ASFP Scotland and London seminars address fire safety, regulation and product standards
Iain Hoey
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Scottish and London events examine building safety and competence frameworks
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has reported that two recent seminars held in Scotland and London brought together experts from across the built environment to examine fire safety regulation, passive fire protection competence, and legal responsibilities.
The ASFP Scotland Seminar, held on 29 May 2025, focused on policy developments in Scotland following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
The ASFP London Seminar, held the same day, addressed legal duties, product reform and national regulatory updates.
Competence and collaboration central to ASFP Scotland Seminar
The ASFP reported that the Scotland Seminar opened with a call for shared responsibility from Sharon McClure, who encouraged collective efforts to improve standards.
Tom Parker of Arup examined structural and systemic weaknesses highlighted by Grenfell, urging coordinated reform across the construction lifecycle.
ASFP’s Head of Technical, Dr Andrew Taylor, presented a lifecycle model aimed at improving passive fire protection competence through design, procurement, installation, and inspection.
BB7’s Dominic Way focused on the need for risk-based design, qualified installers, and suitable systems in the context of evolving construction methods.
Ysella Jago of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition introduced the Conflict Avoidance Pledge, promoting early dispute management in the construction sector.
Dr Stephen Garvin and Scott Young from the Scottish Government outlined Scotland’s legislative response to Grenfell, which they said centres on compliance, accountability and stronger enforcement.
Scotland’s fire safety strategy and enforcement approach
The ASFP stated that Dr Andrew Taylor returned to explain the relationship between Construction Product Regulations and Building Regulations.
He clarified the implications of CE/UKCA marking and evolving requirements, particularly on the supply of passive fire protection products.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Gregg McKearney closed the seminar with a presentation on practical enforcement challenges.
He discussed cladding, evacuation planning, compartmentation and the Golden Thread, urging consistent standards and inter-agency cooperation.
ASFP London Seminar reviews dutyholder roles and reform initiatives
ASFP reported that Neil Hope-Collins opened the London Seminar with an update on the Building Safety Regulator, one year into its role.
He discussed the review of over 2,000 applications for higher-risk buildings and raised concerns about documentation quality and team coordination.
John Heaney from ECD Architects reviewed the responsibilities of Building Regulations Principal Designers, calling for training and clearer role definitions.
Will Pitt of Laing O’Rourke explored barriers at Gateway 2, especially where passive fire protection is introduced too late in the design process.
The company said this delay hinders compliance and prevents early collaboration across teams.
Tim Hillier of Trowers & Hamlins examined legal risks for dutyholders, offering examples of regulatory failures and contractual obligations under the Building Safety Act.
Product safety and conflict avoidance discussions in London
Louise Barr from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities presented the UK government’s Construction Products Reform Green Paper.
She explained that every Grenfell Inquiry recommendation is to be implemented, with implications for manufacturers, specifiers and regulators.
Martin Burns of RICS closed the seminar with a review of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods and their relevance to construction conflicts.
He advocated for wider use of adjudication, mediation and the Conflict Avoidance Pledge, stating that unresolved disputes lead to delays, cost increases and reputational harm.
ASFP Scotland and London seminars address fire safety, regulation and product standards: Summary
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) hosted two seminars on 29 May 2025.
The ASFP Scotland Seminar addressed Scottish Government reforms following the Grenfell Inquiry.
The event included sessions on competence, enforcement, product standards and risk management.
Speakers included Tom Parker of Arup, Dr Andrew Taylor of ASFP, and Gregg McKearney of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The ASFP London Seminar focused on legal duties, regulatory reform and product oversight.
Neil Hope-Collins discussed the work of the Building Safety Regulator.
John Heaney of ECD Architects reviewed the Principal Designer role under SI 2023/911.
Will Pitt, Tim Hillier and Louise Barr addressed Gateway 2, legal responsibilities and product regulation.
Martin Burns of RICS promoted conflict avoidance through ADR.
ASFP said the seminars support cross-sector learning on fire safety.