Frequently asked questions

It depends on the course. You’ll be able to find further information about the duration of each one on the relevant course page.

There are no prerequisites for this course. However, some experience of fire safety within the workplace will help you to put what you have learnt into context.

Successful learners receive a digital certificate on passing. Hard copy certificates are available on request for a fee. Each course page shows the CPD hours you’ll receive.

Yes. Diploma learners have dedicated tutor support seven days a week. On our shorter courses, learner support is available to answer your questions, and all online learners can use our community forums.

Yes. Our online courses are self-directed distance learning, studied in our learning portal whenever suits you. Each course has a time limit, from 3 months for our shortest courses to 12 months for the Diploma.

Fire Safety Awareness, Fire Warden and Fire Door Awareness certificates are valid for 12 months, and the expiry date is shown on your certificate. To renew, complete the course again.

Yes. Hard copy certificates are available on request for a fee.

Don’t worry! If you don’t pass an assessment on your first attempt, you’ll usually receive feedback to help you understand where you went wrong – dependent on the nature of the assessment. Once you’ve paid the resubmission fee and revisited any relevant areas, you’ll be able to resubmit your work, although the number of attempts permitted may vary by course.

BeyondTheory™ is a practical learning experience designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world experience. You’ll follow experienced professionals as they assess real buildings, gaining insight into their observations, thought processes and professional judgements.

Yes. You can pay in full, spread the cost with one of our payment plans, or use a third-party provider. Every option costs the same, and you choose at checkout.

A licence gives one learner access to a particular course. If you’re purchasing training for multiple people, you’ll need one licence per learner.

Yes. Whether you need fire wardens trained, managers confident with health and safety, or staff who know what to look for on a fire door, we can help you train your team. Courses are available online, and SafeManagers™ is delivered in the classroom by our Training Partners.

Yes. Each learner needs their own account to access their training, track their progress and receive their certificate upon completion.

Yes! You can purchase licences for different courses in the same order, making it easy to organise training for your whole team.

Yes. If a learner hasn’t started their course, you can reassign their licence to someone else. Once training has started, licences cannot be transferred.

Our training partner fees depend on the course you’re interested in. Get in touch with our team to discuss the options available and find out more about becoming a partner.

We may be able to accommodate specific requirements depending on the course and the level of customisation needed. Contact our team to discuss what you’re looking for.

Trainers should have appropriate subject knowledge, relevant industry experience and the skills needed to deliver effective training. Specific qualification and experience requirements vary depending on the programme being delivered.

You get the facilitator guide, workbooks and assessment materials. Every learner receives a digital certificate as part of their fee, and hard copies are available to Training Partners at an extra charge.

Start with a recognised fire risk assessment qualification, then build experience. The NSA Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment covers the knowledge criteria for fire risk assessors up to advanced level in BS 8674:2025, and has no prerequisites. Competence also depends on experience, so plan for supervised practice and CPD once you’ve qualified.

BS 8674:2025 is the British Standard that sets out the competence expected of fire risk assessors. The NSA Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment was developed in line with it and covers its knowledge criteria up to advanced level.

SCQF Level 10 is equivalent to Level 6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the same level as an honours degree. The Diploma has been credit-rated by Qualifications Scotland, which means it has been formally evaluated and given an SCQF level and credit value, so learners and employers can compare it with other qualifications.

No. The Diploma is delivered and awarded by National Safety Academy. Qualifications Scotland has credit-rated it.

Completing the Diploma means you could be considered for the highest tier of membership with the IFE (Member) and IFSM (Member), subject to your experience in the field.

There is no specific qualification legally required to become a fire risk assessor. However, anyone carrying out fire risk assessments must be competent, with the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours (SKEB). A recognised qualification can help demonstrate your knowledge and skills, but practical experience is also essential to developing competence.

No. In England and Wales there’s no mandatory qualification or licence for fire risk assessors. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, and the responsible person should make sure whoever carries it out is competent, with enough training, experience and knowledge. A recognised qualification is one of the clearest ways to show this.

Yes. Our Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment is studied online in our learning portal at your own pace, with up to 12 months to complete it (approx. 410 hours of study). You’ll have dedicated tutor support seven days a week, community forums to learn with other learners, and three assessments based on realistic fire risk assessment scenarios.

It depends on your route. Training is the main cost, and once qualified you may also choose to pay for professional body membership. The fee for our Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment is shown on the course page, and you can spread the cost with our payment options for the same total price.

Yes, to be fully competent. A qualification gives you the knowledge, but competence also depends on experience of assessing real premises. Our Diploma covers the knowledge criteria in BS 8674:2025, and professional body membership with the IFE or IFSM also takes your experience into account. You don’t need previous experience to start the Diploma.

Yes. Fire Door Awareness prepares you to carry out routine fire door checks in your workplace, including those required under Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. If you find something outside the scope of your role, the course shows you when and how to escalate it.

In blocks of flats over 11 metres tall in England, Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires communal fire doors to be checked at least every three months, and flat entrance doors at least once a year, as far as reasonably practicable. In other buildings, your fire risk assessment should set how often fire doors are checked.

Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires the responsible person for a block of flats over 11 metres tall to check fire doors regularly and give residents information about why fire doors matter.

Fire Door Awareness (4–6 hours) teaches you to carry out routine fire door checks and spot problems, including checks under Regulation 10. Fire Door Inspection (around 20 hours) is for people whose role involves inspecting fire doors in depth: you learn to inspect certified, notional and nominal fire doors, identify non-compliances and record your findings. Fire Door Inspection is also recognised by the IFE.

Fire Door Inspection is recognised by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) as a Recognised Training Course. Once you pass, you’ll be able to take on fire door inspections in-house or for clients, and you’ll receive a certificate confirming 20 hours of CPD.

Certified fire doors are supported by third-party certification, providing independent assurance that they meet specified performance standards. Notional fire doors are older doors that are considered likely to provide a degree of fire resistance, despite lacking modern test evidence. Nominal fire doors are doors judged to offer a degree of fire resistance based on their construction, but without supporting test or certification evidence.

Anyone competent can inspect fire doors. In England and Wales there’s no licence or mandatory qualification, but the responsible person for a building should make sure whoever they use has the right training, knowledge and experience. Trained in-house staff can carry out routine checks, while detailed inspections should be done by someone trained to inspect fire doors.

Not by law, but recognised training is a straightforward way to show clients and employers you’re competent. Our Fire Door Inspection course is recognised by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) as a Recognised Training Course. It teaches you to inspect certified, notional and nominal fire doors and record what you find in an inspection report.

A fire door check is a routine look at a door’s condition, such as whether it closes fully and its seals and hinges are intact, and is usually done by trained in-house staff. A fire door inspection is a more detailed assessment, recorded in a report. Our Fire Door Awareness course covers checks, and our Fire Door Inspection course covers inspections.

Yes, with the right training. Routine fire door checks, including Regulation 10 checks in residential buildings in England, can be carried out by in-house staff who know what to look for. Our Fire Door Awareness course teaches your team to check fire doors, record what they find and escalate concerns. For detailed inspections, see our Fire Door Inspection course.

Yes. Our Fire Door Inspection course is self-directed online learning, taking approximately 20 hours, with up to six months to complete it. You study at your own pace around work and finish with an assessed fire door inspection report.

Passive fire protection is the parts of a building built to contain fire and smoke without needing to be switched on, such as fire doors, fire-resisting walls and floors, and fire stopping around services. It divides a building into compartments, giving people time to escape and limiting damage. Active systems, such as alarms and sprinklers, respond once a fire starts.

Fire stopping seals the gaps where pipes, cables and ducts pass through fire-resisting walls and floors, so fire and smoke can’t spread through them. As with fire doors, there’s no mandatory qualification to inspect fire stopping, but whoever does it should be competent. Our Fire Stopping Inspection course teaches you how to inspect it and record what you find.

Compartmentation divides a building into separate fire-resisting sections, using walls, floors, fire doors and fire stopping, so a fire is contained in the area where it starts. It slows the spread of fire and smoke, protects escape routes and supports evacuation strategies such as stay put in some residential buildings.

Yes. Employers have a legal duty to provide appropriate fire safety training to employees when they start work and periodically thereafter. The level of training should reflect their role and workplace risks.

A fire warden helps keep people safe from fire at work. Day to day, that means spotting and reducing fire hazards. When the alarm goes off, it means helping everyone get out safely and following your emergency procedures.

Yes. They’re two names for the same role, so our Fire Warden course is suitable whichever title your workplace uses.

There’s no fixed number of fire wardens required by law. The number you need will depend on factors such as the size and layout of your premises, the number of occupants and the level of fire risk. Your fire risk assessment should help determine how many trained fire wardens are appropriate.

Not as a specific course, but training is required. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, employers must provide suitable fire safety training and appoint competent people to help with evacuation. Anyone appointed as a fire warden needs appropriate training to carry out the role safely.

Training providers and organisations that want to deliver health and safety management training to their own teams can apply to become an approved NSA Training Partner.

SafeManagers™ is a two-day health and safety course delivered by one of our Approved Partners.

Face-to-face courses are limited to a maximum of 20 learners. Group sizes vary by Training Partner, so check with your chosen provider when booking.

You’ll get one opportunity to resubmit. If your resubmission still doesn’t meet the standard, you’ll need to retake the course.

Yes. Find an approved NSA Training Partner near you, or talk to us about training your team.

Managers need to understand their legal responsibilities, how to assess and control risks, and how to lead their team safely. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must give staff adequate health and safety training, including when their responsibilities change. SafeManagers™ is a two-day course covering this through a realistic workplace scenario.

Supervisors need to know how to spot hazards, assess and control risks, and what the law expects of them and their team. Training should be practical and relevant to the work they oversee. SafeManagers™ is a two-day course built around a realistic workplace scenario, delivered by our approved Training Partners for groups of up to 20 learners.

SafeManagers™ is delivered face to face by our approved Training Partners, for groups of up to 20 learners. Talk to a Training Partner about delivering the course at your premises.

Competence in fire risk assessment is built upon skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours (SKEB). Whilst traditional training helps develop knowledge and skills, practical experience can be harder to gain. BeyondTheory™ helps bridge this gap by allowing learners to observe experienced professionals assessing real buildings and understand the reasoning behind their decisions.

National Safety Academy (NSA) is a UK provider of fire safety and health and safety courses and qualifications. Our assessments are built on real workplace scenarios, and we keep our courses affordable and flexible, with online courses you study at your own pace and classroom courses delivered by approved Training Partners.

Several of our courses carry external recognition. Our Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment is an SCQF Level 10 qualification developed in line with BS 8674:2025, and our Fire Door Inspection course is recognised by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) as a Recognised Training Course. Each course page sets out the recognition and CPD hours that apply.

Yes. You can train a whole team with us, whether that’s online courses for your staff or SafeManagers™ delivered by an approved Training Partner. Contact us to talk through the options for your organisation.