New Community Wildfire Prevention grants available in Canada

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa) has partnered with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and collaborated with FireSmart Canada to offer a new community wildfire prevention grant.

Wawanesa and ICLR have announced six grants of up to $15,000 each to help communities across Canada increase their resilience to wildfire through prevention and mitigation activities.

“Climate change is here and one of the most destructive implications is the increased threat of wildfires,” said Carol Jardine, President of Canadian P&C Operations for Wawanesa.

“As a Canadian owned and operated mutual company, we want to help communities across Canada improve their climate resilience and protect themselves, their homes and their businesses. That’s why we are working with experts at ICLR and FireSmart Canada to reduce the risk of wildfires and help make communities across Canada safer and more resilient.”

These grants will support prevention, mitigation, and preparedness activities aligned with FireSmart Canada’s seven disciplines: education, emergency planning, vegetation management, legislation, development, interagency cooperation and cross training.

Grant applications must be received before December 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. CST and will be evaluated by a committee of wildfire prevention subject matter experts from Wawanesa, ICLR, and FireSmart Canada. Grant recipients will be announced on March 1, 2023.

Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, commented: “From 2008 to 2021, wildfires have cost Canadian insurers more than $4.6 billion, with over 87,000 claims filed. This represents only a portion of the overall costs caused by wildland fires, as uninsured public infrastructure is damaged, lives are disrupted, and individual health – both physical and mental – is affected.

“Wawanesa’s leadership in supporting grants targeted at preventing and mitigating the impacts of wildfires will help communities increase their resilience to this increasingly prevalent peril, serve as learning opportunities for other communities wishing to take action, and reduce the immense personal toll wildfires have on people and businesses across our country.”  

Ray Ault, Director of FireSmart Canada, added: “FireSmart Canada is happy to provide support for and input towards Wawanesa’s Community Wildfire Prevention Grants. This is an important initiative that will help Canadians increase their wildfire resilience.”

Interested community groups can visit the program webpage for project eligibility and application criteria at wawanesa.com/wildfire-grants. Communities across Canada are now welcome to apply.

Wildfire sensor field-tested in Ventura County

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

GRID2020, Inc. has announced that its GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY® wildfire sensor capabilities were once again successfully demonstrated during a field test on 6 September at a training facility operated by Ventura County Fire Department near Camarillo, CA.

The field demonstration involved igniting a series of individual brush fires; ranging in size from small to medium. By lighting individual fires, then extinguishing each, the attendees were able to witness the versatile capabilities of the GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY outdoor wildfire sensor solution.

Alan Snook, company spokesperson explained the test process: “We staged multiple brush piles encompassing nearly 1/3 acre, then individually ignited them so our attendees could visualize the incoming fire conditions data being reported by the GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY device.

“We also included our valuable Auto Alerts feature to direct incoming wildfire data to certain attendee’s cell phones. The Auto Alerts began streaming via text messages, indicating to attendees that GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY not only was successfully detecting the wildfire conditions, but also was providing Early Detection and swift notification capability.”

Conditions for the demonstration included a clear sunny day, near record-level heat and humidity, and an intermittent prevailing wind of 5-10mph. The GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY device was able to capture and reporting key data for the attendees to view in real time regardless of fires being ignited upwind or downwind.

The device successfully detected ground-level fire surface temperature escalations, outdoor smoke from multiple nearby and upwind points of origin, and fire-induced humidity level decreases; conditions which are indicative of developing or unfolding wildfire events.

Fire Chief Dustin Gardner, Ventura County (CA) Fire Department, commented: “The successful GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY demonstration spurred several discussions about the importance and impact of technology solutions in early wildland fire detection and warning.”

Deputy Fire Chief Chad Cook, Ventura County (CA) Fire Department commented: “We are concerned about wildland fires year-round in our community, and have a very progressive mindset in leveraging technology tools, such as GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY, for the fire service to help mitigate these types of fires.”

Snook added: “We hope to see a grassroots percolation of interest and request for deployment of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY in at-risk areas.

“We believe that as the public at-large, and vested stakeholders begin to realize that we can provide an always-on outdoor monitoring solution to create an added level of wildfire defense protections, then GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY will be vastly adopted.”

Wildfire causes damage to iconic Easter Island statues

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

A wildfire on Easter Island has reportedly caused significant damage to some of the iconic stone-carved statues for which the island is most known, according to authorities.

The fire, which is currently being treated as a case of arson, marred a number of the famous statues, known as moai, after it swept across more than 247 acres around the Rano Raraku volcano, a UNESCO world heritage site.

The fire comes just three months after the island was reopened to tourism on 5 August, after two years of closure due to Covid-19. Before the pandemic, Easter Island – where the main livelihood is tourism – received 160,000 visitors a year, on two daily flights. The arrival of Covid-19 in Chile saw tourist activity completely suspended.

Rapa Nui has more than 1,000 stone statues. The iconic giant heads are believed to have first been carved in the 13th century by the island’s original inhabitants. 

Ariki Tepano, director of the Ma’u Henua community in charge of the management and maintenance of the park, called the damage irreparable: “The moai are totally charred and you can see the effect of the fire upon them,” he said.

Easter Island mayor, Pedro Edmunds Paoa, claimed that fire was not an accident, telling local broadcaster Radio Pauta that all the fires on Rapa Nui are caused by humans

Paoa said: “The damage caused by the fire can’t be undone. The cracking of an original and emblematic stone cannot be recovered, no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it.”

EU proposes €170 million budget for transitional firefighting fleet

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

Following a record-breaking forest fire season in Europe, the European Commission has proposed €170 million from the EU budget to reinforce its rescEU ground and aerial assets, starting from the summer of 2023.

With this budget, the rescEU transitional fleet would have 22 planes, 4 helicopters and more prepositioned ground teams.

It also proposed that as of 2025 the fleet would be further reinforced through an accelerated procurement of airplanes and helicopters.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Due to climate change the number of regions affected by wildfires is increasing, going beyond the traditionally affected Mediterranean countries. The last summers have clearly shown that more firefighting assets are needed at EU-level.

“By building up our fleet of aerial means and ground forces, the EU will be able to ensure a prompt, flexible response, including in situations where fires are burning in multiple Member States at the same time.”

Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn, said: “While the record-breaking forest fires this summer may have been overshadowed by other crises, today’s proposal to reinforce rescEU shows that the EU budget will continue to support those in need.

“European solidarity across EU Member States remains strong and we are ready to support this solidarity with financial means.”

Western Fire Chiefs Association introduces phase 2 of its wildland fire map

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) has announced the introduction of Phase 2 of its Fire Map, which launched in July this year. Phase 2 now includes 3D map views, reporting of active fire-fighting aircraft in real-time, and Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) specific to the state of California, providing a higher level of detail to keep lives, land, and property safe.

The WFCA Fire Map is the first of its kind to integrate real-time flight mapping of fire-fighting aircraft. The Forest Service uses aircraft to track, manage, and fight wildland fires.

This includes aerial supervision aircraft that communicate with firefighters on the ground, air attack aircraft coordinating aerial firefighting, air tankers with the capability to deliver up to 8,000 gallons of fire retardant, water scoopers, and smoke-jumper aircrafts. Fire Suppression Aircraft are depicted on the WFCA Fire Map, with aircraft type, speed, and altitude.

Said Brent VanKeulen, Deputy Director, WFCA, said: “Wildland fires are often at their most dangerous when they first start. This information will significantly impact the speed in which we can get information out to the public, and will also provide a more detailed and richer level of visual communications to communities at risk.”

Clicking on an individual aircraft will reveal the aircraft’s recent flight path indicating where current fire-fighting activity is taking place. The WFCA Fire Map is also the first to depict Wildland Fire activity in 3D, where the viewer can rotate their vantage point around the fire map and view the fire from 360 degrees.

Specific to California, the WFCA Fire Map will integrate fire-perimeter data provided by FIRIS (Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System) and will be the first to do so.

FIRIS is a public-private partnership that provides real-time intelligence data on emerging incidents in California. Funded by the California Office of Emergency Services, the funding supports aircraft, a common operating picture, and near-real-time fire modelling that is available at the onset of emerging incidents.

Brian Fennessey, founder of FIRIS, California Fire Chiefs Fire Chief of the Year, and Orange County Fire Authority Chief, said: “FIRIS provides real-time situational awareness for firefighters on the ground, helping them make critical decisions. I believe that the same information helps the public, too. That is why we have partnered with the WFCA.

FIRIS began in 2019 and uses the Overwatch Imaging platform, which includes an aerial infra-red (IR) platform that integrates cutting-edge technologies provided by Aevex Aviation. That data is fed to Intterra’s wildfire decision support software where WIFIRE retrieves the data for predictive analytics.

NSW Rural Fire Service issues warning as bush fire danger period begins

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

Following the start of the bush fire danger period on 1 October, the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) has encouraged residents to know and understand their fire risk, with the increased potential for grass fires.

NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said the official Bush Fire Danger Period (BFDP) begin in a further 92 Local Government Areas on 1 October 2022.

“Recent rain has led to good grass and crop growth across the state especially in western areas of NSW, and with more rain predicted over spring, this vegetation will continue to flourish. said Rogers. “As warm weather sets in, this will dry out, increasing the risk of dangerous and fast moving grass fires.

“Despite the wet weather, we have already seen more than 1000 grass fires across the state since July, and the risk will increase in the months ahead.”

Commissioner Rogers said the introduction of the new Australian Fire Danger Rating System will help people make informed decisions this bush fire season.

“Know your risk, and check the daily fire danger ratings. The new Fire Danger Rating System has four levels – Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic – with clear actions for each level,” Rogers added. “Each rating gives an indication of the consequences of a fire if one was to start.”

Permits are required in areas where the Bush Fire Danger Period is in place, and landholders using fire must notify the RFS, such as online at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify.

Quelfire’s QuelStop named Fire Safety Solution of the Year at London Construction Awards

by ConstructionEventsFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

Quelfire has won the Supplier of the Year and Fire Safety Solution of the Year at the London Construction Awards 2022.

Over 350 guests from all sectors in the industry came together on Friday 23 September, including suppliers, contractors, architects, civil engineers, developers, housebuilders, local authorities and more.

Winners from twenty categories were announced by award-winning comedian Simon Brodkin and it was said that “the range of companies that entered were incredibly diverse and reflected the strength of the London construction industry.”

This Supplier of the Year award category was aimed at any supplier in the built environment that has demonstrated success, innovation, or notable achievement in the past 12 months.

Commenting on Quelfire, the judges said: “We were impressed with this submission as they weren’t just shouting about good customer service (surely every supplier should be doing this?). They also spoke about putting profit back into research and development, the tech support they offer and how they educate the industry. The latter is significantly needed.

“Quelfire is operating successfully in one of the most contentious ends of the industry. Where many have shied away from fire-related matters and insurers exclude many companies from operating in this sphere, Quelfire is providing a solution with not only their products but also with training, thereby raising the competency of the industry.”

The Fire Safety Solution of the Year award category recognises excellence and innovation in solutions for fire safety. The judges notes for this category read: “Quelfire provided a great submission for their QuelStop Firestopping system. Their submission talked about their solution, what it does and what makes them different from their competitors. This is really important when submitting something like this as there were lots that didn’t stand out from the crowd.

“The QuelStop System is different as it offers a wide range of tested details; it has value-added services; and an early engagement approach to help clients design and install the system in a compliant way.”

Commenting on their win, Quelfire said: “We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the judges, who recognised how passionate we are about contributing to a positive cultural change and safer buildings by providing primary test data for real life scenarios; providing support for compliant design and installation of our firestopping solutions; educating the industry and, as we are known to say, ‘doing it right, the first time around!’

“And, a huge well done to all other winners and deserving nominees.

“The whole team at Quelfire, from management to production, are equally passionate about what we do, which is Protecting People and Property. We could not be any prouder of this fantastic team and achievement.”

Exclusive: Fire protection systems for alternative fuels

by Featured NewsFire SuppressionIndustry SectorsPorts & MaritimeProducts
Rafal Kolodziejski, Survitec’s Head of Product Support and Development, discusses fire suppression for alternative fuels as the shipping industry moves away from diesel

When it comes to fuel, there are several reasons why alternative fuels are increasingly being used in the marine market. For one thing, everyone wants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as a result of greenhouse gas emission reduction programmes. Diesel fuel is no longer seen as a long-term energy source due to its negative impact on the environment, especially as other, more sustainable alternatives have been identified.

One of the main drivers is fuel energy density: if we pay X amount of money for X amount of fuel, how much energy will we get out from this fuel? Another is fuel availability. This is a critical factor. Ship managers and operators need to consider fuel availability in all the different ports where their ships will be trading.

Other factors in the selection process include transportation of the fuel from the place of production to the ship, storage, handling, usage of and, importantly, fire safety risks.

There are four major types of alternative fuels which are currently on the radar for ship owners: gas-based fuels, alcohol-based fuels, hydrogen and ammonia. In addition, battery power is increasingly being used. Batteries are used for energy propulsion systems but are considered high risk when it comes to the technology being implemented in the market.

For ship owners, when selecting an alternative fuel, they have to consider ship design and operation as fuels with different volumetric energy densities might require more space than others. Comparing diesel fuel with either ammonia or hydrogen for example, there is roughly a double space requirement for the alternative, cleaner fuels to enable the ship to cover the same distance from Port A to Port B.

Gas- and alcohol-based fuels

There are two groups of well-established alternative fuel products. The first are LNG (liquefied natural gas) and LPG (liquified petroleum gas). We call these gas-based fuels. The other well-known group of fuels are methanol and ethanol – alcohol-based fuels. Both types have been carried by ships as cargo for years so the fire protection and safety procedures for these kinds of substances are well known and well regulated by the marine industry.

When loading and storing these types of fuel onboard the ship for use, there are several different locations to consider with regards to potential hazards and fire safety. These are: the bunkering station, the fuel storage space, the tank connection space, the fuel preparation room and the machinery room. All of these spaces have to be protected against the risk of fire. There is a wide range of existing fire suppression systems that have been adopted for use with gas- and alcohol-based fuels, the main ones being: CO2, DCP, clean agents, foam and water mist.

For bunkering stations, DCP and N2 will offer the best protection against potential fires caused by LNG/LPG fuels, while Foam and N2 will offer the best protection against fire caused by Methanol/Ethanol fuels.

In the fuel storage tank, it is important to keep the temperature at a reasonable level in safe atmospheric conditions so a water mist cooling system needs to be in place. For the LNG fuel tank isolation safety barrier, N2 gas can be used to exclude oxygen from the environment.  

For the tank connection and fuel preparation room you can use foam, CO2, water mist or a clean agent. Finally, for the machinery space, you are looking at applications which could be a water mist total flooding system, CO2, a clean agent or a foam system to eliminate risk and extinguish potential fire.

Hydrogen fuel

Hydrogen has the characteristic of high potential risk of leakage during storage in the fuel tank. Gas detection systems are critical in terms of fire prevention at this stage. If and when a fire occurs, the next stage is fire protection and then firefighting systems which can be proposed for these applications.

In the bunkering station for hydrogen, the most suitable extinguishing solution agent is dry chemical powder (DCP) which can be combined with nitrogen deployment. In the fuel storage tank, having a cooling effect is critical and so a water mist system is recommended. For the tank connection space and fuel preparation room, where the hydrogen is being prepared for delivery to the main engine, maintaining a stable temperature is once again critical and so water mist systems can provide a cooling effect in the event of fire.

In the engine room, CO2 as a gas might be most effective in extinguishing fire, or a clean agent, but it should be noted that a higher concentration of extinguishing agent – higher than is used in traditional marine gas oil fire protection – should be considered. Water mist would be provided as a passive system meaning it could create a cooling effect whilst the CO2 and clean agent would be dedicated for  firefighting.

Ammonia

Ammonia is a toxic fuel and can create a corrosive environment in the space where the ammonia is evaporating, and so it is less preferable as a fuel option for the time being. From an energy density point of view it is slightly better than hydrogen which is why it is still on ship owner fuel selection lists.

However, we are in an evaluation stage where fire protection solutions for ammonia are concerned. There are no regulations as yet, so it is difficult to say which fire suppression system would be most effective for spaces with ammonia present. As with Hydrogen, the concentration of the extinguishing agent will need to be higher compared with traditional fuels.

Batteries

Batteries are a significant new area that are high risk due to the extremely high temperatures and uncontrolled ignition effect generated in the event of a fire. Ship propulsion solutions based on battery power are focused on short-sea vessels. For deep-sea shipping with large ocean-going ships, other fuels such as gas- or alcohol-based fuels would be more applicable. Currently, battery power would be for ships such as ferries with journeys of around 2-3 hours between ports where electrical propulsion would be suitable. This is where the battery market is growing in the marine fuel industry.

Electric cars and batteries create very high temperatures when they are on fire. There are no rules today on how to address these fires, particularly the internal fires inside batteries. There are recommendations for ship owners to install firefighting systems, but there will be a lot of development to come for the rules for transporting batteries on ships.

What we can see and what we can propose is that the compartments where battery modules are installed can be well protected by total flooding applications. These are mainly based on water mist systems but could also be clean agent and foam systems.

Going through the different tests, water mist system is the best system to cool down the batteries and actually stop fire propagation. However, this is not enough because even though you can stop fire propagation, the high temperature and internal fire process, called thermal runaway, can still cause  reignition and a fire may occur multiple times on the same object.

There is discussion in the rules and regulation forums that gas suppression systems need to be calculated to have at least two if not three shots in the case of fire to tackle reignition. This is a new trend in development.

These are all the alternative fuels that we see as potential fuels for the future for the shipping industry. Hydrogen and ammonia are new for the market, so we will see a lot of development around them before ship owners are more confident in selecting them. In our opinion there will be no one ‘winner’ that all ship owners will go for, there might be at least that would be two that are most popular but we cannot say at this stage.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Research into sustainable and fire-resistant buildings assessment gains funding

by Building ManagementFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The SFPE Foundation, a charitable organisation focused on enhancing the scientific understanding of fire and its interaction with the natural and built environment, has announced the funding of a research award to prepare for future development of risk-informed performance-based tools for the assessment of sustainable and fire-resilient buildings.

The research will be led by Brian J. Meacham, PhD, PE, CEng, FIFireE, FSFPE, Managing Principal at Meacham Associates, with support from Håkan Frantzich, PhD, FSFPE, Associate Professor, and Margaret McNamee, PhD, Professor, both with the Division of Fire Safety Engineering at Lund University.

It will look at characterising the problem, researching and identifying appropriate assessment methods, identifying necessary attributes and requirements for input data, and developing a framework to underpin a risk-informed performance-based assessment methodology.

Additional review will focus on consideration of how green attributes and risk factors impact risk assessment, uncertainty treatment, and decision-support methodologies in sustainable and fire resilient buildings.

The findings of the study are expected to be published and presented through SFPE and the SFPE Foundation in 2023.

Leslie Marshall, Ph.D., Director, SFPE Foundation, commented: “To aid in the assessment of sustainable and fire-resilient buildings, the SFPE Foundation’s Board of Governors is pleased to provide funding for another major new research investment in 2022.

“This project aligns with SFPE Research Roadmap priorities and is a foundational step to ultimately provide designers and practitioners with performance-based tools to identify and mitigate fire risk in green buildings.”

Ramtech raises the standards of fire and life safety

by ConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry SectorsSafety
Ramtech’s new white paper raises awareness of fire risk and the life safety solutions available for the US construction industry

Global wireless solutions firm Ramtech recently released an in-depth white paper addressing the US construction fire and life safety challenges that can have devastating consequences including loss of civilian life and millions of dollars in direct property damage annually.

Titled ‘No Site Left Behind: The Modern Fire and Life Safety Solutions for Construction’, the new white paper raises awareness of fire risk and the life safety solutions, including wireless fire evacuation system technology, available across America. It also highlights how more awareness and understanding of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidance, specifically the NFPA 241 (Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations), must be prioritised in order to save lives and protect construction sites.

The challenge

While some factors may appear an obvious hazard, they can often be exacerbated by the way they are currently observed or dealt with but due to the breadth of the US and various conditions and landscapes, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and there are various challenges and threats to fire and life safety on construction sites.

These threats range from extreme weather or temperatures which can have an adverse effect on fires spreading or being put out to highly combustible materials and hot works causing fire by heat, sparks, embers or flame from operating equipment.

Other risks are appliances breakout areas where construction workers go to prepare hot meals and drinks can present a hazard if equipment is overused or left unattended, arson linked to a general lack of site security, electrical distribution, lighting and heating equipment used on site can start a fire and the type of building in particular, a rise in timber frame structures that can catch fire more easily. Essentially, fire risks can be found everywhere on a working or even a vacant construction site.

Following the guidance of the NFPA, specifically the NFPA 241 (Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations) and having the designated Fire Prevention Program Manager (FPPM), is vital to the fire safety of a construction site and having the designated FPPM, is vital to the fire safety of a construction site.

NFPA 241

The NFPA 241 is one of many codes and standards produced by the NFPA to help eliminate death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. Through regular revisions and amendments, participants in the NFPA standards development process consider the then-current and available information on incidents, materials, technologies, innovations and methods as these develop over time and that NFPA Standards reflect this consideration.

Over the years, the NFPA has continued to improve the clarity of the guidance provided. Within this latest iteration of the NFPA 241, several revisions have been made. Chapter 4 of the code, General Requirements, contains the main elements of what is being discussed in this whitepaper. It includes who is responsible for fire protection and then introduces The Fire Prevention Program.

The NFPA advises that: “The owner shall designate a person who shall be responsible for the fire prevention program and who shall ensure that it is carried out to completion… the fire prevention program manager shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of this and other applicable fire protection standards.”

In short, every construction site needs an FPPM and an alternate to ensure that site safety is maintained and processes are enforced in line with NFPA 241. This includes: Creating the NFPA 241 Plan for the site by identifying all site hazards at all times and providing solutions to overcome safety issues; Ensuring that appropriate fire evacuation and life safety systems are in place and are always working; Serving as the point of contact for any first responders; Conduct fire drills and make evacuation plans.

While every site may have an FPPM, the challenge is to ensure that the FPPM fully understands the gravity of their responsibility and is competent. This ultimately comes down to experience, training and good documentation. A well trained FPPM will know the construction site layout and how efficiently the site can be covered or evacuated, but they will also grasp the finer points of detail that could be the difference between life and death in the event of a fire, such as the turning space and road access available for firefighters, their vehicles and other first responders.

The Solutions

Ultimately, advancing the state of the solutions in the U.S. could play a significant role in adherence to NFPA 241 and therefore reaching a higher standard of fire protection and safety. By leveraging technology, building owners, site managers and fire prevention officers can get a much higher level of protection than with these conventional processes.

In most cases, this can be done cost effectively too, with forward-thinking technology that combines all the necessary elements. Detection, communication, documentation, connectivity alongside your NFPA 241 plan provides a robust life safety system fit for the industry’s current and future challenges.

Talking about the impact of Ramtech’s white paper exploring modern fire and life safety solutions for construction in North America, global marketing and business development manager James Pecz says that Since the release of the white paper, they have been overwhelmed with the positive responses and comments from the industry: “The white paper seems to have hit the spot and encouraged conversations on the current state of the construction industry’s view of fire and evacuation safety.

“The NFPA241 code is designed to encourage the industry to take the best possible steps to protect construction properties, people, and assets – but instead of contractors seeing this as an opportunity to excel and lead with best practices, the code has historically been used as way to do the bare minimum to satisfy requirements.

“We are hoping that the white paper will educate contractors in what solutions are available and encourage them to utilise new technology to enhance safety.  One thing I have learnt during my time in the construction industry is that technology moves much quicker than the regulations change, so this paper helps highlight that there are modern solutions available to help solve age-old issues.”

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.