What qualifications are required for someone to be considered to be a proficient person under the terms of Practical Fire Safety Guidance f…

Practical Fire Safety Guidancefor Care Homes is the first in a seriesof fire safety guides being produced by the Scottish Executive to assist those withresponsibilities under Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, as amended.Part 3 introduced a new fire safety regime for the majority of non-domestic premisesin Scotland (including care homes) with effect from 1 October 2006.
The new regime is based on theprinciple of risk assessment and while the legislation does not refer to an assessor’scompetence or prescribe either a level of qualification or period of fire safetyexperience, advice is contained within Practical Fire Safety Guidance for CareHomes.
The term “proficient” is usedin paragraph 32 of the guide in relation to the undertaking of a fire safety riskassessment: “It is essential that the person who undertakes the fire safety riskassessment is proficient to do so.” Paragraph 33 of the guide provides further information,advising that persons can be considered proficient where they have sufficient technicaltraining and experience or knowledge, both to carry out a fire safety risk assessmentand understand fully the procedures and management involved, and to undertake properlythe fire safety measures referred to in the guide.
Proficiency is therefore uniqueto the premises and the circumstances, with risk assessment in complex premiseslikely to require a greater level of knowledge and expertise. General guidance onthe fire safety risk assessment process is available at www.infoscotland.com/firelaw.