ELECSA and the Fire Industry Guide to Fire Protection and Fire Risk Assessment schemes www.elecsa.co.uk 80% Black 100% Black
Section 1: What are the opportunities in the Fire Industry? Regulation of the UK fire industry can trace its history back to William the Conqueror but it was the Great Fire of London in 1666 that saw the first building control laws come into force. Today contractors need to work to British Standards and Building Regulations. In addition there are fire safety regulations that need to be adhered to across all of the UK. The purpose of which is to ensure that contractors are helping to reduce the risk to life and property as a result of fire. During 2011-2012 there were 304 deaths as a result of fire and a further 4,277 non-fatal casualties, more than 50% of which occurred within a private dwelling. The fire service attended 223,000 fires and a further 249,000 false alarms.* *Figures taken from Fire Statistics Monitor April 2011 March 2012 published by CLG on www.gov.uk In the UK losses as a result of fire are calculated at 1.3bn or 3.6m per day. Of businesses that suffer a significant fire incident, 80% will close within 12-18 months of the event. Clearly contractors have an important role to play in reducing these statistics. The fire industry can be defined into different areas of activity. Active fire protection which includes fire detection & alarm systems; fixed fire extinguishing systems; portable fire extinguishers; water sprinklers & water mist and emergency lighting Passive fire protection which includes structural fire protection; fire stopping, penetration seals & cavities; fire resisting partitions, suspended ceilings, luminaires, composite panels & glazed screens; fire doors and flame retardant coatings The Fire Industry Association (FIA) estimates that the UK market for active fire protection is worth 1.8bn and that fire detection and alarms is worth 42% of that total. Section 2: What regulations to contractors need to be aware of? Building Regulations The Building Regulations stem from powers that are set out in the Building Act 1984, and apply in England and Wales. Note however, that as Building Regulations is now a devolved power to the Welsh Government there may be differences of approach between England and Wales. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations provides clear guidance to contractors when working in buildings. Particular areas covered include: Installation of fire detection and alarm systems Fire resistance of ceilings and wall linings, especially as they relate to installation of lighting diffusers Fire protection of openings and fire stopping British Standards The British Standards provides the technical guidance for installation of fire detection systems. BS5839-6:2013 deals with domestic premises and has grades as well as categories BS5839-1:2013 deals with non-domestic premises and has categories Generally categories define what is being protected (life or property) and grades define the type of system being installed. These standards will guide contractors with regards to cable choices, detector spacing issues, installation practices, sound levels etc. Regulatory Reform Order for England and Wales Officially titled Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, this legislation came into force October 2006 to replace over 70 pieces of previous fire safety legislation with one order. It means that any person who has some level of control in a premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire. Page 2 of 8
It applies to virtually all types of premises and buildings, structure and open spaces. What it does not apply to is private homes including flats in a block or house, but does apply to common areas of blocks of flats. The Order identifies that a responsible person for the premises must carry out a fire risk assessment, or employed a competent person to do it for them, and that any company they employ to carry out fire safety work is competent. Note that whilst the Regulatory Reform Order applies to England and Wales, there are similar obligations outlined in: Fire (Scotland) Act Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) Section 3: What role does 3rd Party Certification have in Fire? Third-party certification involves an independent assessment declaring that specified requirements pertaining to a product, person, process or management system have been met. By undertaking a 3rd party certification assessment you are proving your competence in the areas you are being assessed. This helps to set yourself apart from others as well as allow your customers and clients a straightforward way of helping them to meet their obligations under the regulations. BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) are an independent registration body for the fire protection industry. For more than 25 years they have been developing schemes for UKAS accredited certification bodies to assess and approve companies to recognised standards. Certsure LLP through its ELECSA brand is UKAS accredited to provide: SP203-1 Modular Scheme for Fire Detection & Alarm Systems SP205-1 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment SP203-1 for the design, installation, commissioning & handover and maintenance of Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems Launched in 2002, this scheme aims to provide compliant fire systems as well as minimise false alarms by ensuring that contractors involved with this type of work are meeting and maintaining the appropriate standards. The objective is to provide a means by which fire protection system users and regulatory authorities can be confident that the companies providing fire alarm systems have processes in place to effectively undertake such activities. Since its launch, the scheme has attracted the general support of the fire industry, high levels of understanding within client and specifier markets and advocates within the emergency fire services. The scheme was written and developed by stakeholders from all quarters of the industry. It is owned by BAFE and delivered on their behalf through licensed UKAS accredited Certification Bodies, such as Certsure LLP through its ELECSA brand. In recognition of industry practice and demand, the scheme has been split into four modules: System Design Installation Commissioning and Handover Maintenance Organisations can choose to be certificated in all 4 modules or just those relating to the scope of work they undertake as part of their business. Once certificated in one or more modules, a business can provide proof of competence as required under the regulations. The scheme document specifies conditions to be met by certificated organisations, including the requirement that where a company has additional operational offices, each office must meet the standards of SP203-1 to be eligible for certification and is separately listed. These documents are free to download and are available from www.elecsa.co.uk. Like other BAFE schemes, a certificate for the client is the basis upon which confidence is built. The certificate provides evidence that the system has been designed, installed and maintained effectively. These certificates will be issued by the organisation undertaking the work and could take the form of: Page 3 of 8
Certificates for the relevant work modules undertaken; or Providing all work has resulted in the issue of module certificates and the project has been successfully verified, a BAFE certificate of compliance can be produced for the whole system SP205-1 for Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment In response to recent high profile cases of devastating fires, the industry came together to develop a scheme to address the needs of the responsible person as identified by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Launched in May 2012, BAFE and a group of industry experts developed a scheme backed by UKAS to support organisations that provide fire risk assessments for others. For the first time, an independently audited means to ensure the competency and reliability of organisations carrying out fire risk assessments exists. This scheme is designed to give assurance to those commissioning fire risk assessments in the quality and reliability of the service being provided. Under the SP205 scheme, organisations are assessed to ensure that they have the required technical and quality management capabilities and risk assessment staff to carry out fire risk assessments to the appropriate standards. The scheme has been designed to meet the requirements of fire risk assessment providers regardless of their size, recognising that there are many individuals working as risk assessors. It is essential that the fire risk assessor is a competent person and that they have a duty of care to the organisation they are carrying out the fire risk assessment for. However, as the ultimate responsibility for the adequacy of the fire risk assessment rests with the duty holder (normally a company) or responsible person; the value of the SP205 scheme is that it helps the duty holder or responsible person ensure that the risk assessment meets acceptable standards. BAFE Registered organisations will have an annual surveillance audit by ELECSA to ensure that they continue to comply with the scheme requirements. Once certificated, they will be able to use the BAFE logo applicable to the scheme on promotional material, letterheads, websites etc. They will also be able to issue BAFE Certificates of Conformity with each of their fire risk assessments and their details will be listed on the BAFE website. Section 4: BAFE Scheme Approval Process How can I register with the SP203-1 or SP205-1 Schemes? The registration process is simple. Either complete the application and site selection form and return it to us, or visit www.elecsa.co.uk and complete the application online. Please note: failure to provide a completed site selection form with the application form will delay the processing of your ELECSA BAFE application. For SP203-1 applications, you will need to tell us whether you are looking to take particular modules (i.e. installation only) or whether you wish to be assessed in all 4 modules: System Design; Installation; Commissioning & Handover and Maintenance. Your application will determine how long your assessment is likely to be. As there is a requirement for a Quality Management System for all modules, 1 module can be assessed in a day, 2 or more modules is a minimum 2 day assessment. Assessment Appointment Our registration team will process your completed application forms and allocate you an assessment date(s). The assessment date(s) will typically be scheduled 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of your application documentation. However, this is a flexible system and it is possible to reschedule the assessment if it is not convenient. If you need to reschedule the assessment, please contact the scheduling office as soon as possible as additional charges may apply if late notice is given that you need to rearrange your appointment. On the morning of the first day of your assessment, one of our team of assessors will meet you at your premises to review your systems and policies and then accompany you to a recent installation to look at your work. Both elements of the assessment will determine if you meet the scheme requirements. If your assessment is successful, you will be registered on the BAFE scheme you have applied for and be listed as such on both the ELECSA and BAFE websites. Additionally you will be able to use both the ELECSA and BAFE logos to promote your business. Page 4 of 8
Optional Pre-assessment Visit for SP203-1 This type of visit could also be known as a dress rehearsal or a mock audit. They are a shortened version of the full assessment, conducted in a single day at your organisations premises. It is conducted in the same way as the full assessment except that it does not include a visit to an installation site, which is only done as part of the full assessment. The assessor will sample various aspects of your systems and documentation against the requirements of the scheme to see if you are ready for the full assessment. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the assessment process and to see how assessments are conducted, including the type and level of questioning and objective evidence that may be required to demonstrate conformance with the scheme requirements. At the end of the pre-assessment visit, a closing meeting is held to discuss the areas sampled (and not sampled) and any non-conformances or observations that have been raised. The assessor will also talk through the next steps and agree the interval before the full assessment is to be conducted. The pre-assessment visits are chargeable (please refer to the fee sheet) but are optional. Contractors who pay for a preassessment visit and proceed to a full assessment may qualify for a discount off their assessment fee. Section 5: Assessment and certification requirements The assessment requirements are detailed in the BAFE SP203-1 and BAFE SP205-1 scheme documents. Additionally, you should refer to Certsure LLP document SD004 which includes our applicable terms and conditions in providing these schemes. These documents are freely available as downloads from www.elecsa.co.uk Section 6: The assessment The assessment is an objective examination of a firm and the work it undertakes that it wants to be assessed in. The assessment is undertaken using questioning and observation techniques with the aim of determining if the firm has the technical competence to carry out work in accordance with the relevant standards. The assessment will begin at your office premises. The assessor will hold an opening meeting to explain the purpose of the visit, the work that is to be assessed, the reporting method, the pre-selected installation sites to be visited and the approximate time, place and purpose of a closing meeting. If your organisation can demonstrate competency and fulfil all of the scheme requirements, your assessment should be successful. For SP203-1 the assessor will assess the competency of the technical personnel Designer(s)/ Qualified supervisor(s) on the relevant installation standard. For SP205-1 the assessor will assess the competency of the companies fire risk assessor(s) using the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council. Competency Criteria for Fire Risk Assessors Office based assessment Your policies and procedures will be assessed against the requirements of the Management Systems section of the BAFE scheme document. This will include review of your quality procedures, management structure, relevant procedures and competency records. Site Visit As part of the application process you will have completed a site selection form and the sites will have been confirmed as part of the assessment booking confirmation process. The assessor will visit the sites with you to assess work that you have undertaken against the scheme you have applied for. The sites should be adequate enough to enable an objective assessment to be made of your capabilities. If you are concerned or have any questions about the assessment process, please contact us on 0333 321 8220. Page 5 of 8
What happens if the assessment is not successful? If the assessor does not recommend certification he will explain the reasons why you were not successful on the day and discuss remedial actions to enable you to become certified. A possible reason for not passing the assessment may be a matter of paperwork. Both BAFE schemes require that the applicant has a quality plan covering all of their activities. This can be in the form of a document or a flow chart, but it must set out all of the relevant activities undertaken under each scheme. In certain circumstances missing documentation or procedures can be forwarded to us for review. Once these are received and verified, you will have passed your assessment and your certification will be complete. However if the non-conformances are more fundamental, a full or partial re-assessment may be required. Section 7: Registration and using the certification marks Once the assessor s recommendation has been verified you will be notified in writing that you have been successful and that you are now an ELECSA registered BAFE contractor. Your details will be passed to BAFE for inclusion and listing on the BAFE website Additionally you will be eligible to use the ELECSA and BAFE marks, subject to terms and conditions of use, to promote your registration. Section 8: Maintaining registration and costs Once you are registered, you must ensure that you notify us of any changes in address, telephone number, emails or technical personnel as soon as possible to ensure our contact details for you are maintained. Renewal of registration The BAFE SP203-1scheme requirements state that contractors in the first two years of their certification to have a surveillance visit every six months. After this period and depending on the outcomes of the previous assessments, surveillance visits may be conducted annually. If you are transferring from another BAFE third party certification board (TPCB) and you can provide evidence of previous successful assessments, we will continue to maintain the frequency your current surveillance visits in line with your previous TPCB. The BAFE SP205 scheme requirements state that contractors in the first year of their certification to have a surveillance visit every six months. After this period and depending on the outcomes of the previous assessments, surveillance visits may be conducted annually. Prior to the anniversary date on your registration certificate, we will advise you that your registration is due for renewal, that payment of the fees is due and a new site selection form will be issued for you to complete. Once payment has been received we will arrange for a surveillance visit to be conducted. This is a very similar procedure to your initial assessment visit and will involve the assessor once again assessing you against the appropriate standards to ensure that you are maintaining the scheme requirements as demonstrated at your original assessment. Page 6 of 8
ELECSA BAFE Scheme Approval fees The scheme fees are published on our fee sheet, which can be found at www.elecsa.co.uk and is also included as part of the application form. In addition to the fees we charge for assessment and registration services, please note that there is an additional charge levied by BAFE that we will collect from you following a successful assessment. We trust that you will find the ELECSA BAFE Approval Schemes a user-friendly and efficient route to ensuring that your work meets industry standards. If you need to talk to us about any aspect of the scheme, please contact the registration team on 0333 321 8220 or email us at enquiries@elecsa.co.uk. ELECSA offers certification and notification services to contractors working across the building services sectors. We can provide assessment in Part P, other building regulations related activities, fire detection and fire alarm systems (BAFE SP203-1), fire risk assessments (BAFE SP205-1), Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and Green Deal. Please contact us to discuss your requirements in any of these areas. Page 7 of 8
Certsure LLP Mansfield Business Centre, Ashfield Avenue, Mansfield NG18 2AE. T +44 (0) 333 321 8220 F +44 (0)333 321 8221 E enquiries@elecsa.co.uk W www.elecsa.co.uk Document Reference PN203/1