Posts in category: Projects

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of filtration solutions has selected C-TEC’s innovative new CAST ZFP addressable fire system for one of its UK sites.

A global expert in the field of filtration, MANN+HUMMEL employs 15,000 people at more than 50 locations worldwide and has a turnover of more than 3 billion Euros. In 2014, it acquired Vokes Air manufacturing plant in Burnley to increase its presence in the booming filtration and air purification market.

Last year, the company identified the need for a powerful new fire alarm system to protect the site. Further to consultations with Lancashire-based specialist installation company, ADJ Fire and Security, the decision was taken to install one of C-TEC’s new CAST addressable fire systems comprising a network of ZFP 1-loop touchscreen-controlled panels connected to over 250 CAST devices including heat detectors embedded with C-TEC’s unique ‘HEART’ (HEat Analysis and Response Technology) algorithms to ensure each one remains in a high state of readiness for a potential fire alarm situation.

Steve Hutchinson, Head of Sales at ADJ, said: “We were delighted to be asked to equip the MANN+HUMMEL Vokes Air site with an L1 fire detection and alarm system developed by one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of life-safety systems. The fact that C-TEC is based in the North-West was important to ourselves and our client as we are both keen to support local manufacturers wherever possible particularly those which produce such high-quality equipment.”

“Performance-wise, CAST is fast, reliable and incredibly powerful. As a 40V loop driven system, it allows you to put twice as many devices on a loop compared to other manufacturers’ systems. The soft-addressing nature of the system also means it’s simple-to-install, programme and commission as all the devices can be easily programmed at the panel.

“Another key factor as to why we chose CAST is C-TEC’s outstanding free-of-charge technical support service. Terry Gordon, the company’s Technical Support Manager, and his team have been absolutely amazing, offering advice, answering any queries we had and providing phenomenal technical support throughout. I cannot praise them highly enough.

Certified to all relevant EN54 product standards, including EN54-13, CAST is C-TEC’s own UK manufactured ‘distributed intelligence’ addressable fire detection and alarm system.

Fire detection solutions from Global Fire Equipment (GFE) have been installed in the KUMSmall Factory Shopping Mall, the largest mixed-use shopping mall in Europe. Located in the city of Kayseri in Central Anatolia, Turkey, KUMSmall comprises a shopping mall, business centre, hotel and entertainment centre.  Bringing together some of the world’s leading fashion brands under one roof, KUMSmall covers an area of more than 302,000 m² and boasts 400 stores, 6,000 car parking spaces and a vast range of restaurants and cafes.

Construction work on the mall was completed in 2019 under the leadership and control of TOKI, one of the largest construction companies in Turkey, while work on the hotel is still underway.

The design, installation and commissioning of the fire detection system for the mall was undertaken by GFE’s appointed distributor in Turkey, GFE Bina Kontrol Sistemleri, in partnership with Biges Safe Life Technology, GFE Bina’s main distributor in the security sector. Dogu Project Security Systems was appointed by Biges to install the chosen fire detection system for the mall. All system commissioning and tests were carried out in cooperation with GFE Bina, Biges and Dogu.

The chosen fire detection system for KUMSmall comprises nine Juno-Net series addressable control panels, 2,300 ZEOS AS-SI addressable smoke detectors, 29 AS-SHI combined heat and smoke addressable detectors, as well as other addressable devices. The addressable detectors are designed to isolate short circuits on the addressable detection loop of a GFE panel.

The system is supported by GFE’s ODYSSEY Graphics Display and Alarm Management System which allows up to 64 JUNO NET fire alarm panels to be connected to a PC. Each panel can be displayed on the screen as though the operator was standing in front of it and each panel can be fully controlled from the computer. The system can also manage a number of fire scenarios, including escalators, elevators, automatic doors, ventilation system, smoke evacuation and parking jet fans. All of these scenarios were tested before commissioning. In the event of a fire, the emergency announcement system activates.

Biges Senior Sales Support Specialist, Ms. Asli Celikkaleli, comments: “The installation of the fire detection system at Kumsmall Factory ran smoothly and was completed within the specified time. One of the main challenges we faced was the wiring, which is used both inside and outside the stores. The large number of potential fire scenarios was also a challenge as many of the mall’s stores are located in open/outdoor areas of the shopping mall. A lot of consideration had to be given to the calculations and loop separations as the loops cover both the interior and exterior of the stores.  We continue to check the system regularly and provide ongoing maintenance.”

Kumsmall’s Technical Coordinator, Mehmet Ertürk, adds: “We chose GFE for this large and prestigious project because of the exceptionally high quality of its systems which are manufactured in Europe. Not only are the products reliable and user-friendly, but we also benefit from GFE’s excellent customer and service support, as well as international approvals and certificates which are essential for projects of this scale. We are delighted to have worked with such a highly skilled team and will certainly choose GFE again as our partner in future projects.”

For further information on Global Fire Equipment, please visit www.globalfire-equipment.com.

The Briton brand is synonymous with the best in door controls and exit hardware and Allegion is pleased to announce the launch of the newly designed, end-user focused Briton website. Following updates to their brand style, the new Briton website boasts a streamlined, modern design and concentrates on providing customers with improved functionality and a wide collection of essential resources.

The website brings together the full product portfolio of Briton Door Controls and will be updated frequently to ensure users have access to the latest information in a bid to assist users throughout the product selection process.

Adopting a user-friendly navigational system, the website will act as a central resource hub and will include detailed product listings with features and specifications details, downloadable certification information, and a refreshed set of supporting product datasheets and literature. In addition, a new automatic Door Closer Calculator and useful product selectors will further help users by recommending the most suitable products for their projects.

Pete Hancox, Country Manager at Allegion UK comments: 

“With more than 100 years of history, Briton is a trusted brand with a reputation for providing an extensive range of high-quality products that are fully certified and built to last, and we felt it was time the brand’s web presence embodied that. With that, we’ve created the new Briton website, detailed with fresh branding and one that works much harder for our customers, with improved usability and a comprehensive portfolio of the Briton door controls range.

“We wanted to make it easier for people who know and use Briton products to access the information they need throughout their journey, from product selection through to installation and maintenance. Our hub of resources is something we’re extremely proud of, and we believe it will consistently support Briton customers for years to come.”

Highlights of the new website, which went live on 3^rd September include an updated design, extensive product support resources and streamlined user experience across all devices.

Following the launch, Allegion is now proudly inviting users to view the website and its new content, including the latest installation guides and maintenance toolkits on all Briton door controls. For more information, visit: www.briton.co.uk.

Kentec Electronics, a leading manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has welcomed Fortus Group Holdings (‘Fortus’) to its Kentec Authorised Distributor (KAD) scheme, providing the fire and security distributor with dedicated product training and support, enhancing its ability to provide comprehensive solutions to installers. 

The KAD scheme is a global network of specialists, experts and trained fire alarm distribution companies, that are recognised for their high levels of Kentec product knowledge and provide a full range of Kentec systems to suit all applications and building types.

This exclusive network of distributors has been carefully selected to ensure installers and end-users receive expertly specified goods, and by holding stock locally ensures fast delivery and supply of products.

Fortus recently doubled its size following the simultaneous acquisition of Enterprise Security Distributor, a leading UK based distributor, and RE:SURE Intelligence, a remote CCTV monitoring specialist, providing the business with an even wider range of expertise.

Sammy Steel, Head of UK Sales at Kentec, says with such a significant footprint across the UK and Ireland, Fortus is a business that is looking to grow: “Our goal is to make our distributors and installers’ lives easier through supporting their sales cycle, and the training and support delivered through the scheme achieves just that. We feel they are an important new addition to the scheme.”

Mark Massie, Managing Director UK at Fortus, says becoming a KAD is further evidence of the business’ commitment to its customers: “Our KAD status shows our customers that we have the product knowledge and expertise to work with the most sophisticated Kentec systems, and that we value furthering professionalism in the industry through increased training.”

Fortus is the largest privately owned B2B security supply chain company in the UK and Ireland, specialising in CCTV, intruder alarms and fire systems. Its expertise covers tailored solutions, project management and support for installation business of all sizes.

For a country once solely reliant on coal to power its homes and businesses, the UK is now the leader in offshore wind energy. Encouragingly, today 44% of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources – a figure expected to grow to meet the UK’s climate goals of net-zero emissions by 2050 and 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030.

One of the facilities helping to achieve this greener goal is the Margate offshore Wind Farm, operated by London Array. Generating about £1million worth of electricity a day when all 175 turbines are in operation, this wind farm produces enough electricity to power half a million UK homes a year and reduces harmful CO₂ emissions by around 925,000 tons per year. But with this incredible achievement, comes the awesome responsibility of keeping the people who are helping to make this green energy production a reality, safe.

KM Security Solutions are the contractors responsible for the security, fire safety and evacuation systems on board the offshore and onshore substations, and for them life safety is the number one priority. Therefore, they say Hochiki are their ‘go to’ manufacturer when it comes to the installation of fire detection products at the sites they operate.

Dan Smith, Technical Services Manager for KM Security Solutions explains: “The constant change in weather combined with sea-salt spray makes offshore wind farms an incredibly hostile environment to work in, not only for people but also for the systems, cabling and devices that help to run it and keep it safe. Anyone who steps foot on one of the wind farm rigs must be highly skilled and trained. All my teams undergo intensive, and ongoing, training to ensure they keep themselves and those around them safe. Therefore, it’s imperative we install life safety devices that won’t let the teams and premises down in an emergency.”

Having worked with Hochiki for well over a decade, Smith described this latest project at the wind farm which paved the way for the current generation of even larger wind farms being built around Britain’s coastline, as a refresh of the existing Hochiki technology and systems. “We have been using Hochiki products for well over a decade now. Not only do we trust them to work, but we also trust the devices to last. When you are out at sea, even a few miles off the coast, the weather can change in an instant, and decay is a big problem to tackle.

“You need to ensure that the life safety products you install are fit for purpose and more importantly weatherproof. The Hochiki products specified are designed to be waterproof and have lasted extremely well. Which is incredible considering the environment they are operating in.”

Flexibility is key

For this unique and vital project Visual Alarm Devices (VADs) combined with the CHQ-WPK Weatherproofing Kit, IP-rated manual call points and the Hochiki FIREvac Voice Alarm system was installed across the windfarm’s sub-stations. As well as being simple to install, one of the USPs of Hochiki Life Safety devices is the flexibility to be able to operate alongside other brand products via Hochiki’s open protocol, ESP.

Although Hochiki do manufacture their own fire control panels, such as the L@titude platform, in the case of the Margate Wind Farm project, a control system was already in place, and it was the devices which needed the upgrade. “We do look at other companies, to ensure we are using the best in class, however every time we come back to Hochiki products for several reasons – the main one being the innovation in technology and flexibility the Hochiki range offers us.”

The other benefit is the fact that Hochiki provide isolating devices. When you consider the scale of a life safety system on board a Wind Farm Rig, you can imagine the chaos that would ensue should part of the system fail. “Failures can arise from parts of the system experiencing erosion from the weather, where plastic parts can break down, allowing water ingress, causing short-circuits which could impact the entire life safety system onboard. Using the isolating devices from Hochiki prevents an entire system from going down, isolating only the part that has failed, saving time, money, and materials.

It allows us to go in as part of our ongoing maintenance project and upgrade parts as and when needed without the need for huge overhauls.” The other added benefit of Hochiki isolating devices is, and particularly prudent in a facility which is helping protect the environment, is the reduction in waste, as only the part that no longer works is replaced, not an entire system.

When asked if Smith would recommend Hochiki “absolutely, 10 out 10. We are about to start new projects on several other offshore wind farms around the UK and Hochiki will once again be our go to brand for life safety systems.”

For more information, please visit https://www.hochikieurope.com/

Leading fire risk assessment and fire safety consultancy, MAF Associates has unveiled its new flagship headquarters in Leicestershire as it continues to expand in order to meet burgeoning demand for its services related to fire safety, prevention and evacuation.

The move to the prestigious Midland Court office park in the village of Lutterworth will allow MAF Associates to deliver a full office-based support and administration service to its remote teams around the UK, who are working hard to help residential building owners and managers meet the standards and requirements laid out in the Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA).

“We thought that the last two years had been busy, but since the beginning of 2021, demand for our services has grown exponentially, driven by the urgent need to ensure compliance with the FSA,” said Mike Fox, founder and managing director of MAF Associates. “The launch of Act One, our integrated service to cover all aspects of the FSA, has driven further growth in the business, so we need room to accommodate the team and allow for future expansion.”

As one of only a handful of UK firms able to offer the full range of services necessary to ensure full compliance with the FSA, MAF Associates has been well placed to meet the growing demand for new-style internal and external fire risk assessments, growing from a one man band to a team of almost 20 in a little over two years. The company employs facade engineers, surveyors and inspectors, as well as chartered fire engineers and fire safety consultants.

Mike added: “The fire industry, by its nature, is highly bureaucratic, so the work on site is really only half the story. That’s why we place just as much emphasis on the skills and professionalism of our office-based teams as we do on our remote operatives. This means having an office environment that is conducive to good morale and team working.”

With room to spare, the new head office will allow MAF Associates to continue its expansion as demand for fire safety consultancy and fire risk assessment services continues to grow. Even conservative estimates suggest that it will take a decade or more to rectify all of the issues identified following the Grenfell fire, and there is a major shortage of suitably qualified personnel in the UK, which is why MAF is also committed to expanding its training and graduate development programmes over the next decade.

MAF Associates was founded in 2010 by Mike, building on three decades of experience in the construction sector, including posts with roofing, cladding and building products companies. Since 2015, he has built MAF Associates into one of the UK’s leading fire inspection and investigation consultancies, providing detailed reporting and analysis for insurers, building managers and construction companies.

Spartan Emergency Response have announced that DPC Emergency Equipment will sell and service Spartan Emergency Response product lines in Maryland and Delaware. 

Serving fire and EMS personnel since 1990, DPC Emergency Equipment has been in business under the same family ownership for more than 31 years. The company’s mission is to assist firefighters in protecting lives and property by providing the best one-stop shop in Maryland and Delaware for complete emergency vehicle sales, certified service, and custom fabrication.

DPC Emergency Equipment has a sales facility in Marydel, Maryland and a sales and service facility in Marydel, Delaware to serve its customers with 24/7 emergency parts and service support, mobile service, and emergency repairs, and vehicle pick-up/delivery.

“We are excited to be part of a team that puts customer’s needs and expectations at the front of the equation,” said Rick Strauss, President of DPC Emergency Equipment. “We are extremely pleased to now be able to offer Spartan Emergency Response fire apparatus as a solution for our customers.”

“We are thrilled to have the DPC Emergency Equipment team join the family of dealerships at Spartan Emergency Response,” said Chris Wade, Spartan’s Director of Sales. “They have a well-earned reputation of courtesy and service in meeting the needs of our first responders, as well as professional relationships with their supplier partners.  We look forward to a long relationship working together in serving the communities in Maryland and Delaware.”

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has welcomed the publication of the new Building Safety Bill but remains concerned about the length of time it may take to pass through Parliament, the continued lack of funding and support for leaseholders and the delay to defining product safety criteria, with much of the detailed regulation expected to be contained within secondary legislation.

The ASFP welcomes the establishment of a new Building Safety Regulator, tasked with holding those who do not properly manage safety risks to account and with improving building standards. The new Regulator will have the power to issue compliance notices and stop notices during the design and construction phase, with failure to comply with such notices becoming a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The Bill defines higher risk buildings as those that are at least 18m in height or with at least 7 storeys, but gives the Secretary of State the power to change this definition in light of research or on advice from the Building Safety Regulator. Since the use of height alone is a crude tool for determining the level of risk, the ASFP welcomes this ability to change the definition and hopes the scope will be broadened to include more buildings in due course.

The Bill also introduces a new Gateway regime to help ensure that building safety risks are considered at each stage of the construction process. These Gateways will be established at: the planning stage; prior to construction; and at building completion. It also requires a ‘golden thread’ of information to be maintained throughout the life of the building and for the appointment of an Accountable Person and a Building Safety Manager for each building within scope.

In a welcome move, the Bill requires landlords to take reasonable steps to ascertain whether any funding is available for the cost of cladding remediation and if so, they must make a claim and reduce service charges accordingly. It also seeks to extend the period within which legal action can be taken against a person or corporate body that carried out work from the current six years to 15 years.

While any assistance for leaseholders is welcome, the ASFP believes the support does not go far enough, particularly since the funding offered does not cover other identified fire safety failures, such as problems with fire doors and other compartmentation measures such as fire stopping.

The Bill also creates the concept of a “safety critical product” and gives the Secretary of State the power to make regulations to place safety critical products on a statutory list. It introduces the concept of a national regulator for construction products within the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

However, the definition of what will constitute a safety critical product will be contained in secondary legislation, resulting in yet more delay. A further concern for the ASFP is the lack of regulation regarding installers of safety critical products / systems. While the Bill suggests a future requirement for a competence-based scheme, the ASFP is calling for mandatory third party certification of installers of passive fire protection products.

Commenting on the Bill, ASFP Technical and Regulatory Affairs Officer Niall Rowan stated:

“While the Bill introduces a range of welcome measures which should eventually lead to significant improvements in building safety, we have yet to see the detail and key definitions which will be introduced in the secondary legislation. We are concerned that scope of buildings to which the legislation will apply remains too narrow and at the lack of available funding to rectify fire safety system failings in existing buildings.

“Furthermore, while we expect the products and systems manufactured and installed by ASFP members to be defined as ‘Safety Critical’, we have a number of concerns with regards to the application of the legislation to the installation, testing and market surveillance of these products.” 

For further information on the ASFP and passive fire protection advice, visit www.asfp.org.uk