Overview
What is a Fire Safety Surveyor?
Fire Safety Surveyors are professionals that identify, evaluate and implement strategies to address fire hazards and risks. Along with assessing the suitability of fire safety precautions and ensuring buildings meet safety legislation, they also advise clients on fire safety plans and procedures.
The role of a Fire Safety Surveyor is a relatively new area of the built environment. It often crosses over into health and safety roles, and may be referred to by similar titles, such as Fire Estimator or Fire Risk Assessor.
How much do Fire Safety Surveyors earn?
The average salary of a Fire Safety Surveyor is usually between: £27,000 – £45,000
Skills
What’s required for the role?
- Attention to detail
- Comprehensive knowledge of safety regulations
- Report writing and written communication
- Verbal communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- The ability to negotiate and manage stakeholders
- Practical knowledge of building materials
- Commercial awareness
- Critical thinking
- Digital literacy
- Organisational skills
- Project management
- An analytical mindset
- Comfort working independently
Details
What does a Fire Safety Surveyor do?
A Fire Safety Surveyor will have a wide range of responsibilities in their role, including:
What is the work environment like?
As with many other roles in the built environment, professionals in this area should expect to travel frequently to different sites, both newly built and existing or even historical. Office work is also a large part of this role, but the majority of your time will be spent on the move.
Opportunities
Is fire safety a good career?
The importance of fire safety was thrust into the limelight in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. The subsequent aftermath has led to a raft of changes to fire safety legislation, giving building owners greater responsibility to ensure the safety of their residents.
This new wave of legislation has increased demand in the built environment for professionals with fire safety knowledge and expertise. As it stands, the current shortage of skilled fire safety professionals in the UK could present significant risks in the future.
For professionals with an interest in this area, individuals with experience in fire safety or even surveyors from other disciplines looking to specialise, a career in fire safety can be one of long-term security and opportunity.
It’s a career where you have the opportunity to make a genuine difference, both to the lives of the individual and the safety of communities.
Become a fire safety surveyor
Who can work in fire safety?
There’s nothing stopping you from pursuing a role in fire safety. At UCEM, thousands of students from various backgrounds have launched successful careers, strengthened their promotion credentials or even swapped careers entirely in the built environment. Find out about their experiences below:
- Making waves as a female Building Surveyor: a Q&A with UCEM Alumni Annabel Huffer
- From IT consultant to a real estate and sustainability thought leader: a student success story with Esha Bhasin
How to become a Fire Safety Surveyor
Degrees specifically focused on fire safety are starting to emerge in higher education, but having qualifications in a related subject like building surveying or health and safety can be equally beneficial.
If you already have experience in the construction industry and knowledge of fire safety, you could be well-placed for a role in this area. However, if you have knowledge gaps, there are plenty of training and CPD qualifications that can get you up to speed, such as:
Along with obtaining degrees, online CPD courses in relevant subjects can strengthen your employment credentials, such as:
Fire Safety Design Fundamentals – UCEM Online Academy
