A new vocational qualification has been developed to help reduce the annual worldwide cost of fire damage of around $630 billion.
Safety, health and environmental examination board NEBOSH will officially launch the International Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management at the Intersec trade fair in Dubai on 15th January 2012.
Thousands of people die and many more are injured throughout the world as a result of fires each year. A large number of these deaths and injuries occur in workplaces and often result from failure to manage the risks of fire. As well as the cost in terms of lives, fires also have a huge economic impact. According to the World Fire Statistics Centre (1) – the annual worldwide cost of fire is around 1% of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product), or around $630 billion (2). A large proportion of businesses never recover following a fire.
“This latest qualification will help raise standards of fire risk management in workplaces across the world,” said NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth. “Our qualification will provide safety practitioners, managers and others with the know-how and skills to significantly improve fire safety where they work.”
The qualification covers the causes of fire in workplaces, fire prevention and protection techniques. To achieve the qualification students will need to carry out a fire risk assessment in their own workplace.
The International Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management is based on International standards and good practice from organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Code Council (ICC) and the Confederation of Fire Protection Association Europe (CFPA-Europe).
References
(1) http://www.genevaassociation.org
(2) Annual global GDP in 2010 was $63 trillion, according to the World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org)
Contact
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
+ 44 (0)116 263 4724
