Why is Third Party Accreditation Important?

Why is third party accreditation so important when it comes to fire safety? Find out everything you should know about the importance of third party accreditation. 

Third party accreditation is the best way to get some reassurance when sourcing fire safety solutions for your building. This can give you some peace of mind that the supplier you’re using has been independently verified and certified, and competent to undertake the fire protection work that your building needs done. It also gives you reassurance that the fire engineers you hire are working to the appropriate standards and practices. 

 

You wouldn’t hire gas engineers without making sure they are approved by the correct bodies, and the same should apply for fire risk surveyors, fire alarm and fire door installers. Currently there are no legal minimum requirements in terms of qualifications for traders and services within the industry so using third party accredited surveyors is the safest way to know your building is in safe hands. 

In this post we’ll discuss the importance of third party accreditation for fire safety. 

Third party accreditation is issued to a company, a product or an individual depending on the nature of the program. Those programs are defined, administered and checked by professional trade bodies as well as experienced regulatory bodies such as Ofqual or UKAS. The third party monitors the health, validity and relevance of each scheme and updates the parameters as needed. 

 

In general third party issued certification is a way to show that companies that offer fire protection services meet the industry standards.. 

Third party certification is universally used for services and products. When it comes to your fire alarm for example it would mean that you’re purchasing a quality product, which is delivered, installed and maintained by qualified technicians who have proven their competency and continue to do so with annual reviews. 

 

Accreditations are not issued for life, companies can lose them if they can’t demonstrate that they continue to work at an appropriate standard. This is done to provide you with the peace of mind that you’re using a fire surveying specialist that is certified regularly, assuring you that you get the highest level of service when it comes to fire compartmentation surveys and fire stopping. 

 

The fact that at present there are no legal minimum qualifications means that using an accredited company is the best way to make sure you’ll receive services and products at the highest industry standards. 

Third party approval schemes will not only give you some peace of mind, they effectively act as a customer protection scheme, holding the company accountable for the work they have done and also showing that you’ve taken due diligence by ensuring your fire safety system is installed and maintained by a specialist. 

 

For instance, in the event of a fire if your insurance company is investigating and you can’t provide proof that you used a qualified product provider for your building’s fire protection, you might have a difficult time getting the full insurance payout. It may also bring into question if you followed the appropriate procedures to ensure the security of your property and the people in it. 

 

Hiring a company which is accredited by a third party might be more expensive than hiring a non-certified company but only at first glance, because down the line it could have to spend a lot more in terms of repairs and maintenance due to poor installation. Far too often businesses choose to spend less money and have their fire protection done by a non accredited supplier, only to later find out that the fire safety surveying hasn’t been done to the adequate standard or that the incorrect products were used so it all needs to be redone, which can often lead to doubling or even tripling the initial cost. 

 

If you’re managing the fire safety for a business or commercial property, always remember that it’s your duty to ensure all precautions are taken in terms of keeping your staff and visitors safe. 

Fire safety guidance specified by the UK Government advises to use third party certified providers when it comes to fire protection and safety services. They state that this is an efficient way of “providing the fullest possible assurances, offering a level of quality, reliability and safety that non-certificated products (and services) may lack.” 

 

If you contact your local fire brigade to ask their stance on using third party accredited providers, you’re likely to get the same answer. 

 

GRJ is proud to be third-party certified by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS for short), so you can rest assured that our fire protection engineers follow the best industry practices. With years of experience in the industry we can offer you industry excellence in terms of fire compartmentation surveying. Contact us today to discuss how we can assist you in fireproofing your building.