Fire Detection - Expert Commentary

The 2022 Building Safety Act, instituted in direct response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, UK, has outlined a raft of new responsibilities that building owners and managers must adhere to, in line with many of the deficiencies identified post-2017.  With the UK’s building stock notoriously aging, many of us live and work in buildings that were built under outdated regulations and have not been updated for decades in some cases. As such there is an enormous amount of remedia...

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...

Working fire doors are a prerequisite for fire safety, but what differentiates them from regular doors Kirk Smith of Allegion UK outlines the technical features that form fire-rated doors as we know them. Research indicates there may be around 42 billion doors found throughout the world’s built environment. Every day, each of those doors plays a purposeful role toward the accessibility, safety and security of buildings and their occupants-but how many people truly recognize what they...

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...

As a company officer, the day will come where you and your crew are first to arrive at what looks like the beginning of a major incident. Your Battalion Chief (BC) is delayed or diverted to other incidents, so YOU are the Incident Commander (IC). How you set the table for this incident with regard to quickly setting up the Incident Command System (ICS) is critical. And how you use your channels of communication, including the ways you communicate, will be crucial to your success. Before we jump...

There’s no doubt the Building Safety Act and Fire Safety Act are driving major improvements in the construction industry’s quality and approval processes. Although the initial focus of the legislation is on high-rise residential buildings, it’s predicted to be rolled out across the entire sector soon, tightening fire safety regulations in hospitals, hotels, and commercial offices and we await the rafts of secondary legislation that will really redefine the regulatory landscape....

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...

Last year was the largest wildfire season recorded in California in modern history, with six of the top 20 largest wildfires in the state, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). In 2020, firefighters faced a total of 9,917 wildfires that consumed a record 6,653 square miles. These fires took the lives of 33 people and damaged or destroyed 10,488 structures. Ahead of the 2022 wildland fire season, climatologists are predicting another record-shatteri...

At Cosy Owl we supply a wide range of fragrance oils and essential oils, predominantly for use in candle making, as well as soaps and other similar products. Whilst we make every effort to ensure the quality and safety of our products, it is important to understand when handling and using these products that there are some inherent risks. Speaking about this topic is Managing Director Richard Fewings of Cosy Owl… First, let’s clear up the difference between essential oils and fragr...

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...

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...

As recent news headlines have shown, the construction industry is still in need of major improvements to fire safety protocols and building standards. With new legislation on the horizon, it’s now imperative companies do all they can to guarantee end-user safety. So, how is digital construction helping to improve fire safety? Matt Ryan, UK Country Manager at PlanRadar, explains how some of the latest digital tools are helping to join the dots in safety inspection and compliance. High ri...

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...

The UK Fire Service is called out to extinguish fires in approximately 1,500 UK schools per year. Regardless of their size, these incidents disrupt the education of around 90,000 students each year, not to mention the economic strain caused by building damages. But most significant of all, these fires compromise safety. The government recently opened a consultation on proposed revisions to its non-statutory fire safety guidance in schools. Building Bulletin 100 The Building Bulletin 100 (BB10...

Working in the electrical world, it’s sometimes necessary to create a penetration or hole in a fire wall, in order to install cabling for services. Something we often see is that these holes aren’t sealed correctly after installation, in order to ensure the fire wall retains its fire integrity. Fire rated foam, often simply referred to as pink foam, is a common tool in a fire safety specialist or electrician’s toolbox, but this isn’t always the product to reach, for when...

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...

Both our homes and public building environments can have a huge impact on our wellbeing, and over the past few years, the importance of health and hygiene standards has only been exemplified. It’s said that eighty percent of common infections are spread by touch. What’s more, every 30 minutes the average person is said to touch surfaces that expose them to 840,000 germs. These germs are prevalent in public buildings too, where touchpoints are areas or items that are used by several...

“Luckily, today fire safety is a topic not only experts and constructors, but also the end-consumer is interested in,” said Marc Husband, Purchasing Director at Leader Doors, one of the UK’s renowned door manufacturers and retailers. Over the last few years, there have been many changes in building regulations for flats, apartments and offices for fire safety. Any building with more than three floors needs to be equipped with FD30 rated 30-Minute-Fire-Doors, to ensure that in t...

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...

In my latest article for TheBigRedGuide.com, I gave a detailed explanation of the differences between British and European fire safety standards. To help shed some light on this complex world, our team of fire safety experts concisely defined the Euroclass and UK standards, and explained how they differ. This article will aim to go one step further and demonstrate what architects, specifiers, and other industry professionals should be looking for when they’re selecting materials and prod...

Fire conditions and extrication events that firefighters arrive at today are very different from the conditions faced years ago. According to research at Underwriter Laboratories (UL), modern homes contain larger quantities of petroleum-based products and plastics that burn faster and hotter versus traditional and more natural materials. Rapid fire spread The result is more rapid and hotter fire growth with exponential increases in heat generation, smoke production and toxicity. Faster flashov...

The product lifecycle of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is approximately ten years, during which time technology inevitably advances considerably in terms of digitization and ergonomics. Increasingly pertinent in the last decade, and especially since the Pandemic, has also been how kit can be designed for ease of cleaning to ensure firefighters are protected from harmful carcinogens as well as bacterial and viral infections. When we surveyed UK firefighters as part of our ‘Hea...

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...

The fire sprinkler system in your building is a critical safety measure and, when needed, it can save lives. Still, even the best systems can malfunction, and sprinklers do occasionally fail. When they do, they can drench the interior of your building, damaging everything from furniture and personal belongings to drywall and building materials. As a property manager, dealing with fire sprinkler failure can feel overwhelming. What do you do next? Where do you start? And why did the sprinkler sy...

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...