How can I become BAFE Approved?

To become registered with BAFE you first need to decide which of our scheme(s) would be suitable for your company (we would recommend that you look at the scheme documents to see if they are suitable and how closely you already meet the requirements):

For companies looking to join BAFE who provide fire extinguisher maintenance and employ at least one fire extinguisher technician you would look at the SP101/ST104 scheme.

This scheme requires that you have an ISO9001 certificate from a BAFE listed UKAS Certification Body with a scope to BAFE SP101. (ISO9001 without the appropriate scope is not acceptable).

Companies must also have at least one technician who has passed one of the recognised exams offered by BAFE, IFEDA or BFC to be assessed and approved once you apply to become BAFE registered, after you have gained your ISO9001 certification. This technician may include the company owner if they carry out the maintenance work.

For more information and a full step by step process on how to join BAFE with this scheme please visit the SP101/ST104 scheme page.

For companies looking to join BAFE who provide fire detection and alarm systems you would look at the SP203-1 scheme. This scheme contains four modules:

1. Design
2. Installation
3. Commissioning
4. Maintenance

You are able to become certified in one, two, three or all four of these modules depending on what your company offers to the end user.

For more information and a full step by step process on how to join BAFE with this scheme please visit the SP203-1 scheme page.

For companies looking to join BAFE who provide emergency lighting systems you would look at the BAFE SP203-4 scheme. Like the fire detection and alarm systems scheme this also contains four modules: design, installation, commissioning and maintenance. You are able to become certified in one, two, three or all four of these modules depending on what your company offers to the end user.

For more information and a full step by step process on how to join BAFE with this scheme please visit the SP203-4 scheme page.

For companies looking to join BAFE who provide fixed gaseous fire suppression systems you would look at the SP203-3 scheme. Like the other SP203 schemes this also contains the four modules: design, installation, commissioning and maintenance. You are able to become certified in one, two, three or all four of these modules depending on what your company offers to the end user.

For more information and a full step by step process on how to join BAFE with this scheme please visit the SP203-3 scheme page.

For companies looking to join BAFE who provide fire risk assessments you would look at the SP205 scheme. A fire risk assessment is a vital and important part of fire safety law in non-domestic properties. This scheme was developed to present evidence of competency in this area of fire protection.

For more information and a full step by step process on how to join BAFE with this scheme please visit the SP205 scheme page.

By having multiple choices of UKAS accredited Certification Bodies you are given the opportunity to choose the one best suited to meet your needs. This creates competition making the cost of operating independent third party certification more effective for everyone.

As a Fire Protection Company becoming third party certified and registering your company with the relevant BAFE scheme(s) gives you many benefits:

• You have chosen to be independently assessed and therefore proving your competence in your area of fire protection. This provides a benchmark for quality giving your company the ability to provide customers with an independent third party certificate of conformity, positioning your business in the quality sector of the market.

• You join a growing list of quality companies already registered with BAFE with a website reaching over 4240 visits per month*.

• The BAFE website has a free search tool which is featured on every page ensuring registered companies near the end user can be found with ease.

• The BAFE website will soon feature a company login area where you can find digital promotional material you can use to promote your Third Party Certification/BAFE registration and also download BAFE logos related to your schemes.

• BAFE actively promotes and advertises this registration service in multiple specifier and end user publications and websites including sectors in education, building and construction, healthcare, business, facilities management and Government, across the UK.

• Your third party certification can be used as a strong selling tool to potential customers as evidence that you are a quality provider.

• There are also a growing list of tender suppliers that will now specify BAFE as a requirement with their fire protection needs. This is due to the strong reputation BAFE brings to its strict assessment criteria to become registered. BAFE monitors and responds to a large number of these per year looking to gain BAFE registered companies contract awards.

*from September 1^st 2015 – December 1^st 2015