FIA Survey reveals impact of Grenfell Towers and Brexit on fire industry
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30 October 2017
The FIA (Fire Industry Association) has released the results of the Market Conditions Survey, Wave 9. This survey is a snapshot of the current trends within the fire industry nationwide. Each Wave is conducted every 6 months. Wave 9 reveals the impact of the changes in the landscape within the last 6 months, the trends within the market, as well as other emerging and continuing issues.
In the last 6 months there have been a lot of events that have had a big impact on the industry as a whole. The survey has revealed how Grenfell Tower and the effects of having ‘no deal’ in Brexit has affected businesses in the fire industry.
‘Nobody knows how Brexit will affect us,’ commented Ian Moore, CEO of the FIA in his introduction to the report. This may have caused ‘a degree of reticence in investing in growth and instead focusing on consolidating businesses current position. The one exception to this is UK manufacturing who are seeing strong growth based on exchange rates working to their benefit’, he added.
The major theme that appears throughout the report is that of Grenfell Tower, which was one of the largest tragedies in UK history. The report shows a spike in enquiries post-Grenfell, probably due to an increase of interest in protecting buildings and people from fires following the event.
“Definite increase in the number of quotes being requested and the percentage of quotes taken up, presumable post Grenfell. The demand for fire risk assessments has also risen dramatically,” commented one responder, and many others seem to agree.
“People starting to take fire safety more seriously post Grenfell. Interest in our HMO related products is up,” said another.
However, whilst there does seem to be an increase in enquiries, there are still some concerns being raised about competence of those working within fire protection.
“More focus on competency & 3rd party accreditation since Grenfell,” said one responder.
Third Party Certification (or TPC) is a criterion for membership of the Fire Industry Association, and helps to set a benchmark of quality for suppliers within the fire sector. For those with certification, this interest in TPC from potential clients will be very welcome.
The FIA’s Market Conditions Report covers a wide range of other areas and provides even further insight into current trends in the market, as well as further details of the impacts of Brexit, Grenfell Tower, and competency on the industry.
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