National Security Inspectorate Sentinel House, 5 Reform Road Maidenhead SL6 8BY Website: nsi.org.uk Page 1 of 13 © NSI 2018 Fire Silver Approval Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 May 2018 Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 2 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 These approval criteria are to be read in conjunction with the NSI Regulations. No company may hold out or claim to meet the Fire Silver approval criteria, other than by virtue of holding Fire Silver approval. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 3 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Contents 1 Scope and introduction ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 4 2 Premises ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………… 4 3 Vehicles and equipment ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………………. 4 4 Insurances ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………….. 5 5 Experience of management ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………. 5 6 Repute of management ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 5 7 Finance ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 6 8 Twenty – four hour cover ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 7 9 Le vel of trading ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………. 7 10 Contracts (general) ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. … 7 11 Maintenance contracts ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………. 7 12 Staff ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. . 8 13 Security screening of personnel ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………. 9 14 Customer communications ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………….. 9 15 Management of sub – contracting (outsourcing) ………………………….. ………………………….. ………… 9 16 Documentation and records ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………….. 10 17 Management of complaints ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………… 10 18 Compliance with standards, codes of practice and so on ………………………….. …………………. 10 19 Do – it – yourself kits ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. .. 10 20 Wiring rules ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………….. 11 21 British Standards and so on ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………… 12 22 Fire & Rescue Service policies ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……….. 13 Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 4 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 1 Scope and introduction 1.1 This document lists the criteria for Fire Silver approval. 1.2 The criteria apply to FIRE Silver approved companies and to companies applying for FIRE Silver approval. 1.3 Definitions are as stated in the NSI Regulations. FIRE Silver approval includes the design and/or installation and/or commissioning and/or maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems (BAFE SP203-1) and/or fixed gaseous fire suppression systems (BAFE SP203-3) and/or emergency lighting systems (BAFE SP203-4) and/or the provision and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers (BAFE SP101). 1.4 In this document, text under the columns headed Criterion are criteria for approval. Text under the columns headed Guideline are guidelines for assessing compliance with the stated criteria. Nevertheless, we reserve a right to refuse approval if you do not meet the guidelines or to end your approval if you do not meet the guidelines. 2 Premises Criterion Guideline You must operate from suitable and adequate secure premises. When you apply for approval, we expect you to show us that you have reasonable security of tenure of the premises (for example, freehold; leasehold with at least three years to run; or a long history of occupying the premises and no reason to expect that you will have to leave). For further information on requirements for premises see the relevant BAFE Scheme document(s). 3 Vehicles and equipment Criterion Guideline You need to have suitable tools, equipment, test instruments and vehicles. They need to be available and in use. None. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 5 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 4 Insurances Criterion Guideline You need to hold employer’s liability insurance and public liability insurance. None. You need to hold products liability insurance extending to wrongful advice and failure to perform. Your insurance cover must be wide enough to cover all of your work and services. The limit of indemnity for any one event and also in total for any one twelve month period of insurance needs to be not less than one million pounds st erling. `Wrongful advice’ and `failure to perform’ are specialized forms of insurance cover not necessarily included in ordinary business policies. We advise you to check the scope and extent of your cover before you apply for approval. Some of your commer cial contracts are likely to require you to hold cover for more than one million pounds sterling. 5 Experience of management Criterion Guideline You need to have suitably experienced managers, known as “qualifying managers” . These are the people within you r company who are responsible for the technical aspects of the business and /or for the overall business and financial management of the business. This includes being responsible for all the work and service provided by any sub – contractors. At least one of the “qualifying managers” needs to have relevant technical and engineering experience. At least one of the “qualifying managers” needs to be a director or senior manager who has relevant business management and commercial experience. The number of qual ifying managers you need will depend on the size of your company and on the nature and extent of your company’s security systems operations. For a small company, one qualifyin g manager is enough, if they have the appropriate technical and engineering expe rience and also the appropriate business management experience. A qualifying manager is normally expected to have at least three years’ relevant experience in a management or supervisory capacity in the relevant discipline . The experience may have been gai ned within your company or during previous employment / trading. The experience needs to be of a standard acceptable to us. 6 Repute of management Criterion Guideline The people who manage, control and have principal interests in the ownership of your company must be demonstrably reputable When we are assessing w hether a company meets this criterion, we can take into account all the information we have about the people Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 6 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Criterion Guideline and of good standing. During the application process and at any time subsequent to approval being issued, we may ask specific indivi duals within your organisation to provide, through completion of NSI personal data forms and / or other methods, relevant personal information, evidence of character and repute, references, guarantors and so on, to our satisfaction. concerned. The mere absence of information against a person is not necessarily enough. We can refuse to approve a company if we are not satisfied t hat we have the necessary positive evidence of repute and good character. Similarly, if we are not satisfied, we can end approval or set a condition (for example a condition that your approval can only continue if you remove a named individual from office) . 7 Finance Criterion Guideline We can withhold approval or end approval if we have reason to believe that: your company does not have sufficient financial stability to be able to trade ; the financial affairs of your company are not being (or have not been) carried on in a responsible and prudent manner; or your company is not trading lawfully, meeting its just debts a nd other financial obligations. We usually get a report from a credit reference agency. We may view public records such as stat utory acco unts and county court judgments. To help us form a clear picture, we may ask you to send us financial information such as annual accoun ts, monthly management accounts and forward financial plans (projections). If you have been trading for less than two yea rs we usually ask you to submit evidence of: (a) financial backing; (b) organisational experience (covering the business management and financial aspects of the company and defining the responsibilities, authority and inter – relation of management personnel); and (c) a two – year forward business plan (financial plan). In each case the evidence will need to be appropriate to the size of the company and the type of work undertaken. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 7 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 8 Twenty-four hour cover Criterion Guideline You must provide a maintenance service in accordance with the standards and codes of practice in criterion 21 . If you have joint – working arrangements and/or sub – contracting arrangements with another company, we can take these arrangements into account, if these arrangements are with a Fire Gold or Fire Silver approved company. The arrangements should be ones that are stated in a written agreement or ‘memorandum of understanding’ between your company and the other company concerned. 9 Level of trading Criterion Guideline You must maintain a level o f trading activity in the relevant discipline , enough for our representatives to assess and examine the standard of work carried – out and the management system applicable. For initial approval, you are expected to have installed a sufficient number (normally four) of fire safety and emergency lighting systems or in the case of portable fire extinguisher approval have sufficient contracts to enable us to assess the standard o f your work. For fire safety and emergency lighting approval to be maintained, you should normally issue at least ten certificates each year. 10 Contracts (general) Criterion Guideline You must not try to get customers to accept contract conditions that a re un – reasonable. We draw your attention to consumer protection law and good practice. 11 Maintenance contracts Criterion Guideline You need to adopt a company policy that you always draw the customer’s attention to the need for fire safety and emergency lighting systems and portable extinguishers to be adequately maintained and that you None. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 8 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Criterion Guideline encourage your customers to enter into a maintenance service a greement with you (or an other FIRE Silver approved company) and to continue in the maintenance service agreement. Note: See also the ‘maintenance’ provisions in: BS 5266 – 1 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency escape lighting of premises BS 5306 – 3 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice BS 5 839 – 1 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of systems in non – domestic premises BS 5839 – 6 Fire det ection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises BS EN 15004 – 1:2008 Fixed firefighting systems. Gas extinguishing system s. Design, installation and maintenance . 12 Staff Criterion Guideline You need to have suitably trained and qualified people, sufficient to meet your obligati ons to your customers and to NSI . As a minimum, you need to have at least two suitably trained and qualified ‘staff personnel’ available for maintenance call – out. ‘Staff personnel’ here means the If you have joint – working arrangements and/or sub – contracting arrangements with another company, we can take these arrangements into account, if these arrangements are with a Fire Gold or Fire Silver approved company. The arrangements should be in a writte n agreement or ‘memorandum of Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 9 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Criterion Guideline managing partners of your company, the directors of your company, and employees who are on the payroll of your company. Note: Where sub – contractors are used they must be used only as allowed in the Fire Silver Management and T echnical requirements . See criterion 15 . understanding’ between your company and the other company concerned. You should have at least one full – time member of your company’s own staff serving as a ‘qualifying manager’. You should have at least one full – time member of your company’s own staff trained, experienced and capable of, where applicable, designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining the types of system covered under your NSI Fire Silver approval . The same individual full – time member of staff can be both ‘qualifying manager’ and technician, if they have the appropriate and relevant training, qualifications, experience and capabilities. 13 Security screening of personnel Criterion Guideline You must have a do cumented policy on security screening in accordance with the relevant BAFE Scheme documents. None. 14 Customer communications Criterion Guideline You must keep to the relevant requirements of the Fire Silver Management and Technical Requirements. None. 15 Management of sub-contracting (outsourcing) Criterion Guideline You must keep to the requirements for sub – contracting in the relevant BAFE scheme documents and the Fire Silver Management and Technical Requirements . None. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 10 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 16 Documentation and records Criterion Guideline You must adhere to and comply with the relevant provisions of the Fire Silver Management and Technical Requirements and the BAFE Scheme Document. None. 17 Management of complaints Criterion Guideline You must keep to the requirements for management of complaints in the Fire Silver Management and Technical Requirements . None. 18 Compliance with standards, codes of practice and so on Criterion Guideline You must make sure that the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire safety and emergency lighting systems and products and the maintenance of portable fire extinguishers is done to the regulations and approval criteria. This includes any work or other functions or activities that you sub – contract. It al so includes work or other functions or activities that you accept as a sub – contractor. In particular, every fire safety or emergency lighting system you install must be to the British Standards and other technical codes and published documents listed in th ese approval criteria. None. 19 Do-it-yourself kits Criterion Guideline If you supply D – I – Y systems or equipment you must not in any way associate yourself with the installation or maintenance of None. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 11 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Criterion Guideline those systems or equipment. Also, you must not say or write anything that might in any way link D – I – Y systems or equipment with NSI. 20 Wiring rules Criterion Guideline You must make sure that all your electrical wiring and installations keep to good safety practice and they meet the applicable standards and regulations. We draw your attention to BS 7671: Requirements for Electrical Installations (also known as the “IET Wiring Regulations”). It is important you take particular care over protective earthing and bonding. It is important you take particular care that wiring carrying mains voltage is electrically segregated from wiring carrying extra – low voltages, and that electrical separation between circuits operating at these different voltages is achieved and maintained. If you connect into an existing electrical circuit, you need to check the existing circuit is safe and is suitable for what you are going to use it for. You may need to make certain electrical safety tests on the existing electrical installation. For example, you may need to check the ty pe of supply system, the protective electrical (equipotential) bonding, the means (fuses or circuit breakers) for automatic disconnection, and you may need to measure the earth fault loop impedance and to verify whether the impedance is low enough to give an adequate automatic disconnection time. You need to be sure the appropriate test and inspection report(s) and certificate(s) are in place. For your own protection, you should keep a copy (or details) on your file. You need to keep to the relevant hea lth and safety at work law. You need to keep to the relevant provisions of the Building Regulations (for example Part P for residential and similar premises in England and Wales). Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 12 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 21 British Standards and so on Criterion Guideline You must keep to the following standards and codes of practice: For fire alarm and detection systems : BS 5839 – 1 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of systems in non – domestic premises BS 5839 – 6 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises BS 6266 Fire protection for electronic equipment installations. Code of practice BS 7273 – 4 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Actuation of release mechanisms for doors For fixed gaseous fire suppression systems: BS 5306 – 4 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on prem ises. Specification for carbon dioxide systems BS 7273 – 1 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Electrical actuation of gaseous total flooding extinguishing systems BS EN 15004 Fixed firefighting systems. Gas extinguishing systems. Design, installation and maintenance For portable fire extinguishers: BS 5306 – 3 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on None. Fire Silver Approva l Criteria FISF 802 Issue 5 Page 13 of 13 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Criterion Guideline premises. Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice BS 5306 – 8 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Selection and positioning of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice BS 5306 – 9 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Recharging of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice For emerg ency lighting systems: BS 5266 – 1: Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises BS EN 1838 Lighting applications – Emergency lighting BS EN 50172 Emergency escape lighting systems BS 7671 Requirements for electrical installations – IET Wiring Regulations 22 Fire & Rescue Service policies Criterion Guideline You must comply with local Fire & Rescue Service policies. See National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) policies on response to fire alarm systems.