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Train and educate to reduce the risk to safety, says Fire Aware

Growing fire safety organisation Fire Aware is highlighting the need for further training and education across the industry at all levels to help improve prevention and improve fire safety across the built environment.

The fire safety sector is currently facing significant shortages of qualified staff, made worse by the need for specialist skills to manage the new legislation introduced under the Building Safety Act.

The move to heighten awareness of the importance of fire safety training from Fire Aware comes after the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) recently reported that there are fewer than 30 fully competent fire engineers in the English Fire and Rescue Services. Fire safety and building protection staff make up just 2.7 per cent of the fire and rescue service workforce in England, it added.

The growing number of Fire Aware Educators – members of the organisation with specialist skill sets in all aspects of fire safety – offer a range of training and guidance for the supply chain, still navigating the new regulatory regime changes. Fire Aware offers a wide training provision that also services those who are not connected to a particular specialism, but still carry a duty of care. This could be anyone from landlords and those working in the hospitality sector, to facility managers and care home staff.

Gavin Skelly, CEO of Fire Aware, said: “Working in this industry is a vocation, not a job, and should be treated as such. We need to attract more skilled specialists to help improve risk assessments and help with fire prevention methods. But we need to capture within the organisation those who are outside fire safety but still carry a responsibility. All parts of the supply chain must work with the same vocational approach, not just those who are qualified to do so.

“The legislation being introduced is robust and also quite complex. The guidance and support we offer will help navigate the relevant parts for our members and for anyone else wishing to tap into this knowledge and intelligence.”

Fire Aware members specifically provide training courses relating to fire safety and management relevant for designers, main contractors, domestic trades, material suppliers, building management, hotel and leisure, commercial and private landlords and local authorities.

The expanding industry body is leading the way by focusing on the moral responsibility of all those working in the fire safety supply chain, including designers, developers, asset owners, managers and other stakeholders.

It aims to change the culture of the built environment sector by introducing a moral code of conduct via a series of charters designed to influence how member companies behave in upholding their duty of care.

Fire Aware is a recognised membership body serving the built environment and related sectors with a common aim to work and trade responsibly to all best practice standards in the interests of the safety of the general public.