Matt Head – Page 28 – International Fire & Safety Journal

Proposed fire inspector numbers are “gross underestimate” of building safety crisis after Grenfell blaze

The UK government expects to fund just a dozen extra staff to inspect and enforce fire safety in more than two million homes after the Grenfell Tower blaze, new analysis reveals, in what’s being termed a “gross underestimate” of the resources needed to tackle the building safety crisis in England.

The revelations have prompted calls from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for ministers to establish a permanent statutory advisory body for the Fire and Rescue Service, allowing the voices of front line firefighters and inspectors to influence the “dangerously short-term thinking” of Whitehall and to provide a ‘reality check’ before final votes take place on the Fire Safety Bill.

Currently in its committee stage, the Fire Safety Bill would extend responsibility for Fire and Rescue Services to inspect and enforce fire safety in the common parts of all of England’s multi-occupancy buildings, including building structures, external walls, stairs and doors between residences.

The Government doesn’t know how many flats will be covered by the legislation, but a Home Office impact assessment estimate lies between 1,189,200 and 2,198,600. However, there are currently just 951 Fire Safety Officers in England qualified to carry out fire safety audits.

Numbers “should be doubled”

The Government estimates that just £700,000 extra per year will be required for the inspections, a sum of money that would pay for just 12 full-time fire safety inspectors. The maximum estimated spend is £2.1 million, which would pay for just 35 inspectors. This equates to less than one per Fire Brigade in England.

The FBU says that fire inspector numbers should be doubled to seriously tackle the building safety crisis.

The Home Office assessment “does not include any additional enforcement costs” despite clear testimony from tenants’ organisations and housing campaigners alike that fire inspectors are likely to find breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 when they carry out audits.

The Government did not consult the FBU when drafting the bill.

Matt Wrack, general secretary at the FBU, gave evidence in front of the Fire Safety Bill Committee on Thursday 25 June. He criticised cuts to specialist fire safety teams and has called for investment in Fire and Rescue Services.

For most of the post-war era, there was a statutory fire sector body that would oversee policy and legislation, with representation from fire chiefs, fire safety experts and front line personnel through the FBU. The Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council was scrapped back in 2004, “allowing consecutive Governments to pursue a period of significantly reduced oversight and deregulation of building safety”

National disgrace

Wrack said: “Three years after Grenfell, Britain’s fire safety regime remains a national disgrace and politicians are responsible. This legislation is long overdue, but insufficient. The Fire Safety Bill in its current form is a gross underestimate of the realities of the crisis. Without funding a significant increase in fire inspector numbers, this change in the law will not ramp up enforcement on rogue landlords. Ministers need a serious reality check.”

He continued: “At best, the Government is planning to fund less than one extra fire inspector in each Fire and Rescue Service for a massively expanded workload. We should be talking about immediately doubling inspector numbers to make a dent in this crisis. Oversights like this are symptomatic of a system that excludes those most affected from the policy-making process. Better engagement with tenants and firefighters would mean the chances of another disaster like Grenfell could be significantly reduced.”

Wrack concluded: “The Government must finally bring back a statutory fire sector body that represents the views of front line firefighters, fire safety inspectors and tenants. It’s the only way to end the dangerously short-term thinking that prospers in Whitehall.”

Fire brigade chief praises new rental sector electricity regulations

London Fire Brigade’s deputy assistant commissioner for fire safety has praised the new safety regulations which have now come in to effect in the private rental sector.

Charlie Pugsley says: “These new regulations … should be seen as a huge win for tenants who often have to battle with landlords to ensure their homes are safe. Most landlords provide well-maintained and safe accommodation for their tenants, but there are those that don’t and put people’s lives at risk. So it’s a positive step that tenants now have protection and the support of local authorities if landlords don’t comply.

“Sadly, we are all too aware of what the devastating consequences of faulty electrics can be and provided detailed data to the working group to shape the guidance.

“As these regulations do not cover electrical appliances, only fixed electrical installations, we would urge people to ensure their appliances are safe and always register them so you can be informed if there is a fault identified.”

The regulations mean:

Electrical wiring, sockets, consumer units (fuse boxes) and other fixed electrical parts in rented homes must be inspected and tested every five years, or more often if the inspector thinks it necessary.
Throughout the whole time a tenant is living at the property, national electrical safety standards must be met.
Landlords must give the tenant a report that shows the condition of the property’s electrical installations. They also have to give this to the local council if they ask for it.

Inspections will find out if any electrical installations are overloaded, if there are any potential electric shock risks or fire hazards, if there is any defective electrical work and if there is a lack of earthing or bonding.

If the report identifies any issues, landlords will have 28 days to carry out necessary works, or less if the inspector deems the work more urgent.

The new regulations are in place for those who sign tenancy agreements from now onwards. If a tenancy was signed before July 1 the home will be covered from April 1 2021.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/

US researchers seek firefighters to participate in alcohol use study

Researchers from the Centre for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) are looking for firefighters and their spouses or partners to participate in a study about firefighters and alcohol use.

With funding from a FEMA Research and Development grant, the researchers seek to review the spectrum of alcohol and the culture around it in the fire service as a first step to understanding how to raise awareness about the importance of moderating drinking to healthy levels.

The researchers would like to interview participants about their alcohol intake and drinking habits, regardless of how much they consume.

“It is well documented in research that there are high rates of alcohol use in the fire service both compared to the general population and other occupational groups,” explained Dr. Sara Jahnke, director of the Centre for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research.

There are a number of reasons the rates are likely so high, she said, some due to things like the role alcohol has played traditionally in the fire service, the camaraderie that is built around meeting up for a drink, and pragmatic reasons like shift work and having the same off days as the people on your crew.

“There is also evidence that behavioural health and alcohol use are intertwined, with higher rates of alcohol use leading to behavioural health concerns and vice versa,” Jahnke said. “There is clear evidence that alcohol is being used as a coping mechanism for some as a way to manage repeated exposure to trauma.”

Jahnke explained that while moderate alcohol use isn’t necessarily a negative health behaviour, there are health implications from binge drinking and regular heavy drinking, including increased risk of some cancers, sleep disruption and cardiovascular impacts.

Further, the study is also designed, Jahnke said, to develop tools for those who believe they may have a problem with drinking and/or feel like they are dependent on alcohol to identify the issue and find ways to address it. However, “The goal of the study is not to start a crusade to stop alcohol use in the fire service, but to help create a shift in the way it is viewed and consumed so it doesn’t contribute to negative health effects,” she added.

The IAFF, the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) all support this project.

PRP lands government fire safety work for care homes

PRP has been appointed by the government to carry out research on fire safety regulations in care homes and specialist housing.

Under the contract with the Ministry of Housing (MHCLG), PRP will also review current provisions in Approved Document B (ADB) and propose alternative design options to inform future policy decisions.

The practice will review current design approaches, including evacuation strategies, at specialised housing and care homes, identify gaps in existing fire safety guidance and assess risks, costs and benefits of alternative design options.

The team will also conduct an international review of regulatory and design approaches to inform potential alternative design approaches.

The appointment comes after embattled housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s publication earlier this year of advice for building owners in an attempt to ensure all multi-occupancy residential buildings are safe.

PRP partner and Building Design regs columnist Andrew Mellor said: “A lot of progress has been made in fire-safety regulations since the Grenfell Tower fire, but a lot more still needs to be done, especially when it comes to care homes and specialist housing. We look forward to working with the wider industry in delivering this key piece of research that will ensure the safety of older people and their families across the UK.”

As part of the research, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2021, PRP’s development consultancy and later-living teams will work with the wider industry, academia, government bodies, the fire service and interest groups to gather data and expertise on fire safety.

PRP partner Jenny Buterchi said: “This is a unique opportunity for us to combine our development consultancy’s in-depth experience on fire safety with our later-living team’s unrivalled experience in the design of specialist housing and care-homes and through our regular work with the APPG on older people’s housing.”

PRP is already technical advisor to MHCLG on building safety analytical work.

CLT experts to develop new fire safety compliance framework

Cross laminated timber (CLT) is now widely acknowledged as having a vital role to play in reducing CO₂ emissions to mitigate the climate change crisis. Existing buildings and new construction account for nearly 40% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions according to a World Green Building Council report published in September 2019.

Specialist contractors and manufacturers operating in the sector firmly believe that mass timber technology like CLT provides the solution to many of the challenges the construction industry is facing today.

In collaboration, leading CLT manufacturers are investing half a million pounds in developing a new fire safety compliance framework for CLT to meet the amended Building Regulations in England.

Over the next 18 months the research supporting the new framework will include a series of compartment fire tests for commercial and multi-family residential type buildings to generate new knowledge in support of a safe design envelope for CLT buildings.

Robust fire safety designs

The purpose of this ongoing research is to provide scientific data for CLT fire performance that will support designers in the delivery of robust fire safety designs.

It ultimately aims to allow the ministry of housing, communities & local government (MHCLG) to view CLT as a construction material suitable for all buildings including where CLT forms part of the external wall construction irrespective of height.

In carrying out this research as an industry, it will also establish benchmark testing for all CLT manufacturers leading to an enhanced and broader understanding of CLT performance in fire.

The project is a collaboration of the largest suppliers in Europe supported by leading fire and structural engineering experts. The project proposals and outputs will be reviewed by an independent industry stakeholder group.

Data from the research will be released as and when it becomes available during the course of the programme.

Knowledge and competency

The CLT industry in the UK, supported by the Structural Timber Association (STA) is also responding to recent statements raising concern about the gaps in knowledge and competency relating to mass timber by providing evidence of the product fire performance and data to support competent professionals in the design of mass timber buildings for fire.

This evidence aims to enhance the understanding of fire performance of CLT, in terms of compartment fire behaviour, the response of structural elements and hazards associated with external fire spread.

Firefighters tackle residential London fire

Firefighters are warning smokers to discard cigarettes carefully after eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Otto Street in Kennington.

Half of a flat on the first floor of the building was damaged by fire and the remaining part of the property suffered severe smoke and heat damage. Thirteen adults and five children were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews.

The Brigade’s Fire Investigators believe the fire was caused by a cigarette being discarded from an upper floor and coming into contact with combustible materials stored on a first floor balcony.

Station Commander Ned Alexander who was at the scene said: “Firefighters have worked exceptionally hard to get this flat fire under control. The first floor flat was damaged by the blaze but crews prevented it from spreading further.

“Around 100 people self evacuated from the building and a number of other residents stayed within their flats.

“Fires caused by smoking materials including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipes, result in more deaths than any other type of fire. Stub cigarettes out properly and always dispose of them carefully.

“Make sure smoking materials are cold before emptying ashtrays. Preferably wet stubs before throwing them into a bin.”

“The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took sixty 999 calls in the early stages.”

Firefighters’ smoking safety tips

It’s safer to smoke outside, but make sure cigarettes are put right out and disposed of properly.
Use proper ashtrays, which can’t tip over and stub cigarettes out properly.
Never smoke in bed, and avoid smoking on arm chairs and sofas – especially if you think you might fall asleep.
Take extra care when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs or if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
Don’t balance cigars or cigarettes on the edge of an ashtray, or anything else – they can tip and fall as they burn away and cause a fire.
Don’t leave lit pipes or cigarettes unattended.
Always empty ashtrays carefully. Make sure smoking materials are out, cold and preferably wet them before throwing into a bin – never use a wastepaper basket.
Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach, and buy child resistant lighters.
Never smoke if you use healthcare equipment like medical oxygen or an air flow pressure relief mattress. If you use paraffin-based emollient creams, ask for non-flammable alternatives instead.
Consider additional safety measures such as fire retardant bedding or nightwear.

Firefighters still working on Leverett, Massachusetts forest fire

A fire that has burned trees and consumed undergrowth on about 66 acres of woodland between Montague Road and Route 63 north of Leverett Pond is mostly contained following five full days of firefighting.

Leverett Fire Chief John Ingram said Tuesday that firefighters have gained control of the blaze by establishing a secure fire line, which runs about 1½ miles around the perimeter of the fire and is designed to prevent its continued spread.

The fire line was cut by a bulldozer, donated by Wagner Wood of Amherst for use for two days. The bulldozer scraped away ground cover to get to bare ground. Then, firefighters dug a trench at the fire line by hand, with the aim of breaking the greenery and ensuring the fire has no way of escaping.

“We’re in a much better place than we were,” Ingram said.

At the peak of the fire over the weekend, more than 100 firefighters from throughout the region were on scene to battle the blaze.

Ingram estimates that the fire is now 80% contained. The continued challenge is due to the landscape’s significant ledge and not being able to make a perfect circle around the fire.

For the rest of the week, at least through Saturday, there will just be crews of two Leverett firefighters going out, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to make sure the fire remains under control, Ingram said. They will get assistance from the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation and state wildlife management employees.

The work began last Thursday when the department got calls from Rattlesnake Gutter Road residents and identified the plumes of smoke were coming from what is known as Joshua Hill. The cause of the fire is not yet known and remains under investigation.

The wet weather this week has helped, but Ingram said it won’t be enough to get down into the roots and fully douse the blaze.

“That whole area will be hot for a while,” Ingram said. Because of that, Ingram said hikers and those who are curious should not venture onto the land.

“It’s still too dangerous to be in that inner circle,” Ingram said, adding that some trees continue to be consumed and burning limbs and entire trees are occasionally falling.

As firefighters did work in the woods, residents and area businesses helped to bring breakfast, lunch and dinner to them. Leverett Connects, the town’s e-newsletter, served as a way to get people to get the necessary food and drink to the Leverett Safety Complex.

The work included arranging for the delivery of pizzas by Amherst House of Pizza, purchase of sandwiches and grinders from Big Y Supermarket, donation of bananas by Atkins Farms Country Market and 40 pounds of ice by Liquors 44 in Hadley, a half-pallet of water bottles from Home Depot and a mixed box of apples and pears from the Leverett Village Co-op. Stop & Shop provided gift cards for supplies.

PACDA issues advice to avoid summer fires

The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has called for compliance with the requirements of civil protection in industrial facilities to avoid summer fires.

“Property damage and material losses due to fires are being caused because of the high temperatures expected during the summer and the failure of some industrial establishments in meeting requirements of civil protection,” PACDA said.

According to data published by the authority, the number of recorded fires in industrial facilities in 2019 reached 47 fire accidents, compared to 61 fire accidents in 2018, with a decrease of 23%.

In order to prevent fires in industrial installations, the PACDA has called for compliance with the requirements of civil protection, such as periodic maintenance of the facility’s fire and alarm systems, and the implementation of safety procedures in storage, and other aspects that pose a threat to the facilities, their employees and their users.

PACDA has also called for the preparation of an emergency plan for the facility and to train workers on how to implement it. They added that, “the authority is ready to provide support and assistance in preparing the emergency plan for the facilities and carrying out practical exercises to ensure the suitability of the plan with the nature and size of the facility.”

Dubai’s Zen Tower reopens two years on from devastating fire after Dh20m revamp

A Dubai “community” has been reborn as residents return to a tower block devastated by fire two years ago following the completion of a Dh20 million refurbishment project.

An electrical fault in a first floor apartment sparked a blaze which tore through Zen Tower on a baking hot summer’s day in May, 2018.

Thankfully, no lives were lost as wind speeds of 30 miles per hour whipped-up flames across flammable cladding that encased the 68-flat high rise in Dubai Marina.

Residents who founded a new owner’s management association expressed huge relief at finally being able to move back into their homes this week.

Zen Tower near Dubai Marina is ready to receive residents after extensive refurbishment work at a cost of Dh20 million was completed following a fire in May 2018. Reem Mohammed/The National

A Dubai “community” has been reborn as residents return to a tower block devastated by fire two years ago following the completion of a Dh20 million refurbishment project.

An electrical fault in a first floor apartment sparked a blaze which tore through Zen Tower on a baking hot summer’s day in May, 2018.

Thankfully, no lives were lost as wind speeds of 30 miles per hour whipped-up flames across flammable cladding that encased the 68-flat high rise in Dubai Marina.

Residents who founded a new owner’s management association expressed huge relief at finally being able to move back into their homes this week.

“It is our family home, so we are all relieved to be going back at last”, said Sherif Shamel, who will move his young family back into his eighth floor apartment this weekend.

“My children are very happy to be moving home as the youngest was born when we moved into the building in 2012.

“It is a small community, just 15 floors, so it is a better place to live than the huge tower blocks elsewhere in Dubai. Everyone here knows each other.”

As the building was built in 2002, some materials used in the original construction were no longer available.

To retain Zen Tower’s original features, consultants from the National Engineering Bureau and Rose City Contracting Company painstakingly sourced near-matching materials where possible.

Contractors even developed their own paint colour in keeping with the original decor in the corridors and lobby.

“Everyone had strong memories of how the building was, so we have tried our best to restore those,” said Tariq Ali, a construction manager with RCCC.

“Children would play here and parents saw their families grow, so it was almost like restoring a museum to keep their memories alive.”

Initial reports issued by police said the fire worsened as a result of flammable furniture and high winds.

The first five floors of the building, that backs on to the Sheikh Zayed Road Abu Dhabi interchange, were worst hit forcing more than 100 residents to flee their homes.

The building smouldered for several days and water used by Civil Defence crews destroyed much of the electrics and lower floors, including the basement swimming pool and gym.

Of the 68 apartments, 39 were completely rebuilt. Developers reduced the risk of future incidents by inserting a curtain wall to act as a fire break.

Air-conditioning and communication systems have been modernised while cladding cited as an accelerant in the blaze has been completely removed and replaced with a safer alternative at a cost of Dh1 million.

Similar flammable aluminium composite panel cladding used across the country has been blamed as a major factor in scores of tower block fires in recent years.

Elkhart Brass launch HydroBlast Remote Control Monitor System

Elkhart Brass have produced a HydroBlast Remote Control Monitor System for fire protection and cleaning needs. The product is suitable for fire protection applications, construction equipment and dust mitigation. The HydroBlast Remote Control Monitor is seen to be extremely reliable/ efficient and can be suited to individual needs.

The operator will find options when using the wash sequences to reduce manpower and save washdown when using the product on different sized vehicles. Elkhear Brass have built the Hydoblast out of corrosion resistance silicon bronze to ensure durability. With product design being the main focus, user safety was also at the forefront. The HydroBlast has mechanical stop limits to ensure safety and accuracy whilst in operation.