Taking an active role in our passive fire protection service

Meet our Assistant Contracts Manager, Nathan Hassall. Nathan has recently been shortlisted in the Young Site Manager of the Year category at the Building the Future Awards for his role within our Midlands Passive Fire Protection team. The awards celebrate young leaders who make a positive impact through their work.

Here he explains more about the role he plays as part of our Passive Fire Protection team, and how this award validates the commitment we’ve made to raising standards.

What does Novus’ Passive Fire Protection (PFP) service involve?

Our Passive Fire Protection (PFP) service is dedicated to safeguarding lives and property through comprehensive fire safety solutions. Our expertise spans a wide range of services, including fire door maintenance and replacements, fire stopping, and roof compartmentation. Each project is meticulously tailored to meet the specific requirements outlined in the client’s Fire Risk Assessment, ensuring that the solutions we provide are both appropriate and effective. We take into account the level of fire resistance required, which can range from 30 minutes up to 240 minutes in some systems, to guarantee that our installations are fit for purpose in every scenario.

Our commitment to excellence is underscored by our third-party accreditations with FIRAS and BM TRADA, which benchmark our skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviour (SKEB). These accreditations empower us to act confidently as the ‘competent person,’ issuing certificates of conformity that uphold best practices in both installation and maintenance work. Additionally, as members of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), we have access to extensive training and the opportunity to influence future fire safety standards. Being shortlisted for industry awards further highlights our dedication to safety and excellence.

What’s your role within the PFP team?

As Assistant Contracts Manager, I ensure contracts meet high standards, are delivered on time and within budget, and comply with health and safety requirements. My role includes maintaining information, providing training and technical support, and verifying certifiable work, ensuring everything we do is fully compliant and maintains the ‘golden thread of information’ in line with the Building Safety Act. I particularly enjoy providing support and training information to all colleagues within the department. It’s rewarding work, especially knowing our efforts contribute to saving lives.

I’m passionate about our PFP work and am always keen to see how we can make improvements both here at Novus as well as within the wider industry. For example, as part my recent Construction Management degree my dissertation looked at why and how residents tamper with fire doors. This research could potentially support the industry in terms of understanding how to engage residents about fire safety matters in the future. I’m proud to be playing my part in making our homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces safer.

What do you wish people understood better about PFP?

I think it comes down to the seriousness of the work we’re doing. If work is left unsafe due to negligence, this can have serious consequences. If there is fire safety work required on your sites, seek advice and have the work completed by a company who can demonstrate they have the correct SKEB to complete works to required standards. PFP literally saves lives, giving anyone in the building valuable time in which to escape should there be a fire.

The Building the Future Awards focus on addressing the skills shortage and celebrating young leaders – what advice would you give to other young people working in the construction sector?

The best advice I can give anybody working within construction is to stay curious. Only by doing this, can we ask the right questions and develop the understanding required to excel within our professions. Curiosity also helps us to challenge the narrative and reject the idea of doing something the same way ‘because that’s the way we have always done it’ without considering there may well be a better way.

Nathan worked as a carpenter before joining Novus’s PFP division as a Site Supervisor in January 2021, quickly advancing to Site Manager. In 2023, he earned the ASFP Rising Star of the Year award for his adaptability, drive, and commitment to developing his skills and industry knowledge.

The winner of the Young Site Manager of the Year award will be announced at the Building the Future Awards ceremony on Thursday, 27th November at Aston Villa Football Club. Good luck from all of us at Novus, Nathan!