Exploring the potential for a certification scheme for fire stopping: report

Appendix 1 - Research methodology

The following research themes and questions were investigated:

Research objective

Line of questions:

Determining the appetite and demand for a new certification scheme for fire-stopping

• How the construction industry and verifiers are responding to high-profile building failures and resulting inquiries
• Future developments in the industry regarding the installation of fire safety measures
• Views on existing certification schemes in Scotland, strengths, weaknesses, gap regarding fire safety installations
• If/how a new certification scheme covering fire safety measures could improve compliance and plug gaps
• Appetite/demand for a new certification scheme and justifications

Knowledge, skills and qualification requirements of fire safety installers

• Gaps in the knowledge and skills of fire safety installers
• Qualifications and experience requirements of fire safety installers

Training demand and supply, including availability and quality of current provision

• Training demand/supply dynamic for fire safety installers, including:
  • Availability of qualifications and other training courses;
  • Perceived suitability of qualifications and training content;
  • Scale of demand in relation to available supply;
  • Whether demand is increasing/static/declining
• Further details about the content of ‘fire prevention’ training and professional development modules:
  • whether training is mandatory/optional
  • delivery method (classroom/online/other)
  • frequency that content is reviewed
• Views on how existing training and qualifications provision should be strengthened

Technical scope of a new certification scheme for fire-stopping

• What the technical scope for a new certification scheme should look like, factoring in:
  • fire-stopping
  • wider passive/active fire safety measures
  • coverage of domestic/non-domestic buildings
  • risk level of buildings and how these should be defined and used

Implementation of considerations, including key players to be involved, their skills and capacity;

• Broad exploration of operational considerations associated with setting up and running a certification scheme.
• The technical, administrative and audit skills of organisations delivering a new certification scheme for fire-stopping;
• Inventory of UK national (and specifically Scotland-based) fire safety organisations
• Appetite and capacity of these organisations to deliver such a scheme, either solely or collaboratively
• Any implications for delivery if the building standards delivery model were to be re-shaped to create a centralised national hub

Potential impact and benefits

• Applications
• Insurance