NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate

The NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management is a new qualification for those with fire safety responsibilities in the workplace.

This course is aimed at managers and supervisory staff who need to ensure that their organisation meets its responsibilities under fire safety legislation. Courses leading to this qualification should equip holders to carry out fire risk assessments of most low risk workplaces and identify the range of fire protective and preventative measures required. It is therefore also suitable for people moving into fire safety adviser roles.

A fire can have a devastating effect on an organisation. 77% of businesses experiencing a major fire never fully recover. The updated duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 place the responsibility on employers and those in control of premises to ensure that they assess fire risks and take steps to minimise those risks and safeguard people in the event of a fire. The NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate is designed to equip holders to help their organisations to meet these legal duties.

The “unitised” or modular format of the qualification gives candidates the choice of studying and taking the examination for each unit separately over a period of time. A certificate will be awarded to candidates for each Unit that they pass.

The syllabus is based on National Occupational Standards in Fire Safety at level 3, which has common units with the Emergency Fire Services National Occupational Standards. Therefore the NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate may also be of benefit to fire service personnel developing their underpinning knowledge as part of the Integrated Personal Development System.

The syllabus is divided into two taught units. The first unit “Management of Health and Safety”, forms part of the NEBOSH National General Certificate. This means that people who have already achieved the National General Certificate within the last five years will not need to re-take the assessment of this part of the syllabus and only need to study the second taught unit “Fire Safety and Risk Management”.

Candidates are assessed by two written examinations, each testing knowledge and understanding of one of the two syllabus units. Candidates will be awarded a Unit Certificate on passing each examination. There is an additional practical assessment that checks your ability to put the knowledge gained during the course into practice by conducting a fire risk assessment. Successful completion of both examinations and the practical assessment is required to achieve this qualification.

The course is being submitted to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for accreditation at level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework. The syllabus was developed in conjunction with IOSH’s (the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) Specialist Fire Risk Management group and is based on National Occupational Standards for Fire Safety at level 3.

In order to sit the NEBOSH exam, learners will need to pay an additional £90 registration fee. Exams can either be sat at the supplier’s centre based in Hull (UK), or at another centre arranged by the learner. If a different examination centre is used, the centre may levy a sitting fee on top of the registration fee. This sitting fee can range from free to £100, depending on the centre.

This course can lead to external certification of the student chooses – i.e. the student must taken an external exam at an accredited centre (Please Note: an independent charge may be levied by the chosen test centre).

Course Overview
NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management covers management of health and safety and in particular fire safety including legal requirements. It also includes principles of fire and explosion, causes and prevention of fires, fire protection in buildings and ensuring the safety of people in the event of fire. The content is designed to equip those studying it to undertake fire risk assessments in most, low risk workplaces.

This course covers all of the essentials for implementing an effective Fire Safety Management system to satisfy the requirements of fire safety legislation. The course comprises of six elements:
1. Managing Fire Safety
2. Principles of fire and explosion
3. Causes and prevention of fires
4. Fire Protection in Buildings
5. Safety of people in the event of a fire
6. Fire Risk assessment

Objectives
On completion of NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management, delegates will be able to interpret Fire Safety Legislation and its requirements, implement an effective Fire Safety Management structure and control major fire hazards by setting up a programme of inspections and audits, confidently conduct effective Fire Risk Assessments and maintain fire records and documentation as well as compile a suitable fire emergency plan.