Recurring concern

Inadequate competence of personnel conducting formal safety risk assessments

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First reported 20 Jul 2015•Latest report 1 Jun 2026

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes deficiencies in training or competence assurance for personnel whose assigned function is to conduct or document a formal assessment of safety hazards and determine the safeguards required.

Not included

Excludes general staff safety training, emergency-response knowledge and process competence when the source does not identify an assigned formal safety risk-assessment function.
Excludes clinical assessment, Mental Health Act assessment, mental-capacity assessment and diagnostic or scoring processes merely because they consider risk.
Excludes failure of the underlying risk assessment or safeguard when no training or competence deficiency among its responsible assessors is identified.

Reports: 13
Individual concerns: 15
Date range: 2015–2026
Stated actions: 24

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust2

Ministry of Defence2

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1

Capital Care Group Limited1

Care Quality Commission1

Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser1

Clarendon Nursing Home1

Department of Health and Social Care1

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust1

Home Office1

London Borough of Croydon1

Mac Skip Hire Limited1

Maurice Mason Limited1

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council1

Surrey County Council1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

8 Jun2016
Manchester City
Concerns raised2
1. Lack of means for responsible persons to verify fire risk assessor competence
2. Inadequate training and qualification of fire risk assessors
This report raised 13 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
AI-generated summary

Stephen Alan HUNT · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Stephen Alan Hunt, a firefighter, died after entering a fire at Paul's Hair and Beauty World in Manchester on 13 July 2013. He was found inside the premises after suffering heat exhaustion and hypoxia. The principal concerns included failures in communication and handover, misinterpretation of instructions, loss of telemetry and radio communications, inadequate fire risk assessments and fire safety measures, and decisions affecting firefighter safety.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of means for responsible persons to verify fire risk assessor competence
Wider context from the report
“(9) It is suggested that the Secretary of State for the Home Department considers measures to ensure that: fire risk assessors are adequately trained and qualified so as to be competent in the role, and the responsible person has the means to verify the competence of any person holding themselves out to be a fire risk assessor. ”
Source location
Stephen Alan HUNT · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 10 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Inadequate training and qualification of fire risk assessors
Wider context from the report
“(9) It is suggested that the Secretary of State for the Home Department considers measures to ensure that: fire risk assessors are adequately trained and qualified so as to be competent in the role, and the responsible person has the means to verify the competence of any person holding themselves out to be a fire risk assessor. ”
Source location
Stephen Alan HUNT · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 10 · concerns
Open source report
1 Apr2016
Norfolk
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of training for staff carrying out risk assessments
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 2
1. Action
  Complete the booked IOSH Directing Safely, IOSH Managing Safely and first-aid training for designated managers.
  Stated by Maurice Mason LimitedStated planned
2. Action
  Provide further focused safety training for staff with CSML’s advice and input.
  Stated by Maurice Mason LimitedStated planned
AI-generated summary

ARTHUR CAXTON MASON · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

On 9 July 2014, Arthur Caxton Mason, aged 21, died after being buried beneath moving grain while cleaning inside a grain bin at Hall Farm. The principal concerns were inadequate staff training in risk assessment, failure to recognise hazards in grain-bin cleaning procedures, and the absence of an emergency plan for hazardous areas on the farm.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of training for staff carrying out risk assessments
Wider context from the report
“(1) As at July 2014 no member of staff had undergone training in respect of assessing risks and carrying out Risk Assessments. Following Mr Mason's death, one member of staff involved in risk assessments has undergone training. This member of staff is involved in the administration side of documents. Other, senior, members of staff involved in carrying out risk assessments have not undergone any such training and from the evidence did not appear to fully accept risks as set out in Health & Safety Executive documentation, preferring to rely on their own “experience and common sense”. ”
Source location
ARTHUR CAXTON MASON · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Complete the booked IOSH Directing Safely, IOSH Managing Safely and first-aid training for designated managers.

Verbatim wording from the response
“To broaden MML’s understanding of Health and Safety and to strengthen our ability to ensure that staff who are responsible for health and safety understand the issues and risks involved, further formal training has been booked as set out below. In particular:-”

Source location
2016-0128-Response-by-Maurice-Mason-Ltd
Page 2 · response
Published 1 April 2016
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Provide further focused safety training for staff with CSML’s advice and input.

Verbatim wording from the response
“There will be further training for staff members in more focused areas to strengthen staff involvement and understanding. It is not possible at this time to give details but it will be on the advice and with input from CSML.”

Source location
2016-0128-Response-by-Maurice-Mason-Ltd
Page 3 · response
Published 1 April 2016
Open published response
20 Jul2015
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of risk-assessment training for exercise risk-assessment and delivery staff
This report raised 18 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 1
1. Action
  Train personnel in risk assessment and implement the revised Training Governance and Assurance Policy across subordinate units.
  Stated by Ministry of DefenceStated planned
AI-generated summary

Craig Roberts and 2 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Craig Roberts, James Dunsby and Edward Maher were reserve soldiers taking part in a specialist-unit selection test march in the Brecon Beacons in July 2013. The report identifies concerns about heat-illness guidance, training and risk assessment, communication of weather information, medical planning, emergency response, tracking of slow or static candidates, and the failure to implement lessons from previous incidents.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of risk-assessment training for exercise risk-assessment and delivery staff
Wider context from the report
“(5) Senior commanders were unaware that the staff who completed the risk assessment for this exercise and who conducted the exercise had not been trained in the preparation of risk assessments. The risk assessment used simply adopted a risk assessment that had been prepared by the lead regular unit. ”
Source location
Craig Roberts and 2 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 4 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Train personnel in risk assessment and implement the revised Training Governance and Assurance Policy across subordinate units.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Training in the conduct of Risk Assessments was addressed in the immediate aftermath of the incident in 2013 and following the improvement notice issued by the HSE. In addition to this, work is being conducted to review how the organisation can improve training in this area and HQ specialist military units is reviewing and rewriting its Training Governance and Assurance Policy which will lead to further changes in the policy and procedures of subordinate units. The revised Training Governance and Assurance Policy was completed in August and changes by the subordinate units will be in place before the end of the calendar year, prior to the next iteration of the exercise.”

Source location
2015-0228-Response-by-MOD
Page 4 · response
Published 20 July 2015
Open published response

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Not included

Reports over time

Concerns raised2

Lack of means for responsible persons to verify fire risk assessor competence

Inadequate training and qualification of fire risk assessors

Concerns raised1

Lack of training for staff carrying out risk assessments

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2

Concerns raised1

Lack of risk-assessment training for exercise risk-assessment and delivery staff

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1

Actions described in response 2

Actions described in response 1