When you appoint someone to carry out fire safety work, how do you know they are genuinely competent to do the job?
It is an important question for building owners and Responsible Persons. Knowing what work needs to be done is only one part of fire safety. It also needs to be carried out correctly, whether that involves inspection, installation, maintenance or remedial work.
For building owners and Responsible Persons, third-party certification can provide important evidence of that competence. At Commercial Fire Protection, our BM TRADA Q-Mark certification independently assesses our capabilities and processes, and ongoing audits help ensure we maintain those standards.
Recent research from the BWF Fire Door Alliance suggests the industry is paying more attention to this. Almost half (47%) of respondents now look for more proof of performance, such as certificates and data sheets, up from 35% in 2023.
But the research also points to continued uncertainty over what actually demonstrates competence.
Training and competence are not the same thing
Training matters, but completing a course does not necessarily mean someone is competent to carry out safety-critical work.
The BWF research found that while many organisations look for recognised qualifications when assessing fire door installers, 42% would accept a diploma or certificate of achievement and 29% an online or e-learning course as sufficient evidence on its own.
Competence goes further. It is about having the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, and being able to apply them properly to the work in hand.
So, when appointing someone to work on your building, don’t just ask what training they have completed. Ask whether they can demonstrate relevant experience and competence for the specific work you need them to do.
How can you check competence?
Third-party certification is a good place to start. It provides independent assurance that a contractor has been assessed against recognised requirements and has appropriate processes in place to support consistent, quality work.
However, it’s worth looking beyond the certification itself. Check what it actually covers. Being certified in one area of passive fire protection does not automatically mean a contractor is competent to undertake every type of work.
Relevant experience matters too, as does the ability to provide clear records and documentation of the work carried out.
These checks are important because passive fire protection is safety critical. If work is incorrectly specified, installed, inspected or maintained, it can affect the measures designed to restrict the spread of fire and smoke through a building.
Don’t assume competence. Ask for evidence
The Building Safety Act has brought greater focus to competence, accountability and evidence across the built environment. Building owners and Responsible Persons therefore need to know who is carrying out fire safety work and whether they have the right competence for the job.
Before appointing a contractor, ask some straightforward questions. What third-party certification do they hold? Does it cover the work you need? Do they have relevant experience? How will the work be recorded and evidenced?
At Commercial Fire Protection, our third-party certifications include the BM TRADA Q-Mark Scheme, providing independent assurance of our competence and processes for the work covered by our certification. This isn’t simply a one-off assessment. Our certification is subject to ongoing independent audits, reassuring clients that the people and processes behind safety-critical work have been assessed and continue to be monitored.
When it comes to passive fire protection, it shouldn’t be enough for someone to simply say they can do the job. The work is there to protect people, property and assets, so competence must never be assumed; it should always be evidenced.
If you need support with your passive fire protection requirements or want to understand what competent, third-party certified support looks like for your building, talk to the Commercial Fire Protection team.
