I have just retired and my largest client with probably the largest warehouse building in the UK has replaced me with someone whose only current qualification is having attended a 4 day FRA course.
Kurnal - I hear what you are saying, and its clear that someone is wrong here, but is it the fire risk assessors? I have experience of many local authority licensing teams who employ staff with next to no experience and perhaps less competent than someone who has completed a 4 day FRA course. Many seem to treat the FS guides as prescriptive or rely on outdated council policy. Others seem to just guess!
A London council (with the biggest entertainment team in the UK) attempted to prevent issuing a license to a gentleman's private members club on the grounds it had a drop down fire curtain which would divert escapees to an alternative MOE if detection was actuated in the usual route (via a retail area). The council's policy was 'No fire curtains on escape routes', and this is what they stuck to, despite the RP supplying a well thought out and proven case.
An outer London council stopped a corner shop/pharmacy having a security mortise lock on their rear customer door. This door led to a local GPs practice so would never be closed during business as it would prevent a major income source for the pharmacy entering the shop.
I shouldn't grumble as I have had some good jobs assisting RPs in overturning these jobsworths, and both of the above example decisions where later reversed. But I don't have a lot of faith in LA licensing teams and their FS knowledge and wonder if this case in NI is another example of another 'by the book' council official?