In an effort to highlight the importance of ongoing fire safety management within buildings, leading fire engineering consultancy FDS Consult UK has officially launched their Management Strategy service.
In light of recent high profile incidents, the company is endeavouring to change attitudes towards fire safety in some of the more complex buildings that are frequently being constructed in the UK as many companies are still failing to comply thorough risk assessments and put effective fire strategies in place, leading to disastrous consequences.
Explains group manager of FDS Consult UK, Michel Wizenberg: “All too often building management teams rely on their own resources to risk assess the building and develop a fire management plan but they simply do not have the expertise in house to do it effectively. As a result, the building is at greater risk of both fire and increased damage should a fire occur. This not only involves a safety risk for those who use the building, it also carries a risk to neighbouring buildings and members of the public in the vicinity. And if that is not enough to persuade the management team to take the matter seriously, then perhaps they should also consider the risk of being prosecuted and fined should they be found to be in breach of RRO standards.”
The problem, Michel reveals, is that in buildings where a fire engineered strategy has been applied to the original building design the actual risk assessments can only be thorough if they are carried out by experienced fire safety experts who understand both the legislation, the holistic building design and the behaviour of fire and smoke within a building. What’s more, a management plan can only be effective if it is designed to address clearly-defined risks with proven processes and protocols which are then policed internally to ensure compliance.
Typically, fire management strategies include procedures and measures such as managing evacuations, monitoring visitor arrivals, fire safety equipment servicing and risk assessment, amongst many other elements.
If you would like more information, please call FDS Consult UK on 01322 387 411
