Honouring Fire Safety Excellence: Our Collaboration with Alan Oliver & NAHFO
At Assured Fire Safety Consultancy, we firmly believe that strong fire safety guidance is built on decades of experience, collaboration, and real‑world insight. That’s why we were especially honoured to welcome Alan Oliver to our stand at London Build and to reflect on our longstanding work with NAHFO (the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers). It was a pleasure catching up with Alan, who has devoted 45 years to the fire safety industry, and to hear how he is enjoying retired life. Despite stepping back from full-time work, he remains an active and valued member of NAHFO. We are extremely proud to support him in his continued commitment to making buildings safer for everyone.
Who is NAHFO And Why Does It Matter?
NAHFO is a key organisation in the UK fire-safety sector, acting as the national voice for professionals concerned with fire safety in healthcare premises.
One of its major contributions to the industry is the development of inspection Reference Documents for passive fire protection systems in healthcare buildings. These documents provide clear best-practice guidance for inspecting fire doors, fire dampers, cavity barriers, and more — helping to translate standards into actionable, practical routines.
These Reference Documents are also referenced in official UK fire‑safety guidance: for example, the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 05‑03 Part K, used in NHS risk assessments, cites NAHFO’s fire door inspection guidance.
Our Collaboration: Supporting Best Practice from Day One
Assured Fire Safety Consultancy has been closely involved with NAHFO’s Reference Document programme since its inception. Our experts contributed to drafting, reviewing, and promoting the documents — particularly the fire door inspection guides — to ensure they are not just theoretically sound, but practically usable.
We are extremely proud of Alan’s continuous efforts and dedication to improving fire safety standards. It is an honour to have worked alongside him, and to continue supporting his latest initiative to understand and dismantle the barriers that may stop good guidance being applied across the sector.
Why This Matters for Buildings and People
Standardised, clear inspection practices mean fire doors, dampers, and other critical elements are checked consistently and correctly.
Better compliance with regulation — thanks to guidance that aligns with NFCC‑approved best practices.
Improved safety — especially in healthcare settings, where vulnerable occupants rely on fire compartmentation to stay protected.
Ongoing learning and improvement — Alan’s new research will help NAHFO and the wider industry understand where guidance is being used well — and where more education or support is needed.
Looking Ahead: What's Next
We will continue to support NAHFO’s work, including Alan’s research effort, to ensure that the benefits of these Reference Documents reach as many organisations as possible. We also plan to champion their adoption across new sectors and building types where relevant.
If you’re interested in learning more about NAHFO Reference Documents, our work with Alan, or how our fire strategy / fire-engineering team can help you apply these best practices in your own buildings, please get in touch.
Honouring Fire Safety Excellence: Our Collaboration with Alan Oliver & NAHFO
At Assured Fire Safety Consultancy, we firmly believe that strong fire safety guidance is built on decades of experience, collaboration, and real‑world insight. That’s why we were especially honoured to welcome Alan Oliver to our stand at London Build and to reflect on our longstanding work with NAHFO (the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers). It was a pleasure catching up with Alan, who has devoted 45 years to the fire safety industry, and to hear how he is enjoying retired life. Despite stepping back from full-time work, he remains an active and valued member of NAHFO. We are extremely proud to support him in his continued commitment to making buildings safer for everyone.
Who is NAHFO And Why Does It Matter?
NAHFO is a key organisation in the UK fire-safety sector, acting as the national voice for professionals concerned with fire safety in healthcare premises.
One of its major contributions to the industry is the development of inspection Reference Documents for passive fire protection systems in healthcare buildings. These documents provide clear best-practice guidance for inspecting fire doors, fire dampers, cavity barriers, and more — helping to translate standards into actionable, practical routines.
These Reference Documents are also referenced in official UK fire‑safety guidance: for example, the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 05‑03 Part K, used in NHS risk assessments, cites NAHFO’s fire door inspection guidance.
Our Collaboration: Supporting Best Practice from Day One
Assured Fire Safety Consultancy has been closely involved with NAHFO’s Reference Document programme since its inception. Our experts contributed to drafting, reviewing, and promoting the documents — particularly the fire door inspection guides — to ensure they are not just theoretically sound, but practically usable.
We are extremely proud of Alan’s continuous efforts and dedication to improving fire safety standards. It is an honour to have worked alongside him, and to continue supporting his latest initiative to understand and dismantle the barriers that may stop good guidance being applied across the sector.
Why This Matters for Buildings and People
Looking Ahead: What's Next
We will continue to support NAHFO’s work, including Alan’s research effort, to ensure that the benefits of these Reference Documents reach as many organisations as possible. We also plan to champion their adoption across new sectors and building types where relevant.
If you’re interested in learning more about NAHFO Reference Documents, our work with Alan, or how our fire strategy / fire-engineering team can help you apply these best practices in your own buildings, please get in touch.
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