Fire risk assessments - past, present and future

摘要

I read with interest the article, Up to the mark, by Martin Duggan (see FHM April 2012, p.32) about the concern over the standard of commercial fire risk assessors and the recently developed competency criteria developed by the industry. In it, he makes a few comments with which I would take issue, namely: 1.'the law does not require the assessment to be carried out by a competent person' 2.In small, simple premises, the duty-holder often carries out the fire risk assessment-arguably the best person to do this...' Firstly, if the person carrying out the risk assessment is 'not competent', then where does that leave that person's risk assessment when challenged by a competent authority, namely an inspecting officer of the local fire and rescue service?