No Shortcuts in Safety
When it comes to fire safety, there are no second chances.
Your responsibilities are serious. Whether you are responsible for a commercial building, residential development, heritage property, workplace or more complex premises, you need professional advice you can understand, rely upon and act upon.
At ESI: Fire Safety, your safety is our priority – and we don’t believe in cutting corners.
Our Customer Charter sets out what you can expect when you work with us, and what we ask from you in return.
What You Can Expect From ESI: Fire Safety
The right advice, not a sales pitch
Our recommendations are based on the building, the risks we identify and the requirements that apply to your particular circumstances.
We will not recommend unnecessary work simply to generate additional sales.
Where there are different reasonable ways of addressing an issue, we will explain the options so that you can make an informed decision.
Competent, professional advice
Fire safety can involve complex questions of legislation, building design, management, human behaviour and technical standards.
We take professional competence seriously.
Our work is undertaken by suitably experienced and competent people, supported by continuing professional development, relevant professional memberships and ongoing technical study.
Where a matter falls outside our competence or requires another specialist discipline, we will say so.
Advice based on current standards and guidance
Our assessments and recommendations take account of applicable fire safety legislation together with relevant British Standards, government guidance and recognised industry guidance.
That does not mean applying standards mechanically to every building.
Particularly in existing, historic and unusual buildings, achieving an appropriate level of fire safety can require professional judgement and a proportionate assessment of the actual risks.
We will explain the reasoning behind significant recommendations wherever appropriate.
Clear, useful reports
A technical report is of little value if nobody can understand what needs to happen next.
We aim to provide reports that clearly identify significant findings, explain why they matter and set out proportionate recommendations.
Technical terminology is sometimes necessary, but we aim to explain it rather than hide behind it.
Proportionate recommendations
Fire safety is about managing risk — not simply producing the longest possible list of remedial works.
We consider the building as a whole, including its construction, use, occupants, existing precautions and management arrangements.
Our objective is to identify reasonable and proportionate measures that improve safety and help you meet your responsibilities.
Professional independence
Our professional judgement is not determined by sales targets or commission.
Where our role is to inspect, assess or advise, our findings will reflect what we genuinely believe the evidence supports.
We will tell you when something needs attention.
Equally, we will tell you when we believe proposed work is unnecessary or when there may be a more proportionate solution.
Respect for your building and your organisation
Every building is different.
We work with modern commercial premises, residential buildings, workplaces and complex properties as well as historic and listed buildings where inappropriate alterations can cause lasting damage.
We will seek to understand the building, its occupants and the way it is actually used before recommending solutions.
Confidentiality and professionalism
We will treat information about your organisation, buildings and fire safety arrangements responsibly.
Our findings will be communicated professionally, and information will only be shared where appropriate, required for the work, authorised by you or required by law.
Continuous improvement
Fire safety practice develops as legislation, standards, technology and knowledge change.
We maintain our professional development and participate in the wider fire safety and built-environment community so that our advice continues to reflect current knowledge and good practice.
We also welcome feedback from our clients and use it to improve the way we work.
What We Ask From You
Good fire safety consultancy is a collaborative process.
To provide you with the best possible advice, we ask that you:
Provide accurate information. Tell us what you know about the building, its construction, use, occupancy and fire safety arrangements, including any known problems or previous incidents.
Provide relevant documents. Where available, this might include previous fire risk assessments, fire strategies, plans, specifications, maintenance records, fire alarm information or information about alterations to the building.
Tell us about significant changes. Changes in occupancy, layout, processes, staffing, building work or the way premises are used can materially affect fire risk.
Provide appropriate access. We need reasonable access to the areas relevant to our assessment. If parts of the building cannot be inspected, we will identify the limitation in our report.
Tell us about vulnerable occupants. Where people may require assistance to understand warnings or evacuate, we need sufficient information to consider this properly.
Ask questions. If something in our report or advice is unclear, please ask. We would rather explain our reasoning than have an important recommendation misunderstood.
Act on significant findings. A fire risk assessment, fire strategy or consultancy report is only effective when appropriate recommendations are considered and acted upon.
Treat our people professionally. We will treat your staff, residents, contractors and visitors with respect and expect the same courtesy in return.
Pay agreed fees on time. Prompt payment allows us to concentrate our resources on providing professional services rather than chasing overdue accounts.
If We Get Something Wrong
We aim to provide a professional service every time, but if you are unhappy with something we have done, please tell us.
We would much rather have the opportunity to investigate a concern and put matters right than leave a client dissatisfied.
In the first instance, please contact us with details of the issue. We will review the matter and respond as promptly and fairly as we can.
Where a formal complaints procedure applies to your appointment, details can be provided on request.
Our Commitment
We believe good fire safety consultancy should give you more than a report.
It should give you a clearer understanding of your building, the risks that matter and what reasonably needs to be done about them.
That is what No Shortcuts in Safety means to us:
Independent professional judgement. Clear advice. Proportionate recommendations. No unnecessary work. No cutting corners where people’s safety is concerned.
If you would like to discuss a fire safety issue, fire risk assessment or project, please contact ESI: Fire Safety.