Our First Fire Safety Seminar – “Challenges Facing the Fire Risk Assessment Profession – A Tale of Two Cases”

Total Fire Group recently hosted its first fire safety seminar, bringing together fire risk assessors, building managers, responsible persons and representatives from the Fire and Rescue Service for a highly engaging and informative event.

The seminar, titled “Challenges Facing the Fire Risk Assessment Profession – A Tale of Two Cases”, explored some of the most pressing and evolving issues within the fire risk assessment profession. Attendance was strong, and feedback from delegates has been overwhelmingly positive, reflecting both the relevance of the topic and the quality of discussion throughout the day.

Speaker Highlights:

• Colin Todd MBE examined “Mission Creep in Fire Risk Assessments”, reflecting on how the scope of fire risk assessments has expanded beyond the original intent of the Fire Safety Order and exploring what constitutes a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment today.
• Cassie Williams, Barrister, addressed “What is an Expert?”, discussing the evolving role of expert witnesses in fire safety cases and the challenges of defining expertise within the profession.
• Darren Baird, Director at Total Fire Group, shared insights from A 5-Year Legal Battle in Fire Safety, reviewing a lengthy prosecution and the lessons it offered for fire risk assessors navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes.
• Helen Simm, Browne Jacobson, presented on “Limiting Liability Through Robust and Effective Terms”, highlighting the importance of well-crafted terms and conditions to manage civil and regulatory risk effectively.
• Tom McNeill, BCL Solicitors LLP, closed the speaker sessions with “The Collapse of a Fire Safety Prosecution”, detailing a case where a prosecution was thrown out due to incompetent inspections, and the key takeaways for fire safety professionals.

A key strength of the seminar was the opportunity for open dialogue. Time was allocated for questions after each speaker, as well as a dedicated session at the end of the day. This encouraged thoughtful discussion and debate around the scope of fire risk assessments, the expectations placed on competent fire risk assessors, and how these expectations have evolved.

Much of the conversation focused on how the profession has changed since the introduction of the Fire Safety Order, and the significant shift in approach following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. Delegates shared insights and experiences, highlighting the increasing complexity of fire risk assessments and the growing responsibility placed on those undertaking them.

An important milestone for Total Fire Group

The success of this seminar marks an important milestone for Total Fire Group and reinforces its commitment to supporting best practice, professional development and meaningful collaboration within the fire safety sector. Total Fire would like to thank all speakers and delegates for their valuable contributions and look forward to hosting future events that continue these vital conversations.