Fire safety tester

Description

Fire safety testers conduct a variety of tests on materials such as building, transportation and textiles materials, as well as on fire prevention and fire fighting systems. They measures, among other things, the flame resistance and behaviour of materials under extreme circumstances.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to fire safety tester:

fire safety testing technologist
fire safety testing technology expert
fire inspection technician
fire tester
fire safety testing technician
fire safety testing technology specialist
fire inspection testing technology expert
fire inspection testing technology specialist
fire inspection testing technologist

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally the minimum required to work as a fire safety tester.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Fire safety tester is a Skill level 3 occupation.

Fire safety tester career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to fire safety tester.

fire protection technician
fire inspector
material testing technician
rolling stock engine inspector
quality engineering technician

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of fire safety tester. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of fire safety tester with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

fire prevention and protection engineer
fire commissioner
health and safety engineer
chief fire officer
emergency response coordinator

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of fire safety tester.

  • Fire safety regulations: The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.
  • Fire prevention procedures: The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.
  • Fire-fighting systems: The devices and systems used to extinguish fires; the classes and chemistry of fire.
  • Health and safety regulations: Necessary health, safety, hygiene and environmental standards and legislation rules in the sector of particular activity.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of fire safety tester.

  • Perform laboratory tests: Carry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.
  • Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
  • Report test findings: Report test results with a focus on findings and recommendations, differentiating results by levels of severity. Include relevant information from the test plan and outline the test methodologies, using metrics, tables, and visual methods to clarify where needed.
  • Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
  • Develop material testing procedures: Develop testing protocols in collaboration with engineers and scientists to enable a variety of analyses such as environmental, chemical, physical, thermal, structural, resistance or surface analyses on a wide range of materials such as metals, ceramics or plastics.
  • Use testing equipment: Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.
  • Maintain test equipment: Maintain equipment used for testing the quality of systems and products.
  • Conduct fire tests: Conduct tests on a variety of materials such as building or transportation materials in order to determine their physical properties against fire such as flame resistance, surface burning characteristics, oxygen concentration or smoke generation.
  • Operate fire extinguishers: Understand the operation of fire extinguishing equipment and fire extinguishing techniques.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of fire safety tester. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Quality assurance procedures: The procedures to inspect a product or system to ensure that it is according to specifications and requirements.
  • Materials science: Field of science and engineering that researches new materials on the basis of their structure, properties, synthesis, and performance for a variety of purposes, including increasing fire resistance of construction materials.
  • Pyrotechnic articles legislation: The legal rules surrounding pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic materials.
  • Fire protection engineering: Application of engineering principles for the design and production of fire detection, prevention and suppression systems that range from the conception of fire alarms to space planning and building design.
  • Electricity: Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of fire safety tester. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Act as contact person during equipment incident: Act as the person to be contacted when an equipment incident occurs. Participate in the investigation by providing insights.
  • Maintain safety systems: Perform activities for the maintenance of fire fighting and related safety systems.
  • Perform risk analysis: Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation’s functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.
  • Determine fire risks: Evaluate buildings, housing complexes, public places, and sites in order to discover fire risks.
  • Advise on safety improvements: Provide relevant recommendations following the conclusion of an investigation; ensure that recommendations are duly considered and where appropriate acted upon.
  • Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
  • Inspect fire equipment: Inspect fire equipment, such as fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and fire vehicle systems, to ensure the equipment is functional and to assess its faults.
  • Conduct fire safety inspections: Conduct inspections in buildings and on sites to assess their fire prevention and safety equipment, evacuation strategies, and related strategies, and ensure compliance with safety regulations.
  • Test safety strategies: Test policies and strategies related to risk and safety management and procedures, such as testing evacuation plans, safety equipment, and carrying out drills.
  • Write inspection reports: Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection’s processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.
  • Advise architects: Give advice on design, safety issues, and cost reduction to architects during the pre-application phase.
  • Educate public on fire safety: Develop and execute educational and promotional plans to educate the public on fire prevention knowledge and methods, fire safety such as the ability to identify hazards and the use of fire safety equipment, and to raise awareness on fire prevention issues.

ISCO group and title

3112 – Civil engineering technicians


References
  1. Fire safety tester – ESCO
  2. Featured image: By Николай Климин – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated on February 8, 2023