Seminar Success Proves The Desire For Fire Safety Education

The reaction to the recent fire safety seminar has proved the need for further regional sessions, says the Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF). Held on Tuesday 25th May at the London Building Centre, the seminar was chaired by Sir Ken Knight, the UK’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser. ‘On the day of the Queen’s speech, the first under the coalition government, it was a measure of the importance Sir Ken attaches to these issues that he spared the time to address our delegates,’ comments David Sugden, Chairman of the PFPF. Ninety delegates came from local government, housing associations and architects’ practices to learn more about built-in, or ‘passive’ fire protection, and the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire and Safety) Order 2005, and its relevance to their situation. Presentations from Building Control, the London Fire Service, the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) all stressed the importance of built-in fire protection and how vital it is to ensure that specifications are not compromised during construction. The seminar also addressed the issue of responsibility. Under the Fire Safety Order both the company and the individual responsible for the Risk Assessment are criminally liable for breaches in regulations. Further seminars will be held in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds or York, Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff.