A fire safety expert is under investigation for allegedly using another engineer’s credentials to sign off safety certificates for high-rise flats without permission.
Adam Kiziak was suspended by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) in August 2024 amid an investigation into potential malpractice.
Despite the suspension, his company Tri Fire has continued to issue safety certificates.
Major lenders including NatWest and Nationwide are now withdrawing mortgage offers for properties with fire safety certificates issued by Kiziak’s company.
Adam Kiziak was suspended by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) in August 2024 amid an investigation into potential malpractice
Through his lawyer, Kiziak has “strenuously denied” any allegations of fraudulent activity.
Tri Fire conducts safety surveys and issues EWS1 fire safety certificates for flats in high-rise blocks across the UK.
These certificates were introduced in 2019 following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, which claimed 72 lives.
The forms assess a building’s fire risk based on its construction and cladding, and are required by most banks and building societies for mortgage lending on flats in apartment blocks.
Analysis by the Building Safety Register has revealed the significant scale of Tri Fire’s operations.
The company issued 410 of the 1,139 EWS1 certificates signed between March 2020 and the end of 2021.
While Kiziak is still permitted to work, his IFE suspension means he cannot personally sign off safety certificates.
Awwal Salisu, a qualified fire engineer based in Saudi Arabia, entered into an agreement with Tri Fire through a recruitment agency to assess up to 100 buildings.
He claims Kiziak used his signature without his knowledge to continue issuing safety certificates.
Salisu alleges that in most cases, there was insufficient information to issue safety certificates, and he returned the forms to Tri Fire for additional work.
The BBC has seen multiple EWS1 forms bearing Salisu’s signature and IFE membership number that he says were not among the 100 he was asked to review.
“I am very angry about it,” Salisu told the BBC. “I’ve had sleepless nights – my reputation is at stake.”
Salisu explained he uses a unique electronic signature on documents that can be traced through his laptop’s IP address.
“The one good thing about all of this is every report that is submitted with my initials, none of them will actually have my electronic signature,” he told the BBC.
He has taken action by alerting multiple authorities about the suspected misuse of his credentials.
Letters have been sent to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the Institution of Fire Engineers, and UK Finance, which oversees the mortgage lending market.
These notifications have prompted major lenders to halt mortgage offers on properties with Tri Fire certificates.
The impact on mortgage lending has left numerous buyers in limbo.
First-time buyer Sam Ireland told the BBC his mortgage offer was withdrawn after his lender discovered Tri Fire had issued the fire safety assessment for his prospective property.
“You feel completely powerless,” Ireland said. “It’s just scuppered the whole thing.”
He now faces having to restart his property search and arrange a new mortgage.
The BBC has learned of multiple other buyers whose mortgage applications have been rejected by lenders due to Tri Fire’s involvement.
Major financial institutions are now refusing to offer mortgages on properties with safety certificates issued by Kiziak’s company.