ECA Certification, part of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) group, is offering contractors access to the BAFE SP203 Part 1 certification scheme – a scheme for contractors who are designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining fire detection and alarm systems.
In recent times, BAFE quality scheme (SP203-1) registration has been the preserve of four other certification bodies – the British Standards Institution (BSI), Independent European Certification (IEC), National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and the Security Systems & Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), but as of March 2012, ECA Certification can now provide an alternate route for contractors looking to achieve BAFE recognition.
The development is good news for the industry and contractors as competition will drive better pricing and service whilst their customers will have a greater choice of contractors able to deliver to the same high standards of work. Many major organisations now require their contractors to be registered to the scheme and benefit from BAFE certificated systems.
“There has always been scope within the fire regulation and certification market for another major player and one that has a lot of synergy with the electrical contractor community who can now look to diversify and take advantage of the many opportunities that exist within the fire market,” said Chris Beedel, certification director for ECA.
“The market is currently worth almost £1bn, the lion’s share of which is spent on alarm and detection systems. There is almost a 50/50 split of project costs between design and installation with the majority of work being dedicated to the non-residential market (76%) and almost 60% of the work being focussed upon new buildings. With such and opportunity, there is room for our members to take commercial advantage which may in time help bring costs down for customers,” added Beedel.
Those taking the four modules will be looking at a minimum of two days of assessment, depending upon the size of the business, while those only looking at specific modules may cover their assessment in one day.
Stephen Adams, general manager at BAFE, added, “We are delighted that ECA Certification have now gained their UKAS accreditation to bring this offering to market and we are confident that it will attract a lot of interest, increase competition and transparency and send a message to the sector that greater skills and accreditation equates to more business opportunities in the future – it is a win-win for the installers and the industry as a whole.”
