Cost to alleviate life-safety fire risks from external walls revealed

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry SectorsPassive

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the UK government has established a new Building Safety Programme to ensure that residents of high-rise and mid-rise residential buildings are safe, and feel safe from the risk of fire, now and in the future.

From the findings outlined in the report, the costs to alleviate external wall system life-safety fire risks for leasehold dwellings in mid-rise residential buildings is estimated to be between £3.1 billion and £5.3 billion.

This Data Release provides estimates on: the total number of mid-rise (between 11 metres and 18 metres in height) residential buildings in England; the proportion of mid-rise residential buildings that require remediation, partial remediation and mitigation to alleviate life-safety fire risks from external wall systems; the costs of funding the alleviation of life-safety fire risks of leasehold dwellings in mid-rise residential buildings, in England.

The estimates in this Data Release have been calculated using a sample survey of 2,856 mid-rise (11 – 18 metre) residential buildings in England. Ordnance Survey Address Base data was used to produce the sample, and in estimating the population of mid-rise residential buildings in England.

DLUHC hired an expert contractor to complete desk-based surveys on the sample, to assess the probable life-safety fire risk of the external wall system on each building.

DLUHC’s pilot study estimates 7-9% of residential midrise buildings containing dwellings in England require external wall system remediation to alleviate life-safety fire risks. A further 1% are estimated to require partial remediation and 0.5-1% are estimated to require mitigation measures to alleviate life-safety fire risks.

It is estimated that between 6,220 and 8,890 mid-rise residential buildings, containing dwellings, require remediation, partial remediation or mitigation to alleviate life-safety fire risk, of a building population of 71,000 – 79,000 in England.

Of the 2,000 – 3,000 non-dwelling residential mid-rise buildings (hotels, student accommodation, sheltered accommodation), 8-12% (190 – 330 buildings) are estimated to require work to alleviate external wall system life-safety fire risks.

The full report can be found here.

Quelfire comments on the Building Safety Act

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry Sectors

Fire protection system supplier Quelfire has commented on the new Building Safety Act and what it will mean for the fire industry.

After being introduced to parliament in July 2020, the Building Safety Bill was published a year later in July 2021 and was summarised by then-Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick as a “key step in an extensive overhaul to building safety legislation.”

On the 28th of April 2022, the Bill received Royal Assent meaning that now it has passed all the parliamentary stages in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it will take a more prominent stance in the built industry as The Building Safety Act.

The Act will apply to buildings that are at least 18 metres tall or have seven storeys, with at least two residential units. It will also cover hospitals and care homes if they meet the specification.

Quelfire explained that the government are working to ensure that the Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO), which places duty on individuals in an organisation – the Responsible Person – to identify, control and reduce the risk of fire, and the new building safety regime work effectively together.

“The Fire Safety Clause in the BSA amends the FSO to further strengthen fire safety measures for non-domestic premises, which include common parts of high-rise residential buildings subject to the BSA,” said Quelfire. “The FSO and BSA will overlap in some respects, but through the cross-work of the government, by aligning these essential regimes it will ultimately work to further protect residents “in high-rise residential buildings.

In a typical safety case report, the Accountable Person will ensure that they have a preventative approach for managing building safety risks. An aspect of this report will cover major fire and structural hazards for example, compartmentation. This includes key areas of passive fire protection: linear gaps and cavity fire stops, service penetrations and fire doors. HSE is urging anyone involved in the design or construction of a building to act now, at the earliest stage, and become proactive in the process of ‘building a safer future.’

“The work the fire industry does now can help comply with this by raising more awareness of what early engagement in firestopping is; conducting CPDS to educate the industry; providing more tested details and technical support and offering on-site support.

“Despite the Building Safety Act being law, many of the requirements will not come into force until 12-18 months after the Royal Assent as the industry prepares for the new regime. The government’s transition plan can be found here.

“The risk of fire has decreased considerably over the years. However, the tragedy of Grenfell has shown that there is too much scope for “poor practice, poor culture, poor accountability and poor management.” The Building Safety Act brings an air of hope to survivors and their family members but ultimately, pays respect to the 72 victims. Without the Act, there would be no push for government reform and the risk of Grenfell happening again would be inevitable.”

Sustainable building materials could lead to more fires

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The increase of sustainable building materials during construction has been welcomed by many environmentally concious. However, the use of certain products, while good for the environment, pose a higher risk of catching fire.

Jonathan O’Neill, Managing Director, Fire Protection Association told IFSJ in an exclusive interview: “Building methods have evolved dramatically over the last decade, we are using different materials which are combustible.

“This will not change over the next 20 years because some of it ties into the sustainability agenda. In the years to come, we will continue to build with even more combustible products because they have less impact on the environment. We accept that. At the same time, we need to re-write some of the building rules, which were done keeping old fashioned building materials and techniques.”

In Britain, a newly ratified law, the Building Safety Act, came into effect towards the end of April. The new law has been a work in progress fueled by modern fire disasters in the UK.

O’Neill welcomed the new bill but told IFSJ that we now need a fundamental root and branch review of building regulations in the UK. “It’s been well over a decade since the last review,” he said.

Global fire extinguishers market to reach $7.1bn by 2026

by Americas - Featured NewsAmericas - ProductsAviationBreaking NewsBuilding ManagementConstructionFire SuppressionFirefighting EquipmentIndustry SectorsProductsUtilities

The fire extinguisher market is set to reach US$7.1bn by 2026, according to a new study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA). The report, titled “Fire Extinguishers – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics, presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post Covid-19 marketplace.

Improving global GDP, resurgence in remodeling and renovation activity in developed economies, steady rise in new constructions in emerging markets, and stricter law enforcements are driving growth in the market.

Along with their expiration date, the existence of international, national, or local building regulations, laws, and codes implies that some of the fire extinguishers must be replaced annually, which generates enough demand to ensure the industry’s stability.

Additional opportunities generated by the demand for fire suppression technologies and other proactive fire management systems, hold potential for the industry’s growth. Although the construction industry remains the primary end-use sector for fire extinguishers, growth is forecast to improve from expanding applications in automobiles, military vehicles, and aircrafts. Growing emphasis on safety is fueling demand for automotive fire extinguishers and poised to benefit against this backdrop are small, portable and lightweight fire protection systems. The growing base of military vehicles, especially army ground combat vehicles, is forecast to benefit demand for fast-opening hand-held fire extinguishers (HFE) to safeguard against combat-induced fires.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the global market for Fire Extinguishers is estimated at $5.2bn in 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of $7.1bn by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% over the analysis period.

Dry Chemical & Dry Powder, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 7.4% CAGR to reach $5.1bn by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Carbon Dioxide segment is readjusted to a revised 9% CAGR for the next seven-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 14% share of the global Fire Extinguishers market.

Currently, the extensively used fire extinguisher type is the multiple use dry chemical, which is most efficient on class A, class B and class C fires. CO2 fire extinguishers, which can be deployed on Class A fires, put out fire by removing oxygen component from the fire triangle as well as eliminating the heat through an extremely cold release. These black colored fire extinguishers are ideal for electrical fires

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $1.4bn in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.2bn by 2026
The Fire Extinguishers market in the U.S. is estimated at $1.4bn in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 27.9% share in the global market. China, the world’s second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of $1.2bn in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 9.2% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 5.3% and 7.5% respectively over the analysis period.

Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 5.5% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach $422m by the end of the analysis period. Market growth is primarily led by change in standard building codes and mandating necessary deployment of fire extinguishers coupled with strong construction sector in developing markets such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Eastern European markets. Both China and India have been investing significantly in expanding their infrastructure in order to gain competitive advantage and support burgeoning economy and population. The recovery in the construction industry in the US, coupled with steady gains in construction spending in developing countries including BRICs and CIVETs, is expected to drive the demand for fire extinguishers in the next few years.

Meanwhile, the foam-based segment is set to Reach $658.5m by 2026. Foam-Based and Water-Based Extinguishers put out fire by eliminating the heat component from the fire triangle, while foam agents remove oxygen component from additional components.

Foam extinguishers are expensive, and suitable for diverse use except for Class C fires due to shock risk. There are Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) based and Alcohol Resistant Aqueous Film Forming Foam (ARAFFF) based extinguishers, known as Class A and B fire extinguishers for fighting chemical fires, which involve alcohol. In the global Foam-based segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 6.8% CAGR estimated for this segment.

These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of $355m will reach a projected size of $559.3m by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach $94.6m by the year 2026, while Latin America will expand at a 7.9% CAGR through the analysis period.

UK fire, construction, and energy consultancies to be brought under one roof

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry SectorsProductsUtilities

Housing construction, fire safety and energy efficiency consultancies are encouraged to register interest for a new consultancy framework launching this summer.

Consultancy Services (CS1) from LHC offers public sector organisations a wider range of services across all stages of the design, construction and refurbishment process, all in one framework.

The framework will cover all five LHC Group regions including Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA) and South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA), Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC) and London and South East (LSE). However, housing consultancy services will be only for SPA, WPA and SWPA, owing to pre-existing frameworks already available for CPC and LSE areas.

CS1 brings together LHC’s existing Housing Construction Consultancy (H1 WS1), Energy Efficiency (N8C) and Fire Safety (FS1-C) frameworks under one umbrella to make it easier for contracting authorities to procure specialist consultants.

Dean Fazackerley, head of technical procurement at LHC said: “We recognise the importance of making frameworks more accessible to regional suppliers and SMEs to give them more opportunity to work with public sector organisations – CS1 looks to achieve that.

“Bringing housing construction consultancy, fire safety and energy efficiency under one roof allows us to meet client needs for projects of all sizes, reflecting the current market. It also means we can streamline the procurement process while offering a wider variety of high-quality, pre-approved expertise across a wide range of public sector buildings”

Consultancies are encouraged to register interest for the framework, which will be opening for applications in early summer 2022.

LHC intends to hold further engagement webinars with interested parties in due course to discuss initial proposals and gain feedback, before finalising the framework and issuing the tender.

Fire protection market in construction will be worth $4.32 billion in 2022

by Breaking NewsConstructionIndustry Sectors

The global fire protection materials for the construction market is expected to grow from $3.81 bn in 2021 to $4.32 bn in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4%. These projections are based on a report published on Reportlinker.com titled ‘Fire Protection Materials For Construction Global Market Report 2022’. 

The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the Covid-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $6.04 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.7%.

The fire protection materials for the construction market consist of sales of fire protection materials by entities (organisation, partnership, sole traders) that are used to protect the construction sites from fire and other safety situations. Fire-resistant building materials are any materials that resist fire and do not melt for a long time, that is, they can withstand heat long enough for the residents of the structure to safely leave the premises. Fire protection materials include concrete, reinforcement steel, gypsum, cast iron, bricks, asbestos cement, timber, stone, glass, among others.

The main types of fire protection materials for construction are coatings, mortar, sealants and fillers, sheets or boards, spray, preformed devices, putty, cast-in devices, and others. Mortar is a substance used to fill the gaps between bricks and blocks in masonry construction.

The growing regulations on the mandatory use of fire safety materials are likely to have a positive impact on the growth of fire protection materials for the construction market. Fire safety standards generally aim to reduce the fire-response of products and materials used in various living environments, such as domestic dwellings, household equipment, furnishings and electronics, buildings, and various modes of transportation.

Globally, fire safety standards aim to prevent fires from starting by establishing performance-based norms that, if followed, will improve the fire safety of materials and products. For instance, in March 2020, to improve fire safety in buildings in England and Wales, the Home Office introduced the new Fire Safety Bill.

Key manufacturers in the fire materials for construction market are constantly focusing on cutting-edge research and technological advancements to create improved fire protection materials that can withstand fire for a longer period and emit less smoke when burned. In September 2020, CIN, a Portugal-based company developed two new products C-THERM S110 and C-THERM S111 FD, to protect steel structures from fire.

Global fire protection systems market to reach $130bn by 2030

by Breaking NewsBuilding ManagementConstructionIndustrialIndustry SectorsSafety

The global fire protection system market size is expected to reach $130.37bn by 2030, according to a study. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. Increasing adoption of wireless technology in fire protection systems, growing human and property loss owing to fire breakouts, and stringent fire safety regulations are projected to fuel the market growth.

Increasing implementation of building safety codes and renovation projects is also anticipated to be a major factor influencing the market growth. The application and usage of fire protection systems are anticipated to increase continuously with the developments of commercial entities and corporations.

Reportlinker.com released a report titled ‘Fire Protection System Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, By Service, By Application, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2022 – 2030’.

Technology enhancements such as extinguishing technology based on mist and products such as laser optical / infrared smoke detectors, alarms with embedded voice evacuation announcements, hypoxic air fire suppression systems, and wireless fire alarm systems are expected to gain traction in the market globally. In addition, in 2020, the market was hampered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has interrupted production, impacted demand, and caused supply chain disruption.

The growing trend of integrating fire alarm and detection systems with building automation systems offers vast growth opportunities to the market. Connectivity with building automation systems is increasingly becoming a major feature of fire protection systems in commercial, industrial, and residential applications.

This can be attributed to the fact that such integration allows for the development of systems that are capable of sharing and gathering data, which can help in alerting individuals about fire safety issues in the premises. A notable rise in investments in smart building automation technologies across several regions is expected to lead to new opportunities for building automation systems in the industrial and commercial sectors.

Consumers in developed regions such as Europe and North America have seen a steady rise in demand over the past few years, and the growth trend is also projected to continue over the next few years. However, a lack of stringent regulations and the high cost of advanced fire protection systems have kept the markets in emerging countries largely untapped.

Nevertheless, improving economic conditions in countries, including Brazil and India, are anticipated to boost the demand for fire protection systems over the forecast period.

Infrastructural development activities across the Asia Pacific region owing to the rising demand for new transport and utility infrastructure will drive the demand. The high rate of urbanization is placing increased pressure on under-invested, weak city infrastructure.

The consecutive rise in focus on new residential and infrastructural development projects is expected to propel the demand for fire protection systems across this region; thus, such factors are fuelling the market growth.

Building Safety Bill to clamp down on unsafe cladding

by Building ManagementConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The Building Safety Bill has added new powers that will see unsafe cladding clamped down on.

Under the new measure developers risk losing planning permission should they refuse to pay the costs of removing unsafe cladding. Projects can also be blocked under government plans.

The measures will also allow for cladding companies to be sued, with defective products earning fines. The proposed measures are part of a Building Safety Bill following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the BBC reported.

People who are currently facing bills of thousands of pounds to fix their homes welcomed the move.

Michael Gove, Housing Secretary, said: “We cannot allow those who do not take building safety seriously to build homes in the future, and for those not willing to play their part they must face consequences.”

Last month, Gove announced that leaseholders living in buildings high than 11 metres will not face costs for fixing dangerous cladding. In turn, developers would be expected to fix dangerous buildings. Failure to do so will result in legal or tax changes, he added.

Leaseholders now have up to 30 years, from the current six years, to sue builders and product manufacturers for defects in England, but there are plans to extend it UK wide.

Exclusive: A new horizon for the ASFP

by ConstructionIndustry Sectors

IFSJ catches up with Steve Davies, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection 

Associations are a vital part of many industries. From the rail, aviation, security, construction, or hospitality industries, they all utilise support given by associations in their respective fields. Whether it is providing training, advice on practice or helping companies to remain compliant with the latest regulations affecting them, the support they give helps keep whole sectors working. In the background of this are experts with the knowledge and experience to know what is needed for their members.  

Historically, associations have been at the centre of many important sectors, and its own importance has not only maintained, but it is also growing. In a world where rules and regulations can change at a pace due to technological advancements or political hurdles, continued support is essential, and this is no different for the fire safety sector. For those in the fire protection sector, the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) brings together passive fire protection manufacturers, contractors, distributors and testing/certification bodies to encourage, develop and give guidance on essential standards in passive fire protection. The ASFP helps to increase the quality of installed fire protection within all forms of construction. To find out more about the associations ongoing relations with the industry, IFSJ caught up with Steve Davies, Chief Executive Officer of the Association.  

Technical experience 

When taking the role of CEO last year, taking over from former CEO Niall Rowan, Davies brought with him years of experience working with a number of trade associations. Since 2006 Davies has worked in membership organisations in various sectors, working in technical or engineering based industries from power generation and more recently his previous role as the CEO of the Lighting Industry Association (LIA). In terms of experience, the fire safety industry to Davies is relatively new. On this, he believes this has been one of the main challenges he has faced. He comments: “One of the challenges I have been faced with is getting to grips with the technical and political aspects of the sector. My appointment initially is about modernising and bringing the ASFP as a trade association forward and developing the services that they offer, whilst building my own technical expertise to be able to contribute at all levels.” 

He concludes: “I am very familiar with how to develop a trade association and how to make it a success and Niall has been very supportive during the handover process. He has helped me get around the table with other stakeholders to smooth the transition as much as possible. Going forward I think the main challenge for me will be making sure I am as technically competent as I possibly can be. I have made it a point to get involved with as many ASFP committees as possible, not only for my own education but also for my own interest as well. I want to be able to contribute to those discussions.” 

Times are changing

In terms of timing, Davies joins as there are a number of changes happening in the industry. Of course, this could be seen as a further complication, but the role of Passive Fire Protection and the ASFP is more critical than ever. ASFP needs stay on top of that change and shape the future of knowledge and education of the industry. Changes in attitude to passive fire protection measures have been in the pipeline for some time and there is real momentum in how the industry meets that change.

Davies comments: “I have joined, whether by design or by sheer luck at a time of huge change for the sector, not just passive fire but the construction sector as a whole. There has been lots of things that have happened prior to this that have been in the news and continue to be in the news but what that has driven is a huge appetite for people to know more about passive fire. We run a variety of Passive Fire Safety courses and the demand for them has significantly increased. Some of that is due to the pandemic with more people working from home who are trying to maintain their CPD but since people have returned that demand has continued to grow.  

He continues: “So, in looking backing at 2021 I have been trying to keep up with that demand and shape it to see what bits of education we might be missing so that we can fill those gaps.  There are lots of bodies that pass information around passive fire which is great. I hope to get the ASFP to the forefront of that in which we will be the first port of call and if we don’t offer what you’re looking for, we can point you in the right direction. I would say that is what we have spent most of 2021 doing, building that pathway of knowledge and education.” 

Rebrand  

His appointment also marked a new dawn for the organisation in terms of forward thinking within itself. Towards the end of 2021 they decided to undergo a rebranding which has come off the back of new introductions to the ASFP team. Davies reveals what the rebranding means for the organisation in the long-term: “Last year we underwent a small rebranding exercise on the back of having a new team and new ideas to mark a change in the association.

“However, it was also to pre-empt that we have a new CRM platform that is due to go live in the next couple of months. That has the new platforms for information, whether they’re documentation, online courses or webinars. We have been really busy planning, but we are coming to the end of that process now. It was the start of a plan as to how we start to promote ourselves online. The rebrand gave us an opportunity to put a marker in the sand and say, from this point on a new logo, the way we present ourselves to be more structured and professional will show that we are changing.” 

Improving competency 

As we usher in a new year, like so many of the companies it supports, the ASFP will be keen to ensure that the start is as seamless as possible, and with a structured plan in place that they have set out and key goals that they want to meet, it promises to be an interesting year for them. Part of these plans are to improve competency and networking. Davies comments on how this has resulted in what they are anticipating being a busy but productive year: “Our plans to develop competency in passive fire in the construction sector has been at the forefront of our activity as a whole. We budgeted this year to spend a lot of time developing a competency framework for passive fire.

“We already have an introduction course, Level 2 and 3 which is supported by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE). What we have acknowledged is that we have a void between the online 3-4 hour course and then going up to the full five day level two course and then level three. We are filling that gap with various learning opportunities that will be CPD based .with specialist sections to suit the different parts of the construction sector from architects/designers through our typical audiences such as Contractor to facilities managers and landlords. 

He concludes: “We spent a lot of time in discussions at the end of last year, as COVID restrictions began to ease, about how we can create a wide-ranging networking calendar for the sector that gets us where we want to be. 2022 so far has been about what bodies we want to influence and how we wish to engage with them. We have a role here in not only an influencing and lobbying role but also one of bringing our members together from a networking and engagement perspective to learn from each other. You may have noticed an upturn in our marketing and social presence and that has been part of what we have been planning and developing for this year. 2022 will be a very busy year for us.”  

With regulations continuing to change the landscape for those in passive fire, it seems that it won’t just be this year that will be busy for the ASFP. Whilst a new CEO and a rebrand has set out a new era for the organisation, it is worth keeping a keen eye out for future developments that they will be mapping out.  

BESA praises cladding plan but urges Government to go further

by ConstructionIndustry Sectors

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has praised Housing Minister Michael Gove for “taking the initiative” and trying to address the growing cladding scandal but warned that his new plan would not completely solve the problem.

The Minister has warned developers that they must address fire safety issues in buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height – usually between four and seven storeys – or face legal action. Currently, only buildings above 18m qualify for government support to rectify historic cladding defects.

Companies who make profits of more than £10m a year from housebuilding have until March to agree voluntarily, or face being forced to “shoulder their responsibilities” for the estimated £4bn bill, according to Gove. He said he could restrict their access to government funding and future projects, amend planning rules, use the tax system to penalise them, and/or take them to court.

He has also extended the period during which leaseholders can sue builders for defects from six to 30 years after completion.

“It is neither fair nor decent that innocent leaseholders…should be landed with bills they cannot afford to fix problems they did not cause,” he said in a letter to developers in England and Wales.

However, BESA said the government would have to go further because cladding was only one part of the fire safety problem.

“Mr Gove deserves credit for trying to tackle this extremely complex issue and putting right a serious injustice,” said the Association’s head of technical Graeme Fox. “However, in many cases fire safety problems go well beyond cladding. Many buildings also have defective or missing fire breaks, unsafe insulation, lack adequate smoke ventilation, and use other flammable materials. Who will pay to fix those problems?”

Fox also said it was important the government did not create another unfairness by piling all the blame and cost onto builders and contractors.

“The Grenfell inquiry has shone a spotlight on shoddy workmanship, but it has also uncovered considerable problems with the way some building materials are tested and marketed. Most contractors buy or specify products in good faith having been presented with what should be compelling evidence that they comply with building regulations and are safe.

“All parts of the supply chain have to learn from this scandal, and responsibility needs to be properly shared,” said Fox. “Only then can we start to fix the ‘culture’ that led to this problem in the first place.”