Can you provide an overview of Global HSE Group‘s journey?  

Global HSE Group was formed in 2006 and has grown into a leading provider of fire safety services and consultancy with an incredible multi-disciplinary team.  

From 2009 onwards we started to build a team, but the real growth came post Grenfell. Unfortunately, I would argue that the writing was on the wall for that event.  

This was when I recognised that creating a multi-disciplinary team would be something that is unique to Global and our ecosystem of talent is unmatched. We have a system in place to develop our teams and educate them to a high standard as I feel the industry is experiencing a real lack of competence skill sets. 

Currently, we have Global Passive Fire, Global Technical Services, Building Environments, Health and Safety, Ceasefire Doors and our newest in the group- Global Academy. 

Andrew Cooper

Our core values of commitment, integrity, teamwork and excellence run through our colleagues and business, ensuring we provide the best service to our clients. 

How does your “do it right” ethos shape its approach to customer relationships and project delivery? 

Interdependence has always been a key thing for me when hiring, because we want the right people in the right roles, who are able to see the wider context of the work they’re doing.  

Ultimately, with the number of employees that we now have, you’ve got to be able to trust them. Their confidence, skill set and competency levels projects out to our clients and we’re proud that our work and client satisfaction levels speak for themselves.  

Culturally, we aim to “do it right” and our core belief is that we will always go the extra mile to make sure things are right. We support clients from a variety of sectors, work with multi-site operators who have large portfolios and well-known brands. 

What challenges does the Group face in achieving fire safety compliance? 

Now, the sector and the requirements from government and compliance are changing rapidly, post Grenfell. Over the last three years, with Global Academy, we’ve been developing qualifications that we believe will fit these changes. 

A challenge we have faced is recruitment, but we overcame this by searching nationwide and have colleagues based all over the UK to ensure we’re recruiting the top talent for the business and our clients. 

Andrew Cooper

Whilst we attract people to the team with our ethos, I think there is a real gap in the market especially for those in construction. That’s partly why we’ve developed our new qualification, the Level 4 Fire Safety Design. 

How does your expertise in passive fire protection contribute to enhancing safety standards in the industries you serve? 

Whilst my experience with Global HSE Group goes back 20 years, the eco-system of talent we have created probably amounts to several 100 years’ worth of knowledge.  

If we are delivering training and setting the bar, it’s imperative that we do things right. So, we use software to manage and control the processes that control our quality control and everything is logged under three different third-party schemes.  

The extensive experience we have gained in the last 20 years is fundamental to how we approach projects, because we have learnt a lot- including how things were done wrong. This means that when we’re creating qualifications, we’re confident that the content fills the gap needed in the industry and raises the standard of operatives. 

What are Global HSE Group’s plans for expansion in the near future? 

We’re expanding into smoke control and AOV, within the Global Building Environments and the MEP team as well as doing CFD modelling.  

Other areas of expansion will be into London; we currently have a team of employees on the contracting side there, but the technical team will be moving into a new office based in London.

We have colleagues based in all corners of the UK to ensure we have the right people and we’ll continue this recruitment strategy. 

Andrew Cooper

Following recent engagement in the Middle East we are looking to expand into the region as well as Asia, with our training and technical services offerings. The new training qualification we have just written, the Fire Safety and Design has been deliberately written for both UK standard but also international, to accommodate to the requirements in the Middle East and Asia. 

This article was originally published in the April 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.