NEBOSH

The National Examination

Board in Occupational Safety
and Health (NEBOSH)
Dominus Way,
Meridian Business Park,
Leicester LE19 1QW
Tel: +44 (0) 116 263 4700
Fax: +44 (0) 116 282 4000
Email: info@nebosh.org.uk
www.nebosh.org.uk
Certificate in Fire Safety
Learner guide
Version: 3
Specification date: April 2020
Publication date: November 2021
Registered Charity Number: 1010444
© NEBOSH. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form, or by any means, electronic, electrostatic,
mechanical, photocopied or otherwise, without the express
permission in writing from NEBOSH.
Course Qualification overview
Overview
Contents
Who is the qualification designed for? 6

Benefits for you 7

Benefits for your employer 7

Professional membership 7

Achieving the qualification 7

Re-sitting unit(s) 8

Re-sitting FSC1 to improve your grade 8

Finding where to study 8

Qualification grading and issue of qualification parchment 8

Syllabus

Syllabus summary 10

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria 11

Qualification overview
Qualification

Qualification key features

Unit prefixes and title/s: Unit FSC1: Fire safety
Unit FSC2: Fire risk assessment

overview Assessment:
Unit FSC1:
Assessment Type
Open book examination (OBE)
Assessment Time
5 hours
Unit FSC2: Practical 3 hours
Taught (face-to-face), open and distance learning
Part-time
Modes of study:
Block release
eLearning
Taught hours: 28
Private study: 20
Notional learning hours
Assessment: 8
Total hours: 56
Qualification level and SCQF Level 6 with 5 credits
number of credits: (equivalent to RQF Level 3)

Entry requirements: None

Recommended minimum Learner: International English Language Testing System 6.0 or higher
standards of English:

Languages available: English

Assessment dates On demand for FSC2 only and FSC1 - four set OBE assessment dates per year
Unit FSC1: 45 marks
Pass standards: Unit FSC2: Pass standard contained in guidance
A ‘Pass’ must be achieved in both units to achieve the Certificate in Fire Safety

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 4

Qualification summary
Qualification Who is the qualification designed for? NEBOSH ‘puts
you at the top
summary This qualification is designed for anyone
who has fire safety responsibilities in a small of the pile’
to medium sized organisation. It provides
the knowledge and understanding, when With 30 years’ experience within
combined with relevant experience, to carry Humberside Fire and Rescue
out an effective fire risk assessment, as well Service, it could be argued that
as embed good practice in the workplace. Rick Phillips had little to prove
in terms of competence and
capability in his role as Senior Fire
Benefits for you Officer at Humberside Airport.
The Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) will allow you to:
It’s a role Rick took on after retiring from the Fire Service back in
• ensure your organisation meets its fire safety 2015 and which he has relished ever since. However, he certainly
responsibilities; hasn’t been prepared to rest on his laurels. He is responsible for
health, safety and environmental matters at the airport, which
• understand the risk to people and buildings from
has taken Rick into areas beyond his norm.
fire and explosion hazards;
• recognise what control measures will be required “There’s a lot to consider health, safety and environmental-wise
to prevent or mitigate the effects of fire and and that’s how it is with everything here. Take the de-icing of
explosion; an aircraft for example. It really is quite wide-ranging. Although
I wasn’t in the health and safety section in the brigade, we all
• recognise what should be included in emergency
worked very closely when doing operational training around risk
plans and what should be done to ensure the
assessments for example, so I knew a lot already when I came
effective evacuation of buildings; and
here. I’d also completed my NEBOSH National General Certificate
• prepare a fire risk assessment. in Occupational Health and Safety back in 2003, which I found
really helpful in the latter part of my career.”

Benefits for your employer However, Rick decided he needed more qualifications in his new
role at the airport. “I actually started with the NEBOSH National
When you achieve the NEBOSH Certificate in Fire
Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management, which it’s fair
Safety, you will have the knowledge, skills and
to say I didn’t really struggle with. I then took the NEBOSH
understanding to help your employer to prevent fires
Certificate in Environmental Management and went on to the
from happening and minimise fire impact if they
NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety,
do. In the long run, this could not only save lives
which has been incredibly useful all round.”

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 6

 NEBOSH helped me
find the dream job
Qualification but save your employer the huge costs associated with
a major fire such as loss of business, repairs to buildings I’d never heard of
summary and equipment as well as those associated with criminal
Victoria Casey is a Risk
prosecution and claims for compensation. Even a minor
fire at a key production stage can mean very large losses Consultant for one of the

for individual organisations. UK’s largest insurers, Aviva.

Her job is to carry out surveys
of business properties to
Professional membership provide her colleagues in
underwriting with a better
Holders of the Certificate in Fire Safety will be able to
understanding of the risks
apply to the International Institute of Risk and Safety
they are providing cover for. During the survey Victoria
Management for Associate member (AIIRSM).
encourages customers to reduce their risks and exposures
by adopting best practice risk management procedures.

Achieving the qualification

“This is my absolute dream job and I couldn’t be happier,”
The FSC has two-unit assessments (see ‘Qualification she told us. “I feel like I uncover something new every day
key features’ for details on the assessments and the pass and the learning never actually stops, which is something I
standards); you must achieve a ‘Pass’ in both units to be really do love. It’s a job I would never have got without my
awarded the qualification. NEBOSH qualifications, and personally I believe it’s a job that
You will have five years to complete your qualification. The couldn’t be done without them. Not only did my NEBOSH
five-year period starts from the date you passed your first General Certificate and Fire Certificate fill in so many blanks as
successful unit (we call this the ‘declaration date’). Any unit far as my knowledge was concerned, the qualifications gave
that is five or more years old will not count towards the me so much confidence and helped me, and still do help me
qualification and you will need to retake this/these unit(s) if almost every day, to demonstrate my competence. Now I’m
you still want to complete the qualification really looking forward to taking things to the next level.”.

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 7

Qualification Re-sitting unit(s) Qualification grading and issue of qualification
parchment
summary You may re-sit a unit assessment if:
Your qualification grade is based only on the result from
• you achieved a ‘Pass’ in a unit that is five or more years
the open book examination (Unit FSC1). But you need to
old and you need it to achieve the qualification;
achieve a ‘Pass’ in both units (FSC1 and FSC2) before the
• you are ‘Referred’ (ie, don’t pass); or parchment can be issued. The grading boundaries are as
• want to retake Unit FSC1 to get a higher grade (Unit follows:
FSC2 is ‘Pass’ or ‘Refer’ and does not count towards the
qualification grade)
Distinction

75+
There is no limit to the number of times you can re-sit

65-74
unit(s) within the five-year period. A refund will not be
given if you register to re-sit a unit before an original unit
Credit
result is known. If your re-sit result is lower than the original
Pass

45-
64
mark, you will keep the original mark awarded for the unit.
Re-sit marks are not capped

0-44
Refer

Re-sitting FSC1 to improve your grade When you have completed both units, you are normally
If you want to try to improve your grade in Unit FSC1, you considered to have completed the whole qualification.
need to tell us in writing within 20 working days of the We will then send you a qualification parchment within
declaration date of your second successful unit. Otherwise, 40 working days of your final successful unit. We will only
a qualification parchment will automatically be issued issue individual unit certificates on written request.
showing the original declaration date.

Once we issue the result of the second successful unit,

Finding where to study you have 20 working days to submit an Enquiry About
Result (EAR) request; please see the EAR policy for further
You can search for Learning Partners (the people that
information: www.nebosh.org.uk/policies-and-procedures/
provide your training course) using the ‘Where to study’
enquiries-about-results-ears.
tab on our website: www.nebosh.org. Note: it is best to
check directly with the Learning Partner for up-to-date
information on course dates.

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 8

Syllabus
 Syllabus summary
Syllabus
Element Recommended Suggested
Assessment
tuition hours self-study hours

1 Managing fire safety 2

2 Principles of fire and explosion 5

Unit FSC1: Fire safety
Open book examination
3 Fuel, oxygen and ignition sources and
4
control measures
20
Unit FSC2: Fire risk
4 Fire protection of buildings 7 assessment
Practical assessment
5 Safety of people in the event of fire 4

6 Fire safety risk assessment 6

* The timings detailed in the columns above indicate suggested hours for each of the elements.

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 10

 Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Syllabus Learning outcome Related Assessment criteria
The learner will be content
able to: (elements)
Justify fire safety 1.1–1.2 Discuss the moral and financial advantages of good fire safety
improvements using management in the workplace
moral and financial
arguments Summarise how fire safety is regulated and the roles of national
government and international bodies.

Advise how fires and 2.1–2.3 Describe the principles of combustion in relation to fire safety
explosions can occur and
the appropriate controls 3.1–3.2 Give an overview of the principles and conditions for the ignition of
to minimise fire and solids, liquids and gases and the controls that can be put in place
explosion risks
Outline the principles of explosion and explosive combustion and the
controls that can be put in place

Advise their employer 4.1–4.6 Outline the principles for fire protection, detection, and prevention
on the requirements for
the fire protection of 5.1–5.4 Summarise the requirements for the maintenance of escape routes
premises and workers and fire extinguishing equipment, including access for the fire service
including the appropriate
training obligations Be aware of the different types of fire extinguishing methods and the
need for training on their use

Understand the behaviours of people during fires and why emergency

plans are required

Understand why fire safety training requirements are needed for all
workers

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 11

 Learning outcome Related Assessment criteria

Syllabus The learner will be

able to:
content
(elements)
Do a fire risk assessment 6.1–6.3 Explain the principles of the fire risk assessment process and be able to
in their own workplace carry out a fire risk assessment of a workplace.
– prioritising risks,
inspecting the
workplace, recognising
a range of common
fire hazards, evaluating
risks (taking account
of current controls),
recommending further
control measures,
planning actions

NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety 12