Frequently Asked Questions

As an organisation we only offer impartial advice and management information based around our customers specific compliance needs. Our ethos is to deliver advice that our customers trust, delivered by people who our customers trust.

We DO NOT, provide any third-party remedial services, such as treatment, cleaning, and removal work (directly or through cross-selling), nor do we endorse or recommend other suppliers. As all our people are directly employed, we can put multi-skilled teams together to support specific customer initiatives/solutions.

No. With the huge benefit of our own UKAS accredited laboratory, processing over 36,000 air and water samples per year, we are  self-sufficient for all the microbiological work we do – as well as providing complete traceability and control from sampling to analysis. Occasionally we may use very specialist laboratory analysis (i.e. chemical analysis of water and asbestos work) and we do use approved UKAS accredited providers for aspects of this work.

Our usual office hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30-17:00, although we have arrangements in place so you can get hold of us as and when you need too.

We specialise in operational buildings and compliance management solutions covering air and water quality, Legionella, asbestos, fire, accessibility, environmental management, food and health and safety. We can also support more specific investigations such as independent contractor or service reviews. A full list of independent solutions and advice we offer can be found at https://www.assurityconsulting.co.uk/services

Being wholly independent we don’t offer any form of remedial work, be it treatment, cleaning, equipment, servicing, or maintenance. That is regardless of service area too, so whether it’s fire, air and water quality, Legionella, asbestos, or access, we only provide compliance management advice, training, and assessments.

The risk profile of an organisation is not related to its size, so we successfully work with all type of organisations from large multinationals with 100s of buildings to individual tenants in large buildings. All our services are tailored to the customers’ needs and their responsibilities however, so what you get is relevant to you and your legal obligations.

It is important to us that we offer the best service and advice possible, and we often get asked “who checks the checker?” In answer to that, a range of people do, as we hold industry leading accreditations and certifications for our work. These include, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, UKAS ISO 17020, UKAS ISO 17025, LCA and Primary Authority with the City of London Corporation (health and safety) and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (fire) and BAFE SP205 for our life safety fire risk assessments. In addition, individual members of the team hold qualifications and certifications relevant to their specialities, (e.g. IOSH, IIRSM, NRAC, IfE, CIEH, IBMS).

Over the years we have also received a number of awards for our technical and customer service.

More details on our accreditations, certifications and awards can be found at:

• Accreditations
• Certifications
• Awards

You can find our business policies here:

Policies

As would be expected of any reputable organisation we carry an extensive suite of insurances including Employers Liability, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.

Examples of some of the initiatives we operate include:

• Colleagues support several industry bodies and devote time and effort often in their own time. Examples are volunteers and sponsorship with the IWFM including a number of Special Interest Groups, and contributions to the BCO ESG Research Group.
• We have several long-term relationships with charity partners such as Springboard, St Catherine’s Hospice, Chestnut Tree House, and Olive Tree Cancer Support, where staff can get involved in “make a difference day” and fundraising.
• We source suppliers who have a positive impact on the environment and are conscious of how they work sustainably.
• We undertake an anonymous employee wellbeing survey on an annual basis.
• We actively invest in our team’s education, supporting several of our employees in gaining industry recognised qualifications to further their personal development and careers with us.
• We reward employees for their loyalty to our company using our Loyalty Benefit Scheme.
• We run internal events throughout the year that cover everything from supporting physical and mental wellbeing, to just having some downtime and fun.

You can contact us, by phone, email or letter and all the information you need is at https://www.assurityconsulting.co.uk/contact-us and the ‘contact us’ button (top right of the website page). We’d be delighted to hear from you.

Yes, Assurity Plus 2.0 is our online property risk management software. There are lots of different software systems in the marketplace offering a similar service, but few, if any offer the tailorable functionality Assurity Plus 2.0 does. Our aim from the outset was to have compliance software that complemented our consultancy services, so end users could save time managing their compliance, not waste time managing the system.    

Yes, and with just a few clicks. We’ve already had several organisations transfer their previous compliance management data over to Assurity Plus 2.0 and benefitting from the increased functionality it offers.

Yes, we do, and it is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. With our platform providing real time compliance management information, wherever you have connectivity, the app is just another addition to having all the information you need, when you need it.

We’d be delighted to provide you with a demo of Assurity Plus 2.0 and all the functionality it offers. Click here to book your demo and see why it is increasingly the first choice for those serious about their compliance management.

Naturally as part of any investment you want to be confident that what you are purchasing will work for you. So, we would be delighted to provide customer references as and when you need them and case studies can be found at:

30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin) - Support with workplace compliance

VIRTUS Data Centres - High quality solutions and services

Assurity Plus 2.0 is hosted on a highly secure platform and independent monthly penetration tests are carried out on the web services providing Assurity Plus 2.0, to make sure that that it remains secure.

It also has a very granular security model so that you can finely control who has access to the information held on the system as well as meet your privacy requirements.

The right levels of training and onboarding are fundamental to you getting the most out of your compliance management software. While the system is both intuitive and tailorable, we make it a priority from the out set to provide all who need it with the information they need. Ongoing support from your account manager and their administrator are also just a phone call or email away.

From single buildings to large portfolios, Assurity Plus 2.0 is already a competitive offer. Depending on your needs and the level of functionality you want for the software, we’d be delighted to tailor the best package for you, your compliance, and your budget.

As you would expect we are constantly reviewing and updating the software behind the scenes to make sure it is delivering the best possible experience for all our customers. As much of the reporting on Assurity Plus 2.0 can be tailored by you to provide the information you need when you need it, it also minimises waiting around for the developer to work on your requests.

We can help, just contact your Assurity Consulting account manager or their administrator, and once verified we can get you back online with your compliance management.

A PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) is a documented plan for a person who may need assistance or specific arrangements in the event of a building evacuation. A person may require a PEEP if they have any of the following:

• Mobility impairment
• Hearing impairment
• Visual impairment
• Cognitive impairment
• Medical conditions or injuries

A PEEP can be permanent or temporary depending on the circumstances of the individual who requires it. An example of a temporary PEEP would be a plan for an individual with a broken leg or an expectant mother. It is important to note that not all people with an impairment or disability will require assistance in a building evacuation. If a person can leave the building unaided, they are unlikely to require a PEEP.

A PEEP may involve several different people, for example a colleague who may act as a ‘buddy’ or the building security team. It is vitally important that all persons involved in a PEEP are aware of their responsibilities to ensure that the plan can be carried out efficiently in an emergency.  Having a documented plan in the form of a PEEP will assist with this.

It is important to have PEEPs in place for anyone in your office/ building to ensure that everyone can safely exit the building in the event of an emergency. As the responsible person, you are responsible for the safe evacuation of all persons on your premises to a place of ultimate safety. It cannot be left to the Fire and Rescue service to assist, so the PEEP must document how to evacuate the individual to a place of ultimate safety, e.g., the assembly point, not just a place of relative safety, e.g., a refuge point within the building.  It is best practice to have a PEEP template available, even if it is not currently required, so it is easily available, if required in the future.

Many people like to open windows in their office to let some 'fresh' air into the building. To call the air outside of the building (if you work in a town or city, 'fresh' could be a contradiction in terms. In fact, the air outside the building probably contains more pollutants such as carbon monoxide from vehicular emissions, than the air inside the building. 

Under the (Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, the employer is obliged to demonstrate that the air inside your building is equal to, if not better than the air outside. Artificial ventilation systems, such as air conditioning are designed to remove the majority of pollutants from the outside air, before it is supplied to the building. In fact, our testing has shown that naturally ventilated buildings are more likely to suffer with heat gain in the summer and high levels of carbon dioxide in the winter, than buildings with artificial ventilation systems.  

Related services: Indoor Air Quality Management

The viruses that cause colds and flu require a lot of tender loving case, and the right environment to grow. Air conditioning systems provide very harsh environments where it is impossible for these viruses to survive. 

Related services: Indoor Air Quality Management

There is no legal frequency at which ventilation systems must be cleaned.

However, under the Health & Safety at work Act etc 1974, and the Occupiers Liability Act, an employer has a duty of care to make sure that a safe and healthy environment is provided for employees and occupants. Therefore, as an employer or landlord, it is your responsibility to make sure that the air being supplied to the environment meets the requirements as set out in for example the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations 1992 (Regulation 6) and L24 – The Approved Code of Practice attached to the regulations which states “The air which is introduced should, as far as possible, be free of any impurity which is likely to be offensive or cause ill health”.

Cleaning a ventilation system is a drastic and expensive measure in maintaining a good standard of indoor air quality. Thankfully, ventilation systems in fact rarely require cleaning to make sure of good air quality; therefore, it tends to be more cost effective for employers and landlords to monitor the air being supplied. This can clearly demonstrate the cleanliness of a ventilation system, compliance with regulations, and identify any potential issues which may need attention.

Related services: Indoor Air Quality Management

Competitiveness and productivity in the workplace are of paramount importance, with more emphasis on this than ever in the current political climate. Employee performance declines when Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are high and also creates the impression of a stuffy office environment among many workers. With organisations wanting to boost their productivity, understanding how carbon dioxide impacts your employees’ work-life is crucial.

Occupancy levels can have a major effect on the quality of your office environment. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels outdoors typically range between 300ppm (parts per million) and 500ppm. In-office areas, this can increase to levels between 700ppm and 1000ppm, depending on the occupant density and the level of fresh air entering the office space. BRE (Building Research Establishment) have identified a correlation between air-tightness and levels of ventilation. Highly airtight buildings are energy efficient but less ventilated and prone to accumulation of air pollutants. Occupants can often complain that they’re too warm, resulting in thermostats being adjusted. However, elevated carbon dioxide levels can often be a result of this. An increased intake of CO2 can actually lead to poor decision-making and thinking processes meaning that people’s mental capacity decreases. Reaction times are also slower, so employees may find it challenging to react properly and swiftly to things, such as a fire evacuation or even simple, everyday tasks. CO2 tends to increase tiredness as well, meaning your employees will not be at their best and find it harder to cope with workloads and stresses. All of this can contribute to a low-productivity environment.

A recent study showed that individuals working under heavier CO₂ concentrations (1400ppm in the study), performed 50% worse in cognitive tasks compared to those working in the low 550ppm scenario. The long term exposure limit (8-hour period) for CO₂ has been set at 5000ppm by The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and in the Health and Safety Executive document EH40 Workplace Exposure Limits. This demonstrates that without regular monitoring in place, your office environment could have a seriously detrimental effect on employee productivity before breaching legal limits.

Related services: Gas Analysis

Workplace comfort and indoor air quality are important issues for today’s employees, and there is an increasing amount of legislation in these areas that are open to misinterpretation. This has led to much confusion over what needs to be done in order to comply with legislation whilst making sure that safe air and a healthy environment are provided for staff.

There is currently no legal requirement to have an air quality monitoring regime in place within your workplace. However, there are legal stipulations as to office environment provided to your staff and occupants. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations state that ‘Effective and suitable provision shall be made to ensure that every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air’. Section 6 details that ‘Enclosed workplaces should be sufficiently well ventilated so that stale air, and air which is hot or humid because of the processes or equipment in the workplace, is replaced at a reasonable rate.’ Additionally, ‘The air which is introduced should, as far as possible, be free of any impurity which is likely to be offensive or cause ill health.’

Section 7 of the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations states that the ‘temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable’. The HSE have guidelines as to the recommended lower temperature parameters. Conversely, no meaningful figure is given to the upper indoor temperature parameter, only that employers have an obligation to ensure that it is ‘reasonable’.

The document EH40 contains the list of workplace exposure limits for use with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. These are the legal limits set by the HSE at which individuals should be exposed to at work, ranging from dust to carbon dioxide.

So although there is no legal requirement to have an air quality monitoring regime in place, it will provide you with the key evidence needed to demonstrate that you are complying with legislation and making sure that a healthy environment is provided to staff.

Related services: Indoor Air Quality Management

Given the dangers that asbestos can pose to human health, it’s logical to assume that the best way to minimise the risks associated with asbestos is to remove all asbestos containing materials (ACMs) from our buildings. There is, however, no legal obligation to do so. Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations requires you to manage your asbestos but doesn’t specifically require you to remove it. Removal of asbestos poses its own risks. Disturbing ACMs increases the risk of asbestos fibres being released into the air which, if breathed in, can lead to severe harm to health many years later. On the other hand, leaving ACMs in place, if they are in good condition, poses no danger to health. T

his means that removing asbestos needs to be carried out by specialist contractors and depending on the type of ACM may require severe access restrictions to your building to be in place whilst the work is carried out with further specialist air sampling contractors being bought in to make sure that no fibres are present in the air around the removal work. This makes it a costly and time-consuming process. Asbestos waste can also only be accepted by certain waste facilities making it difficult to make sure that even lower risk ACMs can be legally disposed of. You should therefore base your decision to remove or manage your asbestos in situ on a risk assessment that considers the likelihood of your ACMs posing a risk to health in their current state.

Related services: Asbestos Surveys

The current Regulations (CAR2012) place a legal duty on employers to provide information, instruction and training to any of their employees who are likely to be exposed to asbestos as part of their work.

Staff who fall into this category should be aware of what asbestos is, why it is dangerous and the precautions they need to take when working in areas that contain asbestos.

Staff who are responsible for managing asbestos in your buildings should also be competent to perform this role and understand your policy, procedures and emergency measures.

Related services: Asbestos Training

There are three main types of asbestos that have previously been used:

• Chrysotile (known as white asbestos);
• Asbestos Grunerite (known as brown asbestos); and
• Crocidolite (known as blue asbestos).

It is often said that white asbestos is of least risk, due to the fibre shape and blue asbestos is of most risk. You cannot tell what type of asbestos is used from the colour of the finished product. White asbestos is the most common type found today as it was the last type to be banned, and was found in a wide range of products, often as a composite of different materials from cement to plaster and bitumen products.

There are also three 'lesser' known types of asbestos:

• Anthrophylite;
• Tremolite; and
• Actinolite.

These were not generally commercially used and can be found as contaminates in other types of asbestos, with tremolite being the most common.

Related services: Asbestos Management

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised environmental management standard that specifies the requirements for an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). The ISO 14001 standard provides a set of standards and guidelines that define the core EMS itself and the auditing procedures necessary for verification. The standard gives guidance on what you need to do structurally but does not define the specific environmental performance goals and the core requirements of an EMS are applicable to organisations of all sizes, types and locations.

What are the stages involved in becoming certified?

1. The first step in working towards certification involves carrying out an Environmental Management Review. The review process provides a comprehensive analysis of the environmental performance, issues and impacts related to your business activities. The process involves drawing a list of all those aspects at the site which could have any effect on the environment and identifying any gaps in current environmental management. From here specific environmental aspects of an organisation can be prioritised to set clear objectives and define the scope of the Environmental Management System.
2. All employees should be provided with training on what ISO 14001 is and why your organisation is looking to become certified.
3. Once an EMS has been developed and documented, employees will follow procedures, collect records and make improvements to the system. This collection of records will be required during an audit to show that your processes meet the requirements set out for them and that improvements are being made. Different certification bodies will identify a certain length of time in which this needs to be carried out, to make sure that the system is mature enough to show compliance.
4. Internal audits should be carried out to gain an understanding of how your system is working. This will allow you to find any gaps where processes are perhaps not doing what was planned and allow you to make necessary improvements.
5. A management review meeting should then be carried out to make sure that processes have adequate resources to be effective and improve.
6. Finally, when your organisation is fully prepared, the external certification body will audit your organisation in two stages. The initial stage reviews documentation to verify that your organisation is meeting the necessary requirements of the standard and then this will be followed by an on-site audit.

Related services: Environmental Management

An environmental management system (EMS) helps an organisation achieve environmental objectives through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its environmental performance and is based plan, do check, act methodology.  The system consists of policies, processes, procedures and records and document how your organisation meets regulatory requirement by assessing and monitoring interactions with the environment and helping to prevent negative environmental impacts and improve environmental performance.

Related services: Environmental Management

Firstly, do you require a Fire Safety Assessment prior to your Fire Risk Assessment? PAS 79-1 Fire Risk Assessment Part 1: Premises other than housing Code of Practice states that Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessments “are carried out if the end user wants to establish that the construction stage of the building has been completed, the fire strategy has been implemented correctly, and the necessary fire safety design measures have been incorporated prior to hand over and subsequent observation”. It further states that “it is important that a Pre-Occupancy Fire Safety Assessment is not confused with a Fire Risk Assessment to which PAS 79 refers”.  

Next, do you wish to have a Pre-Occupancy Fire Risk Assessment? This can be undertaken once handover has been completed, but before the premises is fully occupied. The purpose of this is to determine the fire life safety control measures you need to have in place prior to occupation. Often seen as a way of formulating a fire safety snagging list that can be rectified to improve life safety measures prior to occupation.

It is very important to remember that if a Pre-Occupancy Fire Risk Assessment is undertaken a full Fire Risk Assessment must also take place. PAS 79-1 states ‘the FRA should be carried out only when the premises are in normal use’. 

Related services: Fire safety management

In essence, the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO), to make it clear that the Responsible Person or Duty Holder must manage and reduce the risk associated with external cladding and fire doors in their building. This is a development which has appeared following the events of Grenfell and fills in gaps left in the RRFSO when it was originally passed. These requirements apply to buildings with two or more domestic premises, regardless of height.

The Fire and Rescue Service now possess powers of enforcement over those found not to be adhering to these new changes, and notices could be provided to those found to not be complying with the new legislation.

Responsible Persons are now required to include a new range of areas in the Fire Risk Assessment for these types of buildings. These areas include:

• External Cladding;
• Anything mounted on external walls such as windows, balconies and fixings;
• Common Areas; and
• Doors between private flats and common areas. 

The Act has also clarified who the Responsible Person is in terms of managing the risk of a fire in these buildings, and therefore places the onus on them to make sure of the prevention of fires in the future. This also allows for the Fire and Rescue Service to identify accountability when failures to comply with the RRFSO, and now the Fire Safety Act, take place.

Related services: Fire safety management

The primary objective of an evacuation plan is to make sure that in the event of a fire, the occupants of a building can reach a ‘place of ultimate safety’ outside the building. This is defined as a place in which there is no immediate or future danger from fire or from the effects of a fire.

An assembly point is an allocated safe area outside of a building where people are asked to gather after evacuation. This area should be clearly marked with appropriate signage and should be identified both in the fire evacuation plan and on fire evacuation notices. The fire assembly point should provide enough space for all of the building occupants to assemble and should not disrupt or obstruct roads or public right of ways. The assembly point should also be of sufficient distance to make sure that the attending fire-fighting services are not disrupted in their efforts to tackle the building fire. The benefit of using a designated assembly point is that it is easier to make sure everyone is accounted for and to communicate with staff to let them know when it is safe to re-enter the building, or to go home.

We have found that in a post-COVID world, many members of staff are not familiar with the location of the designated assembly point and instead choose to congregate near the building. Finding a suitable assembly point to provide safe refuge for buildings with large numbers of staff may not always be easy, especially in densely populated areas and cities. Instead, you may consider implementing a ‘dispersal system’.

With a dispersal system, occupants are told to leave the building either for a set period (20-30 minutes), or until they have been instructed that it is safe to return (via a mass communication system) when the nature of the alarm is determined. A mass communication system is especially important when having to notify occupants that the building is not safe to re-occupy and they need to go home.

An alternative option is a hybrid of both systems, by organising building occupants into small groups, each one assembling in a different location. If you opt for this method you’ll need to make sure there is a procedure in place to make sure that everyone is accounted for. Communication is key here, whereby your fire marshals are responsible for liaising with each other to check that staff have safely evacuated to the correct location.

Both methods of evacuation can be effective if implemented correctly, and your decision may even be based on your security arrangements e.g. terrorism response plan. However, the key focus should be on providing suitable training to staff, having the plans well documented, and carrying out regular drills to make sure that staff know where to go and how to check-in and let you know they have safely evacuated the building. 

Related services: Fire safety management

Fire safety in the workplace is primarily the responsibility of the employer. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) in England and Wales employers with five or more employees must appoint a responsible person to make sure that fire safety in the workplace is sufficient and carry out a fire risk assessment in that workplace. The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 are applied in those areas of the UK.

The three main reasons why an employer must maintain good standards of fire safety in the workplace are moral, legal and financial.

Moral

There is a moral duty to promote good fire safety in the workplace. By having adequate fire policies and procedures in place an employer is showing they take fire safety seriously. There is also a moral duty as an employer to do all you can to reduce the chance of fire-related fatalities, injuries, and environmental damage.

Legal

From a legal standpoint, by not promoting good fire safety and maintaining good practices in the workplace, as an employer you risk not complying with legal requirements and consequently facing enforcement action or prosecution from the local fire and rescue service authority. Prosecutions can be brought against both the employer and individuals depending on the circumstances. The fire and rescue service has the power to issue notices:

• An alterations notice can be issued “if it is felt the premises poses a serious risk to occupants, or it could pose a serious risk if a change is made to the premises or the use to which it is put.”
• An enforcement notice can be issued “if the fire and rescue service find a serious risk that is not being managed, it will say what improvements are needed and by when.”
• A prohibition notice can be issued “if the fire and rescue authority thinks the fire risk is so great that access to your premises needs to be prohibited or restricted.”

Financial

By having good fire safety practices in the workplace as an employer, you are minimising the possibility of avoidable costs which could include (but are not limited to):

• Repair costs of damaged buildings or equipment;
• Costs related to damaging the environment;
• Costs associated with the fire investigation and legal fees;
• Costs of false alarms (loss of productivity and potential fines from the fire and rescue services); and
• Loss of revenue or profit related to a bad business reputation and unmotivated staff.

Related services: Fire safety management

Fire safety training is key to maintaining a culture of preventing, managing, and handling fire risks. You may need several levels of training within your organisation as those with an increased responsibility e.g. fire wardens, will need more comprehensive training. Those with the ultimate duty of care over everyone in the workplace could also receive more detailed responsible person training. Everyone within the workplace should at minimum, initially receive training on:

• What to do when a fire is discovered;
• How to raise the alarm;
• What to do if you hear the fire alarm;
• Where the assembly points are located;
• Who contacts the emergency services;
• Firefighting policy; and
• How to know it is safe to re-enter the building.

Fire safety training is a legal obligation. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires you to provide whatever training is necessary to ensure, as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005 specifies this further, requiring training at the time when they are first employed, when being exposed to new or increased risks and should be repeated periodically.

With all new starters initial fire safety training induction should be supplied, refresher training can take the form of a fire drill, which is already required to take place at least annually and should cover all shift patterns. If there are more significant risks or increased responsibilities, then more substantial training will be required.

Related services: Fire safety management

Having fire wardens in place is not only beneficial in terms of having appointed assists in an evacuation, but also trained fire wardens will have a greater ability to hazard spot, making them an important means to proactively manage fire safety. This in turn can help to promote an enhanced fire safety culture in the workplace. 

As fire wardens take on more responsibility, they require comprehensive training to ensure that they are well equipped to carry out their duties. Typically, fire warden training will include the following elements:

• The importance of fire safety and its potential devastating effects;
• Causes of fire;
• The physics of fire and smoke spread;
• Fire prevention;
• Legislation and legal responsibilities;
• The financial cost of fire;
• Fire warden responsibilities both proactive in prompting fire safety and reactive in the event of an evacuation;
• The means of escape for disabled person and the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan process (PEEP), as well as their role in checking refuge points to ensure everyone has a means of evacuation;
• Your specific companies ’emergency procedures and building evacuation procedures’; and
• Firefighting and extinguisher use, theory training is acceptable.  

Assurity Consulting offers fire warden training that is tailored to your requirements and uses your building specific policies and procedures. The session is usually delivered in house and combines classroom and practical exercises to make sure that the delegates have a full understanding of their important role as a fire warden.

Related services: Fire Warden Training

As with all electrical equipment, it is important to make sure that regular maintenance and servicing is carried out in line with the manufacturer’s/ installer’s recommendations. In most cases it is recommended that at least annual maintenance and servicing is carried out by a competent contractor. If the electrical vehicle charging unit/s are being used frequently, then increased maintenance and servicing regimes may need to be adopted.

In addition to regular maintenance and servicing, PAS 79-1:2020states that electrical vehicle charging units should be subject to periodic inspection and testing, like all other fixed electrical installations. This should take place on your electrical vehicle charging unit/s every 5 years.

As the electrical vehicle charging unit is likely to have parts that are regularly moved around, this piece of equipment should receive regular portable appliance testing (PAT) in line with your organisations policy for managing electrical equipment. It is suggested that annual PAT is suitable for this type of equipment.

Most electrical vehicle charging units have an RCD button fitted. This should be tested every 6 months, It is similar to an emergency light flick test. 

It is good practice to carry out regular visual inspections (daily/weekly – dependent on usage, number of units and potential likelihood of damage) of your electrical vehicle charging unit/s. This will make sure that the unit is in good condition and that it is working correctly, and allow you to identify any potential faults and proactively manage them, before they become an issue.

All maintenance tasks, tests and visual inspections should be formally documented.

Related services: Fire Safety Management

Fire extinguishers play a vital role in any fire protection plan in all environments. They are a first aid response to fire and can help to prevent catastrophic damage to property and loss of life. The siting of fire extinguishers is therefore extremely important.

Fire extinguishers must be always available for immediate use. They should be permanently mounted on suitable brackets; floor stands or in extinguisher cabinets. They must be sited in visible places so that they can be easily seen by those following escape routes; this could be near to corridors, room exits, lobbies, stairwells, and landings. They are often also located near fire alarm call points so that someone can raise the alarm and use the extinguisher should a fire obstruct their safe escape from the building.

You must also consider suitable instructional signage. This signage will ensure that if someone is going to use an extinguisher, that they are aware of the type of fire that the extinguisher is suitable for and how they should use it.

Typically, we would find carbon dioxide and water fire extinguishers in office workplaces, however if you have more complex systems (for example a laboratory or a kitchen) in your building, you may consider other types of fire extinguishers. Specialist extinguishers such as wet chemical and powder extinguishers must be sited within easy reach of the specific hazard, for example a deep fat fryer.

In conclusion, the minimum number of fire extinguishers provided should be one water and one carbon dioxide for every 200 meters of floor area, positioned close to any high-risk areas, in line of sight with an exit and positioned adjacent to fire alarm call points.

Related services: Fire Safety Management

Under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, the Fire Brigade or Local Authority would inspect certain types of premises and issue a Fire Safety Certificate. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O) came into force on 1st October 2006. It simplified and reformed several pieces of previous fire safety related legislations. As part of this reform, the need to have Fire Safety Certificates was repealed. The Fire Safety Certificates that were created, are no longer valid and no longer have any legal status. However, they are still a very useful source of information.  

Yes, a Fire Risk Assessment still needs to be carried out for your premises. The current legislation, the RR(F)SO), stipulated under Article 9 that it is a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises to have a Fire Risk Assessment performed by a competent person to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire. It is recommended that any old Fire Safety Certificates are kept, as they may contain useful information such as how a building fire would be tackled and may hold information to assist in the creation of a Fire Risk Assessment.

The historic approach of compiling Fire Safety Certificates was a reactive way of managing fire safety and considering how a building fire would be tackled. In comparison, the modern approach of conducting Fire Risk Assessments is a proactive way of managing fire safety and reducing the chance of a fire occurring in the first place.

Related services: Fire Risk Assessments 

It is the responsibility of the appointed responsible person, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, for the building to provide a fire risk assessment that includes reference to any vulnerable persons on site.

The responsible person should also have a separate emergency evacuation plan for all people likely to be in the premises. This should include any persons who require assistance in the form of a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP). This type of evacuation plan should be specific to the individual and provide a suitable plan for the safe evacuation of this persons whilst not relying upon the intervention of the Fire and Rescue Service to make it work. You should have a PEEP template available, even if not currently applicable, should this situation change, or a person were to visit your building which this would apply to.

There may be individuals with visual or hearing impairments for which the common sounders or audible alarm systems may not be a sufficient means of raising the alarm. In this circumstance further aids such as personal trembler alarms for visual impairments or flashing beacons for hearing impairments may be required. 

A buddy system is also an effective means of raising the alarm and aiding with evacuation in which another member of staff is allocated the task of helping the vulnerable individual. Tactile/braille signs may also be used so long as the person can easily locate the signage to read the braille, though these are less common.

Personnel with mobility impairments may require further assistance for safe evacuation and temporary PEEPs may need to be implemented for staff with non-permanent impairments, such as a person with a broken leg, or expectant mothers for example. Evacuation lifts that will remain in operation once the fire alarm has been raised are a common means, as are evacuation chairs.

Refuge points are also popular in buildings whereby the individual can wait safely in a fire protected area (up to 30-minute protection) which offer a temporary place of relative safety for the individual to await assistance. Again, the support of a buddy system will be the best way to achieve safe evacuation.

It is important to note that a refuge point is NOT a place where a vulnerable person should be left to be rescued by the Fire & Rescue service as it is their duty to preserve life and property. The fire risk assessment/emergency evacuation plan should be sufficient enough for ALL people to be safely evacuated from the premises.

Related services: Fire Safety 

A fire strategy is a document that sets the basis for fire safety control measures from the design of a building. It demonstrates compliance with Building Regulations, covering means of fire detection, warning and escape, the internal fire spread (linings and structure), the external fire spread as well as accessibility and facilities provided for the fire service. Typically, a fire strategy will be produced at the design stage in conjunction with architectural plans and is required as part of a building control submission. The document will also provide details of occupancy levels permitted within the building against the provision of horizontal and vertical means of escape and levels of compartmentation.

The requirement for a fire strategy is not only applicable to new-builds, but they can also be produced for existing buildings. These are often known as ‘retrospective fire strategies’. Fire strategies of this kind are often carried out in accordance with PAS 911. This document provides guidance on the recommended process to follow and provides guidance on property protection, environmental factors, the safety of life and business continuity.

A fire strategy document forms an essential basis on which to conduct the Fire Risk Assessment. This will allow the ‘responsible person’ to plan, manage and co-ordinate the appropriate fire safety precautions to minimise the risk of fire and ensure the safety of occupants.

Fire strategies can only be produced by qualified and competent fire engineers. Further detail can be found on The Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) website under ‘find a UK fire engineer’ directory.

Related services: Fire Safety

The guidance states that fire drills should be carried out at least annually to make sure that all occupants are aware of building evacuation procedures. However, should you have staff within the building working of a night, you will need to carry out fire drills to make sure that all shift patterns are covered at least annually.

For example, if the 4th floor worked on night shift patterns of 06:00-12:00 and 12:00-06:00, then more frequent fire drills will need to be carried out to capture the staff working in each shift at least annually. A fire drill during the day will also need to be carried out (at least annually) to capture staff working in normal core working hours.

Related services: Fire Safety Management

The Health and Safety at Work Act section 2(3) and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 article 9, both require employers with 5 or more employees to provide a written risk assessment for significant risks and review them those risks.

The responsible person for the premises (the individual identified as having control over part or all of the premises) must regularly review and keep it up to date.

Your fire risk assessment must be reviewed if:

• It may no longer be valid.
• There have been changes made to the area/s under your control e.g. structural changes, new installations.
• You have had a fire or near miss.
• Findings from a fire evacuation drill identify the need for a change.

There has been a change to the type of work being done on the premises that may affect areas under your control e.g. introduced a manufacturing process to an office environment.

Changes to the types of persons employed, you are now employing workers with disabilities or young workers e.g. introduced staff covered under the equality act.

Your independent fire risk assessor would advise a review date. It is good practice to fully review a Fire Risk Assessment every two years if this has not needed to be done in the interim.

Related services: Fire Safety

It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their staff have had adequate training in order to ensure they know what they need to do in the event of a fire. Training should be provided on the first day of the induction stage with further training given throughout the length of employment to ensure that knowledge is refreshed and the information is correct. This is outlined in the British Standard BS9999:2017 Annex Q. Refresher training should be at least annually but if there is a higher turnover of staff or the risk of fire is more significant this frequency should be increased.

The level of training required should be dependant on the occupant's roles and responsibility. For example, a fire safety officer and fire warden would require more training than general office staff as they have greater fire responsibilities in the event of an evacuation. Fire evacuation drill’s training may potentially be considered sufficient refresher training for general office staff and fire wardens depending on the risk profile.       

Things to include in fire awareness training should include the following: 

• What to do when a fire is discovered
• How to raise the alarm
• What to do if you hear the fire alarm
• Where the assembly points are located
• Who contacts the emergency services
• Firefighting policy
• How to know it is safe to re-enter the building

Related services: Fire Safety

Acrylamide is a chemical substance produced from cooking (baking, frying, grilling, roasting and toasting) starchy foods at high temperatures (above 120°C). Foods which acrylamide can be found in include chips, crisps, cakes, biscuits and cereals. There are concerns that acrylamide in the diet causes cancer in humans and therefore the amount of acrylamide in our diets needs to be reduced as a precaution. The management of acrylamide needs to be documented within your food safety management system to demonstrate the risk from this substance has been considered and is being managed.

Related services: Food Safety Management

Some food businesses chose to document control measures within their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), whilst others chose to have a separate policy – either is acceptable. You need to make sure accurate information is available on request if a customer raises an allergen query relating to any of the 14 allergens relating to your menu. With regard to practical allergen management in the kitchen, this needs to reflect the documented controls and should be practical and achievable to keep the food safe from delivery to service.

Related services: Food Safety Management

Yes. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) clearly states that “employers have a legal duty to protect employees from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it”.

There are six main areas of work design which can affect stress levels. These should be managed properly and include:

• Demands
• Control
• Support
• Relationships
• Role
• Change

Employers should assess the risks in these areas to manage stress in the workplace. If a business has fewer than five employees then this does not need to be written down, though it is useful to do this. If a business has five or more employees, then this risk assessment must be written down by law.

Related services: Health and Safety

Where you have chemicals or substances that can be harmful to health, there is a requirement under the COSHH Regulations to carry out a risk assessment and ensure that there is suitable access to the Material Safety Data Sheet that corresponds to the products in question. Whilst substances such as washing up liquid or dishwasher tablets are considered to be harmful to health if used inappropriately, e.g. when ingested, in their normal use these domestic products are designed to be safe for use with no additional protection therefore we would consider it disproportionate to carry out a risk assessment for such items when used in a setting where there are no vulnerable persons such as young children.

Related services: Health and Safety Risk Assessments

There are a lot of work activities that involve being able to reach higher than most people can manage from ground level e.g. changing light bulbs or reaching items stored on high shelves. The first consideration should always be towards eliminating the need to work from height (keeping all regularly used items on lower shelves in a store room ) but when this isn’t possible, ladders provide the safest means of your staff being able to do these activities and are therefore a useful aid to have in the workplace.

It is important, however, that ladders are kept in good condition and used safely. Staff should have some level of training in how to use a ladder safely and carry out pre-user checks, but this needs to be proportional to the risk of the tasks they are involved in. A basic ladder safety poster could be sufficient in a stationary cupboard with a three rung stepladder, whereas maintenance staff accessing roof areas should have more formal training. Ladders should only be used for short duration work.

Related services: Health and Safety Training

All those with a responsibility with regards to Legionella management require training, from high level management to responsible persons, to maintenance engineers and water treatment contractors, as well as any security or cleaners that carry out tasks such as flushing. The frequency and level of training should be proportionate to the role. We recommend that this is completed at least every 3 years or in line with company policy. No official frequency is documented in any guidance with ‘regular’ being the recommended timeframe.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

Legionella Management

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend that temperature testing of sentinel domestic outlets (those closest and furthest from the water supply and representative of the system as a whole) should take place on a monthly basis, and all outlets in a building should be tested on an annual basis. This is to make sure that cold water temperatures are operating below 20°C within two minutes of flushing and all hot water services achieve between 50ºC and 60°C within one minute of flushing. This task must be recorded also stating the location, date and the name of the person carrying out the checks.

However, in some instances carrying out temperature tests of a greater number of outlets in a building more regularly may also be needed, as for example water temperatures can change significantly due to seasonal variation. Where cold water temperatures might be 10ºC in the winter months, mains water is often supplied above 20ºC during the summer. These temperatures can provide an ideal environment in which Legionella can multiply; putting yourself and occupants at risk.

You can manage this risk by understanding the water temperatures in your building throughout the year; this will enable you to take suitable actions and precautions. For example, Legionella grow best in water that is stagnant, and more frequent temperature testing of all outlets can identify where stagnant water may be sitting and gaining heat within a system. Using this information, you can implement a flushing regime of low usage outlets to increase water turnover and minimise the risk of Legionella infection; even during the summer months. 

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

Legionella Management

Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations 1992, each employer has a duty for “an adequate supply” of “wholesome” drinking water for their employees (Regulation 22). The strict guidelines for what constitute wholesome drinking water are set by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018 and the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2010. These detail what, if any are the permissible levels of chemicals and micro-organisms in water intended for drinking. This includes indicator bacteria, such as coliforms, that might suggest other more harmful bacteria such as salmonella may be present in the water too.

Achieving compliance comes down to following the guidelines and regulations to make sure the cleanliness of outlets and water systems. Cleaning procedures should comply with manufacturers specifications and be reviewed to make sure they are effective. It is important for those responsible to be aware of hygiene standards and sanitising procedures to prevent the growth of bacteria and maintain a wholesome supply of water.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

By its very nature, bottled water will contain more bacteria (albeit harmless) than tap water (in the UK) as it has undergone less treatment. The UK has some of the best quality mains water in the UK. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, the employer must demonstrate that the water they provide for drinking purposes is "wholesome". By wholesome the regulations mean that the water should not contain certain micro-organisms or chemicals nor should it have any unpleasant taste, odour, colour or turbidity. 

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

Coliform bacteria are a broad group of microorganisms which are commonly found in soil, on plants, and in surface water as well as in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. The presence of bacteria and other pathogens in your drinking water can cause things such as diarrhoea, vomiting, dysentery, hepatitis, and polio, so establishing whether there are coliforms in your drinking water is incredibly important

E.coli is a type of coliform bacteria found in the lower intestines of warm-bodied animals and humans. While some E.coli strains are harmless, others can cause severe illness. Just as E.coli can contaminate food, it can also appear in the public drinking water supply. Contaminations can occur through cross-contamination or as a result of poor cleaning practices. Children under the age of five, the elderly, expectant mothers, and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk of severe illness and complications.

If testing shows that your drinking water contains coliforms or E.coli, it is advised that you do not drink the water straight from the tap until your water system has been disinfected and adequate treatment processes are in place.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium commonly found in the environment, such as soil and water. Contamination of your domestic water services can result from the bacteria either being introduced via the mains supply or through poor cleaning or installation practices. It is common to find pseudomonas aeruginosa in vending machines and drinking water dispensers; the bacteria can attach to the internal pipework surfaces and form a biofilm to protect themselves and then start to multiply. Once established, it is very difficult to get rid of due to the inaccessibility of many of the components of these machines.

It can cause a wide range of infections, particularly in those with a weakened immune system, people with severe burns, and people with open wounds, so it is a particular concern in healthcare facilities. In an office environment, it can cause problems with the colour and taste of water, and it can harbour other bacteria (including potentially harmful ones), so disinfection with a food-grade disinfectant is therefore recommended. 

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

There is no set frequency for cleaning your cold and drinking water storage tanks; they only need to be cleaned if there is evidence of heavy debris or corrosion, severe stagnation, unusually heavy scale formation, or evidence of biological fouling. Your tanks should be checked on at least an annual basis to ensure they are in a good condition both internally and externally, suitably insulated with vermin guards and a secure hatch fitted as well as an appropriate drain off point. The water should be clear with good turnover and the tank should have minimal sedimentation and ideally no corrosion or scale build up. Assurity Consulting recommend a six monthly internal and external inspection and a check of the stored water temperature, to help assess seasonal variation.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

You should document evidence to show that temperature probes used for water temperature testing are calibrated annually to a suitable temperature range e.g. 0-100°C. This will help to ensure accuracy of results.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

To establish if the circulating hot water or the distributed cold water is under control, samples (either TVC and/or Legionella samples) should be taken from separate hot and cold water outlets which are not blended. This will ensure the sample is representative of the water flowing around the system and not just of the area downstream of the mixing valve. Where monitoring for Legionella is considered appropriate in hot and cold water systems, sampling should be carried out in accordance with BS 7592 Sampling for Legionella organisms in water and related materials. The complexity of the system will need to be taken into account to determine the appropriate number of samples to take. To ensure the sample is representative of the water flowing around the system and not just of the area downstream of the fitting, samples should be taken from separate hot and cold outlets rather than solely through mixer taps or outlets downstream of TMVs.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

TVC is the total viable count of culturable bacteria (per volume or area) in a given sample. TVC sampling provides data on the presence of general bacteria in your domestic hot, cold, and drinking water systems. Sampling can help to confirm if water systems are well maintained and are achieving sufficient turnover and may help to identify areas of improvement.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management

You should complete an annual review of your water systems management documentation. This should take into account whether or not control parameters have been consistently achieved, and if not, what additional measures have been undertaken. Any additional control measures must be documented. An annual review should also include a full review of method statements and task specific risk assessments. If changes are required, revised documents should be submitted to the appointed responsible person for approval. In addition to this, current competency levels should be reviewed, and decisions should be made on if any additional training is required.

Related services: Water Quality and Hygiene Management