Leading UK manufacturer opens its doors to inspectors to share best practice in large-scale fire risk management
Wren Kitchens & Bedrooms hosted a specialist fire safety training and familiarisation day with Humberside Fire & Rescue Service, marking a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Fire Brigade and one of the UK’s largest kitchen and bedroom manufacturers.
More than 20 Fire Protection Inspectors attended the event at Wren’s purpose-built manufacturing facilities in East Yorkshire, where over 150,000 kitchens and bedrooms are manufactured annually. The visit formed part of Wren’s ongoing commitment to leading health, safety and fire prevention across its large-scale manufacturing operations.
The day was supported by Ventec Systems and Hall & Kay, Wren’s fire safety engineering partners, ensuring a joined-up and practical approach to fire risk prevention, system design and real-life application. Inspectors were given an in-depth view of how fire safety is designed, implemented, monitored and continually reviewed across Wren’s sites, valuable insight rarely available at this scale.
The programme included presentations, system demonstrations and guided tours of Wren’s Parrott Street and Barton manufacturing facilities, highlighting both preventative measures and the infrastructure in place to protect people, property and business continuity in the event of a fire.
Patrick Connelly, Protection Inspector at Humberside Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Humberside Fire & Rescue Service was delighted to join Wren at its headquarters for a structured engagement focused on fire safety, risk management and collaborative learning within a large-scale manufacturing environment.
“The visit gave our Protection Inspectors valuable insight into the fire safety measures in place and a comprehensive understanding of best practice for managing fire risks across large commercial premises within our service area. We’d like to thank Joel and the wider team for hosting such an informative and well-organised day, and we look forward to ongoing collaborations.”
The event was opened by Joel Kingsland, Head of Manufacturing Health, Safety & Environment at Wren, who led the familiarisation sessions alongside fire safety specialists from Ventec and Hall & Kay.
Joel Kingsland commented: “Hosting Humberside Fire & Rescue inspectors is invaluable for a business like ours. While Wren’s fire safety controls and risk management processes are extremely robust, they are always under review to ensure they remain as effective as possible.
“Taking a collaborative approach with key stakeholders such as the Fire Service demonstrates a shared commitment to prevention, learning and continuous improvement. It was a highly insightful and valuable event and one Wren was incredibly proud to host.”
By opening its manufacturing operations to specialist professionals, Wren aims to support knowledge sharing, transparency and continuous improvement, reinforcing its commitment to protecting people, infrastructure and the communities in which it operates.
