I recall being at a meeting in 2005 where a gentleman from the ODP, when asked why the government did not require fire risk assessors to be qualified or registered when legislation requiring many tradesmen to be registered was being extended, stated that fire risk assessment wasn't a complicated matter and the government were determined not to create a consultants charter. A view that I think the venerable Mr T. also supported if I remember correctly.
Now I'd be the first to except that paying a professional to undertake the FRA of a simple hall way which leads to two flats is a bit excessive. In fact I'd go as far as to say the FRA is unnecessary in the first place. So I can understand that there will be occasions when a DIY approach is absolutely the correct way to go.
However, I carry out FRAs and I audit FRAs carried out by others, and to be frank, I'm often very alarmed at the unbelievably low standards that I come across. I won't bore members with the details, I'm sure you all have you're own horror stories, but I will say that the problems extend right across the board, from one man fire extinguisher servicing companies and delusional H&S practitioners with a NEBOSH Fire safety qualification through to well known national organisations. And the problems are wide, everything from being wholly inadequate to hugely over the top. Some are completely incomprehensible, others, particularly when assessing a range of buildings, are frighteningly inconsistent, and many lack any form of quality control.
Still on the plus side, the clients rarely seem to read them or implement any remedial action, so all in all no harm done.
Rant over, back to the arm chair. "NURSE! my blood pressure tablets if you will"