Protec Obtains BAFE SP101 Registration
Portable fire extinguishers are the go-to fire protection tool for fighting a small fire. They tend to be the first line of defence in containing and extinguishing a small fire before it spreads. Any fire extinguisher should be ready and waiting should a fire occur. So, you MUST have the correct fire extinguisher in the right location, which is serviced and maintained regularly. We are pleased to announce that Protec has recently fulfilled the criteria to meet third-party registration to BAFE SP101. But what is BAFE SP101? What did we have to do to achieve this registration? And finally, what does it mean to us? We will answer all the questions in this brief article.
Share
What is BAFE SP101?
BAFE SP101 is a scheme run by BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) for the competency of portable fire extinguishers for organizations and technicians. The scheme is in place to provide evidence that portable fire extinguisher companies are competent in the service, maintenance, and delivery of portable fire extinguisher services.
Like all BAFE registrations, the companies that enlist feature on the BAFE third-party register. The list of third-party registrations is essential for the building fire safety ‘responsible person’ to act in due diligence to source a quality provider for any fire safety works.
Each BAFE Scheme offers reassurance of a company’s competence in different fire safety areas. The BAFE SP101 scheme relates to portable fire extinguishers consisting of several elements a company must meet to hold a registration, which include:
- A trained and competent technician
- Fire Extinguisher Sourcing
- Fire Extinguisher Siting
- Fire Extinguisher commissioning
- Fire Extinguisher Maintenance/Servicing
How did we obtain registration to BAFE SP101?
The BAFE SP101 is different from other BAFE Scheme registrations because there is a two-step verification process for obtaining BAFE SP101, the first step audits document and record management, and the second step is for verifying extinguisher technicians’ knowledge and capabilities. We underwent audits at our Head office (with our administration team) and out on the road (directly with our engineers) to ensure all the portable extinguisher services we carry out are done correctly and efficiently.
At our Head office, BAFE has reviewed all the administrative and document management processes. Already being a holder of an accredited ISO 90001 Quality Management System with BSI (Certificate FM 717488), this identifies we have management systems in place to ensure our documented management system is up to date. BSI attended our Head office on behalf of BAFE and audited our methods, confirmed our abilities, and justified our already strong BSI ISO 9001 standing and its link to BAFE SP101.
The technician out in the field completes a workbook which focuses on the requirements of BS 5306 Parts 3 and 8 to ensure that their training, and knowledge of selection, siting and servicing of portable fire extinguishers is competently achieved. BAFE auditors accompany the technician to audit their work and verify their workbooks. Every fire extinguisher technician, having proved they are a capable fire extinguisher technician, receives an extinguisher technician ID card to show they are registered with BAFE, which can be shown on request when attending a site.
Our BAFE SP101 Scheme also carries a BSI Kitemark (KM 755118), which can be validated here
What does it mean now we have BAFE SP101?
Being registered on the scheme can show any interested party that we are the correct people to deal with your portable fire extinguisher needs. It is essential to the company at all levels to be part of schemes like the BAFE SP101 and other accreditations as it solidifies the systems and services we provide across our industry.
We spoke to our Extinguishing Manager Joanne Birtles about what the BAFE SP101 means to the company:
“The new BAFE SP101 registration will assist Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd to give further assurance to our customers that we can provide the services in our Portable Extinguisher Division. We are committed to providing this level of service to our customers, and the scheme gives our technicians the recognition that they are trained to the highest standard.”
Should you be looking to procure new portable extinguishers or looking for a new service and maintenance provider for the ones, you already have in place. Then contact our team today to see how we can assist you with the services we offer.
For more information on the BAFE SP101 scheme, check out this BAFE video:
