What is a pressure differential system and how does it compare to other smoke ventilation systems? PDS criteria to meet in buildings and when to use a PDS.
Water damage is one of the most common causes of insurance claims across multiple sectors in the UK, from leisure, retail, hotels and restaurants, communication sites, utilities infrastructure, power generation and data sites, right through to cultural and heritage sites, hospitals, healthcare centres and education to name but a few.
It can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from natural disasters such as flooding and storms to simple plumbing issues like leaky pipes and malfunctioning air-conditioning systems, particularly when they fail to regulate humidity levels, leading to condensation or the formation of ice.
Whatever the cause, the damage can be significant, resulting in costly repairs and disruptions to business operations and almost every building in the UK is at risk. Claims of this nature are consistently one of the most expensive, costing insurers an estimated £1.8m a day, and worryingly are on the rise.
If you are a facilities manager or building owner who would like to reduce the risk water damage to both your building and insurance premiums then join this talk with Martin Green to understand the practical action you can take.
Today’s fire & compliance tech stack is evolving fast. Connected panel data, mobile servicing, digital records, and job management need to work as one. In this session we’ll map the modern stack and show how Nimbus captures verified servicing outcomes, Dokkit brokers and delivers the integration, and Simpro turns results into actionable workflows (defects, remedials, reporting & asset synchronisation).
The outcome: less re-keying, faster quoting, and a stronger golden thread.
How competency goes beyond qualifications - it’s about embedding a culture of accountability, learning, and improvement inside an organisation. Creating systems for continuous learning and feedback. Turning “compliance” into “confidence." Reframes competency as a living part of company culture, not paperwork. Does she want a focus on leadership or tech processes.
As residential buildings become smarter and more data-driven, fire detection is evolving beyond standalone alarms. This session explores how connected fire detection systems are improving response times, enhancing compliance and delivering real-time visibility for housing providers, installers and residents.
From remote monitoring and predictive maintenance to integration with wider smart building platforms, discover how connected technologies are reshaping residential fire safety — and what it means for the future of protection in homes.
This presentation outlines the vision of a "connectivity utopia" in fire safety management within the built environment. This is a world where connectivity between all stakeholders is seamless, ubiquitous, and effortless, removing physical distance as a barrier to communication and understanding
Session will look at innovations across Passive and Active Fire and cover - What lead to the innovation, How we, as a contractor, deliver the innovation, What this mean to the end user.
An exploration of the complex landscape of UK domestic fire safety regulations, legislation, and best practice. Covers the UK's nations, accounting for variations in housing tenure and property types, and outlines recommended fire detection and alarm systems, including the appropriate grades and categories for each scenario.
As the fire sector faces skills shortages and rapid technological change, engaging the next generation has become a critical priority. This session explores how the industry can evolve while keeping safety, competence and compliance at its core. The discussion will consider how technology, digital platforms and changing expectations are reshaping entry into the sector, and what organisations can do to attract talent, support development and build a sustainable, high-performing workforce for the future.
As a building owner in the UK or Europe, ensuring your fire detection systems meet EN54 standards isn't just about regulatory compliance - it's about implementing proven, life-saving technology that forms the backbone of modern fire safety.
The EN54 series represents the gold standard for fire detection and alarm systems across Europe, establishing rigorous requirements that building owners must understand and implement to protect occupants and assets.
Following tragic incidents like the Grenfell Tower fire, regulatory focus has intensified on fire detection systems, with enhanced scrutiny of EN54 compliance and stricter enforcement of inspection requirements. This session will help you navigate the complex landscape of EN54-compliant fire detection systems and understand your obligations as a building owner.
Fire doors, door hardware and intumescent seals are critical components in fire safety; designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke, saving lives and protecting property. This session explores their essential role in passive fire protection.
The session will cover:
Hard facts concerning deaths, injuries and property damage caused by fire and smoke
Fire testing in the UK and the applicable fire and smoke leakage standards
How ironmongery affects fire doors and the vital role of intumescent protection
Understanding intumescent seals for doors and the importance of third party certification
In this forward-looking session, Dave White, Chairman of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, and Dr Robert Docherty, President of the Institute, explore what the future holds for Fire Risk Assessors and how individuals and organisations can position themselves for long-term success.
Delve into the various causes of roof fires, inherent risks associated with the installation of commonly used flat roofing systems.
This session is tailored for architects, specifiers, and stakeholders involved in the build, refurbishment or management of flat roofs. Equipped with essential knowledge and strategies for mitigating the risk of fire in flat roofing systems.
Key Learning Outcomes
An overview of roof fire causes, including commonly used systems installation risks.
Understanding of the Regulatory Landscape and The Building Safety Act, ensuring compliance and safety in roofing projects.
Gain insights into the workings of BS EN 13501-5, TS1187 Test 4 and the significance of BroofT4 certification when evaluating roofing materials’ fire performance.
Understand the pivotal role of third-party accreditation in ensuring quality, reliability, and compliance within the roofing industry.
Discover the benefits of collaborative engagement with manufacturers to optimise the specification process, ensuring seamless project execution.
Whilst major fire incidents in data centres are infrequent, the consequences can be severe. This presentation will examine how conformity assessment certification of fire protection products and systems, supports mission continuity for critical digital infrastructure.
This session explores the growing fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and e-bike/scooter conversion kits. Learn the key hazards, common causes of incidents, and the practical steps organisations can take to manage and reduce the risk.
In an era where lithium-ion batteries power everything from our phones to our cars, a pressing question is emerging: Are we doing enough to manage the risks that come with them?
Lithium-ion battery fires have unique attributes and are not like other types of fire, therefore education and awareness are key; as is assessing the fire risk they present to your organisation, having an action plan in place to mitigate the risk, and being able to manage the fire event should the worst happen. This session will delve into the challenges associated with Lithium-ion battery fires and you will gain valuable insights into why they happen and how to prevent, or should the worst happen, contain them.
Organised by the FPA, this engaging panel session will tackle industry concerns around fire safety in modern methods of construction (MMC). The discussion will consider gaps between innovation and safety systems in the construction sector, including best practice challenges in the MMC industry and the need for fire safety to be on the agenda across all sectors.
Panellists will also discuss the danger of MMC fire risks being treated the same as those in traditional construction, particularly given the reliance on contractors to ensure fire stopping measures are installed correctly once materials are taken on-site.
Ensuring the safety of employees and safeguarding assets in hazardous environments demands a meticulous understanding of fire safety regulations and advanced technological solutions.
In this session, we delve into the critical realm of fire safety regulations and devices specifically designed for high-risk workplaces.
Navigating the complex landscape of stringent guidelines and innovative safety technologies, this piece sheds light on the latest developments and best practices.
From compliance requirements to state-of-the-art fire detection devices, we explore how businesses can stay ahead in safeguarding their operations and personnel from the ever-present threat of fire.
Preparing for This Months Regulations. With new legislation on PEEPs (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) and Person-Centered Fire Risk Assessments due to take effect in April 2026, housing providers, fire safety professionals, and building owners face significant challenges. This interactive discussion will explore the real-world implications of these changes - from the resources needed to implement them, to the complexities of competence, cost, and resident expectations. How do we balance individual welfare with shared responsibilities? What does “competence” look like when medical conditions affect escape planning? And who should carry the financial burden of the required controls? Delegates will be encouraged to share experiences, challenges, and potential solutions as the sector navigates this pivotal shift in fire safety regulation.
The fire safety profession stands at a pivotal moment. In the wake of sweeping reforms and new regulations driven by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations and the evolution of the Building Safety Act 2022, professional standards in fire engineering are undergoing a fundamental change. With the landscape shifting and new regimes introduced, expectations for accountability and technical competence are rising across the built environment.
This session will explore what these shifts mean for professional standards, the future skillset of fire professionals, and how practitioners can prepare for the next phase of regulatory and cultural change.
Fire drills haven’t fundamentally changed in decades. Organisations still rely on clipboards, manual headcounts, and paper sign-in sheets – methods that are unreliable, legally insufficient, and dangerously slow when seconds count.
In this session, Professor Graham Shapiro introduces and live demos Reggie® Fire Drill – the world’s first GPS-powered fire drill app and platform. Patent pending and endorsed by Phil Garrigan OBE KFSM, Chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, Reggie® uses smartphone GPS and geofencing technology to automatically verify that every individual has evacuated to their designated assembly point – no hardware, no badge-tapping, no guesswork.
Already deployed with sites for Bentley, McLaren, Rolls Royce, and Bugatti, Reggie® is replacing outdated manual processes with real-time digital accountability. Graham will walk you through the app live, explore the compliance gaps traditional methods leave dangerously exposed, and show why GPS-verified fire drill intelligence is setting a new standard for duty of care.
Whether you manage a single site or a national portfolio – this changes everything.
Warehouses and logistics facilities present unique detection challenges: high ceilings, long aisles, complex racking, variable airflow and fast-moving operations. Smoke can stratify or dilute before it reaches traditional detection, while maintenance access at height and the operational impact of unwanted alarms makes technology selection critical.
This session provides a practical, application-led overview of the main detection options used in W&L environments, optical beam smoke detection, aspirating smoke detection (ASD), flame detection and linear heat detection. We’ll cover where each technology performs best, common pitfalls, and how to combine approaches to improve resilience without overcomplicating designs.
Using a real W&L distribution-centre case study, we’ll show how a blended approach can reduce devices at height, simplify maintenance and deliver dependable early warning across open areas, localised risks and challenging layouts.
Attendees will leave with clear takeaways to help specify the right detection mix based on storage type, environmental conditions and operational priorities, plus pointers to supporting guidance and resources for design and specification.
This session explores how fire detection strategies are evolving to meet the demands of modern high risk and hard to protect environments. It examines where traditional smoke and heat detection methods can struggle, particularly in areas affected by height, airflow, contamination, extreme temperatures, or maintenance constraints, and introduces alternative detection approaches designed to address these challenges.
Attendees will gain a clear and practical understanding of video based fire detection principles, including how flame detection differs from smoke and heat technologies, and the types of environments where visual detection can offer meaningful benefits. The session also provides an overview of the LPS1976 standard, explaining why it was developed, how it is tested, and its role in supporting confident specification of video flame detection as part of a compliant fire strategy.
Key considerations from current fire design guidance, including BS 5839 1 2025, are referenced to help connect emerging technology with real world system design. The talk concludes by aligning common site challenges with appropriate detection approaches, enabling specifiers, installers, and end users to make informed and standards led decisions without focusing on any single product or manufacturer.
Led by the Women in Industry Network, this panel explores representation across the fire sector and how professional culture, working environments, and leadership structures shape participation and progression. The discussion will look at how underrepresentation in different roles affects the sector as a whole - from workforce development to decision-making and long-term sustainability - and how practical, realistic change can be achieved through better understanding, leadership, and collaboration. This session offers a sector-wide conversation on how the fire industry can continue to evolve in a way that benefits organisations, professionals, and the future of the sector.
The Building Safety Act has fundamentally changed expectations around competence, accountability, and demonstrable compliance within the built environment. While much attention has been given to design and installation, ongoing maintenance of life safety systems is equally critical.
SMR 01 is a third-party certification scheme developed specifically to assess the organisational and engineer-level competence of smoke control maintenance providers. The scheme introduces structured site inspection audits, technical scrutiny, and proportional oversight aligned to the size of the organisation.
This major update of the ASFP Purple Book strengthens its focus on the design of fire-resisting partition walls, recognising that their performance is determined long before installation begins. It provides clearer guidance on the selection, coordination, and integration of partition systems with services, doors, structure, and supporting fire-stopping - all aligned with tested evidence.
The revised document supports a structured, auditable route from design intent through installation to long-term fire performance, reducing reliance on site-based correction and unsupported assumptions.
Fire safety isn't just about compliance, it's about confidence. When duty holders select fire risk assessors, how do they know they're getting genuine expertise? How can organizations ensure their assessments are thorough, defensible, and future proof?
Enter BS8674: the competence framework that's transforming how the industry evaluates fire safety expertise.
In this presentation, we reveal:
🔍 The Framework Decoded – Understand the core components of BS8674 and why it matters for your organization
✅ The Competence Advantage – How this framework empowers you to select truly qualified assessors and eliminate guesswork
📈 Real-World Impact – Discover the measurable benefits: superior risk identification, enhanced regulatory compliance, and significantly improved safety outcomes
🛡️ Your Competitive Edge – Learn how organizations leading the industry are leveraging BS8674 to transform their fire safety strategies
This isn't just about meeting standards; it's about exceeding them. We'll explore how BS8674 enables duty holders to make confident, informed decisions when selecting fire risk assessors, and how organizations are already using this framework to elevate their entire fire safety culture.
Join us to discover how BS8674 can become your blueprint for fire safety excellence and why early adoption positions you as an industry leader.
A panel compromising technical expertise and industry experience will discuss the demand, desire and driver behind third-party certification in the passive fire industry, and how in particular this is accommodated in the UK, European and Global Markets. We will discuss how this affects manufacturers, specifiers and end users, and the challenges associated with market attitudes and behaviours.
The ASFP first published this Guide in 2012 after certification bodies identified gaps in Passive Fire Protection (PFP) knowledge among fire risk assessors. It went on to become one of the Association’s most downloaded resources.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 and subsequent legislative reform, particularly for Higher Risk Buildings, the Guide has been revised to reflect significant changes in fire safety law.
While retaining its three core sections - regulatory principles, assessment procedures for PFP, and technical annexes - the updated edition reflects the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, and the Building Safety Act 2022.
Key additions include enhanced fire door checks, guidance on assessing external wall systems, and a new annex on external wall construction, ensuring the Guide aligns with current regulatory expectations.
The publication of the long-awaited standard for the assessment of fire risk assessor competency: BS 8674:2025 saw the government take significant strides towards meeting the recommendation in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report to “establish a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of fire risk assessors by setting standards for qualification and continuing professional development and such other measures as may be considered necessary or desirable”.
In this session, FPA Chief Executive Dr Gavin Dunn will provide an overview of BS 8674:2025 and the changes implemented to improve the competency of fire risk assessors, the level of detail and comprehension required for fire risk assessment, and why fire risk assessments need to be a holistic and active document in place throughout the lifespan of a building.
With the Government in England having confirmed that mandatory competence requirements for fire risk assessors will be introduced and independently verified by UKAS-accreditation certification bodies, Gavin will also highlight the importance of fire risk assessors having a clear route to third party certification.
Managing fire safety across large, multi-site estates presents significant challenges, from fragmented reporting systems to limited visibility of risk trends. This session explores how data-driven approaches are transforming fire safety management from a compliance obligation into a strategic advantage.
Attendees will learn how consolidating inspection, maintenance, and performance data into centralized dashboards can provide real-time portfolio oversight, improve compliance tracking, and support smarter investment decisions. Through practical examples and case insights, the session will demonstrate how organisations can use analytics to prioritise risk, reduce costs, and create safer environments across their property portfolios.
The tests for the verification of the light and sound outputs follow a well-defined procedure in the standards. This presentation dives into the fundamentals behind these tests: the EN54-23 coverage volume test and the EN54-3 operational performance (sound pressure level) test.
As an industry we need to learn correct terminology and understand the classification descriptions to ensure we are selecting and installing Fire dampers and Smoke control dampers suitable for the performances we require.
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