A Resilience First and Fire Protection Association joint event
Overview
Phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has dominated the fire and risk sector for much of the past year. Now that it has reached its conclusion, this online event is being delivered to support our member businesses, with speakers analysing and dissecting the relevant outcomes of the inquiry to bring you an understanding of the changes in a business context; both legislatively and as advisory actions.
When it comes to managing your fire safety risks in the future, complacency is not an option. As Dame Judith Hackitt has highlighted: “Work has been ‘impressive’ but changing the regulatory framework, which some are waiting for, is going to take time. The direction of travel is right, and progress on implementing is encouraging. But we’re not moving fast enough to change any of it. So, what are we waiting for? You need to examine why you are doing this. You should be doing this because it’s the right thing to do. Not because the rules and legislation make you do it.” This online event aims to support businesses in achieving this.
CPD
1 hour’s IFE CPD will be awarded to delegates attending this webinar.
Content
The webinar will commence with some of the key findings of the review such as:
- Business Continuity Planning – internally and externally
- A competent routine for fire safety maintenance and risk review
- Compliance with building regulations
- Organisational response and support for large scale emergencies
Caroline Brosnan, Senior Associate in the property and housing litigation team at Russell-Cooke, will share some of her collective experience of working with leaseholders, tenants, management companies, freeholders, bereaved survivors and developers within the complex legal environment which is emerging post Grenfell. This part of the webinar will endeavour to provide some advice on civil claims and criminal investigations in relation to fire safety. Caroline will discuss clear and practical information whilst highlighting methods to avoid or resolve disputes in the most cost-effective way.
For the next part of the webinar, we will be joined by Howard Passey, FPA Director of Operations, who will look at the specific implications of what this means for organisations, including:
- ensuring you have a suitable and sufficient fire strategy and ensuing fire risk assessment
- the options available to organisations who are experiencing challenges in fire safety
- the Building Safety Act gateways and changes to the use of combustible materials.
Finally, from a risk and insurance perspective Tom Roche, Assistant Vice President of International Codes and Standards at FM Global will bring in the wider picture of risk management and highlight some of the ways that organisations can place resilience at the heart of what they do when it comes to fire safety.
The webinar will finish with an opportunity to ask questions relevant to your own situations.
Chair:
George Karagiannis (PhD, CEM) is the Director of the Engineering Leadership Group, the first of its kind peer to peer engagement platform with a vision to capture the voice of engineering firms worldwide. The Engineering Leadership Group is created and delivered by Resilience First and the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure, members of the Resilience Rising Consortium. From 2019 to 2022, he was Greece's Deputy Secretary-General for Civil Protection. Before that, he was Technical Officer at the European Commission Joint Research Center, where his area of expertise revolved around emergency management, critical infrastructure protection and hybrid threats.
Speakers:
Caroline Brosnan is a Senior Associate in the property and housing litigation team at Russell-Cooke. Caroline has experience in a range of housing and property matters, including possession, injunction and disrepair claims. She has also issued claims on behalf of clients for breaches of the Equality Act, including racial and disability discrimination. She is also advising and representing some of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Howard Passey is the Fire Protection Association’s Director of Operations. Howard joined the FPA in 1992 as a Training/Information Officer after training formally as a land surveyor and spending eight years in the construction industry. He has spent considerable time in the FPA’s fire advisory division and is among our most experienced and respected fire risk assessors, helping clients with complex and varied projects including fire safety audits, fire strategy development and reviews, inspections, and risk assessments.
Tom Roche is Assistant Vice President and Senior Consultant within the International Codes and Standards Group at commercial property insurer, FM Global. Tom works to share FM Global’s knowledge and expertise to influence building codes and loss prevention standards. He is a vocal proponent of active fire protection systems in the UK and a driving force behind calls to review fire safety regulation to improve property protection. Tom also serves as the secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) and as Active Protection Director for the Fire Sector Federation.
Who will benefit?
- Business owners
- Health and safety managers
- Fire managers
- Facilities managers
- Risk managers
- Compliance managers
- Insurers
For any queries, please contact Beena Chester at bchester@resiliencefirst.co.uk
