A fire-safety standard that defines ‘Competence’
A new fire standard has just been published, but unlike other standards, it does not specify technical aspects such as how a fire safety product should be designed or maintained.
Instead, the new standard, EN 16763 ‘Services for Fire Safety and Security Systems’, focuses purely on service delivery.
It has been almost five years in the making, but the new standard explores every part of the service – from planning, through to design, commission, installation, and handover to the client. The standard clarifies what should be the expected level of service at each stage, bringing a new benchmark of quality to the fore of the fire industry.
Although this new standard isn’t mandatory by law, it is incredibly necessary: at this moment in time, there is no way of determining the quality of service that a company currently provides prior to purchasing.
This standard aims to improve the quality of service delivery by specifying the level of competence, knowledge, and understanding of a company and the individuals employed by that company. The idea is that by having certain service levels specified, it gives buyers greater confidence in what they are purchasing.
