Belfast November 2019 Meeting 

Safe as Houses? - Fire safety management in HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) - Antony Bolder 

Fire prevention is a critical component in ensuring the continued safety of people residing in buildings.  As the national tragedy of Grenfell Tower has exposed, the incorrect application of building works or lack of correct planned preventative maintenance programme can have devastating effects.

Having been in the fire service, as an operational officer, fire safety, community safety and health and safety specialist for 27 years, Antony has taken those skill sets into the private sector of fire consultancy.  Working with a host of letting agents and private landlords, and through multiple fire risk assessment surveys,  the level of  understanding in  both active and passive fire safety elements from an owners or `responsible persons` view is still a real issue.  This together with understanding the responsibility to provide fire safety aspects under either the Fire Safety Order or HMO management regulations, many of which are `absolute` under the law, are important elements in ensuring todays landlords or letting agents/management companies are exercising their required duties correctly.

During Antony's presentation he will highlight the following major points:

• Legislation and its effects on pin members
• Fire Dynamics (including fire growth and spread in compartments)
• `Active` and `Passive`systems
• Testing and Inspection programmes (as required by the FSO/MHMOR)
• LandlordsFSO fire management programme as an alternative to paper based documents

By the end of the presentation you will be in a more informed position on the requirements for fire safety as it applies to your properties, together with information on how to complete the required tests and inspections in relation to an overall fire prevention strategy.