1 Scope

This British Standard gives recommendations for competence criteria to be met by individuals undertaking general fire risk assessments, i.e. assessment of the probability and consequences of fire and the identification and evaluation of fire risk, in premises. It also gives guidance on the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours expected of a competent fire risk assessor.

The recommendations in this British Standard are based on the recommendations and core competence criteria set out in BS 8670‑1, with specific regard to life safety fire risk assessment of the measures for fire precautions provided within a building.

The competence criteria recommended in this British Standard are applicable to non‑invasive fire risk assessments of existing general fire safety measures that can be confirmed without recourse to any destructive actions requiring specialist contractors.

The fire risk assessments within the scope of this British Standard take into account relevant records (which could include details of previous destructive processes) and the measures for fire prevention, fire protection and fire safety management.

This British Standard gives the criteria for three core levels of competence: Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced, where Advanced is the highest level. This British Standard recognizes that some criteria might not always be applicable to all fire risk assessors, and sets out which criteria are always expected and which are conditional upon specific circumstances.

The criteria apply predominantly to buildings constructed using conventional materials and systems, recognizing that additional specialized knowledge might be required for buildings using different materials and/or systems.

This British Standard does not cover:

1. the process for undertaking a fire risk assessment;

   NOTE 1    Recommendations for undertaking a fire risk assessment are given in PAS 79‑1 and BS 9792.

2. fire risk appraisals of external wall construction and cladding (FRAEWs);

   NOTE 2    Recommendations for undertaking an FRAEW are given in PAS 9980.

3. destructive inspections to assess structure and building materials;

4. competence of organizations;

5. responsibilities of dutyholders, e.g. liaising with enforcing authorities, mandatory reporting, developing emergency plans, engaging with residents or commissioning structural investigations;

6. compliance and conformity audits or assessment of building or system design, or of product performance and installations;

7. assessment of specialized fire safety engineering measures going beyond the criteria of the Advanced level;

8. fire risk assessments in buildings and installations that require additional competence beyond the Advanced level to assess fire hazards and risks (e.g. in high hazard industries such as offshore, chemical or nuclear installations);

9. conformity of specific fire safety measures to relevant standards, or the performance by practical tests of fire safety measures;

10. fire safety engineering;

11. design of maintenance procedures, structures, fire strategies and installations; and

12. product verification and testing.