Growing fire safety leader Fire Aware is challenging those responsible for upholding best practice across multiple sectors – stand up and be counted for the public.
Fire Aware CEO Gavin Skelly says those who adopt the highest standards of best practice should be proud of their stance as opposed to those who still cut corners.
He said: “There is a growing demand from the public and decision-makers in the supply chains to meet and exceed fire safety requirements. The Building Safety Act references competence and what it means in terms of knowledge, qualifications and skills.
“However, the public doesn’t know what competence looks like technically and neither should they be expected to, but they have a right to expect reassurance that they are safe moving around in our towns and cities.
“Best practice every time should be the norm but it is still isn’t and we will continue to demand the highest standards technically and morally to ensure that people and the buildings they inhabit are safe.
“The public has a right to know they are protected by the actions and behaviours of those duty holders responsible for putting fire safety into place including those who procure products and services, install them and assess them.
“But if we are to change culture, we must shift the market to provide the public and the supply chains with an identity of that responsible provider. Providing the consumer with a choice to make about their service provider’s behaviour is surely as important as identifying their technical ability when people’s lives are at stake.
“Our own Fire Aware members commit to a Code of Conduct and our specific charters which take the safety process beyond legislation and abide by them. This is a vocation, not a job, and we should not forget that.
“That means following the codes and legislation and even exceeding them to ensure the public can sleep at night with peace of mind. We still come across instances where safety has been breached by cutting corners to save money. We need commitment and transparency in the way that companies and responsible people do business when safety is at risk.”
Skelly emphasised that the fire safety principles are relevant to any sector which relies on best practice including the retail industry, hospitality, stadia, healthcare and the public infrastructure.
Dame Judith Hackitt – who led the Grenfell Inquiry – has called for cultural change through moral and ethical behaviours, recently supported by the new independent Building Safety Regulator (BSR) that was created to ‘promote competence and higher standards.’
The BSR sits at the heart of the government’s mission to create safe communities, support economic growth, and deliver 1.5 million high-quality homes for residents. Its role is part of the drive to advance building safety and restore confidence in the safety of people’s homes.
