BM TRADA/Warringtonfire will be returning to FIREX with a stand explaining the process of fire testing and classifying construction products, and the importance of third-party certification. Delegates attending the show at the London ExCeL between 16 – 18 May 2023, can visit the BM TRADA/Warringtonfire stand (FI.1430) to interact with
Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) has created an online CPD – Seven Steps to FireSafety – focusing on the context of fire in relation to the built environment and the priorities for fire safety. Aimed at anyone interested in the design, construction and operation of buildings the CPD outlines the seven
Partel, a leading manufacturer of air and wind tight membranes, has combined a decade of industry experience and technical knowledge to develop two new fire-rated breather membranes EXOPERM DURO A1 and EXOPERM MONO DURO A2, that surpass current fire safety regulation levels for high-rise and high-risk buildings. These high-performance membranes
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Phase 1) identified numerous failings including compromised escape routes and fire doors that did not, through damage and/or disrepair, act in the way that they should to prevent smoke and gases from spreading. As such, the Inquiry recommended (Recommendations 33.29 (a) and (b)) that the owner
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is calling on all construction workers to help improve fire safety across the industry. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 and subsequent inquiry, the industry has worked hard to increase safety standards to prevent such an incident from happening again. One outcome has
Leading contactor, GRAHAM, has invested in enhanced fire awareness training for more than 100 of its employees in partnership with Nullifire, a fire stopping solutions and intumescent coatings manufacturer, part of parent brand CPG UK Ltd. Designed and managed by Area Sales Manager for Fire Protection at CPG UK, Colin
The Building Safety Act 2022 established the new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Ron Alalouff speaks with Mark Wilson, the Lead for Planning Gateway One, and Colin Blatchford-Brown, Gateways and Building Control Lead, on the prospects for the new regime. The new Building Safety Regulator’s
World leaders in life safety, Hochiki Europe, have today announced the launch of their next generation of emergency lighting, FIREscape Nepto. This intelligent, self-testing and self-monitoring emergency lighting system is set to revolutionise the emergency lighting market. Building upon the success of the FIREscape range launched in 2009, this new
A new management team has been unveiled for RECOM Solutions’ passive fire protection division, the fastest-growing arm of the group. Revenues for the division are on track to exceed £4.5m in the 12 months to April, up from £2.6m, following a raft of contract wins which has seen it expand
BM TRADA/Warringtonfire will be returning to FIREX with a stand explaining the process of fire testing and classifying construction products, and the importance of third-party certification. Delegates attending the show at the London ExCeL between 16 – 18 May 2023, can visit the BM TRADA/Warringtonfire stand (FI.1430) to interact with display models of key construction products including fire doors, glazing systems, pipes and cables, all of which have been subjected to fire resistance testing. The team’s technical experts will also be on hand to discuss the principles of third-party certification for manufacturers, installers, and maintainers of passive fire protection products and the important role played by its Certifire and BM TRADA Q-Mark certification schemes. Each day, BM TRADA/ Warringtonfire, which are UKAS-accredited third-party certification bodies, will carry out live demonstrations of correct fire door installation, and how to install fire stopping measures – running at 12pm and 2pm respectively. Visitors attending on Wednesday 17th May can hear about the methods used to derive European classifications for construction products, when technical manager, Peter presents in the FIREX theatre at 2.15pm. The European classification standards (EN 13501 series) define harmonised procedures for classifying the resistance and reaction to fire performance of construction products. Peter’s presentation will cover test methods, the extension of scope using direct (DIAP) and extended application (EXAP) rules, classification process, product families and using classifications for UKCA marking and third-party certification. Peter Barker, technical manager at Warringtonfire, said: “Third-party certification is once again the overriding theme of FIREX, given its fundamental importance to the design, construction and operation of safe and secure buildings. We are looking forward to engaging with delegates on a broad range of topics and hope to provide direct and informed guidance on navigating the fire safety challenges facing today’s built environment.” For more information, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com / www.bmtrada.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) has created an online CPD – Seven Steps to FireSafety – focusing on the context of fire in relation to the built environment and the priorities for fire safety. Aimed at anyone interested in the design, construction and operation of buildings the CPD outlines the seven steps to fire safety that will protect people and buildings, and how each step is an integral part of the building design. Certified by CPD UK and the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), the CPD – Seven Steps to Fire Safety – will enable viewers to reach an understanding of material science, product testing, product classifications and how this relates to regulations and standards. It will provide insight into the seven steps to fire safety and how each step is critical to the fire performance of a building. “The way we build and the importance of fire safety cannot be understated,” commented Simon Storer, Chief Executive of the IMA. “Whilst fire safety is a fundamental expectation of the modern built environment, it is important that fire safety is not compromised in order to deliver other performance standards. This CPD presentation will help construction professionals gain a better understanding of the priorities for fire safety, the importance of taking a holistic approach and how each of the seven steps to fire safety plays a key part in ensuring buildings are designed and built to the required standards.” To view the online CPD module, please click on the following link IMA CPD – Seven Steps to Fire Safety For more information about IMA visit www.insulationmanufacturers.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Partel, a leading manufacturer of air and wind tight membranes, has combined a decade of industry experience and technical knowledge to develop two new fire-rated breather membranes EXOPERM DURO A1 and EXOPERM MONO DURO A2, that surpass current fire safety regulation levels for high-rise and high-risk buildings. These high-performance membranes are designed to achieve the highest levels of fire performance while also protecting the building structure by allowing vapour to diffuse from within the structure towards the exterior keeping the internal components of the wall dry, preventing ‘thermal bypass’ of external air through the insulation, and also performing the secondary task of weather protection and preventing penetration by external environmental impurities such as wind and rain. Suited to offsite and onsite construction, residential or commercial projects, both products are fully independently certified and tested in accordance with EN13501-1. The membranes are compliant with Document B Fire Safety and are suitable for use in a range of external wall types, especially in high rise buildings or those that pose a greater risk of fire safety. “At Partel, we are proud to introduce our additional fire-rated breather membranes, EXOPERM DURO A1 and EXOPERM MONO DURO A2, which go beyond current fire safety regulations and complement our limited combustible vapour control layer IZOPERM PLUS A2” said Hugh Whiriskey, CEO of Partel. “We are committed to developing advanced membranes that will help to facilitate offsite manufacturers, contractors, and architects create facades that are fully non-combustible.” Introducing EXOPERM DURO A1 EXOPERM DURO A1 is a newly engineered breather membrane that incorporates advanced technology with an integrated glass fibre fabric to achieve the highest fire performance levels. This CE and UKCA marked membrane is A1 non-combustible and is suitable for use on closed joint facades. It balances other technical attributes alongside fire in order to ensure long-term protection of the building envelope, highly vapour open with an Sd value of 0.03m, Class W2 resistance to water penetration, superior aging resistance and dimensional stability. Introducing EXOPERM MONO DURO A2 Partel’s EXOPERM MONO DURO A2 is an innovative airtight yet vapour permeable façade membrane, based on Monolithic Technology. This CE and UKCA marked membrane is Class A2-s1,d0, guaranteeing limited-combustibility, absent or very limited smoke emissions and no burning droplets. It is suitable for use on open or closed joint facades, providing architects with greater design freedom. It balances airtightness, moisture management and secondary weather protection with fire performance and is incredibly vapour open boasting an Sd value of 0.09m, air permeability value of 0,006 m³/m², h, Pa, Class W2 resistance to water penetration, superior aging resistance and dimensional stability. Complete System Partel’s membrane solutions are further complemented by ECHOSEAL ALU FR, a fire-rated air and windtight adhesive tape specifically designed for use with Partel’s fire performance membranes. The tape ensures that membrane overlaps, window, and door connections are securely sealed. It can be used internally and externally due to its particular technological functions. Delivering Exceptional Performance Partel’s newly developed fire-rated breather membranes, EXOPERM DURO A1 and EXOPERM MONO DURO A2, exceed current fire safety regulations and provide superior protection of the building envelope. Independently certified and tested in accordance with EN13501-1 and compliant with Document B Fire Safety they can help facilitate the creation of non-combustible facades and offer peace of mind that the products are tested and certified to the latest industry standards. For more information visit Partel or contact a member of the Partel team to discuss requirements for your next project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Phase 1) identified numerous failings including compromised escape routes and fire doors that did not, through damage and/or disrepair, act in the way that they should to prevent smoke and gases from spreading. As such, the Inquiry recommended (Recommendations 33.29 (a) and (b)) that the owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings carry out an urgent inspection of all fire doors to ensure compliance with current legislative standards and that regular (no less than every three months) checks be carried out to ensure all fire doors are fitted with an effective self-closing device which is in working order. The Inquiry also recommended (Recommendation 33.30) that all those who have responsibility for the condition of the entrance doors to individual flats in high-rise residential buildings (with unsafe cladding) be required by law to ensure these doors comply with current standards. As a direct result, Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 introduces enhanced fire safety regulations. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were published on 6 December 2022 and came into effect in England from 23 January 2023. The regulations introduced changes with regards to fire doors which have an impact for the Responsible Person. They require responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings which are classed as high-rise buildings, (defined in The Fire Safety (England) Regulations as a building at least 18 metres in height or at least seven storeys), and also those above 11 metres in height in an identical use of multi-occupation residencies where communal areas and escape routes exist, to provide new additional safety measures with regards to the periodic and ongoing inspection of fire resisting doorsets. Quarterly inspectionsIt is now a legal requirement in high-rise buildings and multi-occupied residential buildings more than 11 metres in height to undertake quarterly inspections of fire resisting doorsets (including their self-closing devices) in the common areas, as these doors are subject to considerable use and subsequent failings or damage. This includes (but is not limited to) cross-corridor fire doors, staircase enclosure fire doors, and fire doors of protected lobbies and higher risk rooms such as plant rooms, riser shafts, and storage areas. Annual inspectionsThe new Fire Safety Regulations also state that it is now a legal requirement to carry out annual checks of fire resisting entrance doorsets to apartments or flats on a ‘best endeavours’ basis, with a procedure identical to the above, identifying and recording findings and actioning any remedial works required to return the door to a compliant nature. Information for residentsThe Responsible Person must also now provide residents with information relating to the significance of fire doors to a building’s fire safety, highlighting the importance of not removing or disconnecting self-closing devices, keeping fire doors closed, and immediately reporting any faults or damage to doors. This needs to be documented to ensure all residents are provided with the directive to protect the entire building and its occupants. Residents must receive this information when they move into a multi-occupied residential building, and on an annual basis thereafter. As a fire risk assessor inspecting such premises, there exists a requirement to evidence these practices, to identify failings, and make suitable and sufficient recommendations in the remedy of such failings. Fire risk assessmentsThe Fire Safety Act 2021 also states that ‘the effect of the Act will be to require fire risk assessments of buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises to be updated to take account of doors, if they have not already done so.’ This is detailed in section 9 as affecting ‘all doors between the domestic premises and the common parts (e.g. entrance doors to individual flats which open to common parts).’ This means that the Responsible Person should regularly review the fire risk assessment of their building(s) to ensure compliance, particularly if there is reason to believe it is no longer valid, or if significant change in the matters to which it relates has taken place. If these measures have already been considered within the existing current fire risk assessment, it is not necessary to have another fire risk assessment carried out whilst it remains compliant with this directive. Fire door inspection surveysWhilst a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment typically involves a review of the condition of existing fire doorsets, it is unlikely that it will extensively cover all fire doors and frames so a fire door inspection survey may be required. At the FPA, our fire door inspectors conduct comprehensive, non-destructive fire door surveys and deliver detailed reports on the condition of the entire doorset. Find out more about the FPA’s fire door inspection survey service. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for new prisons in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire. The new prisons will be created as part of the Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP) programme, a project that will see the development of four new adult male prisons built by ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates – a group of Tier 1 contractors working together as part of the government’s Construction Playbook. The A4NP will develop a standardised design that will then be applied across each of the four prison sites, building on the approach of the MoJ pathfinder common design prisons at HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva. Speaking of the appointment OFR design director Richard Rankin said: “This is a unique sector, and we are proud to be a part of this ambitious new approach by the MoJ. “The custodial sector requires unique thinking, and my colleagues and I are preparing fire strategies that will consider the complexities and layout of prisons, evolving an idea that will accommodate each individual site, while also accounting for the standardised design approach. It is an exciting opportunity, and we are delighted to be involved.” OFR has also undertaken a new £330m project with the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust to refurbish an existing hospital and build a new facility, with the news coming just weeks after OFR announced the appointment of more new colleagues to its team; the consultancy now employs 115-colleagues across seven UK offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, Bath and London. In Q4 2022, the company also welcomed new graduates, part of its commitment to investing in and nurturing future engineering talent. Rich concluded: “Since 2016, we have grown to become one of the UK’s leading fire engineering consultancies, developing our business and growing our team by nurturing a strong culture and investing in great people. The result is a motivated team working with clients across the world to deliver fire engineering strategies that protect people, place and planet. “I’m really proud of the new work we are delivering together and look forward to bringing these new projects to fruition.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is calling on all construction workers to help improve fire safety across the industry. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 and subsequent inquiry, the industry has worked hard to increase safety standards to prevent such an incident from happening again. One outcome has been the recognition of a lack of knowledge and adherence regarding fire safety across the industry. To help improve standards CITB, in consultation with the industry, has been developing two new online courses, both related to fire safety. The first course – Fire Safety Awareness in Construction and the Built Environment – has been launched across the UK for workers of all levels and occupations. Although not mandatory, workers are being urged to complete the free eCourse, which offers an overview of basic fire safety awareness in construction and the built environment. Employers are also being asked to direct all workers, staff or subcontractors, to complete the course. It covers topics such as how fires start, grow and spread, as well common sources of ignition and fuel on site, fire prevention and protection measures, safe evacuation and the impact of fire on the environment, communities and individuals. The second eCourse – Fire Safety in Buildings – will be available this summer. The course has been created in collaboration with Working Group 2 and Build UK and is pitched at a higher level than the first course, with the aim of providing industry a greater level of knowledge of fire safety in buildings, following the construction stage. It builds on the FSA course by focusing further on key topics such as how legislation and regulations have changed since the Grenfell tragedy. It also offers guidance on holistic fire safety, fire prevention (materials), protection (passive and active), compartmentation, protected escape routes, workmanship, competence, quality, reporting issues and concerns. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading contactor, GRAHAM, has invested in enhanced fire awareness training for more than 100 of its employees in partnership with Nullifire, a fire stopping solutions and intumescent coatings manufacturer, part of parent brand CPG UK Ltd. Designed and managed by Area Sales Manager for Fire Protection at CPG UK, Colin Green, the in-depth training has been developed specifically for GRAHAM to upskill its team with fire prevention and protection information to use in day-to-day activity. Team members from all levels of the business, including directors, quantity surveyors, site managers and planners, have now completed the training which was facilitated both in an office and on-site environment for maximum value. Participants have been actively involved in sessions to help develop an understanding of each other’s priorities and experiences, improving everyone’s awareness of fire risks across different disciplines and on-site environments. Andrzej Suwik, who leads the Quality team at GRAHAM Building North division, said: “The devastating impact of fire has been brought to a head over the last five years following the tragic incident at Grenfell Tower and subsequent legislation changes. “We want to ensure that our employees are confident in understanding the preventative measures that can be put in place across the business at all levels to mitigate any serious issues caused by fire. GRAHAM has significantly invested in the roll-out of Nullifire training which was developed specifically for our team, and we are proud to be one of the first contractors to deliver such high-level support.” Colin Green, Area Sales Manager for Fire Protection at CPG UK, said: “Working with the GRAHAM team has been a valuable experience, both to help improve its team’s knowledge but also for me to learn more about specific risks within the construction sector. Nullifire developed a bespoke package that ensured we provided practical advice that was relatable to real-life situations. “Our training is centred around raising awareness and encouraging businesses to think of fire stopping earlier subsequently allowing better solutions, improving time and money efficiency, and saving lives.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Building Safety Act 2022 established the new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Ron Alalouff speaks with Mark Wilson, the Lead for Planning Gateway One, and Colin Blatchford-Brown, Gateways and Building Control Lead, on the prospects for the new regime. The new Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) remit is a threefold one: to deliver the new regulatory regime for high-rise residential buildings, to promote competence across the built environment, and oversight of the entire built environment. Planning Gateway One is part of the BSR and is a new statutory consultee on fire safety matters for planning applications that include high-rise residential buildings. It began operation in August 2021, and from October 2023, the BSR will effectively be the building control authority for high-rise residential buildings in England, so will oversee the design and construction of these buildings, as well as managing the safe occupation of existing buildings. The BSR will give advice to local regulators, landlords and building owners, the building design and construction industry, and to residents. It aims to be evidence-led and enforce its powers proportionately and on the principle that it is the responsibility of those who create risk to manage and control it. The new building safety regime will come into effect in stages. The registration of high-rise residential buildings will start in April 2023, and the new safety management requirements will apply from October 2023. That month will also see the introduction of the more rigorous building control rules for new high-rise buildings and building work carried out on existing buildings. There will be a duty to register high-rise residential buildings between April and September 2023, with all other duties starting from October 2023. The BSR then intends to assess the estimated 13,500 existing buildings in scope over a five-year period from April 2024, with rolling reassessments. From this autumn, it will be publishing various pieces of guidance around the new regime, including the requirements around registering high-rise residential buildings. How will the BSR act to improve the design safety of buildings? Mark Wilson: Planning Gateway One is part of the Building Safety Regulator, but was established under legislation separate to the Building Safety Act. It was launched in August 2021 to enable the BSR to comment on planning applications for developments of high-rise residential buildings (those over 18m or seven storeys high and that have two or more residential units). The planning stage includes consideration of the whole development, so the area around a building and access to it are also included. As a statutory consultee in the planning process, we provide information and advice to local planning authorities. While local authorities are free to take or leave any advice we give, they are generally reluctant to grant planning permission with outstanding HSE concerns about fire safety. What was the situation prior to the implementation of Planning Gateway One? MW: As a former local authority town planner, I know that fire safety was not a consideration at the planning stage. As planning officers don’t generally have the fire safety expertise, the previous situation meant that it was difficult to get traction on fire safety matters later on in the process, once the design had gained planning permission. Since joining the BSR, I have been taken aback about how much fire safety has an impact on the design, layout, and appearance of a building – it can’t just be added on later as a veneer of fire safety. What aspects of fire safety are considered at Planning Gateway One? MW: It’s the big-ticket items such as the number of firefighting stairs and how they interact with the layout of a building. It’s often the case that there is just a single firefighting stair, so that needs a high level of protection, as it’s the only means of escape and access for firefighters. One of the big achievements of Planning Gateway One has been to cast a spotlight on single stairs and how well protected they may be. What will be the role of Gateways Two and Three? Colin Blatchford-Brown: The new Gateway Two takes place before building work starts, and involves detailed compliance with building regulations, with approval coming from the BSR acting as the building control authority. Gateway Two is a stop/go stage and building work cannot start before it is completed. This contrasts with the current situation where there is a requirement to submit an application at this stage, but no requirement to obtain approval before work starts. Gateway Three will require submission of sufficient evidence that you have complied with the building regulations and have built what you said you were going to build. At this point, you will receive a completion certificate which will allow you to register your building. Building registration must be completed with the BSR before people can move into it. Currently, there is no method of preventing occupation of a building before approval is obtained. What has been your experience of the quality of fire safety provisions in planning applications under Gateway One? MW: Over half our responses to applications have raised concerns or significant concerns about fire safety provision at the planning stage. Often, applicants respond to our concerns by preparing a detailed defence of their scheme, rather than addressing our concerns in design terms. However, if after, say, three responses there have not been any substantive amendments to address our concerns, we would suggest to the Local Planning Authority that they refuse the application. Usually, the prospect of potential refusal is enough to produce design changes. What incentive is there for developers to consider fire safety at the planning stage? MW: The spotlight on fire safety is perhaps more on Planning Gateway One than it is later, when building regulations are considered. There’s an incentive for developers to sort out fire safety issues at the outset, as the open process of planning applications means that HSE’s comments are published on the planning register of the local authority. Therefore, there is potential
World leaders in life safety, Hochiki Europe, have today announced the launch of their next generation of emergency lighting, FIREscape Nepto. This intelligent, self-testing and self-monitoring emergency lighting system is set to revolutionise the emergency lighting market. Building upon the success of the FIREscape range launched in 2009, this new design brings with it a suite of new features and benefits driven by technology improvements and innovations in the R&D process. FIREscape Nepto is BS 5266 compliant and, like its predecessor, is based around an addressable, emergency lighting control panel with addressable, self-contained LED-based luminaires and exit signs running on an extra-low operating voltage. And to ensure project continuity, the new system is backwards compatible with the existing panels and devices within the older FIREscape range. FIREscape Nepto can continually self-test and monitor itself, making installation and maintenance of the new system quick, easy and less costly compared to centralised battery or mains-powered systems. Another exciting new development for this release is a range of aesthetic enhancements and new recessed luminaire designs which negate the need for a recessing adaptor. These new recessed variants are available with both a standard and a high-power output. Customers and end users will now benefit from reduced project install and ongoing maintenance costs as improvements have been made to the photometry, increasing the maximum spacing between luminaires, reducing the amount required in any one space. And battery life has increased from four to ten years (dependent on system usage), reducing ongoing maintenance costs. Scalability is a key feature of the FIREscape Nepto system. The range has been designed and configured so that control panels can be networked to protect large, multi-site complexes all from a central point of control. And for smaller projects, the new control panels are supplied with one 127 address line as standard, with the potential to achieve 254 addresses when upgraded to two lines, helping to make smaller systems more cost effective. Further to this, up to twelve panels can be directly networked together and operated from a single point, negating the need for a graphics package if it isn’t required. The team behind the new design are also working on a cloud-based subscription service which is set to be released later this year. This service will enable remote access via internet enabled devices, providing system notifications and the ability to monitor and interrogate multiple client sites from anywhere in the world. Speaking about the launch of FIREscape Nepto Robert Head, Commercial Project Manager for Hochiki Europe said “The release of this new product from Hochiki is very exciting and builds on the success of our existing FIREscape range. I am particularly excited for the cloud-based service that is coming later this year. Our customers are going to benefit from a cost effective, fully compliant and cutting-edge emergency lighting technology that is second to none.” The Hochiki Europe team will be hosting a webinar to run through the new features and benefits on Thursday 23rd March as well as attending the Fire Safety Event at the NEC 25th – 27th April where they will be demonstrating the new FIREscape Nepto system. Visit them on stand 3a/D55 to see for yourself this next generation of emergency lighting. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new management team has been unveiled for RECOM Solutions’ passive fire protection division, the fastest-growing arm of the group. Revenues for the division are on track to exceed £4.5m in the 12 months to April, up from £2.6m, following a raft of contract wins which has seen it expand into a nationwide operation. RECOM Passive Fire Protection has doubled the size of its team of directly-employed installers to 40 over the past 12 months. The team undertakes projects at locations including NHS Trusts and hospitals, schools and universities, government offices, social housing schemes, apartment blocks and office buildings. In line with its expansion, RECOM Passive Fire Protection has a new-look management team after a series of promotions and appointments. Sarah Leadbetter has been promoted to the newly-created role of head of the division, which will see her lead on the delivery of its commercial targets, focus on client retention and expansion, and support RECOM’s directors with their growth plans for the group. Jay Newby has been promoted from contracts manager to the new role of operations manager for RECOM Passive Fire Protection. His new position sees him working closely with contracts managers and leading on all site operations and project delivery. Gvidas Teresas has been promoted from supervisor to contracts manager and he will support Jay on service delivery. Richard Green has joined RECOM Passive Fire Protection as a contracts manager from Bell Group. He brings expertise in fire doors, with more than 10 years’ experience in this specialist field. Due to the division’s geographical expansion, Keron Jackson has been recruited as a contracts manager for the Midlands and is based in Birmingham. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to bolster RECOM’s national coverage. RECOM, which has its headquarters on the Waters Edge Business Park in Salford Quays,is an approved contractor under the UK’s Fire Accreditation Scheme (FIRAS) for its fire protection services, which include passive fire protection installation, fire door surveys and installations, repairs and upgrades, fire strategy reviews, compartmentation surveying, advice and guidance, training, development and support. The company, which was founded in 2015 by directors Jason McKnight and Joseph Dillon, also undertakes construction project management and main contracting work across sectors including healthcare, education, retail and leisure, commercial and residential. It also provides consultancy services to assist in the design and delivery of health and safety, sustainability and cladding projects. Jason said: “The creation of a dedicated management team for RECOM Passive Fire Protection, together with our new arrivals, provides an excellent platform for further strong growth for the division. “The market is growing rapidly amid greater awareness of the need for risk assessments, remediation work, building upgrades and ongoing maintenance in the new-build sector as well as at existing sites. “Only recently, new fire safety regulations have come into force as the government seeks to improve fire safety in high-rise apartment blocks by implementing recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This once again demonstrates how seriously the issue of fire safety and protection needs to be taken throughout the property and construction sectors. “We have a highly-skilled and committed team and I am proud of their achievements to date. Our investment in new staff working alongside the new management team will give us the ability to take the division to the next level. “We are continuing to expand the team by recruiting additional supervisors and contracts managers to reflect the growth we are seeing across the UK. At the same time, we are placing a lot of emphasis on nurturing talent from within, and five RECOM trainees have recently gained diplomas to qualify as passive fire installers.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
