Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats

This course follows the flats guide for fire risk assessors and takes elements from PAS9980 (external wall assessment) and BS9991 where additional guidance might be needed by assessors. It should give assessors confidence in addressing commonly encountered fire safety issues in flats and make them aware of other sources of information to assist in the fire risk assessment process.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the reason for and the recommendations of passive fire safety measures within a purpose built block of flats. Assessors will become familiar with the recommendations in the guide and be able to recognise and suggest appropriate actions for passive fire safety issues
2. Understand the reason for and the recommendations of active fire Safety measures in purpose built blocks of flats. Assessors will become familiar with the recommendations in the guide and be able to recognise and suggest appropriate actions for active fire safety issues
3. Understand how the external coverings on a block of flats can contribute to fire spread across the outside face of a block of flats. Assessors will be taken through the mechanisms of external spread and the issues this creates. Enabling to suggest effective solutions to commonly encountered problems and giving them confidence to not automatically recommend a PAS9980 assessment in every case.
4. Understand the reason for and the recommendations of the firefighter access and facilities provided within and around a block of flats. Assessors will be familiarised with modern day and earlier recommendations enabling them to recognise appropriate provsions and suggest options where those provisions are not well managed
5. Understand the critical role of management in maintaining the above measures and ensuring the building responds appropriately in the event of fire. Assessors will be able to recommend appropriate management regimes to properly support the physical measures in the other sections of this course.