RICS delivering better fire safety with development of new UN backed global standard
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is collaborating with a coalition of over 70 international organisations to develop a new fire safety global standard. The project aims to bring reassurance to people across the world that the buildings and infrastructure they use follows the best worldwide expertise on fire safety.
RICS, which is chairing the development of the International Fire Safety Standard, is inviting experts to help shape the standard through a global consultation in an effort which is being supported by the United Nations and World Bank.
This follows previous RICS work to bring consistency to the standards people can expect globally across property, construction and valuation.
Says TC Chetty, South Africa Country Manager for RICS: “Various incidents of fire safety non-compliance, resulting in tragic consequences, have raised questions about the safety and compliance of South African buildings, and highlighted the importance of clear fire safety standards and ensuring compliance with such standards. The International Fire Safety Standard will ensure occupier safety by providing landlords with clear fire safety standards for building design and management while also providing occupiers with a means of holding landlords and building owners accountable when it comes to fire safety.”
Through the global consultation process, it is hoped that a uniform set of principles can be created for countries to adopt. RICS leadership in this initiative underlines the profession’s commitment to creating safer built environments for people around the world.
Comments Gary Strong, Chair of the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition and Global Building Standards Director at RICS: “Fire knows no geographical or political boundaries, and along with this, the differing approaches to buildings fire safety across the globe can be inconsistent, ineffective and in some cases, non-existent. There is an urgent need to deliver better safety for people’s homes, communities and workplaces and RICS is committed to being at the heart of this.
“This project has brought together wide-ranging global expertise and attracted the support of the United Nations and World Bank. I now encourage experts to engage with this consultation to help us deliver the best possible fire safety standard for the environments we all inhabit.”
The International Fire Safety Standards will be open for global consultation until 23 March 2020 with the final international standard to be published later this year.
For further information contact TC Chetty on 031 764 4645 or +27(0)66 468 3056 or email tcchetty@rics.org
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Notes for editors:
- The International Fire Safety Standards consultation paper and questions can be viewed here. Interested parties should respond by 23:59 on 23 March 2020.
- The IFSS Coalition (IFSSC) was formed at a meeting hosted by the United Nations in Geneva in July 2018. A full list of all the coalition organisations and partners can be viewed here.
- The Coalition came together to address the need for better and consistent global standards in fire safety in light of some tragic fires in recent years. The aim is to improve fire safety both during the design and construction phase and the maintenance and management of existing buildings and infrastructure in the public interest, sharing best practice knowledge and expertise.
- All coalition organisations have committed to adopting and implementing the new standard through their own guidance to professional practitioners.
We are RICS. Everything we do is designed to effect positive change in the built and natural environments. Through our respected global standards, leading professional progression and our trusted data and insight, we promote and enforce the highest professional standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Our work with others provides a foundation for confident markets, pioneers better places to live and work and is a force for positive social impact.
For more information, please contact:
RICS in Middle East and Africa:
Lynne Davidson, Communication and External Affairs Director, Middle East & Africa (MEA) on ldavidson@rics.org
