CertFlow attended the Health & Safety Event at NEC Birmingham from April 27–29, 2026. Sales Director Elliot Booth observed key trends across both the lifting and fire safety sectors.
The “still on paper” problem is louder than ever
A recurring theme emerged across both exhibition halls: inspection documentation remains fragmented across multiple formats. Companies continue managing records through Excel spreadsheets, typing reports from handwritten field notes, and distributing certificates via email attachments stored in unsearchable shared drives.
While small operations with one or two engineers manage this approach, larger teams of 5–25 engineers face increasing operational friction. Operations managers described “the same loop everyone in this market knows: chase the inspector, retype the report, find the asset history, send the certificate, hope the client portal is up to date.”
PUWER and the lifting side
The PUWER Machinery Guarding feature drew significant attendance. Lifting inspection professionals prioritise practical workflow solutions over regulatory interpretation. They need immediate access to inspection records, engineer competency verification, asset history, and scheduled due dates.
SAFed-aligned engineering firms demonstrated consistent concerns: branded report generation, audit-ready certificate documentation, client portal access, and automated scheduling for thorough examinations.
The Fire Safety Event: certification was the through-line
Time spent on the NSI stand revealed that NSI-certified contractors “have to be able to evidence it on demand, in a format the certification body and the Responsible Person under RRO 2005 will both accept.”
NSI certification covers life safety fire risk assessments, fire detection and alarm systems (BS 5839-1), fire extinguisher service (BS 5306-3 and BS 5306-8), gaseous systems, emergency lighting (BS 5266), evacuation alerts (BS 8629), and kitchen protection systems.
Conversations consistently addressed certificate handling, asset history documentation, engineer competency evidence, and audit trail requirements.
The Passive Fire Protection Conference highlighted growing demand for documented, photographed inspection evidence in compartmentation and fire door compliance.
Three things we are taking back to the team
- The small-to-mid inspection firm market remains underserved by software in both disciplines. Excel-based internal systems represent the primary competitor.
- Regulatory specificity drives engagement. Naming specific regulations like LOLER, PUWER, PSSR, RRO 2005, and the relevant British Standards initiates conversations.
- Third-party certification increases documentation requirements. Certified contractors face growing scrutiny on audit trails alongside work quality.