Fire Safety Management - News

UKAS is delighted to announce that Lorraine Turner, UKAS Accreditation Director, has been appointed as a Member of the newly formed Interim Industry Competence Committee (IICC). The formation of the IICC coincides with the recent announcement of the Building Safety Bill in Parliament by Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing. The Bill outlines a program of actions aimed at preventing a recurrence of the problems that contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire. Foremost amongst these meas...

Anglia Fire Protection is looking at electrical fires and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in homes. One of the most common causes of fire in the home is electrical goods. From white goods to faulty chargers, electrical items are the number 4 risk of fire in the home. Here are some top tips to help reduce that risk. Anglia Fire Protection offers key pointers on how to avoid electrical fires at homes: Residents should make sure that all electrical appliances have a British or Europea...

Homes and buildings require the installation of ventilation systems to improve air quality, reduce smoke levels, and moderate internal temperatures. Stale air is removed to allow fresh air to enter, while also removing excessive moisture to reduce condensation dampness. Passive fire products offer effective protection against ventilation systems at high risk of causing fires. Values of ventilation protection Multi-storey buildings are at particular risk of fire damage due to complex ventilati...

Online supermarket - Ocado has suffered another robot fire at one of its fulfilment centers, impacting deliveries across south east England. The fire on 16 July was caused by three robots colliding on the grid that controls the fulfilment of shopping orders at the technology firm. Fifteen fire engines The fulfilment centre processes over 150,000 orders a week for the joint venture between Ocado and Marks and Spencer. More than 1,000 robots move around the grid, collecting food from crates and...

Dame Judith Hackitt commented in her report, Building a Safer Future – Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (May 2018) that there is a, “lack of a coherent approach to competence levels and experience required - or professional qualifications where these may be necessary – and how these qualifications and experience should be evidenced so that they are clearly understood by all those operating within the system.” It was also noted in the same report...

As much as Hollywood makes out how dangerous working on an oil rig can be, it’s surprisingly true. Major Hollywood films, such as Deepwater Horizon, tell the events of the dangers that can happen while working on oil rigs, which are situated in the middle of the ocean. Furthermore, without the correct training provided or the workwear, many oil rig workers’ lives can be at risk, when carrying out their tasks. In this article, Granite Workwear looks at the type of workwear that is re...

Taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 7-9 September, the eagerly-awaited show will feature free CPD-accredited educational seminars, 120+ exhibitors, and the fire industry’s latest products, technology, and solutions. CAST Detectors & ENVISION C-TEC be showcasing CAST, its revolutionary new own-protocol fire alarm, and detection system, ENVISION, its futuristic new IoT Cloud-based fire alarm remote access, service and site management software package, and Hush, its innovative new...

G2 is very proud to announce that Nichola Allan was voted in as Executive Chairperson of the SAQCC Fire. Nichola has been actively involved in the Detection and Gas sub-committee from its beginnings in 2011, as a member, treasurer and chairperson. She has been directly involved in making fire detection and gas training available throughout the country. Her aim as executive chair is to make training further available and SAQA certified, up lifting the industry and its technicians.

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority (MFRA), part of the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS), has begun a 12-week consultation on proposed changes, to emergency response cover in Aintree and Croxteth, following initial approval to create a new superstation and training center. The consultation will run from 15th July to 7th October 2021. Integrated Risk Management Plan The plans were outlined in a recent consultation on the innovative Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) for 2021-2...

In focus contains contributions from the four existing Police Fire and Crime Commissioners and two PCC candidates looking to take on fire. Since the PCC elections in May this year, the number of Conservative PCCs has expanded to 30 and they are now far in the majority across England. Prior to the May elections, the Home Office published the first part of a review into PCCs and made it clear they wanted to expand the model across the country. The much-trailed Fire White Paper will cont...

UL is investing in the installation of fire-resistance test furnaces at the FPA’s test laboratory. As part of the collaboration, tests for fire resistance, which form the basis of UK Regulations and support third-party product certification, will be processed quickly and effectively.  Negotiations and construction planning for the new laboratory facility have commenced, with the new lab due to open in early 2022. Author's quote FPA Managing Director, Jonathan O’Neill OBE said...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy and sustainable building solutions, has launched the Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program. As part of the program, Johnson Controls will give US$ 15 million, over the next five years, to support academic scholarships at non-profit community colleges. community college Program Starting in the 2021‒2022 academic year, Johnson Controls’ program will endow a total of US$ 1 million to ten community colleges a...

After 16 months of nearly constant companionship, many pet parents are preparing to leave their pets at home while they transition back to the workplace. In support of Kidde's annual Pet Fire Safety Month in July, Kidde and celebrity pet trainer Sara Carson (as seen on America's Got Talent) are providing DIY tips to help pet owners train their four-legged families to respond positively to the sound of smoke alarms. Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the foremost global pro...

The UK’s national fire safety organization, the Fire Protection Association (FPA), is further developing its collaboration with UL, a global pioneer in safety science, to support fire testing in the UK by expanding testing and laboratory capacities at the FPA’s test laboratory in Blockley, Gloucestershire. UL is investing in the installation of fire-resistance test furnaces at the FPA’s test laboratory. As part of the collaboration, tests for fire resistance, which form the ba...

The FPA has published a technical questionnaire developed by RISCAuthority to be completed at the design stage of building planning. The questionnaire is designed to elicit technical information around quality assurance where Modular Building methods have been used, to assist insurers with understanding the building design and construction system. The key challenges addressed are the insurance perils of fire and water exposure. Technical Checklist for England Modules are large and heavy compo...

Ministers have approved a new apprenticeship scheme for fire engineers but without an end-point assessment body in place, universities won’t be able to offer it in the autumn. This new qualification route for fire engineers comes at a time when demand for this expertise is on the rise. Planning Gateway 1 requires a Fire Statement to be produced. When this first stage of the ‘golden thread’ for buildings comes into force on 1 August, fire engineers will be needed to help comple...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has announced that it has been recognized as a market share leader in DMG Consulting LLC’s latest Contact Center Workforce Optimization Market Share Report.  According to the report, Verint’s five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2016 and 2020 for sales of contact center WFO solutions is strong, particularly given the amount of revenue Verint earned in this sector. Verint moved into fir...

Evolution, the integrated fire and security systems business, has bolstered its design capabilities within its Risk & Design team with the appointment of two new CAD Technicians. Alexandra Craciunas, joins the team with more than six years of experience working on various projects across all stages of the design process within the MEP sector. Alexandra’s immediate focus will be on developing her skills and capabilities within the High Security sector, producing detailed architectural...

Fire safety should be common sense. Unfortunately, life gets in the way; people are busy and get careless, making mistakes which can be costly. Continue reading for further advice on how to reduce the risk of fire within the home, particularly in the kitchen. Now users have their Fire Safety measures in place, it's worth looking at what they can do day to day to reduce the risk of any fire starting in the first place. Unsurprisingly, the room most at risk is the kitchen. Preventing Kitchen fir...

Bullard has announced kicking off the Bullard Emergency Responder Series Webinar 2021, the virtual knowledge and experience sharing session, which will feature key industrial experts. The webinar aims to provide the latest information on emerging technologies and upcoming cutting-edge products from the market-renowned manufacturers for a safer future. Bullard Webinar The Bullard Emergency Responder Series Webinar 2021: ‘Beyond the Smoke: Using Gas Detectors and Thermal Cameras to Save L...

One of UKAS’ current Strategic Priorities is to develop a secure, online and free-to-use database of certifications that have been issued by the accredited Certification Bodies. This database will present information on each organization holding accredited certification from a UKAS-accredited Certification Body, including details of the organization, scope and the awarding Certification Body.  As such, the database will allow organizations, public bodies and Government agencies that...

In the upcoming weeks, further restrictions regarding COVID safety may be reduced or completely removed following assessments by Governments across the nation. This poses important steps for fire safety service providers/contractors, including reviewing their own COVID-19 safety policies in the interest of employee and client safety.  BAFE would like to offer the following guidance considering the removal or reduction of restrictions: Continue to exercise a risk-based approach prior to...

On Monday 5th July 2021, the Building Safety Bill was published. In their press release, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, and The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP state this “will create lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.” Building Safety Regulator The newly established Building Safety Regulator “will oversee the new regime and w...

On Monday 5th July 2021, the Building Safety Bill was published. In their press release, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, and The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP state this “will create lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.” Building Safety Regulator The newly established Building Safety Regulator “will oversee the new regime and w...

For those looking for a new and intelligent approach to fire detection, AVIOTEC, the artificial intelligence-based fire detection camera from Bosch Security Systems, detects fires quickly and reliably in challenging settings, such as dusty, humid, and dark areas. It is vital to detect fire as early as possible. AVIOTEC is an IP camera with built-in video analytics. The trained algorithm detects flames and smoke directly at the source. The device can, therefore, detect fires faster than a common...

The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has comprehensively reviewed its communications and activities to improve its services and qualifications for members and strengthen its global influence in the two key areas of competence and sustainability. With over 100 years of history, the professional membership body enables fire sector workers to increase their knowledge, professional recognition, and understanding of fire through a global discourse. It is instrumental in shaping a future world tha...

Drones equipped with microphone arrays will help rescue workers in disaster areas to find and rescue survivors more quickly. They will detect cries for help and signals from buried victims from the air and simultaneously pinpoint their location. Macarena Varela, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, is developing this technology to help victims in situations where every second counts. Equipped with Latest technology Varela descr...

On June 24, 2021, the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) voted to award Accreditation to the Upton Police Department for another three-year period. Under Chief Michael Bradley’s leadership, the town has received its fourth consecutive three-year award for full Accreditation by MPAC (2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021). “Our residents can be assured that the men and women of the Upton Police Department hold themselves to the highest of standards in law enforcement,” sa...

Smart Shooter Ltd. (SMARTSHOOTER), a globally renowned designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems that significantly increase the accuracy and lethality of small arms, will present its SMASH 2000 Plus Fire Control System and SMASH Hopper Light Remote-Controlled Weapon Station (LRCWS) at the DEFEA exhibition in Athens, Greece.  Ideal for defense, HLS, maritime patrol, border control, strategic infrastructure protection, and counter-UAS missions, SMASH is a comb...

Over the course of the past seven months, UKAS has been building on the early success of the Risk-Based project, working with technical experts and industry stakeholders to tailor it to meet the needs of the Construction Testing customers. The approach has been developed with input from the assessment managers, executive team, and advisory committees and has been designed to: Standardizes and structures considerations to improve the consistency of outcomes for customers. Move away from a on...