SSAIB offers certification for these schemes under licence from British Approval for Fire Equipment (BAFE).
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SSAIB operates a modular certification scheme for providers of fire alarm and detection systems. The scheme was designed for organisations involved in one or more of the following areas:
The modular approach allows more than one organisation to be involved in providing the system. It enables a certificate to be issued for the whole system, based on modular certification by providers of each module. This approach was developed to reflect the way in which the fire detection and alarm industry operates.
Scheme Modules
System Design – the named designer(s) will have clear authority for the project (its compliance with standards, interfaces with other elements of building services, structures and connection to electrical supplies). Comprehensive records must be kept and be available for review. The design input must continue until the project is commissioned and a Certificate of Compliance issued.
Installation – the installer must demonstrate competence and an ability to meet the requirements of relevant standards and codes of practice. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of electrical, mechanical and other safety issues relevant to the installation is required. Full installation records must be kept with clear notification of when the installation is completed, and the certificate issued. Records must be made available to other module suppliers.
Commissioning and handover – those responsible for this phase must demonstrate an in-depth understanding of all aspects of the equipment that is to be tested, commissioned, and handed over. Comprehensive testing, commissioning and configuration records shall be kept and made available to other module suppliers.
Maintenance – a provider should demonstrate its competence to maintain the installed equipment and understand the specified requirements. The provider must have adequate resources to undertake the maintenance work to which it is committed. Comprehensive records of the maintenance and work undertaken must be kept.
Management System
You do not have to have ISO 9001 Management Systems Certification for this scheme. However, your management system must be in accordance with BAFE SP203-1 criteria.
Market Requirements
In accordance with CFOA Policy, all aspects of the fire alarm design, installation and maintenance must take account of the need to prevent unwanted alarms (Calls with a Fire & Rescue Service Response) and to the extent of their contractual duties, maintenance firms are expected to review false/unwanted alarm performance.
Fire Extinguisher Sourcing, Commissioning, Siting, Service and Maintenance
Portable fire extinguishers are a safety provision that can be undervalued at times but would be one of the first things you would look for if a small, manageable fire broke out in your building.
It is a legal requirement for all non-domestic/commercial properties to (where appropriate) equip the building with appropriate fire-fighting equipment (e.g. portable fire extinguishers). It is also part of these requirements to ensure they are maintained appropriately, ready to use in the event of a fire.
As the person or team appointed responsible for fire safety in your building (Responsible Person/Duty Holder), it is important to demonstrate you have acted with due diligence to source a quality provider for these works. BAFE strongly recommends using an appropriately Third Party Certificated provider.
SSAIB offer third party certification to the BAFE Scheme BAFE SP101 which is used to assess the competency of Portable Fire Extinguisher Organizations and their employed Fire Extinguisher Technicians.
The BAFE SP101 Competency of Portable Fire Extinguisher Organizations and Technicians Scheme exists to provide quality evidence that companies are competent (and operate an effective management system) to cover all aspects of this service and the fire extinguisher technicians they employ are competent to deliver appropriate services including:
Portable Fire Extinguisher Scheme
Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment
SSAIB’s BAFE SP205 UKAS-accredited certification scheme enables anyone who’s required by law to carry out a fire risk assessment of a premises - and who employs a specialist third-party company to provide this - to demonstrate that they’ve taken the necessary reasonable steps to comply with their legal obligations and requirements under fire safety legislation.
Besides those responsible for carrying out such an assessment, SSAIB’s independent third-party certification service will also benefit fire risk assessment providers, who’ll be able to use their SSAIB certification to attract end user customers. SSAIB certification provides benchmark recognition of a company’s capability in providing high quality fire risk assessments, by showing that they have the required technical and quality management competency and that their assessors possess the relevant proficiency and knowledge.
Interest in fire risk assessment is growing steadily, driven by factors including the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales and the equivalent legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland and the awful Grenfell tragedy in 2017. The ‘Responsible Person’ or ‘Duty Holder’ for a building must ensure a fire risk assessment is completed. To ensure the competence and reliability of a company commissioned to carry out fire risk assessment, British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE) introduced its Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment SP205 scheme.
SSAIB is a third-party certification provider for the SP205 scheme for firms or individuals offering fire risk assessment services and achieving it will offer a significant marketing tool - as it will enable them to display the valuable SSAIB/UKAS certification mark (including the ‘crown and tick’ logo.)
Design, Installation, Commissioning & Maintenance of Evacuation Alert Systems
This BAFE SP207 scheme has been developed to permit organizations involved with the design and/or installation and/or commissioning/handover and/or maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by the fire & rescue service to become third party certificated and listed as recognition of their competence to undertake their scope of work.
This scheme has four modules in recognition of the fact that each module may be undertaken by different organizations. This modular approach is believed to be representative of the means by which a significant number of installations are designed, installed, commissioned, handed over and subsequently maintained by third party Certificated Organizations.
The scheme recognises the importance of providing compliant evacuation alert systems. The importance of ensuring the system that is handed over to the Customer meets the specified requirements is also addressed by requiring the commissioning certificate to list the variations from the original specification.
SSAIB is a third-party certification provider for the SP207 scheme for firms offering Evacuation Alert Systems and achieving it will offer a significant marketing tool - as it will enable them to display the valuable SSAIB/UKAS certification mark (including the ‘crown and tick’ logo.)
Emergency Lighting
SSAIB offer certification for this scheme under licence from British Approval for Fire Equipment (BAFE) in accordance with their standard SP 203-4 (Emergency Lighting Systems).
BAFE's objective is to bring to the marketplace a single registration scheme for each product or service within the fire protection industry, for which third-party certification has been considered appropriate.
SSAIB operates a modular certification scheme for providers of emergency lighting systems. The scheme was designed for organisations involved in one or more of the following areas:
This scheme has four modules, in recognition of the fact that each module may be undertaken by a different organisation. This modular approach is believed to be representative of how a significant number of installations are designed, installed, commissioned, handed over and subsequently maintained by third party certificated organisations.
Scheme Modules
System Design – the named designer(s) will have clear authority for the project (its compliance with standards, interfaces with other elements of building services, structures, and connection to electrical supplies.)
Comprehensive design records must be kept and be readily accessible and the design input must continue until the project is commissioned and a Certificate of Compliance has been issued.
Installation – the installer must demonstrate competence and an ability to meet the requirements of relevant standards and codes of practice, while understanding the specified requirements as they apply to the installation process.
A complete log of installation records must be kept, clearly stating when the installation was completed and the certificate was issued. These records must also be made available to other module suppliers.
Commissioning and Handover – The commissioning organisation shall demonstrate its competence to initially test, commission, and handover the installed emergency lighting system and shall understand the specified requirements. The documentation of comprehensive testing, commissioning and configuration records is required and should be made available to other module suppliers.
Maintenance – The organisation tasked with the maintenance element should demonstrate their competence to maintain the installed equipment and understand the specified requirements. The provider must have adequate resources to undertake the maintenance work to which it is committed. Again, comprehensive records must be kept of the maintenance and work undertaken on the system.
Management System
As a pre-requisite for registration to this scheme, the certificated organisation shall demonstrate it has a management system - with a relevant scope - in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001 or a competency management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 17065.
Market Requirements
This BAFE Scheme has been developed to permit organisations involved with the design and/or installation and/or commissioning /handover and/or maintenance of emergency lighting systems to become third-party certificated and listed as recognition of their competence to undertake their scope of work.
By so doing, the Certificates of Compliance issued by certificated organisations - on completion of their work - will give the client, insurance companies and enforcing authorities (e.g. the Fire Authority and Building Control) confidence that the work has been correctly undertaken and relevant matters relating to the safety of occupants of the buildings will also have been taken into account.