BB7: history, milestones, future
This is the story of BB7 – our history, our major milestones, and what our future holds. We are a strong, skilled, and diverse team, and together we are serving the global built environment with Fire Engineering and Façade solutions of exceptional value.
Our history and the history of the Fire Engineering profession are inextricably linked – we have evolved with the legislative landscape, been at the heart of developing new standards and guidance, and we will never simply practice, we will actively contribute to the advancement of the profession. It is this commitment to standards, and progression that we fully intend to keep as we grow.
Since our inception we have changed significantly, but at our core we have retained what makes us unique. True, we are bigger and more skilled than ever, and our reach and influence are continually increasing – yet we’ve never lost sight of how we got here. This is our story so far, and it’s time that we begin writing our next chapter.
Origins: The dawn of Fire Engineering in the UK.
Our pedigree or lineage extends back to the dawn of Fire Engineering. In the 1980’s and the Building Regulation reforms of the time. Then on 17 July 1987 the Master Building Agreement was signed for One Canada Square, a 1.2 million sq.m, £3B international financial centre that was set to become Europe’s tallest tower. The man responsible for this development was Patrick Carey, the Senior Divisional Officer for the London Fire Brigade. Years later, after the successful completion of One Canada Square, Patrick established Locke Carey, one of the UK’s first fire consulting firms. It was here, under Patrick’s mentorship at Locke Carey, that Ben Bradford gained extensive national and international Fire Engineering experience, before going on to found BB7 in 2009.
2009 – Founded on Seven principles
BB7 was founded in 2009, in the pit of the financial crisis. Yet while the timing was less than perfect, Ben was confident he could bring a new and unique offering to the Fire Engineering sector. Unlike competitors, BB7 would be a full-service proposition, providing Fire Risk Management as well as Fire Engineering. It would also establish a world-class consulting team, and it would enshrine a set of seven uncompromising principles from day one – namely:
- To put people first.
- To put our clients’ project interests first.
- To challenge accepted wisdom.
- To push boundaries without compromising safety.
- To always be a challenger firm.
- To get big but stay beautiful.
- To be an outstanding employer.
It is from these seven principles (combined with the initials of the business’s founder) that the name BB7 is drawn. These principles are the bedrock of the BB7 culture and shape everything we do, from recruitment and learning, to project delivery and innovation.
2010 - A world-class proposition
To become a truly full-service fire consulting firm – i.e., a firm that not only knew how buildings were operated and managed throughout their life cycle but could use that knowledge to design better buildings in the first place – BB7 needed to add further talent to its ranks. In 2010, key individuals were hired for their expertise in Fire Engineering software tools and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), fire risk management and fire risk assessment.
A few months later, BB7 was awarded its first project. Architect Ron Sidell invited BB7 to undertake the design of Medina Towers, a major urban development to be located in the city centre of Tripoli, Libya. While instability in the region forced the development to be put on hold, the project is now recommencing in 2024.
2011 - Raising standards
In January 2004, a fire at Rosepark Care Home claimed the lives of 14 residents. The subsequent Fatal Accident Inquiry report (2011) found that those lives would not have been lost had there been an ‘adequate system’ of fire safety management in place. Yet seven years on from the tragedy, the wider industry was still unclear on what ‘adequate’ looked like.
Rather than simply adhering to fire safety regulations, BB7 was founded in order to have a leading role setting, implementing, and embedding fire safety standards throughout the industry. For instance, we:
- Co-founded the Fire Industry Association (FIA) Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Engineering Council, with Ben Bradford leading the Professional Standards Working Group.
- Were the first company in the UK to demonstrate and obtain UKAS accredited Quality Assurance Certification of Companies Offering Life Fire Safety Risk Assessment Services.
- Participated in the pilot schemes for FRACS and BAFE SP205 and devised a methodology and scoring mechanism for the audit of fire risk assessments, which is now formalised as a British Standard.
- International project work continued when we were appointed on the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia.
2012 - Enhancing our secure environment capability
In 2012, we acquired Impact Fire Limited. This provided us with specialist sector knowledge when designing fire safety into secure environments such as Prisons and detention centers, Government facilities, Military bases and Police stations. To complement this added capability, we authored a BSI-approved business case and specification; trained the team in standards writing and management systems; and commenced several PAS 7 pilot projects in sectors including Healthcare, Commercial, Education, Secure Environments, and Social Housing.
With each project we gained new insight into fire risk management challenges, and then fed those learnings into our design and engineering. BB7 was now virtually unrivalled in its experience of auditing fire risk management systems. We believe our approach and methodology to ‘Risk Management Audit’ and ‘Strategic Fire Risk Management’ to be second to none.
2013 - Landmark thought leadership
2013 saw BB7 confirm our position as an expert and thought leader in the strategic governance of fire risk:
• The Lakanal House fire (July, 2009) killed six and injured at least 20. Following an inquest into the tragedy in March 2013, Southwark Council commissioned BB7 to undertake a full review of its fire risk governance.
• That same year, Ben Bradford wrote and published PAS 7: 2013 Fire Risk Management System Specification on behalf of the British Standards Institution. This standard would later become BS 9997: 2019, a standard that would enable third-party UKAS-accredited certification of fire risk management systems. The standard outlines base requirements for a fire risk management system that comprehensively addressed every Article of the RRFSO , and provides a definitions for the term “Fire Risk Management Strategy” and “Strategic fire risk management”.
• With lawyer Jacob Rickett, Ben Bradford co-authored a paper titled ‘Legal Responsibilities of Fire Risk Assessors’ on behalf of the Fire Industry Association (FIA).
2014 - Enhancing our fire risk management capability
In 2014, BB7 acquired Beacon Fire and MK Fire Training Limited. In doing so, we enhanced our capabilities around writing fire risk management policy, strategy, and procedures. With a greater knowledge base, we were able to identify which sectors were doing things well and apply these best practices for clients in other sectors.
Also in 2014, BB7 led the drafting of a standard scope of services for fire risk assessors, which was published by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and originally based on a BB7 proposal document.
We were undertaking fire risk management audits for clients in many different sectors and on occasions helped our clients write fire risk management policy, strategy and procedure. We learnt a lot about what good looked like. We learnt a lot about where things fall down. We learnt that there were some good things being done in some sectors that could be cross pollinated over to other sectors and add value.
We lead the drafting of a standard scope of services for fire risk assessors which was published by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and originally based on a BB7 proposal document.
2015 - Heading north
BB7 opened its first office in the North West, enabling us to begin serving the North of England. We secured one of the UK’s largest national fire risk assessment contracts which saw us delivering up to 800 suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments per month.
Delivering large scale fire risk assessment programmes for national multi-site portfolio’s comes with challenges, and there were plenty of lessons learnt.
2016 - Expansion in Scotland & recognition
On 13th May 2016 Ben was awarded the highest honour given to any member of the Association and was inaugurated at the House of Lords, London, as the 70th President of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers 2016/2017. In the same year he ran the London Marathon to raise money for Engineers without Borders and Action against Hunger.
Chartered Engineer Dominic Way opened the Glasgow Office, enabling the company to provide clients with strong coverage across the United Kingdom.
UKAS invited organisations to apply for the pilot programme for the accreditation of certification bodies under ISO 17021-1 for the assessment of fire risk management systems to PAS 7: 2013. On satisfactory completion of assessment by UKAS the applicants were accredited to ISO 17021-1 for the assessment of fire risk management systems to PAS 7: 2013. One of those organisations was MMRA, part of Mott Macdonald. The panel for BS 9999: 2017 was also in full swing during this year and Ben contributed to Section 4 of this standard.
2017 - Expansion in Ireland
Chartered Engineer William Ward opened the Dublin office, in the Republic of Ireland. William brought with him international experience and sector experience in transportation hubs.
In August 2017, the world’s first Certificated Fire Risk Management System was awarded via a UKAS accredited Third Party Certification Body, enabling multi-site organisations to manage and mitigate risk more strategically.
On 14 June 2017, a high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London, at 00:54 BST and burned for 60 hours. Seventy-two people died and more than 70 people were injured. It was the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 Piper Alpha oil-platform disaster and the worst UK residential fire since World War II. The tragedy left a national trauma and led to a watershed moment in UK fire safety, with 23 new pieces of fire legislation, new roles and a new regulator. This tragedy was a terrible reminder that there is still a lot more work to do to ensure this never happens again.
2018 - Third acquisition
BB7 acquired Rushbrook Consultants in Scotland, a firm with a strong history and associated with Frank Rushbrook, a leading figure in the Scottish fire service and a pioneer in the fire engineering profession. The Rushbrook Fire Laboratory still exists today at the world-renowned University of Edinburgh.
2019 - 10th corporate anniversary
2019 was a major year for BB7. Not only did we celebrate our 10-year corporate anniversary and a decade of progress, but we also received financial backing from BGF, the UK & Ireland’s most active and dynamic investor in growth economy companies.
In addition to this, we opened an office in Belfast and acquired Omega Fire Engineering in Manchester.
2020 - Rising to the challenge
Following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, BB7 acted swiftly to move its entire workforce to remote working. Despite the disruption, we continued to make key hires and saw our employee base grow to over 100 employees. The company also undertook a rebrand to reenforce the principles on which the company was founded. Our People and Culture team worked tirelessly to ensure that the BB7 culture retained its unique character and spirit.
In November 2020, we acquired Goldsmith Engineering and strengthened our operations in Dublin and Belfast. The acquisition was well-received in the market and BB7 quickly became the largest independent fire consulting firm in ROI.
2021 - Working in Covid times
Covid brought unprecedented times. BB7 responded quickly and the whole workforce worked remotely, using our existing online collaboration platforms, streaming services, and e-learning systems. Our People and Culture team worked tirelessly to ensure our BB7 culture remained strong and we pulled together to continue business as normal.
BB7 continued to provide unparalleled service to clients throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
2022 - Strengthening the north
Founded on seven values, we have always been a purpose driven business. In 2022 we established our Cycle 7 initiative linked to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDG’s.
This was further acknowledgement of our position as one of the United Kingdom’s and Republic of Ireland’s leading and largest Safer Building Consulting teams, and that this comes with the responsibility to influence positive change.
We are keen to play our part in the transformation required of the global economy into a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative system. This is why we have applied to join the B Corp Movement and are working towards certification.
In 2022, the Manchester office moved to larger premises in Castleford and later in the same year we made the strategic decision to launch a Façade Engineering business that would integrate seamlessly with our existing service proposition.
“Façade Engineering is the art of resolving aesthetic, environmental and structural issues to achieve the enclosure of habitable space.”
2023 - Internationalisation
In 2023, we appointed Katie Beck as Chairperson of the Board of BB7 Holdings Limited. Her knowledge, skills and experience further contributes to the overall governance, strategy, and performance of the organisation.
Our international expansion continued as we established BB7 Cyprus Limited, which would be operated by a small team based in the port city of Larnaca. Cyprus holds a significant strategic position due to its location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, it serves as a bridge between three continents.
Having gained full national coverage in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland we now have an international team based remotely in France, Spain, Portugal and Poland and able to service clients throughout Europe and beyond.
With the UK and Ireland’s unique strengths and deep partnerships and a well-developed international strategy, supported by thorough market research and strategic partnerships. We stand ready to explore new frontiers.
Fire safety Cyprus
2024 - 15th Corporate Anniversary
In our 15th Corporate Anniversary Year, our mission continued “To establish BB7 as a world-class consulting team and maintain our uncompromising principles as we grow”.
Founded on seven values in 2009, we have always strived to move beyond mere employee satisfaction, fostering a culture of belonging has always been a strategic imperative we have employed to great effect in attracting and retaining top talent, enhancing productivity, and driving innovation.
We are pioneers, fearlessly pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom while steadfastly upholding the paramount importance of safety.
We are on a bold quest to forge a visionary group. Our 2030 vision is clear: to champion buildability, traceability, validation, verification, and unwavering standards at every turn. With unwavering dedication and a steadfast focus on achieving value for our clients and our people.
Keeping technical excellence at the heart of what we do. We dare to redefine what’s possible when it comes to the global issues of our time i.e. safety, security, sustainability and resilience.
We continued to be a challenger firm, inspiring others to reach higher, dream bigger, and achieve greatness alongside us.
2025 - Powered by CERTANIA - Our Next Chapter
Over the past sixteen years, BB7 has grown from a specialist fire consultancy into a trusted, multidisciplinary team with deep fire, facades and building standards expertise. Our operational bandwidth has expanded, our capability has deepened, and our financial independence has strengthened.
In 2019, we took a bold step forward with investment from BGF (Europe’s most active growth investor). Their support helped us professionalise, scale, and deliver on the goals we set together. Five years later, having successfully fulfilled that investment journey, we’ve graduated to a new level, one defined by even greater ambition, backed by the entrepreneurial force of CERTANIA.
Today, we stand debt-free, secure, and strategically positioned for the future. Over the last five years, we’ve benefited enormously from the insights of our partners and a global community of advisory firms. Their input sharpened our commercial awareness, helping us understand market dynamics, client needs, and the wider forces shaping the built environment.
Because independence, to us, isn’t about standing alone. It’s about having the freedom to make the right decisions, for our clients, for our people, and for the long term. True independence is guided by ethics, purpose, and conviction and CERTANIA enables exactly that.
2026 - Integrated Services
As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, BB7 enters a new chapter, one that’s more client-focused, collaborative, and impact-driven than ever.
With CERTANIA’s backing, we’re strengthening our capability across the entire building and infrastructure lifecycle, from concept and design through construction, operation, adaptation, and reuse.
The boundaries between Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) firms and Architectural, Engineering, and Consulting (AEC) practices are blurring. A new model is emerging, one we call DE-TICC, where Design and Engineering meet TICC to deliver integrated, performance-based outcomes.
Society is demanding stronger governance, higher standards, and better practice. Our response is clear: to help shape a safer, more sustainable, and more resilient built environment, one where every structure protects people, supports ecosystems, and stands the test of time.
This vision aligns perfectly with CERTANIA’s purpose: “Adding certainty to life.”
2030 - Becoming Interdisciplinary
The challenges of our world will not be solved by one discipline alone. The answers lie at the intersections where diverse expertise, perspectives, and ideas connect.
We’ve never aspired to be a traditional multi-disciplinary “one-stop shop.” Those models often revert to silos. Instead, we’re building the UK’s first true interdisciplinary model, a group that integrates design, engineering, safety, and sustainability to create genuine insight and impact.
By 2030 (our 20th anniversary) BB7 will form part of a world-class Buildings and Infrastructure group, blending engineering, design, safety, sustainability, and social understanding to deliver outcomes that are technically robust, commercially viable, and socially responsible.
This approach embodies our commitment to “designing with purpose, building with care.”
Our people, from fire and façade specialists to sustainability experts, clerks of works, and building standards professionals will work side by side as true interdisciplinarians, united in one mission: to make the built environment safer, more secure, and more resilient.
It’s an ambitious journey. It’s exciting. And we’ll learn a lot along the way.
If you’re inspired by this vision then join us, and help us imagine a better answer.
