EDITORIAL THE MD

By Mike Ward

Having taken over from the Association’s exCEO Steve Davies at the beginning of March this year, I am pleased to say that I have successfully completed my first 100 days as Managing Director. Having been the ASFP’s Business Manager since December 2019, I was already deeply invested in our short and medium term plans, and I believe we remain in a very strong position for the future.

However, I am keen to develop a longer term strategy for the Association and (more importantly) tangible objectives for delivery. As a result, I have been working with the ASFP team, our Council and our actively involved members to devise some key objectives to meet the needs of members and those of wider stakeholders with whom our members engage. We will discuss these in more detail in other articles in this issue of Ignite

However, I am pleased to say there has been good progress in all aspects of the ASFP. Membership continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, as we attract an ever more diverse range of members from up and down the spectrum of the design, construction and occupation sectors. We’ve seen more Tier 1 contractors join in the last six months than in the previous couple of years. We are also seeing increased membership from industries such as fire-rated glazing, fire doors, digital data and modular manufacturing and assembly.

This growth in membership is driving the ASFP to produce an increased and broader range of best practice and guidance publications in support of these new membership groups. So, in terms of tangible deliverables, we will see these new publications coming through this year.

Planned new products and services

The first part of the Association’s Competency Pathway will be launched later this summer, with a focus on firestopping. As part of this, the Association will be launching new training courses in the second half of this year. Our new Firestopping course will be launched on our interactive e-learning platform, which already hosts our online IFE Level 2 and 3 passive fire protection courses. Following that, we will be launching another new firestopping course for the ASFP 360° virtual reality Passive Fire Experience, which is available to hire for members and non-members alike. Finally, the new Introduction to Passive Fire Protection for Designers will be made available towards the end of the year. This will include support for the design relationship between principal designer and principal contractor.

Early in 2024, the ASFP will also launch its overarching Quality Mark for its members to achieve, thus increasing the value of membership yet further.

Meanwhile, the ASFP’s events roadshow will continue unabated, spreading the word of improving standards throughout passive fire protection. The Association will continue to support its members in as many trade shows and events as possible.

The ASFP has never been in a more prominent position, front and centre in the industry sector(s) we represent, but this is not without its challenges.

Challenges for the ASFP

One of our biggest challenges is to service the many credible opportunities that are presented to us on a weekly/monthly basis, while balancing strong demand and limited resource against the value each opportunity offers. As many of you know, the passive fire sector spans many other professions, markets and trades. To varying degrees of context and complexity, passive fire protection touches the lives of many, from designers and engineers to Tier 1 contractors and facilities management. ASFP members are at the centre of this world. To reflect this and benefit our members, the ASFP team has, this year, developed more alliances with other association peers than in any prior period.

The current post Brexit and Grenfell climate continues to pose a whole series of challenges to be resolved and managed. UKCA is dragging on, with some senior voices in the construction industry now questioning its value versus the cost proposition.

Creating and supporting the required deliverables for the relevant Construction Industry Council (CIC) working groups, plus engaging with and contributing to the outputs from the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been the focus of the majority of the ASFP Technical & Regulatory team’s work. This is in addition to working on the ASFP’s own strategic objectives, as discussed above.

There is also a proposal to remove BS 476 from Approved Document B (ADB) and replace the series with the equivalent European classification standards. For some of our members, this would be a relatively smooth transition, for others it would require significant time and investment to transition. If BS 476 is removed, then the ASFP will engage with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), to petition for a reasonable transition period.

And finally, the Construction Product Testing Regime report by Paul Morrell and Anneliese Day has been released. Most testing laboratories and certification bodies are ASFP members and benefit from the same rights and privileges of membership as everyone else. The ASFP team and the Certification Task Group are working hard on developing outputs in support of the outcomes from the Morrell and Day report, see page 26 - 27

All of the above, coupled with the Association’s planned office move and the development of its Competency Pathway and Quality Mark, really does mean we have never been busier or in such a dominant position to engage and influence for greater improvements in best practice and improved standards within the passive sector.

ASFP Team

In July, ASFP’s Training & Events Executive Georgina Fennell will return from maternity leave with her daughter Erin. At about the same time the Association’s Finance & Membership Executive Sona Chandi goes off on maternity leave. We wish Sona and family all the best and we look forward to welcoming another young member to the ASFP family.

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Whilst on the subject of new people, ASFP welcomes Stuart Southall to the team as the latest member of our Technical & Regulatory department. Stuart comes from member company Encon. With over 18 years of experience in the construction industry as a Sales Manager, Stuart possess strong technical knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of specifications in various markets, specialising in passive fire protection.

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Finally, after six months of service and support, Andy Tyrrell leaves the team.

Andy had been covering Georgina’s maternity leave. In his short time at the ASFP, Andy has delivered the Leeds Regional Event, Fire Safety Event, Firex, ASFP AGM and the ASFP Regatta Challenge. The team and I would like to thank Andy for his service and wish him all the best for the future. (Image 3)

Office Move

The ASFP’s new office refurbishment will soon be underway. Post-acquisition, we have taken some time to value engineer the designs to maximise the value for money offering, based on the quotes we received from bidding contractors in line with the design layout. As some may have seen, we called out to members for support for the provision of products and/or services. I will report more on this in November’s issue of Ignite, which is also the ASFP Awards Special.

The opening of the office will be in two phases. Phase 1 covers the first floor office space, where the Association’s team will work. Phase 2 will be the ground floor, which will house the ASFP Academy to support the ASFP Competency Pathway. This area will also house the Association’s boardroom and meeting rooms. Don’t forget, the new space also provides a home for ASFP members and the meeting/training facilities will be available to all members at very competitive/preferential rates.

The new building will also incorporate catering facilities, a meeting break-out/rest area, practical training facility and a permanent home for the famous ASFPTV.

Closer to the time, we will announce an official opening date and details of an opening event. We hope many members and their employees will visit the headquarters.

New Chair & Vice Chair

The ASFP Chair serves a two year term, at the end of which the Chair steps down and the Vice Chair steps into the position of Chair for the next two years. It also means that a new Vice Chair is appointed for the same two-year period.

Chris Miles (latterly from UL and now with the Fire Protection Association) stepped down at the ASFP AGM having completed his two year period in office. On behalf of the ASFP team and Council, I want to thank Chris for his support and diligence over the last two years; in which he has presided over some of the most significant growth and seismic change that the ASFP has ever experienced.

Clive Miles of CLM now moves from his position as Vice Chair to Chair. Clive has also been involved with the significant changes at the Association, so is in the perfect position to guide the ASFP through the next two years of transition. (Image 4)

Finally, we welcome Sharon McClure of Avesta Scotland to the position of Vice Chair. Sharon has been on Council for a significant number of years and, as such, has also been involved in supporting the ASFP with sound advice and guidance. Sharon brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and is the ASFP’s first female Vice Chair, and our first Vice Chair from Scotland. (Image 5)