GGF attends round table discussion on fire safety standards

Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) Training and Technical Manager John Mannell was recently in attendance at the UAP and FDM industry round table on behalf of the GGF group of companies.

John’s attendance forms part of the GGF’s overall drive to represent proactively the interests of its members across the industry in all matters relating to compliancy and competency, particularly in the wake of Grenfell.

Dame Judith Hackitt, former Chair of the Health & Safety Executive and author of the Building a Safer Future report, was joined at the round table by representatives from fire door manufacturers, awarding bodies, trade associations, tier 1 contractors, JCI, government and training providers.

Challenges ahead

Conversations focused on the current challenges facing the fire door industry and celebrated the efforts of FDM – Training & Development in driving forward with training for fire doors, not just for installers, but all the way from specifiers to maintenance.

Nicola John, Managing Director at FDM – Training & Development said: “The Grenfell Inquiry and Building Safety Act have triggered real change – but the conversations we’re having across the industry show there’s still a long way to go. At our recent roundtable, it was clear: people want clarity, accountability, and better training when it comes to fire door safety. These are critical safety systems that must be procured, installed, inspected and maintained with precision. We’ve got the legislation – now we need consistent action on the ground, and that’s exactly what FDM – Training & Development is providing.”

Dame Judith Hackitt, Author of the Building a Safer Future report, said: “FDM is a shining example of what this industry should aspire to. They’ve taken the principles of the Building a Safer Future report and embedded them into their day-to-day operations—not because they were forced to, but because they recognised it was the right thing to do. That’s the kind of leadership we need more of.

“Too many organisations are still waiting for regulators to drive the agenda before they act. FDM proves that real cultural change is possible now if we stop making excuses and start taking responsibility. The rest of the sector should take note and follow their lead.”

A conglomeration of people needed

“It is only by having so many interested parties sitting round a table and participating in open and transparent conversations that we can truly identify the discrepancies across the supply chain with regards to regulations and consistency in standards,” said John.

“Our active participation in these talks is essential to not only offer our own knowledge and expertise, but to also implement ideas and expertise into our own services across the range of GGF companies.

“There was a lot of stress on the importance of maintaining practical, face to face training as well as online” continued John.

“Purpose and outcomes in training encourages companies to think beyond compliance, and beyond yet again competence, to truly understand what it means to create a safe environment for people to live in. Such conversations are crucial to the evolution of our GGF training platform as we move towards the post grandfather rights era, with the new generation of trades who recognise the impact of the work they do.”

With training centres like this run by Fire Door Maintenance – Training & Development, an integration of the GGF training platform was launched six months ago and is already proving to be a vital tool in ensuring companies have access to the very latest industry training.

By creating the right mix of online training assessments and more practical face to face training courses, the GGF says it is dedicated to helping members lead the way in terms of driving regulatory compliance across the industry.

Glass and Glazing Federation