New requirements set by RQIA for Fire Risk Assessments in care premises

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), Northern Ireland’s independent health and social care regulator, has written to all licensed residential care premises in Northern Ireland advising them that from 1st April 2014 all new fire risk assessments, and those due for review, are to be carried out either by people with appropriate registration with a professional body or preferably by a company who are third party certificated and are audited against an industry scheme such as the BAFE’s SP205  scheme for Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment.

The communication also states that RQIA inspectors will be checking that this requirement has been met during the course of their regular inspections of licensed care premises.

The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council (who the RQIA refer to) recommends “the use of fire risk assessment companies, including sole traders which are third party certificated to appropriate schemes operated by Certification Bodies which have been UKAS accredited to certificate against such schemes”.

NSI is UKAS accredited and licensed by BAFE to certificate organisations to the BAFE SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment scheme. NSI provides this scheme at both NSI Gold and Silver level (with Gold companies required to operate a Quality Management System: BS EN ISO 9001). Find out more information about the NSI Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment scheme.

For more information about the new RQIA requirements:
– View the RQIA letter which went out earlier this year
– View the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council’s ‘Guide to choosing a competent fire risk assessor‘