In conversation with Ian Williams
Who are Ian Williams?
One of the UK’s largest privately-owned property services companies, Ian Williams is a leader and pioneer in our field and at the forefront of delivering innovative planned and responsive services to the built environment. The business works with high profile clients across the housing, retirement living, education, major and complex loss, public buildings and commercial markets. The organisation is perfectly positioned to deliver social housing projects across the UK with a nationwide network of offices and multi-skilled teams of operatives who are directly employed. Direct employment ensures we can train teams in all elements of customer care, including training addressing the specific needs of our customers’ residents; for example dementia awareness and people living with support needs
Ian Williams is one of only a few out of 200 organisations who have been appointed across multiple frameworks, including the critical areas of Fire Doors and Fire Safety works. The scope of the framework covers the inspection, installation and maintenance of passive fire protection measures including fire doors, penetration seals and fire signage.
Passive fire protection works
We have a proven track record in passive fire protection works for a wide range of public sector clients. Directly employed teams provide a competent and accredited service, supported by a network of independent Fire Risk Assessors and rigorous, compliant audit and inspection routines. We can provide support on specification issues and partner with market leading suppliers to deliver tested solutions.
Ian Williams is third-party accredited by IFC to deliver fire door/door set replacements and fire stopping to service penetrations. They are also members of ASFP (Association of Specialist Fire Protection) and FPA (Fire Protection Association).
In the wake of tragedy
It’s now more than four years since the Grenfell disaster that claimed 72 lives and injured and affected many others. Fire protection has since been made top of the housing agenda during multiple reviews and Inquiries, but it is still an area that requires specialist expertise and rigorous procedure adherence to ensure homes across the country are as safe as they can be.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 is a relatively short piece of legislation albeit one with huge significance. It amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the “FSO”) with the intention of improving fire safety in multi-occupancy domestic premises. Crucially, the external walls of a building and the fire doors to individual flats must now be assessed as part of the requirement for a fire risk assessment.
Specific provisions include: the Act applies to all multi-occupied residential buildings and is not dependent on the height of the building. The act designates those in control of premises as the Responsible Person for fire safety, giving them a duty to undertake assessments and manage risks. It now requires all Responsible Persons to reduce, as well as to assess and manage, the fire risks posed by the structure and external walls of the building(s) and by individual doors opening onto common parts of the building.
How Ian Williams can help SWPA clients
Ian Williams has a commitment to collaborative working within an asset management environment supported by direct delivery. When clients need fire stopping improvement works, they need to know that what they’re getting is 100% correct, from point of installation to ongoing maintenance. To provide peace of mind, our teams receive ongoing training and assessment. This is supported by full competency certification and audit trail using Auditbricks provided to our clients before any works commence and enabling full audit and certification post works. Supporting our operative and Supervisory IFC accreditation, the award-winning Ian Williams’ Academy delivers additional customer care and contracts management training which underpins our culture of high-performing teams who are committed to providing excellent and reliable customer service. Of course attracting, training and retaining new blood is also critical for the sector which is why we’re committed to and achieving at least 10% of our workforce as apprentices.
Our services include Fire Door Maintenance and Inspection, Fire Door/Doorset Replacements, Cavity Barriers and Fire Stopping to Service penetrations. We also supply Certified Class O Paint Coatings and have a network of Independent Fire Risk Assessors.
For more information, download the Ian Williams Fire brochure here
