Supply chains starting to make positive change, says Fire Aware
Posted by: electime 14th April 2026
Supply chains are increasingly taking their duty of care for public safety seriously in the interests of protecting people across multiple sectors, according to growing fire safety body Fire Aware.
The fire safety organisation is seeing a behavioural change as a wide range of companies large and small start to adopt rigorous processes to ensure safety of those using buildings and spaces around towns and cities.
Fire Aware CEO Gavin Skelly said: “As we move about to talk to those companies and groups with products and services in fire safety, we are seeing a step change in their attitude to fire safety. Even in those companies who don’t necessarily have a fire safety competence requirement but still hold a duty of care.
“They want to commit to doing the right thing and make sure their part in the fire safety supply chain is fit for purpose. They recognise that this is more than a job, fire safety is a vocation.”
“Many are joining us as members because they want to sign up to our code of conduct which binds us all together. Their membership is a sign of intent to protect people through a combination of competence and behavioral performance. After all, it is people’s lives we are talking about.”
Skelly said all of those involved in the design, construction, management, maintenance and letting of the built environment needs to understand that they have an obligation to fire safety even if their business is not directly connected with fire specialisms.
Dame Judith Hackitt – who led the Grenfell Inquiry – has called for cultural change through moral and ethical behaviours, recently supported by the new independent Building Safety Regulator (BSR) which has been created to “promote competence and higher standards.”
Sectors which are particularly vulnerable to fire risk include the hospitality sector – with the many bars, restaurants and hotels which are trusted to protect their customers – and healthcare which has to protect many vulnerable and elderly people including those who cannot look after themselves in the event of a real fire.
Fire Aware continues to focus on the moral responsibility of all those working in the fire safety supply chain including designers, developers, asset owners, managers and other stakeholders.
It aims to change the culture of the built environment sector by introducing a moral code of conduct via a series of charters designed to influence how member companies behave in upholding their duty of care.
Fire Aware is a recognised membership body serving the built environment and related sectors with a common aim to work and trade responsibly to all best practice standards in the interests of the safety of the general public.
