I am originally from a Construction & maintenance background and branched out into Fire Safety in 2002.

I trained as a Carpenter/Joiner in the 1980’s and from then on have always been interested in learning new skills. Along with my Carpentry & Fire Safety qualifications I have qualifications in AutoCad, Management and Delivering Training, what a mixture! I never really knew where it was all going to lead or how all the skills were ever going to pull together but 25 years on I use all of these skills in the course of my work. (I am not really sure how learning Spanish is going to fit in but you never know!!)

From 2000 – 2012 I worked in the NHS and started on the road to studying fire safety in about 2002. For the last 6 years that I worked in the NHS I was Trust Fire Safety Advisor for Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH). SaTH are the main provider of acute medical care for half a million people in Shropshire, the services are split between two hospital sites the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury.

Within my role as Trust Fire Safety Advisor I provided specialist fire safety advice to the Trust and the Associate Director of Estates and Facilities on fire safety issues to ensure compliance with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Since forming Activate Fire Safety much of my time has been spent providing regular fire consultancy services and managing projects in a large number of healthcare premises for NHS Trusts, Health Boards and Facilities Management Services providers in both England and Wales.

Although a large portion of my time is still spent in healthcare as this is my specialist area, I have now started to achieve what was my main aim when forming the business, this was to broaden my knowledge of fire safety within other premise types and industries. Outside of the NHS have worked with Balfour Beautty and Capita Symmonds Architects and building designers developing fire safety strategies and giving fire safety design advice at both the planning and development and construction phases.

My main skills are:

  • Development of fire safety strategies, policies and procedures
  • Working with Capital Projects Teams, Architects and Building Design Consultants on new building design and other construction works ensuring compliance with relevant codes of practice such as:
    • Approved Document B of the Building Regulations
    • BS9999: 2008 – Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings
    • Firecode Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 05
  • Liaison with local authority regulatory agencies
  • Promoting and monitoring of fire safety standards within organisations
  • Surveying of fire protection measures installed
  • Ensuring appropriate fire safety systems are installed and maintained
  • Carrying out Fire Risk Assessments
  • Developing Fire Emergency Plans & Fire Plans
  • Designing and delivering staff induction, statutory updates, departmental & role specific fire training

Some of the NHS Trusts, Health Boards and Facilities Management Services providers that I have worked with in England and Wales are: 

  • Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (2012 – Present)
  • Powys Teaching Health Board (November 13 – Present)
  • University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (contracted to Sodexo March 2015 – Present)
  • Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (Contracted to Skanska October – December 2014)
  • Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Just commenced work with the Trust)
  • Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (April 2013 – March 2014)

Some of the other work I have been involved in is:

  • The development of fire safety information reports for planning applications
  • The delivery of various training sessions and seminars such as, Business fire safety seminars, training sessions on the content of HTM suite of documents, fire safety training
  • The provision of general consultancy and fire risk assessment services to different types of  premises such as, sports grounds, factory units, offices and shops, educational facilities, hotels and public houses and private care homes