Effective fire protection is of crucial importance in companies in order to protect employees, property and business operations. Fire safety officers play a key role in this - especially in larger companies. They support and advise the company management on all aspects of preventive fire protection.
The task can be assigned to an internal employee or external expert. We provide information on what needs to be considered when appointing a fire safety officer.
The appointment of a fire safety officer
The extent to which a fire safety officer is required in a company is defined by various guidelines, including the building regulations, state building regulations or the risk assessment.
Further information on when a fire safety officer must be appointed can be found in the following article.
In principle, the appointment of a fire safety officer must be made by the employer in accordance with the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG). In addition, the appointment of the fire safety officer must be made in writing, as the duties of the fire safety officer and the provisions of the DGUV must also be set out in this document.
This applies to the appointment of both an internal and an external fire safety officer.
Requirements
Appointment as a fire safety officer is based on certain requirements that the potential candidate must fulfill. These usually include:
Professional qualification
The fire safety officer should have sound training in the field of preventive fire protection. This includes, for example, fire protection technicians, engineers with a corresponding specialization or comparable qualifications.
Professional experience
Practical experience in the field of fire protection is essential. Depending on the size and structure of the company, different requirements may be placed on professional experience.
Updating specialist knowledge
The fire safety officer must regularly update their knowledge and keep up to date with new developments in fire safety. This can be done through training courses, further training or participation in specialist events.
Appointment of an external fire safety officer
When appointing an external fire safety officer from CWS Fire Safety, we jointly determine which tasks the external fire safety officer must fulfill and how often he or she is available for you. The service catalog is part of the contract between you and our CWS Fire Safety team.
