1 July 2020
The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EASME) has launched an online public consultation to gather advice from stakeholders on the needs and solutions to increase the number of trained and qualified building professionals across Europe. The Modern Building Alliance has taken advantage of this opportunity to point out once again how important it is for fire safety skills and competencies to accompany building renovation processes and to do so in a holistic way.
The public consultation focused on which qualified building professionals are necessary to deliver high-energy performance building renovations and new nearly zero-energy buildings.
In its answer, the Modern Building Alliance highlighted the importance of including fire safety-related competencies in future eligible fields for financing, which can include for example the involvement of fire safety engineers during building design, or fire and electrical safety experts undertaking regular inspections.
Quentin de Hults says: “We want to bring to the attention of the European Commission that Fire Safety skills are - too often - not sufficiently considered as part of the renovation process. Fire safety is a complex issue with many aspects to be considered, which requires the right skills and competencies. The role of fire safety engineers/experts is not sufficiently recognised. If we want fire safety to accompany the transformation of the building stock, it must start with the right recognition of the skills needed.”
