Recently talked about what competency means in the context of fire safety in the construction industry, from a contractor/installer point of view. Established that there is more to competency than knowledge, skill, or experience and talked about ethics, the culture of copy and paste, and the importance of knowing one’s limitations.
Competency is knowing what don’t know and being prepared to ask for help. This often works for those who find themselves in a situation where they understand that what is being asked of them is outside of their competence but could find suitable assistance to complete the job. In other cases, it is also about knowing the limitations and when not the most suitable person for the project.
Understanding the requirements
Without a competent manufacturer, compliant installations would be harder to achieve
But where do the limitations of a manufacturer’s competency lie? What does a competent manufacturer look like? For a manufacturer, it is about understanding the requirements of a project and supporting the delivery of best practices in fire stopping. Competency is important for a fire safety manufacturer because ultimately, their products work to save lives and protect property.
But also, because all parties, from architects to installers, rely on the manufacturer when it comes to design and installation. Without a competent manufacturer, compliant installations would be harder to achieve.
What supports the competency of a manufacturer?
Competency can be hard to measure, assess, or evaluate directly because there is no benchmark to compare it to. Nevertheless, it can be observed through:
- Skills: No matter how competent think are, or how many years have spent studying, everyone still needs to refresh their skills every once in a while and keep up to date with current practices. Therefore, training and actively looking for opportunities to broaden their knowledge is highly recommended. That’s why it’s imperative for manufacturers, especially their technical teams, to keep their skills up-to-date and align them with current regulations and trends.
- Knowledge: Thirst for knowledge is key. Wanting to gain further knowledge about niche sectors, and even areas that go beyond, gives a broader way of viewing challenges faced in the industry. This is not only through third-party training but by building and surrounding with professionals who support growth and have the right mindset when it comes to fire safety. Engaging with professionals in the industry, gaining insight into customers’ challenges, and open conversations on platforms, such as industry media and events, all contribute to a manufacturer’s knowledge. This also includes qualifications. While they don’t make fully competent, there is no doubt that they play an important role in establishing a foundation for initial skills, knowledge, and understanding. While qualifications alone won’t make the manufacturer’s team members competent, they significantly contribute to their competency when supporting their customers.
- Experience: This is the gained knowledge through direct observation or participation. It builds into competency by allowing one to gain more awareness and understanding of the sector. Having decades of experience in supplying fire-stopping solutions, and direct insight into the challenges and motivations of trades involved is another important factor that contributes to competence.
But what else is involved in competency?
Skills, knowledge, and experience are usually the first three factors that are used to define what competency means. As mentioned previously, we believe that competency goes beyond these and can also be supported by:
- Language: It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to use the relevant language and tone of voice depending on their audience. In fire safety, it is important to say what to mean and what to say. All information and language must be clear and precise, supporting the customer and thus, leaving no room for error.
- Cultural change: When it comes to manufacturing, believe that the job isn’t merely to just produce and sell firestopping products, but to contribute to cultural change across the wider industry. Cultural change does not happen overnight. Someone has got to take the lead. Therefore, manufacturers must also play their part in educating the industry on their product suitability, wider fire safety matters, and regulation updates. Manufacturers may not know it all, but they have a responsibility to share the information that they do know.
- Ethics: While one can tangibly measure someone’s qualifications or skills, it is also about attributes and how to use them to apply skills that make them competent. Manufacturers must act in the interest of the future occupants of the building. Decisions must be based on company values. For example, at Quelfire, if don’t have a firestopping-tested solution, then we won’t sell the product because this goes against what we believe in which is protecting people and property. Competency and ethics work coherently together, can’t have one without the other. If did not have a tested solution for a customer’s application but proceeded to sell them a product for an untested application, then this would not be competent or ethical. It wouldn’t make it competent to proceed to sell a product even when wasn’t the most suitable manufacturer for the application in question. It also wouldn’t be ethical because it has acted from the perspective of financial gain rather than the interest of the safety of future occupants of the building. When the customer and manufacturer are on the same page, striving for ultimate building compliance, neither party’s ethics will be jeopardized. Again, it is about asking the right questions and establishing whose values line up.
- Knowing the limitations: Knowing the limitations comes with the experience of knowing that are not going to be the right fit for every project. Most importantly, it saves lives, but it can help save time and money too. As exemplified above, ethics feeds into knowing the limitations. Manufacturers must understand the limitations of their fire testing and work transparently. This is important because it is the difference between a product being installed correctly and incorrectly: the difference between a contained fire and a destructive fire. An obvious example would be the widespread misconceptions of ‘fire-rated’ foam. Due to a poor understanding of its use and suitability, there have been cases where it has been used incorrectly to firestop any leftover gaps around service penetrations. However, if check the small print of some fire foams, they require other products to be used in conjunction–for example, intumescent sealant. Manufacturers need to make this limiting information extra clear and further educate the industry on what ‘up to’ fire rating means on their tested products.
A culture of copy-and-paste
The construction industry can be fairly complacent in terms of assuming that everyone is competent
Competency is the act of understanding the why, thinking for, and knowing how something works. Currently, there is a culture of training people to copy and paste, without questioning the source of information. All parties need to be trained on the importance of doing their due diligence. The construction industry can be fairly complacent in terms of assuming that everyone is competent. For example, a qualified electrician is competent to wire up a socket box but is then asked to firestop the socket using a putty pad. While it is not hard to install a putty pad, does the electrician understand why they are installing it and that it is a life safety critical element?
Competency is not solely about whether one can do something, but whether one knows the fundamentals of what is being asked to do. Most manufacturers offer support from design through to installation, providing training such as CPDs or toolbox talks. At Quelfire, go one step further by offering early engagement meetings and having a range of sample boards as a benchmark for compliant installations for when customers visit.
Multiple key factors
Manufacturers understand that there is a lot of information out there and therefore, do not assume that all parties from architects to installers are masters of everything. Communication, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge. Working this way ensures that all parties are on the same page, working to best practices and showing that they are competent.
To conclude, competency cannot be measured on one basis. It depends on multiple key factors from the practical side like skills and experience to the more personal attributes such as ethics and knowing the limitations. Competency is about welcoming changes, new best practices, and remaining flexible. To be competent, there must be a willingness to do the work and put in the effort required. It is important for people to also understand that there are manufacturers and system suppliers, like ourselves, who are willing to provide support and an evidence-based solution.
