Fire Safety Testing - News

Even the most hazmat-phobic firefighter understands that chemical agents are added to odorless natural gas to make it obvious when there’s a leak. Beyond that baseline of basic knowledge, firefighter understanding of how odor agents work and how to detect the danger behind the smell can be all over the map.  Refresher courses for safety Whether it is teaching hazmat to new cadets, conducting annual refresher courses, or leading a team of firefighters into hazmat scenarios, having th...

There is currently a semiconductor shortage that is affecting some industries, including the automotive sector. The semiconductor shortage has reduced PACCAR’s truck deliveries in the first quarter of 2021, by approximately 3,000 vehicles. Semiconductor shortage PACCAR’s first quarter 2021 truck deliveries are estimated to be approximately 42,000 vehicles, compared to 40,800 vehicles delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company anticipates that the semiconductor shortage w...

When ISO announced on December 1st, 2017 that ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 'General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories', had been updated, the conformity assessment community was aware that this would be one of the largest scale transitions of an accreditation standard ever undertaken. ISO/IEC 17025 ISO/IEC 17025 is the most popular international reference standard ISO/IEC 17025 is the most popular international reference standard for ensuring the competence of tes...

Getting wet in the rain is one of the worst feelings. But what’s worse is having to work while it’s pouring. The cold & damp weather, the drenched feeling, the boots soaking wet throughout the day, poor visibility, and the slipping tools due to poor grip, all make the entire experience not only difficult but also hazardous. How does it impact a business? Rain can pose a serious risk to the overall health and well-being of workers, eventually impacting the business. For instanc...

South Yorkshire’s firefighters have a new weapon to help them tackle moorland wildfires- off road vehicles. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has added two Polaris vehicles to its fleet, helping crews to respond more effectively to wildfires and other incidents, which might be hard to reach using a traditional fire engine. Polaris vehicles fitted with water pumps Fire crews will spend the next few months being trained in their use The vehicles are to be fitted with water pumps, which c...

Roy Wilsher steps down as NFCC Chair after four years, handing over to his successor, Mark Hardingham. Created in 2017, the NFCC is the professional voice of the fire and rescue service and builds on the legacy of the Chief Fire Officers Association. Prior to taking on the role of Chair, Roy Wilsher was Chief Fire Officer of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. He was in charge when the Buncefield oil depot exploded in 2005, this was one of the largest fires in Europe since the second wo...

Recently, BAFE published information discussing the roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions and that this should prompt reviews on fire safety.  Within this, BAFE reassured that fire safety service providers continue to operate as safely as possible following appropriate COVID-19 guidance to help clients meet their obligations. free rapid lateral flow tests The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has distributed important information that the Government is providing free rapid lateral f...

With warmer and dryer weather setting in, the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service wishes to remind the public that lighting grass fires is not only illegal, but also a danger to its firefighters, following an incident that resulted in a firefighter sustaining a musculoskeletal injury. At 08:08 pm, on Tuesday, 30th March 2021, Joint Fire Control received the first call of a grass fire on Mynydd Cadle Common, in Penlan, Swansea, Wales and crews from Morriston and Swansea Central were deplo...

Viessmann introduced the next-generation of its most popular gas-condensing boiler, the Vitodens 100-W, with industry-leading capabilities for installers. The WiFi-integrated Vitodens 100-W’s new control platform makes commissioning and servicing the boiler easier. It is possible to monitor and make adjustments to customers’ boilers remotely. No third-party controls are required; meaning a Vitodens boiler with ViCare Thermostat provides homeowners with a load-compensating smartp...

Airbus has launched ‘Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator’ (ASCEND), in order to explore the impact of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures on the performance of an aircraft’s electrical propulsion systems. The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance, meaning that electrical current can supply power without energy loss. When coupled with liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures (-253 degr...

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published new guidelines for all architects on Fire and life safety design and Sustainability. Everyone deserves a built environment that helps people to live healthy, happy and safe lives. Anyone using an architect, or an environment designed by an architect should have confidence in their professionalism and quality. ARB protects the public by ensuring everyone admitted to the Register has the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviors...

“We are very excited to move into our Hempel Campus, which is a modern, international workplace and architecturally attractive. It is based on our vision of how we want to work together in teams and cross-functionally. Our new facilities reflect our culture and give us the perfect work environment enabling us to deliver on our ambitious strategy and growth targets,” explains Pernille Fritz Vilhelmsen, Hempel's Chief  People & Culture Officer. The new R&D facility will b...

Darley is proud to bring the Limestone Fire Protection District in Claremore, OK, two new rigs to add to their fleet.  The Limestone Fire Protection District in Claremore, OK wanted to complement their other Darley Heavy rescue with light rescue rigs that could offer quicker response times to the lighter incidents. So, they chose Darley to build them. These two new rigs are built on a Ram 5500 4 x 4, four-door chassis with Cummins diesel engines. PTO-driven 250 GPM Darley HM fire pump...

Safety shoes are an essential component of every workplace. From protecting the feet of workers from unwanted slip & fall hazards to providing an extra level of support while standing, the PPEs protect workers’ feet from various life-threatening hazards they are constantly exposed. 'According to the US Department of Labor, 666 workplace injuries are associated with slips, falls, and trips. Injuries involving strains and falls are also among the major causes of missing work.'  sa...

A residential structure fire was reported on Yosemite Drive in Moonridge at approximately 2:35 am, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Upon arrival, fire crews observed a two-story, single-family home well involved on the side of the house near the chimney stack. Through a swift fire attack, fire personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire. Two occupants were able to self-evacuate with no injuries. Due to close proximity of the structure fire, the shed was a complete loss. The structure fire...

SNA International, together with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, recently partnered to utilize Darley pumps for dredging to assist with human identification and forensic initiatives. Pumps are used to power jets in order to create a suction for the diver to dredge sediment. Darley’s marine version Ezra Swanson of the DPAA, who has been utilizing Darley’s marine version of the HGE37EFI portable pump on a mission in Vietnam, states, "Switching to Darley pumps and priming...

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Novo Nordisk A/S, Karsten Munk Knudsen, has been nominated to replace Marianne Wiinholt as Board Member of Hempel A/S. At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Hempel A/S on 29 April, Karsten Munk Knudsen will be put forward for election as Member of the Board of Directors of Hempel A/S. As CFO at Novo Nordisk A/S, Karsten Munk Knudsen comes with extensive experience from various finance functions in a global company. He joins Hempel’s Board at a time when...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, and architect of OpenBlue connected solutions and services announces the new 700 Series Conventional Fire Detectors, the company’s first microprocessor-based conventional fire detectors that precisely monitor and respond to building fire conditions. The inclusion of a microprocessor across the entire range means these conventional detectors offer advanced algorithms, resulting in the same detection perform...

The Capital Crescent Trail was crowded as bicyclists and walkers captured a few final moments of summer-like days before fall fully took hold when witnesses saw a man in his early fifties collapse a few yards from the Massachusetts Avenue pedestrian bridge. Bystanders called 911. Within moments the youthful-looking man laying on the pavement stopped breathing. Someone checked for a pulse, but none was found. Recognizing the man was in cardiac arrest, a companion began hands-only CPR. Medical e...

As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the COVID-19 virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7 billion in 2019/20. fire safety standards compliance Emergency hospital evacuations are inherently more complicated when compared to other publi...

South Korea’s renowned visual recognition AI firm, Alchera Inc., announced that has been formally selected by California’s Sonoma County to provide early warning alerts of pending wildfire events. Alchera will offer consulting services to develop and deliver products, utilizing state-of-the-art fire detection technologies based on machine learning with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The firm’s visual anomaly detection solution can detect the start of a wildfire from a simple vi...

Studies have shown that local wildfire smoke is associated with increased hospitalizations for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and some cardiovascular health outcomes. However, less is known about how harmful smoke is as it travels and becomes long-range smoke. long-range smoke impact For the study Differential Cardiopulmonary Health Impacts of Local and Long-Range Transport of Wildfire Smoke, researchers separated out the health effects of local wildfire smoke from the hea...

Detector testers training webinars remain as popular as ever, as a result, it is pleased to announce new dates for April and May. Led by the technical support specialist, Paul Gatens, the sessions are CPD certified and cover a broad range of topics linked to compliant testing and maintenance of fire detectors. Split into six areas, the webinar covers: Competency & Responsibility Standards & Best Practice False Alarms Test & Maintenance Tools Detector Removal & Cleaning W...

Between 4th January and 31st March FLIR firefighters in the EU, UK, Norway, and Switzerland have the chance to enter the “Going above and Beyond” competition to win over 12,000 EUR of FLIR firefighting Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs) for their department. The winner will receive:  1 x FLIR K55 High-Performance thermal imaging camera 3 x FLIR K2 Compact TICs with MSX® image enhancement feature 1 x FLIR K1 Situational Awareness Camera 1 x FLIR OTM 136 Scion Thermal Monoc...

Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that the company has achieved TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste Certification at the Gold level. TRUE certification is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), an organization that independently recognizes excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. GBCI’s work helps facilities define, pursue, and achieve their zero waste goals, cut their carbon footprin...

The following announcement was made by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at 17.00 on Saturday 27th March 2021: "The Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy has decided that the Green Home Grant Voucher scheme will cease taking new applications from 5 pm on 31st March. We will refocus efforts and funding on an alternative approach to maximize the delivery of home retrofits and benefits to consumers and businesses." Green Homes Grant voucher...

UKAS would like to draw customers' and stakeholders’ attention to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Call for Evidence on the UK Product Safety Framework which was published on 11 March. The Call for Evidence forms part of OPSS’ Review of the UK’s Product Safety framework. product safety framework Specifically, the Review wants to ensure that the product safety framework can adapt to new technologies and business models, and offer the opportunity to regulate...

Fire & Security resourcing specialist - Zitko has created two new senior appointments, with existing employees - Terri Lalonde and Laura Raven promoted to the roles. Terri Lalonde Terri Lalonde joined the company in 2019 to manage all aspects of candidate experience, including service standards, engagement, marketing, and application/selection processes. Her promotion to the SLT underlines the importance Zitko attaches to candidate care and positions the company to maintain exceptional st...

Faulty fire alarms endanger life and can result in fines for a business. Fire and rescue services across the country can impose fines on businesses that are responsible for excessive false alarms (the number of false alarms that trigger a fine varies by region).  For example, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) can issue fines of almost £300 for premises visited three or more times in a year (BBC News). Servicing and maintenance The Office of National Stat...

Fire protection solutions manufacturer Advanced has launched two new courses to understand BS 8629 Code of Practice recommendations and the EvacGo system designed to meet these recommendations. ‘A Guide to Meeting BS 8629’ is a continuing professional development course, approved by the FIA and the CPD Certification Service, suitable for fire safety in tall residential buildings. It is delivered online by the Advanced evacuation alert team, Ken Bullock, Advanced’s Business Dev...