The next generation of tall buildings being constructed around the world will require new ways of fire-fighting, an expert has warned. Speaking at FIREX International 2019, the Chief Executive of Tall Building Fire Safety, Russ Timpson, said the fire safety community has to “get on board” with all the technological
Introducing a lively debate on Building a Safer Future at the Firex International event held on June 18, 2019 in the ExCel centre in London Michael Harper, who became the Federation’s chairman last year, welcomed the progress made whilst expressing the frustration professionals and residents have concerning the lack of
Market study report Titled Global “”Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market“” 2019 Industry Research Report recently published on e-marketresearch.com is the key document for industries/clients to understand current global competitive market status. The Building Fire Retardant Coatings market study report base year is 2018 and provides market research data status (2013-2017)
Only 3% of UK, German and French architects are able to identify the four basic fire protection terms No German architects correctly defined all four terms and only 6% in France and 8% in UK Active and passive fire protection better understood by UK architects than by French and Germany
Wooden cladding and missing fire breaks Residents of 14 blocks of flats in Manchester are suing the government for only protecting flats with Grenfell-style cladding and not looking at the broader picture of fire safety in high-rise buildings. Two years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster, the government pledged £600m to
BAFE, the independent register of quality fire safety service providers, have released the revised Scheme Document for their Fire Risk Assessment Scheme (BAFE SP205). Following a thorough review process and a five week public consultation period, BAFE have launched the revised document for Fire Risk Assessment providers. A major point
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in
The next generation of tall buildings being constructed around the world will require new ways of fire-fighting, an expert has warned. Speaking at FIREX International 2019, the Chief Executive of Tall Building Fire Safety, Russ Timpson, said the fire safety community has to “get on board” with all the technological changes that are happening around the construction of tall buildings. Mr Timpson said that around 541 new tall buildings, over 20 floors high are going up in London over the next five years alone. “We are going to see significantly more tall buildings,” he told delegates. “They will be taller, more complex and vertical villages. They won’t be single use anymore. “They will have offices, apartments and viewing galleries all in the same building.” He also quoted the example of the proposed Sky City building in the Chinese city of Changsha, which has been designed to stand 838 metres tall with 202 floors and house 30,000 residents. “A planet with 10 billion people living on it means we’re going to have to live in much denser environments” “The architect said you can be born, grow up, meet your partner and get a job all without having to leave the building,” said Mr Timpson. “If we are going to talk about a planet with 10 billion people living on it, we are going to have to live in much more dense environments.” But he added that new materials, like timber will be used in the construction of tall buildings in the future, particularly as nations look to reduce their carbon footprints. Timber buildings “We are going to build tall buildings out of timber,” he insisted. “It’s going to happen. It’s a natural material, but the challenge is we have to do it safely. “The fire safety community has to get onboard and you will see a tall timber building coming to a city near you very soon, and it will probably have lots of greenery on the outside.” He also raised the idea of having a fire safety rating system for buildings, similar to the ones already in place for energy and sustainability. And he warned that construction fire safety in the UK is “very poor”. “I spend a lot of my professional time going around doing fire safety audits on tall building sites, and it’s very poor here in the UK and we are lagging behind other countries. “I strongly feel we will have a tall building construction fire here in the UK and construction workers could be killed. “Only the other day, I was on a building on the 30th floor, and when I asked ‘where is the wet riser?’, they ‘said there is no wet riser on this building, there is only a dry riser, but it finishes on the 20th floor’. How the hell do you expect fire fighters to fight fires on construction sites when they have no access to water? ‘If we have 541 tall buildings being built [in London], then we better have a serious look at construction fire safety.’ He also added that architects need to do away with assembly points outside buildings, because they are dangerous. “In a world of new dimension risks, I think they are a terrorist target. We all have to move to a philosophy of evacuate and disperse,” he explained. “When you leave the building, you should signify you are doing that via your smart phone and disperse. We need to move and embrace technology.” And Mr Timpson also predicted that drones will play a much larger role in fire safety in the future. “I can see high value tall buildings having a drone built into the building itself. It will be activated by the alarm system, go and find where the fire is. We are probably not far away from that and it could be part of a standard fit for tall buildings going forward.” For more information please visit https://www.firex.co.uk/
Introducing a lively debate on Building a Safer Future at the Firex International event held on June 18, 2019 in the ExCel centre in London Michael Harper, who became the Federation’s chairman last year, welcomed the progress made whilst expressing the frustration professionals and residents have concerning the lack of positive actions taken to stop another catastrophic fire. He told the audience of well over 100 that the Fire Sector Federation (FSF) along with many others inside and outside government had been trying to address the myriad of issues in a building system that so clearly failed while also trying to identify the products that can and cannot be used in circumstances like high-rise or high risk buildings. Observing “this has not been an easy or indeed fast task, and in fact it has at times been frustrating and painfully slow”, he added the caveat that “it does of course have to be thorough and meticulous”. Part recalling Churchill’s ‘this may be the end of the beginning’ Michael Harper also emphasised the clear wish to see the public inquiry move quickly into its investigative second phase and for the government’s current building safety consultation to bring into fruition the “bedrock change” of a better building control system. One that “chased down the whole culture and competency of a construction industry that had somehow become complacent if not, in some cases, positively indifferent about fire safety”. Outlining that the Federation had joined with many others to implement 100% of Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report to stop cherry picking or conversely avoid the “too difficult” issues and very recently had also backed the Inside Building campaign to have public finance allocated to assist private tenants remove the cladding from their buildings, Michael pointed out this was no sudden call to action. Indeed, for a number of years FSF members had, he said, argued for a review of building regulations; pressed the case for defining competency; suggested strongly that third party installers offer assured quality; promoted sprinklers and alarms to protect the vulnerable; and argued for better building protection. And this was not because of vested commercial interest but because all FSF members share a common commitment to improve fire safety in the UK. Organisations like FSF often had a difficult task in bringing the diverse views of their members together but he closed his comments by saying he was pleased that on many issues that common commitment had allowed FSF to agree “a common denominator” position in a number of fire safety concerns. Immediately after the introduction to Building a Safer Future a panel of FSF lead officers addressed issues relating to fire strategy, competency, active and passive fire protection. The concern that two years after Grenfell little change had actually happened in regulation, products and practices was raised and debated. The underlying belief that few people really understood fire from a risk perspective, knew how to recognise companies and people who were competent and third party assured, and were unprepared to support a socially responsible industry simply because it cost more to have that quality, were all explored by the panel and their questioners.
Market study report Titled Global “”Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market“” 2019 Industry Research Report recently published on e-marketresearch.com is the key document for industries/clients to understand current global competitive market status. The Building Fire Retardant Coatings market study report base year is 2018 and provides market research data status (2013-2017) and forecast (2019-2025) and also categorizes the Building Fire Retardant Coatings market into key industries, region, type and application. Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market 2019 study report covers all major geographical regions and sub-regions in the world and concentrates on product sales, value, market size and growth opportunities in these regions. Competitive Analysis for Building Fire Retardant Coatings market industries/clients :- AkzoNobel, Axalta Coating Systems, BASF, PPG ndustries, Sherwin-Williams, Versaflex, Kukdo Chemicals, Nukote Coating Systems, SUPE, Rhino Linings Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market 2019 Industry Research Report provides current competitive analysis as well as valuable insights to industries/clients, which will help them to formulate a strategy to penetrate or expand in a global Building Fire Retardant Coatings market. Insights from competitive research analysis will provide a competitive advantage to industries/clients in the Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry. Study years considered for this insight to analyze the market size of Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market are History Year: 2013-2017, Base Year: 2018, Estimated Year: 2019, Forecast Year 2019 to 2026. Download sample report copy of Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market 2019:- www.e-marketresearch.com/request-sample-23452.html Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market 2019 Industry Research Report is segmented into key players, type, application, and region. Geographically, this Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market 2019 report studies the key geographical regions United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, And study insights of product sales, value, industry share and growth opportunity in these regions. Sub regions covered in Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry study reports are- North America- United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific- South Korea, Australia, India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe- Germany, Italy, Spain, France, UK, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America- Argentina, Brazil, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa- Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa. Main Types covered in Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry- Interior Wall Coatings, Exterior Wall Coatings Applications covered in Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry- Household, Commercial More details, inquiry about report and table of content visit our website:- @ www.e-marketresearch.com/buying-inquiry-23452.html Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings Market study objectives are:- To study and analyze the Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry sales, value, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2019-2025). To study the major players in the world (North America, China, Europe, India, Japan, Southeast Asia), to study the sales, value and market size of major players in the world. Main Focus on the worlds major Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry players, to study the sales, value, industry size and future expansions plans. Main Focus on the worlds key manufacturers, to define, describes and analyzes the industry competition landscape, SWOT analysis for Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry. To define, describe and forecast the Global Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry 2019 by key players, region, type, application. To analyze the worlds major geographical regions as well as sub-regions Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry, their potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. To study important trends and segments driving or inhibiting the worlds Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry growth. To study the opportunities in the world Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry for stakeholders by identifying the growth segments. To study every submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry. To study competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the Building Fire Retardant Coatings industry.
Only 3% of UK, German and French architects are able to identify the four basic fire protection terms No German architects correctly defined all four terms and only 6% in France and 8% in UK Active and passive fire protection better understood by UK architects than by French and Germany counterparts France has greater understanding of reaction of fire than UK and Germany UK architects have the lowest understanding of fire resistance Only 2% of architects surveyed have had comprehensive fire protection training A third of architects say their current employer doesn’t spend enough on fire protection training Over three quarters of architects believe they are lacking in fully comprehensive fire protection training Zeroignition, the fire-retardant technology firm has announced the European findings from its study of architects and specifiers. Architects in the UK, Germany and France were asked about their knowledge and understanding of four common terms relating to buildings and fire protection. Across the three countries only 3% of architects were able to correctly define the four basic fire protection terms: active fire protection, passive fire protection, fire resistance and reaction to fire. Of the architects surveyed in the UK 8% where able to define the four terms, in France it was only 6% and in Germany none. Across the three countries over half (54%) of architects were unable to correctly define the concept of active fire protection (systems which protect structures and people – typically sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms). This breaks down to one in three (35%) architects in the UK, over half those asked in Germany (59%) and two out of three (67%) architects surveyed in France. When asked to define passive fire protection (whereby the spread of fire is slowed or contained through the use of fire-resistant walls, floors and doors, amongst others), more than half (57%) of architects were unable to provide an accurate definition. UK architects showed the most understanding with just under half (48%) unable to answer. The number of architects who could not answer increased to 61% in Germany and 63% in France. In total 63% of architects could not explain ‘reaction to fire’ protection (products designed to slow the growth of fire in its early stages to aid escape). This includes over one third (35%) of those asked in France, over two out of five (42%) of UK respondents and almost all (94%) German architects. When asked to define fire resistance (a set of products that prevent fire spreading to other parts of the structure) more than half (56%) were unable to. By country this breaks down to almost three quarters (71%) of UK architects and half those surveyed in France (51%). Germany showed a better understanding with less than half (45%) answering incorrectly. Hardly any of the architects interviewed, a mere 2%, said they’d had comprehensive fire protection training, most had some training and less than one in ten (8%) say they’ve never had fire protection training. Ian King, chief operating officer, Zeroignition, commented: “Lack of fire knowledge among architects in Europe, as indicated by the survey findings in the UK, France and Germany, show the issue is not limited to one country. Some countries fare better than others depending on the basic fire term in question but it is clear fire knowledge is lacking across the board. Professional bodies, and the construction industry as a whole, need to invest more and tackle the issue.”
Wooden cladding and missing fire breaks Residents of 14 blocks of flats in Manchester are suing the government for only protecting flats with Grenfell-style cladding and not looking at the broader picture of fire safety in high-rise buildings. Two years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster, the government pledged £600m to remove any ACM cladding, which caused the tower to engulf in flames so rapidly, from all tower blocks in the country. However, leaseholders are facing bills of up to £80,000 to fix other fire safety faults, including wooden cladding and missing fire breaks, in scores of buildings and are claiming it is ‘unjust’ for problems to only be resolved when they appear to be systematic. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said, “We have repeatedly and consistently made clear building owners are responsible for the safety of their buildings. “We issued unambiguous advice to building owners 18 months ago to reinforce existing building safety requirements and tell building owners what to do to make sure their cladding system is safe. This advice was updated in December 2018.” The government are being accused of failing to protect tower blocks from fire amid rising frustration that thousands of people are still living dangerously post-Grenfell. Fran Reddington, a leaseholder who is helping to lead the campaign said, “The government isn’t stepping up to help. Some residents are facing £80,000 bills and we don’t have any other choice. Fire doesn’t distinguish between the different types of dangerous material but the government is doing just that.” Suzanne Richards, Manchester city council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said it was “disheartening” to hear that leaseholders in her city felt they had no other option than legal action.
BAFE, the independent register of quality fire safety service providers, have released the revised Scheme Document for their Fire Risk Assessment Scheme (BAFE SP205). Following a thorough review process and a five week public consultation period, BAFE have launched the revised document for Fire Risk Assessment providers. A major point of the review was to maintain the robust certification process whilst acknowledging the large number of sole traders and in-house fire safety teams looking to gain this independent evidence of their competency. With assessments delivered via UKAS Accredited Certification Bodies NSI and SSAIB, BAFE remains fiercely confident that the SP205 scheme continues to represent the best measures of competency in providing the vital service of fire risk assessment. “After the Lakanal House fire in July 2009, BAFE and other organisations were asked by government to provide a competency scheme for fire risk assessments – which we delivered in 2012. This major review reflects our ongoing commitment to quality and safety regarding the importance of a Fire Risk Assessors competency to perform this task in the interest first and foremost of life safety. As the Hackitt Review groups reach their conclusions we will continue to review this scheme against new requirements that arise.” – Stephen Adams, BAFE Chief Executive Notable changes to the BAFE SP205 Scheme Document include: • Revised, clearer Management System requirements for Sole Traders with guidance. • A specific Sole Trader application process, acknowledging current membership status to a professional trade body and/or current certification. • All sub-contractors must be Third Party Certificated (by a UKAS Accredited Third Party Certification Body) in their own right. • Sole Traders sub-contracting to another larger organisation should have their Fire Risk Assessments validated in a separate exercise by that larger organisation. • Enhanced report monitoring for Sole Traders. Certification to the BAFE SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment Scheme is highly regarded as a means of sourcing a quality fire risk assessment provider for your requirements. This is listed within the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council’s Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor which is published on the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) website. Kevin Stearns, the FIA Compliance Manager, comments “The change by BAFE to require sub contracted fire risk assessors to also be BAFE certified is a major change within the scheme, and may have a short term impact on companies who currently use non certified sub contracted, life safety fire risk assessors”. For further information on the BAFE SP205 Scheme and to view the new version of the Scheme Document, please visit the BAFE website>>
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of a tradition, will be a panel discussion entitled: “Grenfell, Notre Dame – How can Water Mist Systems prevent loss of lives, property and jobs?” Organizer of the event is as always the International Water Mist Association (IWMA). The first day of the conference will be all about systems in practice and will include the discussion. The second day of the conference will mainly be dedicated to research and testing. The flyer containing the agenda can be downloaded from the IWMA webpage and also from the conference webpage which is accessible directly via www.iwma.net. Please note that the early bird period will end on 15th July. The registration period will end on 18th October.
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home Office is seeking feedback on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in business premises, such as offices, warehouses, shops and commercial venues, to ensure it is fit for purpose. The call for evidence follows publication last year of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review on Building Regulation and Fire Safety, which was commissioned by the government after the Grenfell Tower fire. The order places legal duties on those responsible for the safety of people using business premises. This is typically an employer or business owner, who must carry out fire risk assessments and ensure the safety of staff and others. Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said: The Grenfell Tower fire was an unimaginable tragedy and we are determined to do everything we can to stop it ever happening again. The government is making good progress on improving the safety of high-rise flats, but we must also look at the wider building safety landscape, including the places where we all work. To help keep people safe, we want to ensure the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose. To do this, we need to understand how it is working on the ground and make informed decisions in the future. The order covers all non-domestic premises, as well as the parts of residential buildings used in common, such as corridors and stairwells. Under the order, those responsible for fire safety in regulated premises include employers, business owners, landlords, occupiers and anyone else in control of the premises, such as building and facilities managers. The order also applies to anyone with paying guests, including those who run bed and breakfasts, guesthouses or let self-catering properties, as well as hotels. All of these ‘responsible persons’ are being urged to respond to the call for evidence. Their responsibilities include: carrying out a fire risk assessment of the premises and reviewing it regularly telling staff or their representatives about the risks identified putting in place and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures planning for an emergency providing staff information, fire safety instruction and training The call for evidence will run for eight weeks until 31 July 2019, and an analysis of responses will be published and inform the government’s next steps later this year. It complements the government’s consultation, Building a Safer Future, which is also launched today. Led by the Ministry for Housing, communities and local government, the consultation outlines how the government proposes to take forward meaningful legislative reform in the building safety regulatory system. See more information on the call for evidence here and on the Building a Safer Future consultation here.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in all new premises where vulnerable people sleep, including care homes and residential schools. The LGA says existing proposals for a 30-metre threshold is too high given the practicalities of firefighting. Cllr Ian Stephens, chair of the LGA’s fire services management committee, told the LGA’s annual fire conference in Brighton: “Residents have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their homes and automatic fire suppression systems, which can include sprinklers, offer a strong reassurance that is urgently needed following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. www.local.gov.uk/topics/fire-and-rescue
