Overview

Join us as we discuss the effect of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the amendment of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2002 on fire risk assessments across all types of buildings in the UK.

After a short presentation outlining how we got to where we are, the requirements of Section 156 for all risk assessments (including beyond residential), the types of fire risk assessment for residential blocks and the new principles around the management of risk, we will discuss practical insights on what a new fire risk assessment needs to cover and how risk management needs to change especially for those managing residential blocks to meet the new prescribed principles.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) (FSO) ‘responsible persons’ are required to ensure that they complete a fire risk assessment for the areas under their control. Responsible persons can be an amalgam of owners, facilities managers, managing agents as well as commercial or retail tenants. Under the new amendments to the FSO responsible persons have a host of new requirements

When it comes to the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Risk Assessments are one of the backbones of how higher-risk buildings are managed, and form a pivotal role in the development of the Safety Case Report and the on-going demonstration to the Building Safety Regulator and importantly the Residents, that those who are accountable are taking the management of building safety seriously and are assessing all of the risks and taking action where necessary.

We now have two regimes when it comes to the management of fire safety with two different pieces of legislation, multiple enforcers and two different sets of guidance and requirements. Understanding what is required and plotting and managing your course through these regimes can be confusing.

During the session we will consider the key elements of effective fire risk assessment, including:

• Changing Culture
• How did we get here and the ‘Two Regimes.’
• The Impact of Section 156
• The Impact on HRB’s and the Safety Case Report
• Types of Residential FRA
• The Management of Risk
• The Prescribed Principles
• Consequences

Sponsors

Ark Workplace Risk

• arkworkplacerisk.co.uk

Ark Workplace Risk was set up in 1994 to put organisations in control of their fire and health and safety management, while focusing on efficiency and effectiveness. The company has now evolved to become a market leading provider of Operational Risk, Compliance and Safety Solutions and Services internationally.

Speakers

David Hills FRICS, FIIRSM, MIFireE, MSFPE, RSP

Senior Director , Regulatory, Technical & Technology Solutions, Ark Workplace Risk

David has over 23 years of experience at Ark, starting in local authority building control and overseeing major construction sites like the Channel Tunnel Terminal Site. As Senior Director of Regulatory, Technical and Technology Solutions, he leads our Research and Development team. David is highly respected in the property sector, assisting numerous clients with risk management in the built environment. He chaired a Government Sponsored/RICS committee that influenced the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and has advised various organisations on building safety. Additionally, David is a Company Director of Ark Sustainability Ltd and serves on the Homes England panel for FRAEWs. 

Sofie Hooper

Head of Policy and Research, IWFM

Sofie Hooper leads on the IWFM’s wider policy and public affairs work, helping to raise the voice of the Institute, its members and the wider workplace and facilities management sector. She engages with stakeholders to ensure best practice is taken on board and concerns affecting workplace and facilities professionals are mitigated.

Covering a wide range of activities and areas, sustainability, workplace and building safety form the core agenda. Sofie has been leading on IWFM’s Building Safety Manager work programme, feeding into the legislative process towards the Building Safety Bill.  She provided the Secretariat for the Competence Steering Group’s Working Group 8, which developed the Building Safety Managers competence framework. 

In addition to being the co-author of the Group’s report, Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management, she is a regular contributor to Facilitate. Building on WG8’s recommendations, Sofie is a part of the Interim Executive of the Building Safety Alliance, a cross sector collaboration which is working to improve holistic building safety competence across the occupation phase. She is also a part of the Steering Committee for the DLUCH sponsored PAS 8673, which is setting the competence specification for Building Safety Managers.