Local council here in NI are required to assess the suitability and sufficiency of FRAs provided as part of the application process for entertainments licence. The officers carrying out these assessments of assessments have no significant background or qualification to do so other than one training-day with a certain Mr CT. I am a technical advisor for the Federation of Clubs in NI and I note that many clubs are being served with Notices from Council advising that they are in breach of the Fire Safety Regulations (NI) Order 2010.
Primary reasons given are;
No portable appliance testing
Staff not trained to use fire extinguishers
No evidence of fire drills being carried out.
Lack of recording of monthly testing of Emergency lighting, weekly checks on fire alarms.
I regard drill routines as an essential ingredient of any fire safety strategy, however, it seems that the implication is that portable appliance testing, whilst a useful tool in prevention, has become mandatory by the back door. I cannot see the point of a club carrying out a FRA, for the assessor to acknowledge in the action plan that appliance testing should be considered only to find that his judgement has been usurped by a council officers requirement!