safety has been apparent due to recent changes. Slowly, managers have been making time to either specify which fire protection equipment suit their businesses or which fire systems and devices are truly appropriate for their facilities. The past years have been crucial for the fire protection industry, with legislative changes and regulations set anew in UK. It is believed that such changes will continually affect fire safety standards for a long period of time, changing fire safety design, implementation and maintenance.

The implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order saw the need for these changes with regards to building regulations. One of the key factors, which determine this imposition, is the focus on having adequate fire safety measures within non-domestic buildings. The regulations also make it proper to relate to occupants, the existence and effectiveness of fire safety measures, to ensure awareness and protection.

The provision of firefighting equipment also forms part of this regulation in fire safety. In fact, the presence of fire safety equipment is likewise critical in fire risk assessment. The standard also gives weight on the issue of competency, if not the capacity to protect and preserve life and property. The changes made to building regulations, which includes the authorization of competent person’s certification schemes, enhances compliance and support. In the process, every change regarding fire protection equipment has an extensive effect in facilities, making its premises efficient and safe.

Competency, on the other hand, is seemingly becoming the lifeblood of fire safety. In fact, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) represents manufacturers, maintainers and installers of firefighting equipment such as fire alarms, suppression systems and fire extinguishers. The association has even developed and gave new definition to competency, with obvious references on requirements in terms of the Fire Alarm and Fixed Extinguishing Systems Sector. The FIA definition of competency begins with the precept that the only ones capable of carrying out fire safety tasks are those with proper training and experience. The person also needs to have access to the required equipment and information in order to become effective and competent.

In the beginning, the provision of fire safety equipment extends to additional protection of homes and businesses. Safety devices like fire alarms, smoke detectors, extinguishers and the like have been appropriated to provide people with necessary help and assistance. As years pass, regulations have been made, changed and imposed to further intensify the battle against domestic and non-domestic fires. There are also the regulatory and fire authorities who represent groups and larger communities, as part of communicating fire safety and maintenance.

It can be understood that the provision of devices is but a small part of fire safety regulations and laws. It also becomes necessary to understand, adopt and employ these regulations to achieve fire safety and protection. In the long run, fire safety does not only limit itself to prevention, as it defines the competency of businesses and facilities. Therefore, allowing fire safety authorities to regulate prevention within other areas, aside from common residences and households.

About The Author

Having specialized in the fire protection equipment: http://www.essentialfiresafety.co.uk/ trade for over 20 years, Brian now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business