Posts tagged: Fire safety

Gavin Skelly, Founder of Fire Aware, explains how a values-based charter is reshaping how businesses demonstrate accountability across the UK fire safety supply chain

The idea for Fire Aware first came to Gavin Skelly when he noticed works being undertaken on several blocks of flats in his local area that had been completed and occupied in 2018 – after the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Having worked in the construction industry all his life, Skelly could see that the contractor was opening up external walls to install fire barriers in the cavity walls.

He was astonished that even after the events of 2017, this situation had been allowed to occur: “Compartmentation is not a new concept – its requirement has been part of Building Regulations for many years – yet it appeared to have been completely overlooked in this building and several others on the same new build estate,” he says.

But for him, it wasn’t just about what was happening on the scaffold.

He started to think about how many professionals were involved in the chain that had led to this failure – and how, even after Grenfell, they had not reflected or demanded more of themselves in their role as duty holders.

“The question for me was how many of them thought about the people who would be at risk in this particular building if the worst happened,” he says.

Skill vs intent

That frustration shaped a wider conclusion: fire safety cannot simply be about one type of company or another.

It cannot just be about technical specialists.

“There is a human element of fire safety that cannot be taught from a book, and that element must exist within all links of the chain that combines to create the environments we trust to be safe,” he says.

“Competency is one thing. But behaviour is another and is equally if not more important – the adage ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’ applies.”

Over his 30-year contracting career, Skelly worked with many different types of company on both sides of the supply line – from developers and consultants to contractors, subcontractors and specialists.

He worked for small firms and Tier 1 contractors alike, and across that experience he saw many different types of behaviour.

“Some companies, on either side of the supply line, would be wholly responsible for their duty of care – even before Grenfell,” he says, “and some would race to the bottom as soon as they could.”

The problem, he says, was that on paper they all looked the same.

“There is nothing to define the integrity shown by the companies who would refuse to tender poorly funded or poorly specified works from those who would,” he says.

“Nothing to separate the client who clearly understands their duty of care to their end user, from those who would be thinking more about offsetting that responsibility.”

Grenfell gave the public a view of what it looks like when the race to the bottom is allowed to thrive.

And now that they know what that looks like, Skelly says, identifying companies that trade responsibly is more important than ever – and so is giving the public the ability to choose those companies over those who won’t.

“This isn’t a new concept,” he adds. “The medical profession has been using the Hippocratic Oath in exactly the same way for over 2,500 years.

Ask yourself – would you go to see a doctor who hadn’t signed it?”

Shifting approach

Fire Aware represents a shift from the traditional approach to fire safety.

It launched for membership in December 2021 and now has nearly 200 UK-based members, with growing interest from the United States, Australasia and Northern Europe.

“At first, there was a lot of scepticism – which was understandable, as we were pushing a brand-new concept into a very fragile space within a very turbulent and polarised environment,” Skelly says.

But over time, the sceptics quietened.

The membership base now includes some of the most respected voices across the fire safety sector, and that diversity has formed a formidable voice against those who might challenge the initiative’s need or legitimacy.

“It’s spreading across the UK and the interest from those discovering what Fire Aware is about has been high,” he says.

“We’ve got a way to go with this, but it’s accelerating in the right direction.”

A moral obligation

The purpose of Fire Aware is to influence members of the supply chain to commit to a set of moral obligations that shape how they deliver fire safety.

It operates as an independent charter-based organisation.

From the outset, Skelly knew it had to be inclusive.

“It had to apply to all members of the supply chain – not just the construction industry,” he says.

“It needed to apply to anyone who carries a duty of care – and that duty manifests in many different ways, but ultimately leads to the same goal: to protect those who rely on that duty being upheld to keep them safe.”

All members of Fire Aware share the same duty – they simply fulfil it in different ways.

As a result, Fire Aware developed multiple discipline-based charters.

These cover not only contractors and specialists, but also extend to sectors often left out of fire safety frameworks – including hoteliers and landlords, cost consultants and designers, housing associations and property developers, facilities management companies, recruitment firms, and others.

“Why?” Skelly says. “Because in some way, they all carry a duty of care – and it could be their link that breaks down to allow the worst to happen.”

Influencing the procurement process

For Skelly, the approach is about identity and unity.

“It’s about giving people a choice,” he says. “It’s easier to believe in something if you can see it.” But that choice can’t just exist inside the supply chain – it has to be visible in the public domain.

This, he explains, is one of Fire Aware’s most distinct elements.

Its reach can ascend vertically through the supply chain, applying to clients of Fire Aware members and continuing upward to their clients, until it surfaces into public view.

He gives the example of a hotel.

“They have a duty of care for their customers’ fire safety,” he says.

“By using Fire Aware members, they can identify themselves as compliant with the hoteliers’ Fire Aware charter.

“They can use the Fire Aware brand to demonstrate that they are making the right choices in terms of the supply chain they rely on to keep their building safe.”

This principle, he explains, could apply to any number of public-facing environments – schools, libraries, pubs, restaurants, hospitals, train stations, airports.

“The point is, all of these are connection points with the public.

“And once the public understands what the Fire Aware mark means, they can begin to demand it as a condition of sale.

“If you had the choice between a hotel displaying the Fire Aware logo and one that didn’t, which one would you choose?”

Strengthening cross-sector collaboration

Fire Aware helps to build trust by allowing members to recognise one another across the supply line – even if they’re delivering different services.

“It’s about understanding that they are both undertaking the same process, and that they’re united in that commitment – and identified similarly as such,” Skelly says.

“It’s a bit like being in a stadium as a supporter of a team,” he continues. “The team in this analogy is public safety.

“You don’t know everyone in the stadium, but you’re all wearing the same colours – which means you do know one thing about everyone around you: you know what they believe in.”

Fire Aware uses a two-stage compliance process, which Skelly describes as “rigorous.” It begins at the point of application.

“Anyone joining the organisation must demonstrate that they are legally compliant to provide the services they offer,” he says.

In some cases – due to the broad spectrum of member disciplines – there may be no legal requirement.

In these situations, Fire Aware assesses where the company is on its learning journey.

“We may set targets within the membership period for that company to continue its educational pathway,” he explains, “and link them with Fire Aware training providers who can help them achieve this.” It’s also a way to gauge whether companies are genuinely progressive and willing to grow.

Once in membership, businesses must show how they are adhering to the charter they’ve signed.

“Each condition is answered via our compliance portal, and all answers must be evidenced,” he says.

This process resets at the end of each annual membership period and must be repeated – but members are expected to improve on the previous year’s responses.

A community for cultural change

The Fire Aware website includes a public-facing best practice portal, which is populated by members and available to all.

This includes information on best practice, innovation, and updates on fire safety measures being undertaken by the community.

It acts as a one-stop shop for fire-related CPD and helps promote members’ services.

According to Skelly, the goal has always been – and will continue to be – cultural change in how fire safety is delivered across the UK.

“For too long now, it’s been an industry exploited by those who see it primarily as a profit-making environment, combining highly technical elements with a lay person’s reliance,” he says.

“Our goal is to make the Fire Aware identity as prevalent and as trusted as the Food & Hygiene Standards that the public rely on.”

For Skelly, the core message is simple: “It’s not all about competence. It’s not all about skills and knowledge.

“It’s primarily about behaviour – and identifying companies that understand why behaviour matters is just as important as recognising a qualification or accreditation.”

This was originally published in the July 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.