Experts are calling for more to be done to stop fire protection systems from failing, after figures from the Home Office revealed that over half a million fire-related incidents were recorded last year with hundreds of deaths resulting. All non-domestic buildings are legally required to have several safety features implemented
2-loop fire control panel connects up to 252 devices EN 54-23 compliant alarm devices and dedicated peripherals Time-saving tools such as auto configuration and on-board web server License free programming With the launch of the new version of the fire protection system, Cerberus FIT, Siemens Smart Infrastructure expands its offering
Following continued success in securing new project and research work, OFR Consultants – the UK’s leading independent fire engineering consultancy – has promoted more than one third of its workforce in the past three months. Whilst Manchester-based fire engineer Ruoxi Shi has won the national SFPE (Society of Fire Protection
Leading safety and building compliance authority, Bureau Veritas, has pledged its full support to the government’s recent introduction of a new 11m threshold for sprinklers – asserting it marks a vital step forward in the journey towards enhanced fire safety regulation. On 26 May 2020 the UK government released the
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is enhancing high-rise safety on the Wardian London development, thanks to its Cygnus wireless alarm system. Wardian London is a prestigious residential development in Canary Wharf. Combining modern architecture with innovative landscaping, it sets a new standard for the high-rise living
Alpine Fire Engineers are celebrating a series of recent successes – 36% YOY growth to over £19m, office relocation to accommodate a doubled workforce, and several award nominations in recognition of their impressive achievements and employee-focused initiatives. Alpine Fire Engineers are specialist providers in Design, Project Management and Maintenance of
A devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement development in Crewe has resulted 150 elderly residents losing their homes as the three storey timber framed building has collapsed. 70 firefighters from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Merseyside worked for more than 12 hours to fight the blaze. Asst Ch Fire Officer, Gus
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
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
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Experts are calling for more to be done to stop fire protection systems from failing, after figures from the Home Office revealed that over half a million fire-related incidents were recorded last year with hundreds of deaths resulting. All non-domestic buildings are legally required to have several safety features implemented to reduce the effects of fires, such as alarms and doors. Fire doors work by stopping the spread of deadly smoke and fire; yet over three quarters of fire doors in 2019 failed inspections and were condemned as unfit for purpose. Reasons for failure of these doors range from ‘excessive gaps’ that allow smoke to pass, to ‘poorly adjusted door closers’ that prevent the door from staying in its default closed position in order to hold back the spread of fire. Director of Combined Fire Protection, Ellie McKay, says: “It’s staggering how many landlords are still not compliant despite the recent changes in regulation. Putting aside the hefty fines they can incur; the graver concern is the potential loss of life that can happen when corners are cut.” “There is so much to advise landlords and developers on when buildings are going up. The importance of working with professional organisations to ensure that stringent requirements are met cannot be underestimated.” Lessons from a tragedy This lack of building safety features has been all but spotlighted since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower which took the lives of over 70 people in 2017. An investigation following the fire found several shortcomings from the fire protection equipment including the doors, alarms and exit signs. It was found that the fire doors were replaced six years prior and, during an inquiry were reported to have had their self-closing mechanisms either broken or missing, meaning many were left open during the night of the fire and allowed poisonous smoke to pour through the lobbies of the tower. It was also found that the door could only hold back fire for half as long as it was supposed to; at just 15 minutes. Following an intense inquiry four years later, the government has now published proposals for what it calls “the biggest change in building safety for a generation”, placing greater responsibility on those designing and constructing buildings to explain how they are managing risks and demonstrating that a building is safe for occupants. A lesson to be learned from Grenfell is the importance of thorough operational checks on vital equipment is paramount. Now accountability has been heightened we are experiencing a high volume of ‘catch up’ across the industry to hit compliance targets. In my opinion this proves the lack of stringent surveys over the past decades but at least things are heading in the right direction at a good speed. Mark Frain of Combined Fire Protection believes a lesson to be learned from the disaster is thorough operational checks on vital equipment. “Now accountability has been heightened, we are experiencing a high volume of ‘catch up’ across the industry to compliance targets. This proves the lack of stringent surveys over past decades but at least things are heading in the right direction.” “We welcome the proposed changes and hopefully this will force landlords and business owners to be more compliant and take preventative measures to ensure that we don’t see the likes of the Grenfell disaster recurring”, added McKay. To understand more on how you can update your building’s fire safety, get in touch with Combined Fire Protection at social@combinedfireprotection.co.uk
2-loop fire control panel connects up to 252 devices EN 54-23 compliant alarm devices and dedicated peripherals Time-saving tools such as auto configuration and on-board web server License free programming With the launch of the new version of the fire protection system, Cerberus FIT, Siemens Smart Infrastructure expands its offering for the small to medium-sized buildings market. Various small to medium-sized buildings can now be covered with a simple and cost-efficient solution. Cerberus FIT maximizes fire safety, thanks to greater functionality and enhanced productivity for those working on protecting the buildings. The intuitive interface as well as the auto configuration tool allow the technician to install, commission and maintain the system in a fast, easy and reliable way. With the delayed alarm function staff will be informed first to identify what an alarm is about in order to assess the situation. This ensures business continuity and reduces disturbances to occupants of smaller buildings such as small-to-medium sized hotels, kindergartens or nursing homes. Safety and business continuity in every situation The Cerberus line offers a broad portfolio of detection and alarming devices including pre-configured Cerberus FIT device to choose from: from fast and reliable fire detectors to configurable alarming devices (including EN 54 compliant sounder and voice sounder beacons) which enables smart evacuation. The newest portfolio member, the updated Cerberus FIT fire protection system now allows for second loop, supporting a maximum number of 252 addressable peripherals and devices, such as detectors as well as alarm devices. Compared to one loop panels with only 126 addressable peripherals, the second loop offers more possibilities to wire devices to the panel. All detectors and peripheral devices have an integrated line separator. In case of an interruption, the loop turns into two stub lines while making sure the system is running. This significantly increases the safety of building occupants and ensures business continuity. Because every device is also powered by the loop, less wiring is needed, enabling the customer to achieve cost-efficiency. Intuitive and easy operation The new version of the Cerberus FIT control panel comes with an intuitive interface, including LED indicators with self-explanatory icons and an easy-to-read display. This avoids extensive training and allows facility staff to perform simple operational tasks on their own, without the help of experts. Thanks to its auto configuration feature, the Cerberus FIT control panel detects and automatically reads-in all connected devices, providing immediate and simple operation. The integrated ‘Panel Configurator’ enables the configuration to be changed quickly and easily on a PC or laptop, without additional software. Cerberus FIT is an EN-compliant fire protection system. It is approved and certified by the independent certification body LPCB and can be used in accordance with the application standard DIN VDE V 0826-2. The new Cerberus FIT version will be available globally, maximizing the fire safety of smaller buildings as well as enhancing the productivity of everyone involved in their protection. For more information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure, see www.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure For further information on Cerberus Fit, please see www.siemens.com/cerberus-fit
Following continued success in securing new project and research work, OFR Consultants – the UK’s leading independent fire engineering consultancy – has promoted more than one third of its workforce in the past three months. Whilst Manchester-based fire engineer Ruoxi Shi has won the national SFPE (Society of Fire Protection Engineers) UK Chapter award for Up and Coming Fire Engineer 2020. The 80-strong OFR team operates from UK offices in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bath, Oxford and Leeds and with a turnover exceeding £8M. 22 of those colleagues have now been promoted; four of the promotions have led to eligibility to join the OFR share ownership scheme which continues the long term promises of the business to ensure that leadership and decision making comes from within the team. Speaking about her national award win which recognised, amongst many things, her ‘commitment to becoming an advocate for the fire engineering profession by encouraging others to join the industry after university’, Ruoxi said: “I am thrilled to have been awarded the SFPE UK Chapter’s Up and Coming fire Engineer 2020 accolade – this is a huge testament to my dedication in promoting Fire Engineering as a career as well as promoting STEM careers for women like myself who are from an ethnical minority background.” Some of the promoted colleagues joined OFR as graduates less than five years ago, and their outstanding technical contribution to the business has accelerated their part ownership of the business; director Sam Liptrott, explained: “Investing in and empowering our people is core to our success. We put a heavy financial and pastoral emphasis on giving everyone opportunities and I’m delighted that, even with the challenges of 2020, this has been upheld with the promotion of these inspiring 22 colleagues. “Our long-term plan has, and always will be, to ensure that shared ownership is viable at all levels. Not just a profit share, but genuine ownership. We recognise contribution from all our team members – from established managers to graduates – and this fits our consistent message of being a technical delivery-focussed business.” OFR Consultants was established just five years ago, has quickly developed into an internationally renowned fire engineering consultancy working on some of the most pioneering global projects – from the Google campus in London to the Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. The recent promotions include three new design directors, one associate director, four principle fire engineers, six senior fire engineers, six fire engineers, one finance director and one people and process development co-ordinator. Sam concluded: “Ruoxi’s outstanding award win and the promotions demonstrate our incredible growth as a business since we launched in 2015. To go from an initial team of just two to almost 80 people, shows not only the demand that is out there in the construction market for our specialist skills, but also how we have developed our reputation as the pre-eminent fire engineering consultancy through our work on some of the most exciting projects, both here in the UK and overseas. “Our initial vision was to create a business whereby we continually invest in team talent and I am proud that we have consistently maintained our commitment to that by providing great career opportunities, continued support and training as well as the opportunity to own part of the business as it grows. I congratulate each and every one of our recent promotions and thank them personally for the tenacity and dedication they show on a daily basis. “I look forward to announcing more progression within our superb team at OFR very soon.” For more information about OFR, please visit OFR’s website at www.ofrconsultants.com
Leading safety and building compliance authority, Bureau Veritas, has pledged its full support to the government’s recent introduction of a new 11m threshold for sprinklers – asserting it marks a vital step forward in the journey towards enhanced fire safety regulation. On 26 May 2020 the UK government released the inaugural phase of its Fire Safety Approved Document Work Plan; the important implementation plan based on Hackitt report recommendations designed to create a new regulatory framework for building safety. As part of this, the government announced updates to the Building Regulation in Approved Document B whereby the current trigger height for sprinklers in new residential flats will be replaced from 30 metres (typically 10 floors) to just 11 metres (typically four floors). This significant reform means that any new flat developments with a floor at the new threshold will be required to be fitted with a sprinkler or alternative fire suppression system. Importantly, the requirement, which comes into effect on 26th November 2020, will only apply to projects lodged before this time and that have not started ahead of the official cut-off date of 29 January 2021. Alongside this, the government also recently announced the new requirement for wayfinding signage in flat developments in stairs and lobbies to assist firefighting operations. Looking ahead, further regulatory reforms are expected to follow later in the year to include the consideration of Evacuation Alert Systems and potentially the introduction of a new 11 metres height requirement for firefighting shafts, as opposed to the current 18 metres. Andy Lowe, technical and training director for Bureau Veritas Building Control, comments: “Following an ongoing consultation period, we are in full support of the government’s decision to considerably lower the threshold height for the provision of sprinklers in new flat complexes, while also including the provision of storey identification signage in staircases to assist wayfinding for firefighters. “While these may seem relatively simple changes, they are incredibly important ones which will go a long way in helping ensure that residents are safer in their homes and that more adequate preventative measures are in place should an incident occur.” In response to the new Approved Document B Fire Safety, Bureau Veritas, a leading global compliance, testing and inspection expert in building compliance, is holding a specialist webinar specifically designed to support the industry in understanding the changes. To be held on 17 June 20 , the free webinar will see the business’ expert Construction Consultancy team cover a range of important fire updates covering the combustible cladding ban, assessments in lieu of testing, new cladding requirements, and more. Andy adds: “Inherently, amid the ongoing transition towards the creation of a much more holistic and robust future fire safety framework, there will be a lot of change for the building industry to get to grips with. As such, as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting customers operating in this sector, both existing and new, we have developed a new webinar designed to provide a quick and convenient overview of the latest changes and what they mean for them. We’d urge as many customers as possible to attend what promises to be an incredibly valuable session.” To register your interest in the upcoming ‘Approved Document B: Understanding Fire Safety Changes’ webinar please visit https://bureauveritas.zoom.us/webinar/register/1015907514985/WN_VbUnwR1PTFSE-UkgeGA6vQ. Alternatively, for more information on Bureau Veritas please visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk.
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is enhancing high-rise safety on the Wardian London development, thanks to its Cygnus wireless alarm system. Wardian London is a prestigious residential development in Canary Wharf. Combining modern architecture with innovative landscaping, it sets a new standard for the high-rise living experience in the heart of London’s new financial centre. Once complete, it will include two iconic apartment towers with 764 rooms, restaurants, shops and a cinema. In partnership with Wingate Electrical, M&E contractor for Ballymore, Bull has supplied its Cygnus Fire Call Point Alarm System – a range of devices that have been designed to provide temporary fire protection on construction sites. Thanks to the alarm system’s high-strength signal and connectivity, the alarms can communicate despite signal interference and obstacles such as concrete and steel, ensuring workers are notified immediately in an emergency. Bradley Markham, director at Bull Products, says: “Our wireless alarm system is the ideal solution for residential developments such as this as it can be moved around as the site changes or grows, saving time and money. There’s no compromise on site safety as our innovative technology offers maximum protection to workers around the clock. “With high-rise buildings in particular, there is a real need to protect all levels from a fire during construction – the Cygnus system is the ideal solution to provide end-to-end fire safety.” Providing comprehensive fire safety protection through a fully linked network of detectors and call points, wireless fire alarm systems are the most effective and safest solution for construction sites and workers. For more information, please visit www.bullproducts.co.uk or email enquiries@bullproducts.co.uk
Alpine Fire Engineers are celebrating a series of recent successes – 36% YOY growth to over £19m, office relocation to accommodate a doubled workforce, and several award nominations in recognition of their impressive achievements and employee-focused initiatives. Alpine Fire Engineers are specialist providers in Design, Project Management and Maintenance of active fire suppression systems. May 2019, their operations were moved from the village of Littleborough where they employed 30 people, to the new premises in Bury to accommodate the fast growth of their expert team. Now in excess of 60 colleagues, the team includes a number of home-grown talents in both the design and service engineering teams. The move was celebrated in July 2019 when the family-focused business opened its doors to friends and family, revealing their newly refurbished open plan ‘connected’ space where knowledge share and camaraderie is encouraged. Their new location was based on the analysis of all existing employees to minimise any impact on their journeys – an important consideration for a company that values the wellbeing of its employees. Figures for financial year 18/19 show the business has already exceeded growth expectations against their five-year business plan. Steven Nanda, CEO commented: “Alpine has invested heavily in creating a dynamic and progressive environment for all to thrive in readiness for our aspirational growth plans. Whilst we have delivered outstanding financial results our greatest success is the creation of trainee roles and development pathways for all our staff – reconnecting engineering with the young talent of today and embracing the very latest technology in delivering life safety and risk management for our customers…’’ In recognition of the impressive achievements, they have been nominated for local business awards, alongside Steven Nanda being nominated for Transformational Leader and Empowering Potential Leader in the Northern Leadership Awards 2019.
A devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement development in Crewe has resulted 150 elderly residents losing their homes as the three storey timber framed building has collapsed. 70 firefighters from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Merseyside worked for more than 12 hours to fight the blaze. Asst Ch Fire Officer, Gus O’Rourke said he was “extremely shocked” at how quickly the fire had spread and, once everyone was evacuated, crews had worked to protect neighbouring properties. He said a “stay put” policy for residents in the complex was quickly abandoned due to the speed with which the fire spread. The retirement complex contained 132 high quality ‘extra care’ apartments plus a range of facilities. According to the local paper the Crewe Chronicle it boasted containing “the most timber used in any residential development in Europe” “What was significant about this fire was the speed at which it spread, giving residents little time to evacuate”, said Steve Elliott, Chairman of the British Association of Reinforcement. “Following on from the major fire in Barking earlier this year, this latest fire underlines the real dangers of timber frame construction”.
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/
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.
