Fire Safety and Risk Management

Please view our fire safety and risk management leaflet here

Tenos provides a complete and bespoke fire safety and risk management solution to help ensure you are compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 or, in the event of fire, can act on your behalf as an expert witness.

A key aspect of our fire safety and risk management service is to strive for continuous improvement and best practice. We achieve this by adopting the proven methodology of the Plan, Do, Check, Act model as illustrated in the diagram below.

Our fire safety and risk management services include:

·        Strategic fire safety and risk management reviews.

·        Fire safety and risk management audits, monitoring, and inspections in support of gap analysis.

·        Fire safety and risk management systems, policies, procedures, and arrangements.

·        Risk assessments and development of risk-based action plans including risk profiling.

·        Passive and active fire protection surveys (visual and intrusive)

·        Assurance reviews of complex estates and PFI facilities.

·        Fire safety training and emergency planning.

·        Premise specific fire safety and risk information ‘golden thread’.

·        Fire expert witness.

 

 

Fire Safety Law 
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) is the main piece of legislation in England and Wales that places legal duties for fire safety in buildings on anyone in control of the premises. It became law on 1 October 2006.

The FSO states that these individuals, referred to as the ‘Responsible Persons’, must:

·        Undertake and record a fire risk assessment.

·        Implement and maintain general fire precautions.

·        Take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of a fire occurring.

·        In the event of a fire, ensure people can escape safely.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified the position that external walls, flat entrance doors and structure of buildings were covered by the FSO and should be considered within fire risk assessments.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 introduced additional duties for the Responsible Person under the FSO.

Therefore, if you are an employer, owner, landlord or occupier of premises and you fail to meet fire safety requirements satisfactorily, you could be held personally liable in the event of a fire.

As such, it is critical for those people deemed responsible to understand their legal obligations and to manage fire safety appropriately.

Do You Understand Your Fire Safety Responsibilities?

It can be challenging to understand exactly what your responsibilities are under the FSO in relation to your buildings or estates. Tenos consultants have the knowledge, experience, expertise, and enthusiasm to advise and support you.

Fire Safety Management Plan

The fire safety management plan is a key element of your overall fire safety and risk management strategy. It details the arrangements you take to plan, implement, control, monitor and review the standards of appropriate fire safety measures and provisions, and to ensure those standards are maintained.

A Tenos fire safety management plan clearly sets out how fire safety will be effectively managed in the premises to prevent a fire from occurring or, in the event of a fire, to protect people and property.

The plan will cover:

·        Policy & procedures

·        Organisation

·        Arrangements for implementation

·        Training

·        Measuring and monitoring effectiveness

·        Review

Fire Risk Assessment 

Tenos carry out fire risk assessments to assist the responsible person in fulfilling their duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It is part of the on-going process for the effective fire safety and risk management for the premises or estate.

Our fire risk assessment methodology captures current best practice following the principles of PAS 79:2020: ‘Fire risk assessment – Code of practice’. The fire risk assessment is carried out in three distinct parts:

·        Discussion with the responsible person or their representative.

·        Visual on-site assessment of the premises (internal and external).

·        Review of the fire safety related records/documentation and a close-out meeting with the responsible person’s representative.

A Tenos fire risk assessment will provide the responsible person with a recommended action plan to assist in reducing or maintaining an acceptable level of fire safety risk.

Assurance Reviews for Complex Estates and PFI Handback

Tenos can support assurance reviews for complex estates and PFI assets in relation to contract expiry and the handback process. Assets are not just buildings, they include the necessary documentary information reflecting the as-built arrangements to enable safe operation and maintenance of the facilities. We can offer a bespoke service to clients inclusive of the following aspects:

·        On-site condition surveys of the as-built arrangements

·        Fire safety and risk management audits

·        Statutory compliance audits

·        Creation of an accurate set of data/information for facilities and assets, addressing any gaps and anomalies.

·        Risk profiling and risk-based action plans

·        Ongoing monitoring and support for remediation works

Fire Safety Training and Emergency Planning

Tenos can deliver fire safety training courses throughout the UK. Our courses are designed to help you comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

We tailor our training courses to meet your individual fire safety training needs.

When we deliver the course, we can utilise your fire risk assessment report and fire safety management plan to ensure that your ‘responsible person’ and employees are fully aware of their specific roles and responsibilities.

Tenos training courses are delivered by highly experienced Chartered Fire Engineers and are accredited by the Institution of Fire Engineers.

As-built Documentation and Records

Passive and active fire protection measures are designed and installed to prevent fire spread within a building and/or separate areas of high fire risk. They are important essential part of a fire risk assessment, as required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

To ensure fire protection measures are properly designed, installed, and maintained in buildings and estates, Tenos offer an independent, impartial, and confidential consultancy service.

This comprehensive service carried out by our highly experienced specialist surveyors, includes a review of all necessary documentation and, where necessary, an appropriate inspection (visual and intrusive) of the key fire protection measures and systems.

You will be issued with a report summarising our key findings and conclusions, together with a prioritised action plan following a risk profiling approach. The report will also include details of any remedial works required.

Tenos also provide support in overseeing remedial works by third parties, to provide assurance to the client that corrective works have been completed satisfactorily.