Next year will see changes to our Fire Risk Assessors registration process to introduce the mandatory requirement for individuals on the register to be dual registered with the Engineering Council and with the IFE. This affects all existing registrants as well as those looking to become an IFE registered assessor.
Driving change
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 and the subsequent review of the Building Regulations and Fire Safety conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt, a steering group focusing on ‘Competences for Building a Safer Future’ (CSG) was created. Working Group 4 (WG4) considered the competence of Fire Risk Assessors, led by the Fire Sector Federation with input from various bodies across the sector including the IFE.
Findings and recommendations were fed into the CSG’s Raising the Bar report, and subsequently in Setting the Bar, published in October 2020. WG4 recommended the following:
Accredited third party certification of fire risk assessors and organisations should be introduced with registers of persons assessed by organisations accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and others validated by being part of a Professional Engineering Institution (PEI) licensed by the Engineering Council.
This change to our process demonstrates our support of the Setting the Bar report and Fire Risk Assessors should be encouraged by its introduction.
What this means for you
In response to the Setting the Bar report, we will be implementing changes to the Fire Risk Assessor registration process in 2022. This will mean all Fire Risk Assessors registered with the IFE will also need to be registered with the Engineering Council via the IFE. In the majority of cases, registration as an Engineering Technician (EngTech) will be appropriate.
From 1st April 2022 all existing Fire Risk Assessors registered with the IFE will need to apply for Engineering Council registration with the IFE prior to their next periodic review date.
From 1st January 2022, anyone applying to become registered as a Fire Risk Assessor with the IFE will also need to become registered with the Engineering Council via the IFE in parallel with making their assessor application.
Nick Coombe, Chair of the IFE Fire Risk Assessor Panel, explains: “This change to our process demonstrates our support of the Setting the Bar report and Fire Risk Assessors should be encouraged by its introduction.
“The additional requirement to be professionally registered with the Engineering Council will demonstrate the quality and standards expected from our assessors. For individuals, it demonstrates that you are appropriately qualified and experienced and adhere to standards set by not only the IFE but the Engineering Council too, an important factor in fire risk assessments.”
Steve Hamm, IFE Chief Executive, adds: “This move further cements the IFE as the go to professional body for the fire sector. The change to our registration process is a positive step and one which will benefit everyone involved. Responsible persons who engage the services of an IFE Registered Fire Risk Assessor will benefit from the assurance provided by Engineering Council standards of competence and professional conduct. Not only will registered individuals demonstrate an established level of competency, but also third party oversight from Engineering Council provides government and the public with the confidence and reassurance they need when searching for competent registered Fire Risk Assessors.”
The IFE is licensed by the Engineering Council to register individuals and this move will ensure we have third party scrutiny of our Fire Risk Assessors service too. Being licensed by the Engineering Council means that as an organisation we are subject to a licence review every five years and an annual risk assessment, with an Engineering Council observer also present at IFE meetings on a regular basis.
To find out more about becoming professionally registered click here.