There is no legal requirement for fire risk assessors to hold any specific qualification. Here's how to identify a competent assessor — and avoid the cowboys who could put lives at risk.. The Competency Crisis Here is a fact that should terrify every building owner in the UK: there is no legal requirement for a person conducting a fire risk assessment to hold any specific qualification, registration, or certification. Anyone can call themselves a fire risk assessor. The Consequence The market is flooded with unqualified or underqualified assessors producing fire risk assessments that are: Inadequate — failing to identify significant risks Generic — copy paste templates that don't address the specific building Non compliant — not meeting the requirements of PAS 79 1:2020 Dangerous — giving building owners false assurance of safety "I reviewed a fire risk assessment for a 14 storey residential building. It was 6 pages long, contained no floor plans, made no mention of external walls, and concluded that the risk was 'tolerable'. The building had ACM cladding." — Fire Safety Consultant What Does 'Competent' Actually Mean? The Legal Definition The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that fire risk assessments are conducted by a 'competent person'. Article 18 defines competence as having: Sufficient training Sufficient experience Sufficient knowledge Other qualities necessary to implement fire safety measures PAS 79 1:2020 Requirements The standard for fire risk assessment methodology specifies that assessors should have: Understanding of fire science and fire behaviour Knowledge of building construction and services Understanding of human behaviour in fire Knowledge of fire safety legislation and guidance Practical experience of fire risk assessment Ability to identify fire hazards and evaluate risk How to Identify a Competent Assessor Third Party Certification Schemes The most reliable indicator of competence is registration with a recognised scheme: BAFE SP205 — the gold standard for fire risk assessment competence IFE Register — Institution of Fire Engineers register of fire risk assessors FRACS — Fire Risk Assessor Certification Scheme Professional Qualifications Look for assessors with relevant qualifications: Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety (or equivalent) IFE membership (MIFireE or FIFireE) Degree in fire engineering or related discipline Previous fire service experience at Station Manager level or above Red Flags Avoid assessors who: Cannot produce evidence of qualifications or registration Quote significantly below market rates (a thorough FRA takes time) Offer to conduct the assessment without visiting the building Cannot provide sample reports or references Are not insured (minimum £5 million professional indemnity) What a Good FRA Looks Like Minimum Content (PAS 79 1:2020) A competent fire risk assessment must include: 1. Building description — construction, use, occupancy, layout 2. Fire hazard identification — sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen 3. People at risk — including vulnerable persons 4. Fire safety measures — existing measures and their adequacy 5. Risk evaluation — likelihood and consequence analysis 6. Action plan — prioritised recommendations with timescales 7. Review date — when the assessment should be reviewed Post Grenfell Additional Requirements Since the Fire Safety Act 2021, the assessment must also cover: External wall construction — materials, cavity barriers, insulation Flat entrance doors — fire resistance, self closing, condition Building information — shared with residents on request The Cost of Getting It Wrong Shirley Towers, Southampton (2010) Two firefighters died in a fire at Shirley Towers. The fire risk assessment had been conducted by an unqualified person and failed to identify critical risks including cable routes that melted in the fire and caused entrapment. Lakanal House, Camberwell (2009) Six people died. The fire risk assessment had not been updated to reflect changes to the building's fire safety systems and failed to identify that fire doors had been replaced with non fire rated alternatives. Magnus Opifex Assessment Standards All our fire risk assessors are: BAFE SP205 registered (or equivalent third party certified) IFE members with relevant professional qualifications Regularly audited through our internal quality management system Insured with £10 million professional indemnity cover CPD compliant with minimum 30 hours annual continuing professional development Don't gamble with fire safety competence. Contact us for a professionally certified fire risk assessment.