UK passive fire protection specialist Checkmate Fire Solutions has expanded its auditing team with two new appointments.

Ash Babb and Andrew Heywood have joined the company as Internal Technical Compliance Auditors, with responsibility for further improving its already market-leading quality levels.

They will undertake additional audits on Checkmate's Passive Fire Protection, Fire Door, Intumescent Paint and Fire-Resistant Glazing installations and repairs, over and above the inspections carried out for third-party accreditation, to ensure the highest possible standards are delivered on all contracts.  

Ash joins Checkmate from the accredited certification body Exova BM TRADA, where he worked as a Lead Technical Officer and developed an in-depth knowledge of fire resistance testing and related standards.


Andrew has an extensive background in fire safety, having served for 30 years in the Fire Service, the final nine of which were as a Fire Protection Officer assessing legal compliance in regulated premises. He has an excellent working knowledge of fire safety guidance, including Approved Document B (ADB), ADB incorporating insurers’ requirements, BS9999 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings, BS7974 Application of fire safety engineering, and CIBSE Guide E Fire safety engineering.

They will work as part of the Technical and Compliance team headed by Damien Ward.

Mr Ward said: "Everyone at Checkmate understands the importance of our work to protecting lives and livelihoods and we have developed a culture in which achieving the best possible standards is now regarded as the norm.

"However, we also believe in continuous improvement and are happy to invest in order to drive up standards, which is what Andrew and Ash will help us to do.

"With the appointments of these two experts to undertake audits of our own work, we have become the only supplier in our industry to provide customers with the double protection of third-party accreditation and additional high-level inspections.

"That means Checkmate's customers will benefit from excellent levels of fire integrity in their buildings, which is great news for residents, workers, building owners and insurers."

(CM/MH)