Fire Safety Standards - News

Congratulations to the many pubs, restaurants and cafes that have reopened for outdoor dining and drinking. Once again, we’re all adapting to a new normal – one where we eat, drink and socialize outside. But it’s not just the tables and chairs that make this new arrangement possible. As hospitality businesses know, public safety is vital, but not just in COVID-19 terms. Barriers in outdoor seating areas Many local authorities across the United Kingdom (UK) have accepted that...

Verint®, the Customer Engagement Company™, announces Verint Intelligent Virtual Assistant Professional (IVA Pro) Package™, a low-code conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) offering that can rapidly turn existing conversation data into automated self-service experiences. As part of the Verint Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) offering, the package allows business professionals to quickly deploy a production-ready chatbot to deflect calls and support customers. Verint IVA...

The Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), a 501(c)3 organization supporting Drones For Good™ for emergencies and disaster response unveiled an updated and modernized brand identify for DRONERESPONDERS, the world’s fastest-growing non-profit program supporting public safety unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) programs and operations. Updated brand identity The refreshed logo contains the familiar DRONERESPONDERS red, black, and white color scheme, along with an updated, bolder fo...

Rescu (Rescu Saves Lives), an emergency alert app that connects people directly to certified emergency dispatchers, has launched throughout the United States, in partnership with over 30,000 local emergency agencies. Rescu is the first and only Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) in a non-hardware platform. Rescu emergency alert app Unlike 9-1-1, the Rescu app does not require speaking to a dispatcher. With Rescu, users can communicate non-verbally to an emergency dispatcher. This means...

Business owners across Norfolk are being asked to check their fire risk assessments following incidents since pubs and restaurants reopened for outdoor dining in the county. Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service has attended two fires involving the use of outdoor heaters at licensed premises this month. There have also been several incidents across the county of fires in residential gardens as people use barbecues, patio heaters, and fire pits to allow outdoor socializing in cool weather. Accidents...

Delboy was only after a quick win, but there is a lot that can be taken from this scene in terms of recruitment and staff retention. Transparency is absolutely key, from both sides. It’s a fairly tough market in recruitment currently, so now more than ever transparency is key. With widespread redundancy over the last year, there are a lot of candidates who are accepting jobs that they wouldn’t have previously considered. This is likely to cause retention issues within 6-12 mont...

South Yorkshire’s fire service is asking people to stay out of the water this summer unless they are part of an organized open-water swimming group. The message comes as part of a national week of action, run from Monday 26 April to Monday 3 May by the National Fire Chief’s Council, in which fire services across the country are urging people to stay safe near water. reducing water rescues Firefighters hope that by joining forces and gaining the support of partners such as the Roya...

Implementing effective safety protocols and standards is key to mitigating employee injuries and incidents in the workplace. However, building a strong safety culture, from those in leadership to employees at every level in an organization, is what drives compliance and productivity up, and risks and incidents down. Key indicators of safety culture Blackline Collective was formed to bring experts together to help advance each other’s safety programs, practices, and cultures. Through the...

The Agility team is excited to announce the addition of Rutger van Dujin and his company RVI TOOLS as the new exclusive dealer in The Netherlands and Belgium. With the addition of #FirstLook360 to the RVI TOOLS product portfolio and Rutgers's years of experience with visual inspection tools, we expect great things to come. Contact Rutger by phone or email him for an in-person or virtual demonstration of the first wireless 360° spherical imaging search and rescue camera, FirstLook360.

Getac has announced the launch of its next-generation K120 fully-rugged tablet, for mobile field professionals working in challenging industries including public safety, manufacturing, utilities, defense, transportation, natural resources, and oil & gas. Superior performance Building on a proven track record of success, the next-generation of Getac’s popular K120 tablet features a multitude of upgrades and enhancements over its predecessor, to further optimize productivity in remote...

AEI Cables has further invested in service excellence for existing and new customers by moving into a new UK headquarters. The company has moved into the new modern facilities including a distribution warehouse in Washington, Tyne & Wear, to ensure all service needs are met for its customers. Meeting the demand Stuart Dover, general manager for AEI Cables, said, “The investment means we can move products quickly across our networks in the UK for our customers wherever they are.&rdqu...

Court hears how a rail worker suffered severe burns as a result of a fire caused by health and safety breaches in an electrical substation in Kent. Recently, Network Rail pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrate’s Court to an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act for failing to protect the safety of staff. failure to maintain dehumidifiers The incident took place on 20 December 2018 after Network Rail failed, over a significant period of time, to prevent water from leaking into...

Howard Passey talks to Sarah Brodie from the Association of British Insurers about what matters to the insurance industry when it comes to fire safety. In this third episode of the FPA’s brand-new podcast, Assembly Point, Howard and Sarah discuss how legislation offers the opportunity for welcome improvements to fire safety in the built environment. fundamental reform The ABI has argued for many years that there needs to be fundamental reform of the building safety and regulatory system...

The UK Government has published its second quarterly update on progress to meet the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, highlighting the breadth of work taking place. In a useful development, the UK Government is providing thematic updates of the work taking place by the government, the London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, and other bodies to respond to the 46 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick in his Phase 1 report. update Key changes in this quarter include:...

Global fire detection and alarm devices leader, Argus Security (Argus), has appointed Giorgio Koursaris as its new General Manager, with responsibility for both - Argus and its UK sister brand, Hyfire. He joins at a pivotal moment for the well-known brand, which is about to embark on a series of new product launches that promise to revolutionize the fire sector. New General Manager appointed Giorgio Koursaris will oversee both commercial and production operations for Trieste-based Argus Gior...

During the first quarter of 2021, the R&D team worked with determination to develop several new products or product updates. As a result of this great effort, Global Fire Equipment is pleased to introduce the following products to their vast portfolio of fire detection products: OCTO+ Large Box (New) BUILT-IN-PRINTER (New) INT-TCP-WEB (New) NFC KEY (New) PHYSICAL KEY (New) EARTH BAR (New) MULTI IO

Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has been awarded EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 system compatibility approval, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to offering its customers best-in-class fire detection and alarm solutions. An international third-party accredited laboratory awarded GFE the EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 approval for its entry level and high-end addressable fire detection and alarm systems. Various individual components EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 i...

The decision by Southampton City Council to fit sprinklers in all its high-rise residential blocks proves right with yet another fire quickly extinguished.   importance of sprinklers Firefighters from the newly combined Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire in a flat on the 21st floor of a tower block in Southampton this week. The first crew was on the scene within three minutes and found that a cooker fire in the kitchen was already out on arriva...

A new consensus framework for building control bodies and fire and rescue services will help resolve disagreements about plans for building work to meet fire safety requirements.    Government officials wrote to heads of building control and Chief Fire Officers last week to advise progress on one of the matters contained within its recent fire safety consultation. task force The consultation response, published by the government in March, noted a strong preference from respondents f...

BSI launches consultation on PAS 9980, new guidance to help fire risk assessors assess the risk of fire spread over external walls of multistorey residential buildings to aid remediation. PAS 9980 PAS 9980 is available in draft and BSI is inviting public comment on this Publicly Available Specification. It has been sponsored jointly by MHCLG and the Home Office and was drafted by C.S. Todd & Associates and a team of experts. Members of the drafting steering group include the BRE, National...

Johnson Controls, a global company for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced that its chairman and CEO George Oliver has been invited by U.S. President Joe Biden to participate in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate. Addressing Climate Crisis The summit will bring together leaders of the world’s major economies and other vital partners for an urgent and open dialogue on ways to strengthen collective efforts to address the...

Allison Transmission, a designer and manufacturer of conventional, hybrid, and electric vehicle propulsion solutions, in collaboration with Emergency One (UK) Ltd, the market pioneer in the United Kingdom in the manufacture, service, and support of fire and rescue vehicles, announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two companies will integrate the Allison eGen Power™ 100D electric axle into Emergency One’s fire rescue and emergency vehicle platform as part of this...

The fire risk appraisal and assessment of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats – Code of practice (PAS 9980) has been issued as a Draft for Public Comment (DPC). The public consultation will last for a month and will close on Thursday 20 May 2021. registration and CIC response If there is a new user, they will need to register before logging in for the first time. Registration is free and only takes a couple of minutes. Where possible, comments should...

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on watermist systems to BS 8458: 2015 Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic watermist systems - code of practice for design and installation. automatic fire suppression systems It is proud to be heading the way as one of the first UK fire testing facilities accredited to offer this important British Standard test. The desire for automatic fire s...

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce they have been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on watermist systems to BS 8458:2015 Fixed fire protection systems – Residential and domestic watermist systems – Code of practice for design and installation. They are proud to be pioneering the way as one of the first UK fire testing facilities accredited to offer this important British Standard test. Automatic fire suppression systems The desire for a...

The Fire Protection Association is among the first UK testing laboratories to become UKAS accredited for BS 8458 water-mist system testing. The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce it has been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on water-mist systems to BS 8458 : 2015 Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic water mist systems - code of practice for design and installation.  automatic fire suppression systems It is proud to be leading...

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) are delighted to announce they have been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on watermist systems to BS 8458:2015 Fixed fire protection systems – Residential and domestic watermist systems – Code of practice for design and installation. The Fire Protection Association is among the first UK testing laboratories to become UKAS accredited for BS 8458 watermist system testing. The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to anno...

Vimpex’s new ClamBell® is an innovative, UK manufactured, fire alarm bell with a unique hinged design that swings shut after installation, which means it’s quick to install, aesthetically pleasing, and reassuringly reliable - setting it apart from other fire alarm bells on the market. ClamBell® is the first newly developed and approved bell to be launched globally in decades and the only fire alarm bell that’s made in Europe. It has been carefully designed to combine c...

Dispelling the myths about sprinklers, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service highlights the benefits of modern systems for both new builds and older properties. new year-long campaign This new year-long campaign led by the service’s Business Safety team will include COVID-safe events, as well as interactive social media chats, where local businesses can ask questions about how sprinklers work to extinguish fires at the source.  The campaign will focus on different business sectors each...

Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), the 501(c)3 organization supporting Drones For Good™ for emergencies and disaster response has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to support drone operations within federal, state, and local public safety agencies and emergency services organizations. The grant funding will be used by AIRT’s DRONERESPONDERS program to help implement standard test methods for sUAS developed by the National Institute of Standa...