Building Fire Safety - News

Avon Protection’s range of protective equipment will be on display at CBRNe Protection Symposium on 20th-22nd September on booth #54 and #61. Avon Protection subject matter experts will help shape the future of CBRNe protection at the 14th CBRNe Protection Symposium in Malmö, Sweden, with two company presentations to focus on critical issues facing the CBRNe protection community worldwide.  CBRN protective equipment Avon Protection’s CBRN experts Hamish de Bretton-Gordon...

FirePro, in association with the Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS), has co-organized the meetings of ISO/TC 21 Committee, and its Subcommittees ISO/TC 21/SC3, ISO/TC 21/SC 5 and ISO/TC 21/SC 8. The event, sponsored by FirePro, took place from the 25th October to the 28th of October 2022, at Miramare beach hotel in Limassol, Cyprus, with Working Groups also taking place during that week. ISO/TC 21 Committee The ISO/TC 21, Equipment for Fire Protection and Firefighting Committee dev...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is now accepting nominations for its Annual Fire Service Achievement Awards. NVFC recognizes the contributions of a lifetime volunteer firefighter, a leader in health and wellness, an outstanding junior firefighter, or a successful junior firefighter program.  Nominations are due by 5 pm EST on January 20, 2023 for the following awards: Lifetime Achievement Award - Sponsored by Lincoln Financial Group This award recognizes a volunteer firef...

Firefighters and staff have been praised for keeping communities across Tyne and Wear safe this Bonfire Night. Senior officers at Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service (TWFRS) have revealed the busy Bonfire weekend passed without serious incident. TWFRS saw a 1.1% decrease of total incidents from the 1st to the 6th November (Bonfire reporting period) across Tyne & Wear, when compared with the same time last year. Pockets of anti-social behavior, and calls about illegal bonfires, meant it...

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigations Board’s (CSB) safety video released on October 27, 2022 has reached one million views in just over a week, passing the one million mark on Friday, November 4, 2022. The video titled ‘Wake Up Call: Refinery Disaster in Philadelphia,’ details a fire, explosions, and toxic hydrofluoric acid (HF) release that occurred at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) refinery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on June 21, 2019. CSB&rsq...

At 02h28PM on Sunday afternoon, 6 November 2022, SACFS crews were alerted to a truck fire on the Eyre Highway, at approximately 105 kilometers west of Ceduna, South Australia. Upon arrival, the SACFS firefighters found a prime mover engulfed in flames. Damage due to fire Eight SACFS firefighters in 4 fire trucks managed to save the second trailer on the prime mover, however, the prime mover and the first trailer were destroyed by the fire which caused in excess of $400,000 in damage. Farm Fi...

At 14h31 on Monday afternoon, 7 November 2022, the SACFS responded to a truck fire on Carawa Road, approximately 30 kilometers east of Smoky Bay, South Australia. Damage due to fire The SACFS firefighters found a prime mover and its trailer in flames when they arrived at the scene. The driver of the truck was unharmed by the fire. SACFS crews were able to save the second trailer, however, the prime mover and the first trailer, along with its contents of wheat, were destroyed by the fire. Adj...

The damage bill from the Struan Research Centre in the state’s South East on Saturday has been increased to $5 million, up from the initial reports of $2 million. In the early hours of Saturday morning at 12:24 am, approximately 30 CFS volunteer firefighters on seven trucks and two specialized HazMat response vehicles responded to the Struan Research Centre, 16 kilometres south of Naracoorte, in the state’s South East. Fire Cause Investigators On arrival, crews found the Struan Re...

Flames engulfed a former care home near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, on 5 November 2022, with crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) sharing video footage of the blaze surrounding the derelict structure, which was in danger of collapse. Three fire crews and 10 fire appliances were dispatched when flames were spotted emerging from the former care home at 7 pm. At its height, 50 firefighters were in attendance alongside support officers. Multi-Agency response The service describ...

For the first time, coatings manufacturer - Hempel A/S participates in the UN climate summit COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Hempel joins the summit to support and push for accelerated decarbonization, especially in the maritime and renewable energy industries. Addressing climate crisis “The climate crisis is an urgent global challenge. Nobody can stand alone in this. I am proud that Hempel is at COP27 to take part in conversations about how we can accelerate moving the needle toward a...

Many times, local fire code requires that sprinklers be installed in users' critical spaces. When water leaks are a concern, pre-action sprinklers offer a great alternative to regular water sprinklers. Water-based fire sprinklers are designed to protect building structures, not critical assets such as electronic equipment, data, or even collectibles and irreplaceable artifacts. Pre-Action Sprinkler System v/s regular sprinklers Unlike regular sprinklers, pre-action sprinklers keep water out o...

 A.P.E Fire & Security is currently recruiting for highly talented Installation Engineers to join its team. Based in Bristol and across the South West, A.P.E Fire & Security design, install and maintain innovative fire and security systems for many establishments. The successful candidates will become a key part of the team, installing various high-quality security systems and devices. Immediate start required.

Steel is used in heavy construction because it is relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and provides great strength under normal conditions. However, heat is its weakness. Exposed steel expands and may fail under fire conditions. Physical damage can cause the concrete to separate from the steel compromising the structure's fire-resistive integrity. Exposed steel can fail when its average temperature reaches approximately 1,000 F. Fire-Resistance rating The high temperature will weaken the stee...

Safe Fleet appoints a new Managing Director for its UK businesses. Steve Powell joins Safe Fleet as Managing Director of Durite and Labcraft. Durite is the UK’s brand in vehicle safety, lighting, and electrical parts for commercial vehicle aftermarkets and manufacturers. Labcraft is the UK’s manufacturer of high-performance and energy-efficient LED lighting for the commercial vehicle and emergency services sectors. providing safety solutions Steve Powell will lead both businesses,...

At approximately 06:45 AM on Saturday morning, 5 November 2022, SACFS firefighters were alerted to a fire in a 10x15 meter shed on a commercial property outside of McLaren Flat, South Australia. Twenty SACFS firefighters responded to the incident on 7 fire trucks. The fire caused approximately $200,000 damage to the shed, as well as to a vehicle and a forklift. The cause of the fire is unknown and fire cause investigators will attend the scene on Saturday morning.

From December 7th to December 8th, 2022, the ninth edition of the VdS-BrandSchutzTage will take place in Cologne, Germany. The fire protection solution provider - WAGNER will present its portfolio of products and systems for plant fire protection at its booth C-06, focusing in particular on fire protection for lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are versatile and an indispensable part of everyday life. However, they also place special demands on fire protection. As an example, in addit...

A residential structure fire was reported in the 42000 Block of Sonoma Drive, Big Bear Lake, at approximately 1:41 pm, on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. Upon arrival, fire crews observed smoke and flames to the exterior of the wood-framed living space above the garage. Crews quickly extinguished the fire within approximately 10 minutes. Fire crews remained on the scene for an hour to ensure completed extinguishment. The occupants of the home self-evacuated prior to the fire crew's arrival. Structu...

At 15:10 in the afternoon on Thursday, 3 November 2022, SACFS crews were alerted to a structure fire in Coote Place, Ceduna, South Australia. Fire Cause Investigators Upon arrival, the SACFS firefighters, responding in 6 fire trucks, found a caravan and an adjacent house on fire. Nobody was home at the time of the fire. The firefighters ensured that the fire did not spread to neighboring properties. The fire caused approximately $250,000 damage to the caravan and the house. Fire Cause Investi...

An update to the guidance issued by the Welsh Government about The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, has been published to permit the use of an Electrical Installation Certificate in lieu of an Electrical Installation Condition Report, when relating to a wholly newly built dwelling. The Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022 come into effect on 1st December 2022 for all new social and private rented tenancies and a year later f...

Launched on 24 October 2022, a new consultation is seeking responses for a new suite of technical National Occupational Standards (NOS) for those working with fire and smoke control dampers. Spearheaded by Building Services Engineering (BSE) Skills, in partnership with the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), the draft NOS documents are directed towards those individuals working with fire dampers and smoke control dampers across the UK. Developing occupational standards Described...

In the article for UKAS’s 2021/2022 Annual Report, Emanuele Riva, Chair of the International Accreditation Forum, shares his perspective on the importance of collaboration and IAF and ILAC’s decision to come together as a joint entity. To paraphrase the philosopher Plato: "Each problem has three solutions: my solution, your solution and the right one."  For centuries this has been the basis of collaboratively increasing collective knowledge, where democratic and peaceful debate...

Running from 7th to 11th November 2022, World Quality Week offers the chance to celebrate and highlight the vital role that quality plays in all aspects of people's daily lives. The theme for the event is ‘Quality Conscience’; something which either gaining accreditation or using accredited services both indicates and helps to develop. Accreditation Working in tandem with standards and measurement, UKAS accreditation is one of the pillars that the UK’s national quality infra...

The safety of a building is something that simply mustn’t be overlooked. Ensuring that everyone within the facility is safe at all times should be a top priority for all organizations. Fire poses a real threat to buildings of all shapes and sizes. Data from the UK government shows that more than 167,000 fires in England were attended to by the fire and rescue services in 2017/18, 74,000 of which were primary fires. This resulted in 334 fire-related fatalities. It’s therefore absolu...

No sprinklers were fitted at Grenfell, partly because at the time there was no legal requirement for them – for residential buildings, sprinkler systems were only a necessity for those at least 30 meters high and built after 2007. Although over twice that height, Grenfell Tower was constructed between 1972 and 1974. The law was updated in November 2020, so that all blocks of flats that are new or have undergone significant conversions, and are at least 11 meters high, now need to be fitte...

Avon Protection announces certification of its Argus range of thermal imaging cameras, which include the Mi-TIC E, Mi-TIC E L, Mi-TIC 320, and Mi-TIC S models. Once again, Avon Protection offers the most diverse range NFPA compliant thermal imaging cameras. NFPA1801:2018 is the latest edition of the ‘Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service’. First published in 2013, the standard defines the minimum performance requirements for Thermal Imagers worldwide. Key changes in the 2...

Shoplifting is the most commonly recognized security problem in retail. Crime statistics indicate there were 382,000 incidents of shoplifting in 2018 and there has been a steady rise in the number since 2013. Most thefts occur during busy shopping days and hours. Shop staff is usually too busy serving honest customers to recognize and deter the shoplifter. So, how can retail spaces improve their security to prevent potential theft and break-ins? CCTV Installing a retail store security device,...

An intercom system allows personal contact with visitors without the need to physically answer the door. They also provide a sense of security by allowing homeowners and building occupants to determine who’s at the door before letting them in. An intercom, talkback, or door phone is a stand-alone voice communication system for use within a building or small collection of buildings, functioning independently of the public telephone network. Most intercom systems are stationary and fixed to...

Avon Protection announces the launch of the CH15, a revolutionary new, ultra-thin, single-size portable escape hood that provides a minimum of 15 minutes of respiratory vision and facial protection against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear threats. The last decade has clearly demonstrated how the threat profile has changed significantly. Currently, most threats are unplanned, the CH15 is a development driven after an emerging requirement from specialist users to provide instant pro...

Avon Protection announces the launch of the Tactical Mask Communications (TMC) System, a communications solution for customers to interface between their headsets to the Avon series Air Purifying Respirator. Tactical Mask Communications (TMC) system is designed for users of Avon Respiratory Protection Equipment who require a simple yet scalable Tactical Communications solution when 'masked up'. Tactical Mask Communications (TMC) System The TMC is simple to configure, install and use, with a r...

Avon Protection has received NIOSH CBRN approval on its AvonAir™ modular powered air range. The Avon EZAir, MP-PAPR, and CS-PAPR usher in a new era of multipurpose and adaptable respiratory protection. The single filter Avon EZAir is the smallest and lightest CBRN-powered respirator available with the cost of ownership per use at nearly half that of PAPRs. The low-profile MP-PAPR provides supreme user comfort through its unique flexible construction and hydration integration capability....