Dr Joanna Cloy and Professor Richard Hull highlight that these retardants, particularly in upholstered furniture, can be harmful to human and environmental health, causing issues like neurotoxicity and carcinogenesis. They draw focus to the need for government action, industry collaboration, and public awareness to address the challenges posed by chemical flame retardants.

The panel debate whether current regulations support improved life safety and discuss how these need to be updated to reflect modern fire scenarios. They also explore achieving net zero whilst ensuring fire safety is not compromised, emphasising the importance of the circular economy and chemical transparency in the future.

George and Louise explore the need for a holistic approach to building design and construction that involves insurers early on to understand the insurance implications of material selection, the importance of resilience in the face of climate change, proactive risk management, and educating building occupants on maintenance. They also consider the role of regulation and enforcement, and ABI’s efforts to improve the availability of insurance for higher risk residential buildings through their Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility.

The panel discuss the potential of AI, data availability, upskilling professionals, and addressing the risks associated with incorporating AI applications into fire safety; emphasising the need for consistent data collection and sharing, integrating AI with human expertise, and improving fire safety beyond human capabilities. Together they explore the potential for creating a digital twin of a building, a more consistent approach to fire safety standards, contextualised information, and risk-proportionate solutions.

The panel explore the importance of fire resistance testing and assessment methods, in particular the need for valid supporting test data, challenges in assessing complex construction designs, and the need for additional capacity in product testing. They also debate the potential impact of removing the national classifications (BS 476 series), the validity of 476 testing for fire doors, and the challenges of ensuring quality and trust in fire risk assessments. Their conversation highlights the need for improved regulations, testing capacity, and industry collaboration to provide appropriate fire safety in construction.

With emerging new technologies, techniques and materials, and with many designers and construction professionals moving towards low carbon materials such as timber, George, Gavin, and Eoin discuss how to achieve high fire performance whilst reducing environmental impact. The panel also look at how, as an industry, we can address the growing gap between statutory guidance and social aspirations for sustainable buildings, including by re-using existing structures.

Together they explore the issues with the current route to compliance from both a testing and insurance perspective, which led to the creation of RISC 501 due to be released by RISCAuthority (an annually funded research scheme administered by the FPA) in November 2023.

Together Chis and Hannah consider the importance and complexity of fire doors and look at the issues surrounding fire door compliance in the UK. Hannah provides insights from a manufacturer’s perspective into the challenges around ensuring fire doors are used correctly to maintain fire performance from manufacture through sourcing, installation and inspection, and minimising the distance between fire door manufacturers and residents.

Together the panel look at how the white paper has been received over the past 12 months by both industry and government, the major progress points thus far, and the obstacles to be overcome. Steve and Tom provide insight in to how the Fire Sector Federation plan to work with the fire industry and construction sector to further progress the recommendations made in the document including its 3 priorities of competency, volumetric buildings challenges, and implications from innovative systems.

The two discuss the purpose of the government commissioned review and look at how the recommendations made in the report could provide greater assurance in the UK’s system for testing and certifying construction products. Chris and Paul also consider the shortcomings of the current system, its complexity and how it can be simplified, the conformity assessment process, and the procurement of compliant products.

Chris is joined by Dennis Davis, Executive Officer of the Fire Sector Federation; Adam Turk, CEO at Siderise Group; and Amanda Long, CEO of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, Building a Safer Future, and the Code for Construction Product Information.

The panel discuss the drivers behind the creation of the white paper, and where it fits into the overall landscape for fire safety in the construction sector. They finish by looking to the future of the industry and the necessary steps to driving cultural improvement.

They discuss how passive fire protection can be elevated to a higher-level consideration when designing, constructing, refurbishing, and maintaining a building, the role of legislation in maintaining fire safety products installed within a building, and whether regulation and third party certification are enough when it comes to complying with fire safety standards and requirements.

Representing between them an insurer, a trade body, and a contractor’s perspective, our panel discuss the impact of new standard BS 9251:2021 for residential sprinkler systems, the introduction of EN 12845-1 and EN 12845-2 for automatic sprinkler systems, and their impact on competence in the industry. They also consider the 3 available watermist standards, and the training being carried out. Our guests finish by sharing their thoughts on sprinkler versus watermist systems, and selecting the most appropriate water-based standard.

In the latest episode of Assembly Point, Jonathan O’Neill OBE, Managing Director at the FPA, is joined by Sailesh Mehta, Barrister and Head of the Fire Law Team at Red Lion Chambers to discuss the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and prosecuting those who bear responsibility for the tragedy. Together they consider the implications of the removal of the Building Safety Manager role from the Building Safety Act, coroners’ recommendations, and whether regulators are appropriately resourced under the current regime.

Have we learned our lesson?

For the second part of the episode, Jonathan speaks to Gill Kernick, Transformation Director at Arup University, and former Grenfell Tower resident. Gill outlines the role of regulations; the need for systemic change; and the responsibility that not only government, but industry has to play in implementing change to prevent further low probability, high consequence events.

For the second part of the episode, Howard Passey, FPA Director of Operations speaks to Marcus Rees, FPA Senior Technical Consultant about the benefits offered by a fire strategy when designing, constructing, refurbishing or managing premises.

The panel discuss the competency requirements at each stage of the design and construction of a building and how these can be met. This episode also highlights key elements that need to be considered by all groups involved in the design, construction and maintenance of a building to ensure safety for the occupier.

From the tragic circumstances at Bradford City Stadium to Lakanal House and Grenfell, there have been significant fires in the UK that have sent shockwaves across the fire safety sector – resulting in the introduction of new laws such as the Fire Safety Act. This episode highlights key events that have influenced change within the sector and what more needs to be done to avoid similar events occurring in the future.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building. Watch this space for series 2 coming soon!

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

Together the panel explores the practical steps building managers can take to ensure they follow the competency framework including the core knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required for the role of Building Safety Manager.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

Tom and Howard explore the fact that sprinklers have still not been made mandatory for all new or major refurbished school buildings in England in the revised Building Bulletin 100 document, and why sprinklers should be made mandatory in all high-risk buildings.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: http://www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

Four years on from Grenfell, Catherine and Howard explore if the provision of fire safety has improved since that tragic day in June 2017, whether the subsequent changes in legislation will be enough to bring about meaningful change.

Previously Deputy Head of Community Safety at the London Fire Brigade, Catherine also looks at the support required to ensure local fire and rescue services have the resources needed to undertake effective liaison and enforce fire safety action.

To find out more, listen to this month’s episode or visit our Know Your Building campaign page here:  www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

Jane discusses how Grenfell was a ‘turning point’ for building safety, and she and Howard explore how architects, construction teams and building owners can work together to understand and prioritise fire safety from the very start of a project.

Drawing on her own experiences, Jane also shares her thoughts on the draft Building Safety Bill and the action that is still needed to support architects in building fire competency.

To find out more, listen to this month’s episode or visit our Know Your Building campaign page here:  www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

This episode explores the need to protect an organisations’ physical assets alongside the need for life protection. The law doesn't currently dictate any kind of property or business protection. People wrongly assume that the law will protect business assets in full, but this is not the case. In fact, fire services are not obliged to save a business asset in the event of a fire, once there is no longer a risk to life.

How important is it that businesses build their organisational resilience to fire, and what are the consequences of failure to do so? Find out by listening in to this month’s episode.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

We talk to Sofie about the Building Safety Manager role and how facilities managers may adapt for the future to fulfil its requirements. We also cover why greater education, awareness and training is needed, what makes an individual “competent” and what steps those responsible for fire safety should be taking to minimise the risk for themselves, others and the business. This includes the role of fire risk assessments, the facility manager's role in acting on recommendations and the need for a clear and robust fire strategy.  

The themes discussed are all centred around the FPA's Know Your Building campaign, which is seeking to support building managers and owners achieve stronger business resilience when it comes to the threat of fire. Find out more at www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

We explore what the future holds for fire safety policy and how we can ensure that changes are enforced properly so that everyone concerned with the design, construction, management, and occupation of buildings are held responsible.

Join our host Howard Passey, FPA's renowned and respected fire safety professional, each month as we bring a new guest from across the sector and beyond.

Subscribe today to ensure you don't miss our first episode on February 18th with guest Jim Fitzpatrick, former Fire Minister as we discuss what's next for the fire safety reform.