Home Office Study Reveals Competency Gaps in Fire Risk Assessors

The Home Office has published new research assessing the skills, capacity, and experience of fire risk assessors (FRAs) in England.

Released on 30 September 2024, the study is based on a survey conducted between July and September 2023.

The Home Office notes that there is currently "limited existing evidence" regarding the profile and practices of FRAs.

To address this gap, the survey aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the FRA sector in England, particularly in relation to their competence and capacity, with the findings set to inform future policy decisions.

Participating FRAs were asked to respond to several key research questions:

- What are the typical characteristics of FRAs?

- What is the level of competence among FRAs?

- What is the capacity of FRAs to fulfil their roles?

- How do in-house and fee-earning FRAs differ in terms of capacity and competency?

- How do certificated FRAs, professional body members, and non-members compare in terms of capacity and competency?

A total of 1,404 responses were received, with the majority of FRAs being male (87%) and over the age of 50 (65%).

Nearly half (46%) were certificated or registered with a scheme, while 40% were non-certificated but members of a professional body.

The main reason for not obtaining certification or joining a professional scheme was the associated cost.

The report highlights that most FRAs have substantial experience conducting fire risk assessments, with 63% having more than five years of experience, and 11% having over 20 years.

However, 21% of respondents had less than three years of experience, and a small proportion (6%) had less than one year.

FRAs generally expressed high confidence in their abilities, with 48% considering themselves advanced (able to assess all types of buildings unsupervised, including high-risk premises) and 46% describing themselves as intermediate (assessing low- to medium-risk buildings).

Those who underwent formal annual refresher training were more likely to classify themselves as "advanced" (58%).

In its conclusions, the Home Office noted that while there are indicators of higher competency and capacity in certain areas, the FRA sector remains varied in terms of experience, background, and qualifications.

The findings also point out that many FRAs are not certificated and do not engage in formal refresher training, suggesting opportunities to further professionalise the sector and establish higher standards through certification and competency verification.

This research follows recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, which called for the government to introduce a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of fire risk assessors.

However, the report also acknowledges that the data does not fully represent all FRAs, providing only partial evidence. It suggests that any future certification schemes should consider barriers such as cost and explore what might encourage FRAs to complete them, such as providing evidence that could enhance their service to clients.