Detectors News & Trends

Are people too passive when it comes to fire door safety? Research conducted by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) in 2022 would suggest so, with a third of the British public stating they would not report a problem with a fire door, despite three-quarters of respondents believing a propped open fire door would not perform its role in the event of a fire. From schools and shops to shared areas of employment and accommodation, people are habitually - and sometimes unknowingly - kept safe b...

It’s been three years since the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) published the most recent edition of the wide-ranging standard that spans “the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing and maintenance of fire alarm systems, fire warning equipment, and emergency warning equipment and their components.” 2022 update A 2022 edition was officially published in September 2021, after thousands of hours of collaboration, review, and debate amon...

The importance of understanding the revised Code of Practice for Category 3 Control fire performance cables which reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases, and flame spread in the event of a real fire cannot be stressed enough. approved cabling These cables maintain the circuit integrity of a building providing power for essential services and fire-fighting systems for fire and rescue services to carry out a safe evacuation in the case of life safety. AEI Cables has won widespread support for our in...

Recent years have seen fire risks and resulting insurance claims in commercial premises grow significantly. This increase has been influenced by various factors, such as unusually hot and dry weather, increasingly demanding work schedules with prolonged hours, and an ongoing drive for sustainability in the UK. James Mountain, sales and marketing director, Fire Shield Systems, examines the factors influencing risk and the role of insurers in strengthening policies surrounding fire protection, to...

Globally, it’s clear that devastating wildfires are now becoming commonplace. Of the top 20 largest wildfires in Californian history, six of them occurred in 2020 alone. In Australia, the story was the same – 2020 saw wildfires destroy millions of acres of land and raze billions of dollars of property. As the Earth’s temperature climbs and the effects of climate change become more apparent, there is increasing evidence that wildfires will become a greater threat, even in the U...

When public safety agencies, including police, fire, and ambulance, work together to meet the needs of a region, citizens are better protected, and a better quality of life for all is promoted. However, today’s public expectation demands agencies embrace digital transformation, for those partnerships to be effective and efficient and vitally, connected with the public they serve. This can involve the integration of operational systems, such as computer-aided dispatch (CAD) in a public saf...

As the holidays approach, how can temporarily vacant buildings remain fire safe and secure? Allegion UK outlines the best practices. Security concerns The holiday period is synonymous with festivity, family, food, and fun - but it’s also a time rife with empty buildings and heightened security concerns. As most of the nation winds down for a stint packed with celebration and enjoyment, schools, workplaces, and commercial facilities momentarily shut their doors, but in doing so, invite po...

Technological advances in recent decades have considerably improved fire alert systems. Fire sprinkler systems are now installed at a rate of 40 million units per year and now, 96% of buildings covered by sprinkler systems are potentially able to control fires without additional aid. The next step is predictive fire alarm maintenance, better fire detection, and more effective fire fighting. These capabilities rely on assessing massive amounts of data in realtime to enable predictive maintenance...

Workplace emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, including fires, explosions, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, toxic material releases, radiological and biological accidents, civil disturbances, workplace violence, etc. All of which, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), require an emergency action plan. Willfully violating that requirement and not having an emergency action plan that is current, well understood and accessible, could result in a fine of US$ 1...

Losing any building to a fire is always a tragedy - but when there is a wealth of history or significance also at stake, the loss is irreplaceable. John Harrison, Sales and Marketing Director at Ramtech, discusses the fire protection challenges associated with heritage projects and how they can be safeguarded from the risk of fire thanks to innovative wireless fire safety technology. The world watched in great sadness and shock as flames engulfed Paris’ Notre Dame - one of the most famous...

There is a lot of studies and authority actions to have better responses after a natural disaster, including risk management, awareness, and preparedness especially in areas where there is a higher probability or risk of a disaster occurring. Lack of risk management policies There are countries around the world with strong policies and high investment in risk management, nevertheless, fire protection of buildings, critical infrastructure, industrial sites, and key parts of the supply chain of...

A 2015 survey found that globally firefighters are the most trusted profession worldwide. The fire service provides a vital role during flood events, rescuing members of the public, who may be trapped in their homes, pumping out flooded properties, and recovering stranded vehicles. However, many would not require this assistance, if they had been better prepared prior to a flood. And such preparation could help free up emergency services resources for others. Extreme rainfall and flooding Mor...

It is the legal duty of the responsible person in any building to make the evacuation of disabled people equal to that for able-bodied people, as Anthony Smith, Managing Director of Vox Ignis, explains. When the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was first introduced in 1995, it gave disabled people long overdue access to goods and services, education, employment, transport and accommodation. This was, subsequently, incorporated into the Equality Act in 2010. Evacuation of mobility impaired pe...

To manage fire risks, there needs to be a shift away from detecting and responding to emergencies and instead, a look towards connected technologies to provide a pre-emptive, proactive approach. Fires can be highly devastating, putting people at risk and threatening the lives of the public in surrounding areas – not to mention how destructive they can be in terms of damage to materials and property. A connected approach Fortunately, right now, our world is more connected than ever befor...

As the demand for UK housing continues to rise, developers and planning authorities are under increasing pressure to deliver the intended UK Government target of 300,000 new homes per year, by the mid-2020s. The need to build as quickly and as cost effectively as possible, unfortunately often leaves little time to invest in developing a thorough understanding of notoriously Byzantine fire safety standards, increasing the risk of serious, potentially fatal, mistakes. firm understanding of fire...

As more and more countries in Europe and North America commit to net zero, a key strategy is replacing old fossil fuel-driven forms of power generation and replacing them with renewable energy, such as wind turbines and solar panels. The wind industry has seen a particular boom, with tens of thousands of new turbines installed every year across the globe. However, like any other heavy machinery, wind turbines can catch fire due to mechanical or electrical failures. These fires can have impacts...

After years of Brexit negotiations and an ongoing climate of prevailing uncertainty, businesses across the UK are still adjusting to the realities of life outside the European Union. Following the end of the UK’s transition period with the European Union, at the end of last year, the United Kingdom is no longer subject to European laws. However, for many companies, the last-minute nature of the Brexit negotiations mean that they remain unclear on what has actually changed in practical te...

There is a sense in some markets that the paper and pulp industry will decline owing to the digital technologies with which people interact every day. While this might be considered logical, the reality is completely different. In fact, the paper and pulp industry has experienced a steady growth and will continue to do so in 2021. Production of paper increased by more than 450% in the last decades and the demand of paperboard in the world is expected to grow significantly, driven by e-commerce...

Mathew Baxter is the Founder and CEO of the echelon group with responsibility for the management of echelon Consultancy, Pretium Frameworks and echelon Improvement Partnerships. Mathew has spent most of his working life in the construction sector. The devastating Grenfell Tower fire has prompted what the government has referred to as ‘the biggest change in building safety for a generation’. So what do the Building Safety and the Fire Safety Bills mean in terms of emergent legislatio...

As Grenfell remains a chilling reminder of the importance of fire safety in construction, new digital methods are now being adopted to guarantee the safety of end users. But how is digitization helping and how will this further advance fire safety during the wider construction process? There’s no doubt that the past five years have had a profound effect on the construction industry. Events such as the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire disaster have forced the industry to sit-up and rethink the pro...

Innovation in the fire protection industry can oftentimes be slow to move forward, particularly when compared to other similar industries. This is because legislation, regulation, and enforcement, while all necessary proponents within the sector, can often slow the tide of revolutionary ideas. However, the ability to innovate in this industry can quite literally be a matter of life and death. The developing intricacies of modern infrastructure and the demand for more sustainable solutions must...

Since the Grenfell tower tragedy in 2017, residential high-rise fire safety has become a top priority for tower block building managers. If a high-rise building is found to contain combustible cladding, then the standard ‘stay put’ policy is no longer considered safe, and instead a temporary ‘simultaneous evacuation’ strategy must be put in place until the cladding issue is resolved. Currently a Waking Watch protocol is the preferred option for ensuring resident’s...

During these challenging times, it is more important than ever to protect the supply chain of food, including supermarkets and convenience stores in cities around the world. On average 3,740 fires occur in food and groceries stores in the US annually, including supermarkets and convenience stores, according to a report published by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). Structure fires in mercantile properties were responsible for the loss of 12 lives and more than $600 million indir...

With many businesses and facilities re-opening sites following the Coronavirus lockdown, fire safety may not seem high on the list to other worries and responsibilities. But here, Mandy Bowden, Fire Business Development Manager at Comelit Group UK, led by fire industry bodies, demonstrates why it must be a priority, ensuring installation of systems is guided by best practice in accordance with the development, and fire safety measures are maintained and regularly tested to ensure compliance. Fi...

2020 introduced a variety of unique challenges for many industries around the world. Not surprisingly, the fire detection industry was not immune to all of those challenges. However, as much of the global community defined our manufacturing and installing peers as “essential” or “critical” it required us, as an industry, to adapt so we could continue to service our customers with our products and services. Many regions around the world are experiencing significant deman...

New government legislation due to come into force in the United Kingdom on July 1st will require electrical installations in privately rented properties to be tested and inspected at least once every 5 years. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations (2020) will require landlords to enlist qualified electricians to complete inspections and provide certification to tenants – or face fines of up to £30,000. While the risk of fire can never be entire...

Over the last decade, fire protection has been transformed by the rise of addressable, IP-based devices embedded in networked fire alarm system infrastructure. The scalability and modular architecture of digital fire alarm systems has unlocked a new level of fire safety, for instance by pinpointing the exact location of a triggered smoke detector in an alarm, or by interfacing with public address systems for phased building evacuations. For system integrators, installation and maintenance of ala...

Those responsible for the specification of products which go into new modern buildings have been asking for safe, approved cabling, which play a critical part in electrical supply systems. The number of fires in high-rise buildings in Europe and the Middle East have brought the issue of quality of products for fire performance circuits into sharp focus, not least the Grenfell disaster. Meanwhile, new buildings become increasingly complex, with the use of new materials and the designs of many r...

The continuity of power in the event of a real fire has never been more important as modern buildings become more complex and the need for the highest quality of products comes under the spotlight. With power for lighting and fire alarms, the fire and rescue services can use the intelligence gathered to evacuate people quickly, confident that they have found all the people in the building. Without power, they are literally scrambling in the dark without good information upon which to make thei...

While whole room protection – sprinklers or gas systems – is a common choice, there is an argument for thinking smaller; taking fire detection and suppression down to the equipment, enclosures and even the components where a fire is most likely to start. Traditional Fire Suppression Methods A traditional water-based sprinkler system is the most common form of fire protection found in commercial and industrial buildings. They offer reasonable cost, large area protection for entire f...