Leading supplier AEI Cables is highlighting the need for the highest quality of cabling for use in sprinkler systems increasingly being specified for use in new modern buildings. This follows a call from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of
The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be
A look at how some building contractors may choose to hire fire fighting equipment for their future projects. Modern Sites Although it could be argued that building sites abound with potential health and safety issues for all personnel working in such areas, it has to be said that many of
Every year construction sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment work catch fire, which results in workers being injured, destroyed properties, and unexpected costs that some businesses might never recover from. This is why it is important that protective fire measures are put in place to protect a construction site. Implement the right
Jane Embury, marketing director at Wrightstyle, the advanced steel and aluminium glazing company, looks at accidental fires in the workplace …and how to avoid them. In 2017, fire crews in England attended over 560,000 incidents, 34% fewer than ten years ago. Of those, only about 170,000 were fires, and over
A £1.4m programme of fire safety improvement work in which Focus Consultants undertook the building surveying, design and contract administrator responsibilities has been completed on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital. The third floor Branston Ward (gynaecology) at Lincoln County Hospital has just undergone a major refurbishment, as part of
The government’s ban on combustible materials has been welcomed by Bureau Veritas as the “first step in the crusade to improve the industry’s approach to fire safety following the Grenfell tragedy”. Combustible materials will not be permitted on the external walls of new buildings over 18 metres containing flats, according
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has taken a strong stance on the issue of cladding and forcing the removal and reinstatement of a safer product. For months James Brokenshire has been warning landlords of at-risk properties to get on
The aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire last year has had a far-reaching impact on countless individuals, authorities and businesses. The negative spotlight on cladding materials, which are reported to have aided the spread of the fire, has had a major knock-on effect for the construction industry, from builders
Leading supplier AEI Cables is highlighting the need for the highest quality of cabling for use in sprinkler systems increasingly being specified for use in new modern buildings. This follows a call from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to make the installation of sprinklers mandatory in all residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools and care homes taller than 11 metres. The same organisations have also called for sprinklers to be retrofitted where possible. Graham Turner, of AEI Cables, said the issue of providing continuous power to sprinkler systems is a key component of improving fire safety in buildings nationwide. He added: “Buildings such as tower blocks, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, airports and those areas with large numbers of people moving about need cabling which will continue to operate in a fire and provide power for the highest fire protection of 120 minutes. “This ensure fire and rescue services can safely evacuate people and that sprinklers will continue to operate in the event of a fire.” The Hackitt Review into the Grenfell disaster sets out a series of proposals to make tower blocks safer to live in but stops short of recommending a mandatory requirement for sprinklers to be fitted. The new generation AEI Cables’ fire performance cabling ensures critical fire-safety circuits can continue to operate in the event of a fire from 30 minutes up to 120 minutes. Using the very latest in technology and science, the Firetec Total Fire Solutions range from AEI Cables offers enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support from one source. All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB covering design, manufacture and supply. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international standards around the world.
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of enhancing fire safety for residents. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “This is our second major contract with Arches Housing and we are very pleased to be working with them again to enhance fire safety in one of their sheltered housing schemes. Fire safety is an essential requirement in all buildings, and we aim to ensure that the residents of Arches Housing are offered the best possible fire protection.” Luigi Iantorno, asset compliance & reinvestment officer at Arches Housing, said: “Horbury Property Services secured this contract as a result of a rigorous competitive tender. The upgrade to fire doors and fire compartmentation is an important part of our planned maintenance works as we aim to ensure our homes are as fire safe as possible.” As well as fire door and fire compartmentation services, Horbury Property Services provides a full range of works, which can form part of planned maintenance programmes. This includes ceiling and dry wall partitioning inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides painting and decorating, flooring refurbishment and installation, amongst others. The company has its head office in South Yorkshire, plus regional offices in London and South Wales, ensuring a truly national capability. This regional presence enables its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. Arches Housing is a community-based social landlord, which was established in 1975 and provides more than 1,200 affordable homes in Sheffield and Rotherham. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.
The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be safe in their homes. This appointment builds on the strong partnership approach we have established with Hyde delivering fire safety projects,” commented David Mawson, executive director of Kier specialist services. Launched in March 2019, it will provide safety works to homes in the Hyde portfolio and other external users across the country. Works included in the framework range from the installation of fire doors, emergency lighting and sprinkler systems to fire proofing, electrical works and business continuity planning. Kier will fulfill a construction management role to Hyde and/or framework users who wish to utilise works or services from any of the framework lots. “Fire safety is a really important issue and we are really proud to have established this framework with excellent partners and to have made it available to all public sector organisations to use. Resident safety has always been our priority and through this framework we can deliver quality services, ensure that we can manage and address fire safety issues accordingly and get better value for money,” added Jake Le Page, Fire Safety Taskforce Lead at Hyde.
A look at how some building contractors may choose to hire fire fighting equipment for their future projects. Modern Sites Although it could be argued that building sites abound with potential health and safety issues for all personnel working in such areas, it has to be said that many of the modern-day construction sites spare no expense when it comes to HSE regulations. Indeed, carpenters, bricklayers and other trades have commonly seen going about their daily tasks on new housing development or shopping mall project can rest assured that the main contractor will make sure all health and safety measures have been implemented. And just like most large building contractors or even small subcontractors will prefer to hire various equipment to get their work done such as compressors, dumper trucks or power tools as opposed to purchasing them, the same could be said for state-of-the-art fire alarms and fire extinguishing products. However, contractors that fail to consider all the options available to them with regards to wireless alarm systems and fire extinguishers, as well as related signs, could end up with inferior fire protection gear. Safety First Regardless of how much pressure a leading building contractor may be under to get their latest city centre project completed and handed over to the client, it is absolutely vital for these types of companies to ensure the safety of all people working on their sites. Of course, not only will major firms involved in various commercial and domestic construction works comply with the HSE in order to avoid being penalised or even shut down but most of these firms will do so just for ethical or moral reasons. One growing trend, however; with regard to the procurement of fire prevention is hiring the equipment for fire safety planning. Indeed, as construction sites are continuously in a state of change and development, the type of fire fighting systems needed at various phases will often be different from the start of the projects. One main reason for this is that there will be a wide range of materials not only used to carry out the work but also materials that make up the structure of the buildings. Builders that appreciate the benefits to be gained from renting fire alarm systems and associated equipment should be able to source a number of firms suitable for their needs. Expert Advice Building contractors that prefer to stick with what they know best – building properties, are likely to look for providers of wireless alarms and fire extinguishers and other health and safety products from firms that are experts in this field. Fortunately for firms in the building game that do not wish to waste time deciding on the most appropriate fire safety products for their sites, there are plenty of well-established firms with fire protection solutions that offer a consultation service for all their clients. Of course, building site managers that could do with some advice on where best to place things like fire extinguishers or fire exit points do need to ensure they get this aspect right. That being said, with today’s extremely strict HSE regulations in place, there is very little chance of a building site not being up-to-scratch regarding health and safety concerns. And just like it is very important to keep all working areas on a construction site free from hazardous materials whenever possible, building site managers would be wise to attend as many HSE workshops as they have time for. Hire Equipment Tradespeople that have used a variety of hire tools and other equipment over the years will appreciate how some of the gear they have used have not been very good due to a lack of maintenance carried out by the hire company. Of course, if we are going to hire extremely important equipment such as fire alarms and extinguishers, it would go without saying that all such gear needs to be properly cleaned and checked by the firm we deal with. There are in fact many benefits to hiring equipment for construction sites. And by looking on the internet for extremely useful resources, construction bosses should be able to get a better idea regarding the pros and cons of renting machinery and power tools as well as fire protection equipment and systems.
Every year construction sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment work catch fire, which results in workers being injured, destroyed properties, and unexpected costs that some businesses might never recover from. This is why it is important that protective fire measures are put in place to protect a construction site. Implement the right products A crucial step to prevent a fire from spreading is implementing the correct safety products, with fire extinguishers being one of the most life-saving products that one can have on site. Fire extinguishers should be located at identified fire points around the site and should be appropriate to the nature of the potential fire: Wood, paper and cloth – water extinguisher Flammable liquids – dry powder or foam extinguisher Electrical – carbon dioxide (C02) extinguisher Consider how to detect fires Although a standalone alarm unit may be sufficient for a smaller site, as a construction site grows, there is a higher risk of a fire breaking out. By installing fire detection and wireless alarm systems, one can ensure workers are alerted in the event of such an incident. Carry out thorough staff training It is so important to ensure staff are confident when using any type of fire safety equipment – they need to know what risks to be aware of and what actions to take in the event of a fire. All new employees should also receive fire safety training. Review and update your risk assessment According to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), a ‘responsible person’ must carry out, and keep up to date, a risk assessment and implement appropriate measures to minimise the risk to life and property from fire. The HSE recommends following these five steps when carrying out the risk assessment: Identify hazards: consider how a fire could start and what could burn Identify those at risk: employees, contractors, visitors and anyone who is vulnerable Evaluation and action: consider the hazards and people identified in 1 and 2 and act to remove and reduce risk to protect people and premises Record, plan and train: keep a record of the risks and action taken. Make a clear plan for fire safety and ensure that people understand what they need to do in the event of such an incident Review: your assessment regularly and check it takes account of any changes on site.
Jane Embury, marketing director at Wrightstyle, the advanced steel and aluminium glazing company, looks at accidental fires in the workplace …and how to avoid them. In 2017, fire crews in England attended over 560,000 incidents, 34% fewer than ten years ago. Of those, only about 170,000 were fires, and over 220,000 were false alarms. Every year in the UK more than 20,000 non-residential fires are reported, with many of those happening in our workplaces. While there are a large number of reasons why fires start, many incidents could be avoided if people better understood and managed the most common causes of fire. While the overall incidence of workplace fires continues to fall, they do tend to be larger and more complex, not only potentially posing a risk to life but to the continuity and survival of the company affected. Preventing workplace fire loss requires knowledge of both the underlying ignition risks and, if fire does break out, the reasons why the fire might spread. The main element that then determines the severity of a fire is the availability of a fuel load – the combustible materials that a fire needs to develop and grow. Faulty electrics are the biggest cause of workplace fires and workplaces are legally obliged to properly maintain all electrical equipment and to conduct Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) at least annually. These tests ensure that electrical goods are fit for purpose and remain in good working order. Failure to test annually is therefore not only a fire risk in itself, but could result in legal penalty. What’s also needed is a comprehensive fire safety risk assessment, particularly vital if combustible and flammable materials are used in the workplace. That assessment will then guide a fire safety plan to ensure the most appropriate storage, handling and disposal of flammable materials. Again, failure to comply with the fire and safety regulations is a fire risk in itself and, again, could result in prosecution. But it’s not just complacency that’s the main fire risk, because accidents can happen – for example, an employee spilling liquid onto electrical equipment. What’s then crucial is that the workplace has sufficient and appropriate fire safety equipment, and that staff are fully trained in their use. But while accidents can and do happen, a bigger threat is negligence because, in the event of serious incident, the company concerned may lose any right to insurance recompense, leading inevitably to financial difficulty and possible closure. While every company must have a named person responsible for fire safety, everyone in an organisation also has personal responsibility, because everyone must be aware of fire risk, proper procedures, and what to do in the event of fire. As we also constantly point out, one of the main lessons for building designers and owners is not simply to incorporate passive and active fire systems, but to look at the whole building’s capacity to withstand a fire. That’s why advanced glazing systems are so important, either for the exterior envelope of a building or for internal screens and fire doors, providing up to 120 minutes of protection against the spread of fire, smoke or toxic gases. Advanced glazing systems also do one additional thing. By containing the fire, they minimise damage to that company’s workplace and better provide continuity of operations. It is, if you like, an investment in peace of mind.
A £1.4m programme of fire safety improvement work in which Focus Consultants undertook the building surveying, design and contract administrator responsibilities has been completed on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital. The third floor Branston Ward (gynaecology) at Lincoln County Hospital has just undergone a major refurbishment, as part of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ULHT) ongoing fire safety upgrades. The 18-bed ward has benefited from new ceilings, flooring and patient bathrooms, in addition to a full set of new fire doors and new lighting throughout. The third-floor revamp is part of an extensive programme of work at Lincoln to update and improve the entire maternity wing. Now the building surveying team at Focus Consultants is undertaking a similar role as improvement and refurbishment work gets under way on the ground floor antenatal and community midwife offices at the hospital. The company is also due to be involved when improvements are made to the second floor in due course. Keith Butler, partner at Focus Consultants, which has its headquarters in Nottingham and branches in Leicester, Newark, Boston and London, said: “Focus Consultants has wide experience of working on sensitive sites, such as hospitals, where it is crucial for day-to-day services to continue operating. “These refurbishment schemes at the maternity unit at Lincoln County Hospital are the latest in a number of hospital projects to improve facilities that Focus has been involved in – providing building surveying, design and contract administrator services. We have worked with Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital, helping to improve the surroundings and safety of the patient and staff environment.” The improvements at Lincoln County Hospital are part of a Trust-wide £46m capital investment spanning three financial years (2017/18 – 2019/20), which includes increased staff training and putting in fire prevention systems, including modernising and upgrading fire alarm systems, improving fire doors and enhancing fire barriers around all the hospitals. Focus provides a range of consultancy services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, project management and sustainable development support. For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.com
The government’s ban on combustible materials has been welcomed by Bureau Veritas as the “first step in the crusade to improve the industry’s approach to fire safety following the Grenfell tragedy”. Combustible materials will not be permitted on the external walls of new buildings over 18 metres containing flats, according to the new ban. Same applies for new hospitals, residential care premises, dormitories in boarding schools and student accommodation over 18 metres. “The government moved quickly in passing the amended regulations and perhaps exceeded expectations by including not only new but also change of use buildings. The quick turnaround may also have caught some off guard, with not much time to ensure that new buildings of this type do not include timber cladding or combustible insulation,” said Andy Lowe, Technical Director of building control at Bureau Veritas. The government will also give support to local authorities to carry out emergency work to remove and replace unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. “There are much wider discussions and ramifications for the construction industry still to come, with the government also making clear that it expects immediate action to speed up emergency remediation works to replace unsafe cladding on existing high rise buildings. Here, the onus is very much on building owners and developers, with an emphasis on costs not being passed on to leaseholders. There is also some debate around how the amended regulations can be interpreted when it comes to balconies and timber decking. It will be interesting to monitor progress on this and how the industry responds over the coming months,” Andy Lowe added. The amendments will come into effect from 21 December 2018 and any existing Building Regulation applications will only be exempt if site work has commenced within a two month period from that date.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has taken a strong stance on the issue of cladding and forcing the removal and reinstatement of a safer product. For months James Brokenshire has been warning landlords of at-risk properties to get on and remove dangerous cladding. Yesterday Brokenshire announced a change to the housing health and safety regulations to force the landlords to make good these works with no apparent financial risk to the leaseholders. The Association for Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) welcomes the move as it has been lobbying for Government intervention ever since the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Immediately after the tragic fire, ARMA flagged to Government the problem under leasehold as to who would likely pay for the cost of fire safety remedial works and that this could seriously delay remedial works. ARMA has publicly asked for Government loans to be make available and for remediation to be taken into a national programme to avoid such delays as the safety of residents must always be the uppermost concern. Dr Nigel Glen, Chief Executive Office of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA), comments: “We congratulate the Government for taking this strong approach to ensure remedial works on affected buildings can get under way immediately. People need to know they are safe and able to live their lives. We have always said time is of essence here and work should be completed first and then worry about who pays later. The costs to cladding removal has given many residents grave anxieties and now some headway should start to be made more quickly. “The Secretary of State has said that ‘leaseholders must not pay’. We keenly await details of how that will work in practice given the structure of leasehold. For example, in the case of Citiscape in Croydon, the First tier Tribunal Property determined that the leaseholders were liable for the costs under the terms of their lease. That may well be the case across all the buildings under discussion, depending upon their leases. And where Landlords are not the guilty party re installing the cladding is it fair that they will be expected to pay? Clearly there is more work to be done but this is a welcome and significant step.”
The aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire last year has had a far-reaching impact on countless individuals, authorities and businesses. The negative spotlight on cladding materials, which are reported to have aided the spread of the fire, has had a major knock-on effect for the construction industry, from builders and subcontractors to architecture firms. Days after the incident, cladding installed on buildings more than 18 metres in height was called into question by the Government, leading to significant increases in premiums for Professional Indemnity Insurance. Nottingham-based architecture firm Church Lukas experienced first-hand the difficulties of navigating the confusion circulating within the insurance world to keep their risk profile in true perspective. John Freeman, Director of Church Lukas, said: “The insurance market changed radically post-Grenfell. With the media focusing mainly on cladding, and a public enquiry underway, insurers perceived any tall building as an insurance risk. Prior to Grenfell, insurance was very straightforward – we would receive our policy renewal form, complete it and send it back. Premiums would fluctuate slightly, but post-Grenfell they have increased significantly. “When it came to renewing our policy, we faced an increase in premiums, but also a reluctance on the part of insurers to cover previously completed buildings above 18 metres without the inclusion of onerous caveats. As we work in sectors including student accommodation, residential, office and industrial this presented a particular problem.” With Church Lukas in the difficult position of needing to find a new policy at very short notice, independent insurance broker Russell Scanlan, also based in Nottingham, was able to find a solution. John said: “The Russell Scanlan team was very thorough in going back to the insurance market and explaining what we did differently to reassure them. It was a case of navigating the market at a time when there was significant upheaval across the construction sector, both in terms of contractors who deliver the work and architects who design the buildings.” He continued: “Russell Scanlan worked doubly hard to ensure that we had an insurer in place when we got to the point of renewing our insurance policy. Thankfully, we now have policy which covers buildings we’ve already completed and ones we are yet to start, which is not significantly different from our old policy. For us, that was a positive result, if we hadn’t been able to renew our policy on favourable terms we would have been left in a very difficult position.” Bryan Banbury, Managing Director of Russell Scanlan, said: “The insurance market for architecture firms has proved to be very challenging due to the implications of the Grenfell Tower fire. Professional Indemnity Insurance underpins the business of architects, but many have found insurers are reluctant to provide cover. “In the case of Church Lukas, we found the information necessary to obtain quotes on their behalf and approached the market. Through some long-winded negotiations, we managed to find a solution they were happy with in terms of both cover and additional services to assist with checking contract wordings. We’re pleased to say they now have a stable insurer and we’re delighted we could help.” Church Lukas, which is based in Nottingham city centre close to Russell Scanlan’s offices, is an award-winning architecture firm which operates across the construction industry, ranging from £50,000 minor refurbishments to £100 million regeneration schemes.
