PSIJuly2018

Thankfully, those taking the Installation
qualification can rest assured in the fact that they
will be able to both meet and exceed the Standard,
providing employers with quality technicians, and
customers of installation companies with greater
confidence in the level of skills that they are
purchasing.
Qualification Structure
There are four units to complete in order to become
qualified, and each has a range of topic areas that
are taught in detail from a syllabus set by the
Awarding Organisation (the exam body).
1. Foundation Course
2. Health & Safety
3. Environmental
4. Advanced Installer
Although these courses are numbered 1-4 in
this list, it is important to note that this is just a
suggested order of study – a learner must study
the Foundation Course first, and then the
remaining 3 units of the qualification can be
studied in any order of preference.
After passing all four units, the learner will be
awarded the FIA AO Level 3 in Fire Detection and
Alarm Installation, Theory, and Regulatory
Requirements.
Foundation Course
This unit is the first unit to be studied on the
qualification pathway. The Foundation in FD&A is a
two-day intensive course, and is run throughout
the year at locations across the UK. Training is
delivered by professionals within the fire industry
who have a background of both training and
extensive technical expertise. Training is delivered
in class through a PowerPoint and a course
handbook.
As the name Foundation suggests, this course
covers a broad base of knowledge that will prepare
learners to undertake further fire detection and
alarm courses. There are 10 areas within the
syllabus, and all of these are assessed.
Throughout the course, all of the areas are covered
by the trainer, and more extensive notes are
available in the course handbook, which is given to
learners on the first day of the course.
The 10 areas of study are:
1) Legislation
2) Standards, Codes of Practice, Guidance, and
Technical notes
3) Working with Third Parties
4) Documentation
5) Fire Events
6) Passive protection
7) Fire Detection and Alarm System Technology
www.psimagazine.co.uk
In a nutshell, EN16763 lays out a Europe-wide benchmark of
quality that should be expected and maintained throughout
the industry. It sets out all the pre-requisites for the level of
skills, knowledge, and education that should be expected
8) System Design (according to the
requirements of BS 5839)
9) Explosive Environments
10) False Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals
Health & Safety
The 8 areas of study are:
11) Health and Safety Legislation
12) Manual Handling
13) Working at Heights
14) Lone Workers
15) Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations (PUWER)
16) Personal Protective Equipment
(continued over)
iii