New Free eCourse on Fire Safety in Buildings

A NEW FREE eCourse has been developed by CITB in partnership with Build UK and fire industry experts, to help improve knowledge of fire safety measures in buildings.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 and inquiry, the industry has worked to increase safety standards and prevent such a tragedy happening again.

The CITB Fire Safety in Buildings eCourse has been created as a direct response to recommendations made by Working Group 2 (WG2), which was set up after the fire.

The free course is easily accessible, allowing learners to study at their own pace, from wherever they are.

The course was created by CITB in collaboration with WG2, Build UK, the Fire Protection Association, Association for Specialist Fire Protection, and the Fire Service College.

Free eCourse on Fire Safety

Divided into five modules, it centres around Grenfell, materials, fire protection, competence, and installation. It is suitable for anyone working in design, construction, or maintenance of buildings. The focus is on installers and learners will need a basic awareness of fire safety.

With no exam, there are activities and knowledge-check questions throughout the course to assess the learner’s understanding. On successfully completing the course, a digital certificate of achievement is available to download from the CITB eCourses Dashboard, which is valid for five years.

Tim Balcon, CITB CEO

Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said: “One word explains why modern fire safety skills are more vital than ever for every UK construction worker: Grenfell. We knew that greater guidance and training were key components to ensuring everyone’s safety, and we have made it a priority to deliver on this. It’s vital that everyone is proactive in equipping themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent disasters, like Grenfell, and ultimately save lives.

Suzannah Nichol CEO, Build UK

Suzannah Nichol MBE, Build UK Chief Executive, said: “Everyone in the industry has a responsibility to ensure they are specifying, designing, constructing and maintaining buildings that are safe and safe to occupy. Specialist contractors and installers across the whole supply chain have a key role to play in ensuring that they carry out work in accordance with their training and manufacturer’s instructions, do not compromise any fire safety measures and report any concerns.

“I would recommend that anyone working on a construction project completes this online course to make sure that they understand just how important they are in delivering safe buildings.”

Find out more about the Fire Safety in Buildings e-course.