Controversial changes to fire safety laws in Scotland have been delayed by a year due to a lack of awareness of the rules being circulated in the country.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that the Government would be delaying the deadline due to an influx of concerned emails as the deadline to be compliant approached.
The new fire safety rules meant that homes would have to be fitted with connected fire alarm systems to be fitted to key rooms around the home, however, some have branded the move as too costly.
Delay to fire safety law down to concerns
Nicola Sturgeon said: “I think there is a strong case to be made for a delay of a year, given the practical issues with the pandemic of people doing what is required to meet with that standard.
“I have had quite a few e-mails about it, because I think people have been getting leaflets from companies about it, which has sparked a bit of concern, but we will make the outcome of that process of consideration known, hopefully, very soon.”
Many within the Government have claimed that there has been a lack of communication from within and that the only possible measure was to postpone the new measures.
The delay now means that the law is likely to come in to place in 2022, giving homeowners a year to become compliant with the safety measures.
Nittan Europe has had its Evolution analogue addressable fire detection system installed into a new student accommodation development in Beeston, Nottingham. The system was installed by Nottinghamshire based integrated safety and security solutions provider, TIS.
Dagfa House is a unique development of townhouses, clusters and studios adjacent to The University of Nottingham campus. It provides accommodation to 229 students and a range of leisure and study amenities. At the heart of the development is a Grade two listed building that dates back to the 18th-century and was converted into a school in 1948. This latest development has been undertaken by the Cassidy Group, which has over 30 years of experience in construction and property.
One of the key fire safety challenges posed by the Dagfa House development was the mix of accommodation blocks, with some being relatively small. A cost-effective fire detection system was required that could potentially evacuate each site in the event of a fire and that would also be future proof, with spares readily available.
Chris Mills, Head of Fire Division at TIS explains: “TIS carried out market research of a number of fire alarm manufacturers before finally settling on the Nittan Evolution panel with Nittan devices which provided a single source approach while providing a cost effective and reliable solution.”
Evolution is Nittan’s advanced, premium fire system. Evolution uses ASIC technology in the sensors and sophisticated detection algorithms, combining extremely reliable fire detection together with a very high degree of protection against unwanted false alarms. Its advanced, highly flexible protocol allows for substantial amounts of information to be transmitted at high speed and is not affected by the number of devices on the loop.
At Dagfa House, the Nittan Evolution1 Panel was selected because of its built-in network connectivity, making it extremely cost effective, plus its ease of installation and cause & effect configuration.
For the primary detection in the majority of locations, Nittan’s EV-PYS Optical Detector with built-in sounder was selected for convenience, due to the reduced cost and time required compared to installing separate detectors and sounders, as well as the combined detector/sounder providing a more aesthetically pleasing solution.
In the open areas, such as the cinema room, games room, common room and the communal garden terrace, Nittan EV-HIOP-SB High Output Sounder Beacon VADs were installed. These devices provide high volume sound, EN 54-23 compliant visual alarm and are waterproofed to IP65, making them suitable for the outdoor areas.
One of the most important devices in any fire alarm system is Manual Call Points, which are strategically located in the Dagfa House development at points of evacuation. Nittan EV-MCP2-SCI Call Point with built in short circuit isolators were chosen to ensure the loops were adequately protected, so the system remains compliant even under short circuit fault conditions. Each Call Point was also fitted with a hinged front cover for compliance with BS-5839-1: 2017, the code of practice for designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining fire detection and alarm systems.
Nittan fire detection systems are a popular choice for student accommodation, with many applications around the UK.
E-ONE, a subsidiary of REV Group and a manufacturer of fire apparatus, has announced the delivery of two E-ONE Custom Pumpers to Daytona Beach Fire Department in Florida. With the recent addition of these two pumpers, Daytona Beach now has an all E-ONE fleet.
Typhoon cab with 12″ vista roof, severe duty interior and dark tint glass
Galvanized and powder coated frame for corrosion resistance
188″ wheelbase with 18,000 lb front axle and 27,000 lb rear axle
Cummins 450 HP L9 engine with Allison EVS 3000 transmission
Extruded aluminum rescue pumper body with full height compartments and ROM roller shutter doors
Enclosed ladder tunnel for 24′, 14′ and 10′ ladders and pike poles and pry bar
Wide upper roof-top compartments for additional storage space
Waterous 1250 GPM pump with 780 gallon tank (750 water / 30 foam)
V-MUX electrical system with driver and officer colour displays, integrated A/C controls, integrated tire pressure monitoring and left, right and rear cameras
Whelen LED warning and scene lighting
AXIS Smart Truck Technology
“These custom pumpers are the newest members of our fleet for a total of six all-matching E-ONE Typhoon pumpers. This provides our crews with the latest and greatest tools that meet NFPA compliance so they can be successful on the fire scene,” said Daytona Beach Fire Chief Dru Driscoll. “We hope to continue our relationship with E-ONE and REV Technical Centre for years to come as our needs continue to grow as Daytona Beach grows.”
“With apparatus built to Daytona’s specific requirements, E-ONE is grateful that the department now has an all E-ONE fleet to serve its community,” said Larry Daniels, E-ONE’s Director of Sales. “We are honoured that Daytona continues to trust E-ONE for all of its fire apparatus needs.”
UK residential property management and letting company, BRNS Group has partnered with Amthal Fire & Security to deliver on fire maintenance for its extensive London development portfolio.
BRNS Group provides a full, integrated service of management and letting in property, from acquisition and refurbishment, through letting and management. It has entrusted 20 plus luxury developments through the Capital and Greater London.
Working closely with Amthal, BRNS Group established a maintenance system that could secure residents fire safety systems across its property portfolio. This is especially in communal areas, including all fire alarms, emergency lighting, automatic opening vents, dry-risers, sprinklers and associated services.
Says Cassandra Orhan–Jones, Estate Manager at BRNS Group: “Fire safety is an ongoing priority for BRNS Group to continue to deliver a safe living environment and one we commit with our legal responsibility. Whilst this is a clear enough statement, the considerations and precautions to be taken are challenging due to the large tenure of property we look after.
“We found Amthal through recommendation as a support supplier. Amthal’s team has proven to be responsive at any time of day or night, helpful in offering invaluable advice, right from site surveys through to ongoing planned preventative maintenance and emergency 24/7 on site demands and telephone support. Their knowledge of the industry and proposed changes to Government legislation on fire safety is also hugely reassuring to ensure we remain compliant.”
Fire safety for residential developments is currently under Government review to implement recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, including effecting change and requirements for responsible persons through the Fire Safety and Building Safety Bill, under the guidance of a new Building Safety Regulator.
Partnering with Amthal
Phil Bryant, Amthal Fire & Security, Strategic Accounts Team Manager: “The introduction of the new Government legislation on fire safety will have a significant impact on the role of responsible persons, who will face ‘enforceable action’ from emergency services if they do not manage fire risk in a building’s structure.
“As BRNS Group has shown, by proactively taking action and having a fire safety partner such as Amthal in place with dedicated maintenance plans, we can constantly review each development to ensure residents are always protected and take action where necessary or essential. BRNS Group can be assured that they are compliant and achieving all their operational and legal requirements.”
Independently owned, Amthal Fire & Security is dedicated to satisfying end user needs for security, safety and convenience offering design, installation, service and remote monitoring of advanced electronic fire & security solutions, including intruder, Fire, Access and CCTV systems.
Amthal Fire & Security is accredited by the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB), United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) and British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE).
Extinguishing monitor supplier, FireDos examines oil tank fire causes and incidents as well as how they can be extinguished efficiently and safely.
Tank farm fires in the oil and petrochemical industry do not occur often. When they do occur, it is with devastating consequences and negative publicity. This article will describe the typical incident scenarios and present foam as the most suitable extinguishing agent together with the firefighting equipment most used.
Most recently, several fires caused massive damage to tank farms, oil refineries and loading terminals. Prominent examples include the ITC tank farm at Deer Park, Texas, USA in March 2019 and the refinery fire at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA in February 2020.
Sadly, only news of this kind makes its way into the news, unlike near-miss accidents where improved fire protection technology has prevented worse outcomes. This means that both fire protection and extinguishing methods must be improved to minimise the effects of future fires. Fire protection systems in hazardous areas of the oil and gas industry (fire class B) require unique extinguishing systems as foam is considered the best extinguishing agent for liquid fires. The use of water can be important as well; however, for cooling the tank wall and adjacent tanks.
Luckily, such large-scale incidents do not happen frequently; but when they do, they may have a severe impact on humans, local eco-systems and the general environment. Extinguishing full-surface oil tank fires is very challenging and the rate of success is low. Many authorities and companies have not learned from such incidents, some of which can be disastrous.
Typical incidents
Rim Seal Fire: Rim seal fires occur on tanks with a floating cover. They can be extinguished quickly using stationary systems if they are detected early enough. A longer fire, however, may damage the seal and, hence, cause an excess release of oil. This may develop into an extensive fire. A seal failure releasing excess fluid, or excessive use of extinguishing fluid, may lead to sinking of the floating cover and eventually to a full surface fire.
Explosion: Transformation of explosive gases by an ignition source. This normally causes damage to stationary extinguishing systems and mobile systems must be used. In addition, an explosion usually results in spreading the flammable liquids and devastation of the adjacent areas and access roads.
Full-surface tank fire: If oil or petrochemical liquids escape, they gather on the floating roof. In the worst case, even a sinking of the floating roof can occur. If this surface catches fire, a full-surface tank fire develops rapidly. Fires on tanks with a floating roof can be extinguished either by stationary extinguishing systems from inside or by mobile extinguishing systems from outside the dyke area. In the case of fixed-roof tanks, only the internal stationary extinguishing systems can be used until the roof collapses.
Foam as an extinguishing agent
Foam has proven to be the best medium to extinguish fluid fires. Foam consists of the components; water, foam concentrate and air. The foam concentrate is mixed with the extinguishing water at a precisely defined rate. Air is then added to this premix to generate the foam. Depending on the foam concentrate and the quantity of air, different types of foam are produced to extinguish different types of fire.
Foam forms a homogenous layer of air bubbles, increasing the extinguishing agent’s volume and, hence, reducing its density. The foam floats on top of the flammable liquid and spreads across its surface. Due to this and its chemical properties, the foam blanket suppresses the release of flammable vapors, cuts off the supply of air and cools down the substance on fire. Consequent application of foam until fully covering the entire surface of the burning liquid will finally smother the fire.
Foam concentrates are developed for specific proportioning rates. The most common ones are 1% and 3%. Generally, a foam concentrate can form a stable and functioning foam only if it is mixed to the extinguishing water at no less than the correct proportioning rate. An increased proportioning rate will still form a stable and functioning foam; however, the foam concentrate stored will be used up faster. A proportioning rate falling short will produce a foam which is unable to develop its full extinguishing power.
Bladder tank with proportioner
The bladder tank with a proportioner is a proven and cost-effective technology. The bladder tank is a pressurised vessel with a bladder inside which is filled with foam concentrate. The tank is pressurised with water from the fire extinguishing line and discharges the foam concentrate from the bladder as required. The bladder is connected to a proportioner which operates using the venturi principle. When the fire pumps are activated, pressure is generated by the pump, causing delivery of foam concentrate to the proportioner. The extinguishing water flows through the venturi proportioner. The resulting vacuum induces the foam concentrate into the extinguishing water flow.
The advantages of this system are its simple design without moving parts and its easy operation. No external energy is required and the system is relatively inexpensive.
A disadvantage is that the system is a pressurised vessel subject to corresponding regulations such as ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Codes. To refill foam concentrate, the system must be shut down and drained. The rubber bladder is sensitive; when damaged, water will contaminate the foam concentrate. At a given proportioning rate, the system is only suitable for low variations in the extinguishing water flow pressure and volume. Adding or changing individual foam discharge devices is possible only to a very limited extent. The system is also unsuitable for proportioning highly viscous foam concentrates.
To conduct any mandatory required annual testing, the system must be activated and premix generated at the venturi proportioner within in the extinguishing water line. The correct proportioning rate must be measured in the premix by laboratory analysis. The generated premix must be disposed of. The consumed foam concentrate in the bladder tank needs to be replaced.
Firefighting monitors
Firefighting monitors are discharge devices mounted on vehicles or trailers and available in many sizes. The extinguishing agent flow rate can be up to 60,000 l/min and the reach can be up to 180m if the pressure of the fire pumps is sufficient. They are suitable to discharge foam, e.g., to extinguish a surface fire in a tank; or water, to cool down a neighbouring tank or the tank wall of a burning tank in order to prevent reaching the critical temperature for a boilover or to keep the flames from spreading. The accumulation of water inside the dyke area should always be observed to avoid an overflow of the dyke.
Mobile fire monitors can be supplied either by the extinguishing water of the stationary fire pumps or by mobile pumps. The injection of the foam concentrate usually takes place via mobile proportioners. This clearly points towards the advantage of energy independence for water motor-driven proportioning pumps.
Overview
It seems that many authorities and companies have not learned the necessary lessons from disastrous fire incidents of past years. Tank farm fires in the oil and petrochemical industry do not happen frequently. When they do, they usually have devastating consequences. Let us remember the tank farm fire at Deer Park, Texas in March 2019 mentioned in the introduction.
The fire developed after over 30,000 l butane-enriched naphtha had been leaking from a faulty valve for 30 minutes and caught fire for yet unknown reasons. The plant had no gas warning system and no remote-controlled valves to shut off the leaking fluid. In addition, some areas did not have fixed extinguishing systems installed. All 15 tanks were surrounded by one single dyke. The owner had relied on the local fire service which was on the spot very quickly but could not take control over the fire with the equipment available, partially because flammable substance was continuously leaking from the tank.
It is very probable that the fire would have been extinguished quickly if the warning systems and valves had worked and a fixed fire extinguishing system had existed. It is also probable that the fire would have been extinguished quickly if the extinguishing operation, which succeeded eventually, had been started earlier. Both cases would have resulted in notably less damage.
Business Development Manager for the Critical Infrastructure segment at Axis Communications in the Middle East, Meraj Khan reports on the digitalisation of flare monitoring.
Even to those not working in the oil and gas industry, the image of a burning flare above an industrial plant is a familiar one. For people working directly in the sector, the critical importance of gas flares in ensuring Health and Safety is well-understood.
Industrial flaring is a regulatory requirement to manage the releases coming out from the flare stacks while also serving as a safety mechanism. As the oil and gas industry continues to look at how digitalisation can bring benefits in operational effectiveness and efficiency, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on staff numbers and proximity, the potential for automated flare monitoring is significant.
In this article, we will consider how we can efficiently monitor the burning of gas flaring by digitally analysing the behaviour of the flare through thermal and visual spectrum of IP-based camera technology.
The flare – A critical element of safety
The hydro-carbon processing in an industrial plant is highly complex and can result in the separation of abundant unwanted gases, which may not be utilised due to the negative commercial viability for further processing. As a result, these complex and hazardous gases need to be disposed of safely in the environment through flaring while keeping in consideration that unwanted gas should disappear in the environment without a trace.
The most important part of flaring is to support the plant operation by easing the pressure of gas generated through different phases of processing in the plant; the plant automation system ensures that the emergency pressure valves release get activated automatically in case of high pressure generated.
The visual behaviour of the flare confirms the various states of plant operations. For instance, if the flare combustion is high with high thermal radiation, it is most likely the plant is running under emergency or in an upset condition. In this case, pressure safety valves are activated to stabilise the pressure and result in an aggressive flare. The plant manager can take the necessary steps or, in extreme conditions, can stop production in the plant to further ensure the Health and Safety of the site personnel.
Knowing the critical importance of the flare in the plant, the flare must always be in operational state and it is therefore of utmost importance to get the real time feedback from the flare, i.e. If the flare combustion is in the permissible limit of sterile radius in normal operation (Low, Medium or High).
If the thermal radiation is exceeding the permissible limit in case of Plant Upset conditions.
If the pilot flame which consists of high ignition electrodes (ignitor) is working appropriately.
Gas flares themselves are highly dynamic at various stages of production, different gases at different pressures will be burnt and thus changing the flare’s fundamental characteristics. Some flares at lower pressure – known as ground flares – only rise to two or three metres above the ground; elevated flares, as the name suggests, rise much higher, sometimes reaching as much as 100 metres above ground. The need to closely monitor the state and behaviour of stack flares is therefore critical to the overall safety of oil and gas processing plants and refineries.
Flare monitoring – A traditionally manual task
Given their nature, flares operate under hostile, unpredictable and extreme conditions and therefore need to be positioned a safe distance from the main processing area of the plant. In addition, health and safety regulations will stipulate a safety zone around the flare primarily based on thermal radiation and sterile zone limits, typically a radius of twice the maximum height of the flare. Rarely any active equipment used for flare monitoring will be placed closer to the flare as operation and maintenance is always a challenge in sterile zones due to high temperature and thus these installations are often kept much further away.
Traditionally, flare monitoring has been a manual task, with operators using video from analogue thermal cameras to assess the state of the flare at different stages of production. And this coordination with the production process is vital; the expected flare behaviour and characteristics will differ in relation to processing activity and the use of safety valves.
In addition, one of the most critical aspects of the flare is the pilot light, a much smaller flame (often only 30cm high or less) which must always remain on, even if no gas is being released and burnt. Monitoring of the pilot flame is therefore essential and thermal temperature alarm cameras can provide feedback on the temperature of the pilot and alert through an automated alarm if the temperature of the pilot flame falls to a specified limit.
A further challenge for manual monitoring is that, at certain stages of production, flares may burn transparently, making visual monitoring difficult, if not impossible.
Monitoring manually is therefore an intensive activity and human fallibility always presents a potential risk. In addition, with the recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many sites are operating with fewer personnel than previously, further exacerbating the risks of manual monitoring. Flaring is considered as a last line of defence to prevent dangerous hydrocarbon pollutants from entering the atmosphere – for example methane is ignitable and is far more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.
Meraj Khan
Monitoring using thermal and video cameras
Visual cameras play a central role in monitoring flare characteristics and responding to their behaviour. For instance, a visual camera will enable operators to see if the flare is burning off the gases efficiently, i.e. there should not be any smoke. If smoke is visible, operators may need to increase the temperature of the flare by adding oxygen or water mist as more fuel. This response is critical: regulations only allow smoke to be emitted for a very limited time and the incident must be reported and analysed. Transgressions potentially come with steep fines and may even result in permits being revoked.
Infrared (IR) thermal imaging is an ideal enhancement to the challenge of accurate flare monitoring in all conditions and forms a central part of an automated monitoring system. A high-range thermal camera – particularly a thermographic one – will produce a high-resolution image of a gas flare from almost any distance, allowing for the camera to be sited in a safe area and therefore also aiding ease of camera maintenance. If required or necessary, cameras with thermal capability enclosed in explosion-protected housing with Class 1 Division 1 and IIC as a gas group can be utilised to ensure no spark from the camera will escape and risk igniting any hydrocarbons present in the air.
Thermal cameras measure the instantaneous temperature of the infrared radiation emitted from a gas flare and pilot light, allowing for extremely accurate analysis of the flame characteristics. If a flame is burning transparently and invisible to the human eye, for instance, or when weather conditions such as high winds causing the flare to rapidly move or change direction, a thermal camera will still return an accurate image.
Highly accurate temperature reading also allow operators to be confident that gases are indeed being burnt off: if the flame point of a particular gas being burnt is higher than the temperature of the flare at any point, the gas will be released into the atmosphere untreated. All the data returned can then be fed into the process control system to fine-tune the flare.
Thermal cameras provide the basis for an automated flare monitoring system and when based on open standards can easily be integrated with the plant SCADA system. Such accurate measurement of temperature, when coordinated with processing activity, will give far earlier warning of any issues than manual monitoring. If flares are burning higher, lower, hotter or cooler than expected, or should the pilot light go out, alarms and alerts can be created for operator verification and intervention.
In these instances, the use of dual or bi-spectral cameras – those which employ both thermal and visual sensors – brings additional benefits. While thermal images are optimal for analytics and automated monitoring, high-resolution video cameras will allow human operators to more clearly assess flare behaviour when alerted and are also essential in post-incident investigation.
An additional benefit of automated flare monitoring with thermal and video sensors is the ongoing collection and analysis of data. When aggregated and used in machine learning (ML) applications, this information will lead to future innovations in operational efficiency, additional automation and proactive maintenance.
Oil and gas industry digitalisation
The oil and gas sector continues to look at the ways digital technologies can be employed to create both operational efficiencies and improve safety and security. While gas flares have been used since the early days of oil and gas production and refining, their monitoring is an area which can be enhanced through advanced digital technology, with improved safety and efficiency the result.
This article was originally published in the September/October 2020 edition of International Fire and Safety Journal. Pick up your FREE digital copy here
The application to remove combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) from Hanover House in the city of Reading has been submitted, three years after the cladding was discovered.
In November 2017, firefighters for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) recommended the closure of the car park below the tower after ACM was discovered, with RBFRS stating that it recommended this ‘due to fears a vehicle fire could spread to the flats above’. The car park was discovered to have used ACM identified in the government’s safety tests, though residents of the newly refurbished flats were ‘still in their homes’.
The seven storey building, a former driving test centre, was converted from offices into 14 flats without ‘changes to its external appearance’, receiving a new roof and internal refurbishment. Each of the flats and the communal areas are fitted with sprinklers, and ‘have other safety measures’ according to RBFRS, which was ‘notified’ about the cladding in the car park ‘as a result of guidance’ from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Reading Chronicle has now reported on the plans submitted to remove the cladding from the block, with the statement from Oxford Architects stating: ‘The existing cladding has been confirmed by the Berkshire Fire Service as potentially proposing a fire safety risk to the residents at Hanover House. The current building is therefore not providing a safe environment for its residents.’
The news outlet said that plans to remove the cladding had been approved in October 2018, but permission expired a year later ‘with no work having taken place’, and the latest proposal ‘seeks to both remove and replace’ the ACM with a powder coated metal system that Hanover House Residents Management Company – which manages the block – says ‘meets all necessary fire and safety requirements’.
It added in turn that a Reading estate agent had been fined £30,000 for ‘delaying telling buyers of a flat in the block’ about the cladding, with the building one of four in Reading discovered to have been clad with ACM, including St Lawrence House, a social housing block; Queen’s Court, a student accommodation block; and Crossway Point, another social housing block.
Of those buildings, the cladding at Lawrence House was removed at the end of 2019, while the material on Queen’s Court was removed in March 2020; remedial work at Crossway Point was paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to be concluded in December.
Kentec has launched its Intelligent Networking Solutions (iNS) providing advanced interconnectivity and monitoring of fire alarm control panel networks – critical where multiple panels are installed across a single site.
The sharing of status information between protected areas is essential to the management of site safety procedures, enabling the correct response when an event such as a fire occurs, for example, the direction of emergency responders and phased evacuation of building or areas.
The iNS product range is said to provide solutions for advanced networking of addressable fire alarm systems (both new and already-installed legacy panels such as Taktis and Syncro), and Remote Interface Modules (RIM) for simple interconnectivity solutions for non-networkable systems using ethernet networks. A Transient suppression module (TSM) provides network protection from Transient voltages.
The performance of any networked fire system relies on efficient data flow between panels. Losses in data will slow response times and can result in intermittent fault events as the panels fail to communicate correctly. iNS network analysers are compatible with the full range of Kentec addressable fire alarm panels, and even though Kentec’s panels use the most robust RS485 data protocols, Kevin Swann, Managing Director of Kentec, says the protocol can still be affected by poor-quality cables and extreme external interference:
“iNS network analysers are designed to continuously monitor network performance and where possible automatically compensate for changes in data quality and signal strength, ensuring the network is always preforming at its optimum level,” he says. “One of the key features of these modules is the monitoring and diagnostics function which not only makes fault finding quicker and easier, but also enables preventative maintenance by highlighting performance issues before a critical failure.”
iNS network analysers provide both copper and fibre optic network solutions. The fibre optic analyser can provide single mode, multi-mode and Bi-directional fibre optic solutions within a single module using plug-and-play fibre optic transceivers along with unique Digital Optical Monitoring for early warning of network issues.
RIM modules are said to provide “straightforward interconnectivity of panels” that are non-networkable or where it is not possible to run cables between panels. RIM modules monitor fire and fault status outputs on a fire alarm control panel and can transmit the active state of these outputs to another remote fire alarm control panel using an existing ethernet network. This enables two panels to share simple status information.
Transient Suppression Modules are designed to protect the fire alarm control panel from transients on the network cabling, and can also be used as an RS485 repeater/booster to extend the distance between panel nodes on an RS485 wired network.
“Using iNS products to manage fire alarm panel networks provides full visibility of network performance and mitigates infrastructure degradation by providing warning of any performance reductions,” concludes Kevin. “A highly valuable range of solutions for building occupiers, designed to make their lives more straightforward.”
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has published its new Black Book: Active Fire Curtains: Compartmentation and Protected Routes, 1st Edition: Guidance on specification, use and application of product. This is the most up-to-date independent guide to the provision of proprietary active fire curtains.
The new Black Book outlines how to select a suitable fire curtain, as well as best practice considerations for all involved in the specification, installation and maintenance of such products. It also provides details of recognised test methods and the classification system from EN 13501-1 and EN 13501-2 for Operable Fabric Curtains tested to European standards. In addition it features listings of products that have been fully tested to the appropriate British or European standards.
The active fire curtain industry is relatively young and until recently there were no dedicated fire test methods to determine the fire performance of active fire curtain products, or harmonised methods of assessing oversized dimensions. This new guide was developed to provide independent guidance on the advantages and limitations of these products and advice to help stakeholders to evaluate the diverse marketing data and claims made by manufacturers.
With active fire curtains increasingly being considered as an alternative to conventional compartmentation elements as designers seek to create more open plan buildings, the Black Book will be of interest to all involved in the manufacture, specification, purchase, commissioning or maintenance of fire curtains. It also offers useful guidance to inspection authorities, risk assessors, facilities managers and business owners, providing a useful introduction to all the requirements related to maintaining active fire curtains.
The document also references the ASFP’s latest Technical Guidance Document, TGD 21: CE Marking of Operable Fabric Curtains, which explains some of the complexity behind CE marking of active curtains and highlights where BS 8524 (Active Fire Curtain) differs from BS EN 16034 (Operable fire curtain).
The documents were launched in a webinar on Wednesday 9 September, which described the essential factors relating to the design and installation of active fire curtains in accordance with UK and EU legislation.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has called for ‘sustained funding’ for England’s fire and rescue services (FRSs) after the Home Office released its latest prevention and protection statistics.
The data, covering the year from April 2019 to March 2020, includes statistics on home fire safety checks and fire safety audits, and revealed that in the last year FRSs have undertaken 581,917 home fire safety checks (HFSCs), with 489,922 of these for disabled people or those aged 65 and over. The NFCC said this was ‘testament to the focus’ that FRSs have ‘placed on targeted interventions and advice to those who are most at risk of fire’.
These checks are, the NFCC noted, ‘one part of FRSs’ prevention work to manage community risk as part of their individual’ integrated risk management plans, alongside adopting a ‘person-centred approach to identify and address the underlying cause of fire’. Around 48,414 fire safety audits were undertaken in 2019/20, with shops most commonly audited at 7,800 or 16% of the total, and care homes second – 66% of audits, or 31,9778, were ‘deemed as satisfactory’.
FRSs also carried out 83,348 other fire safety activities, an increase of 11% compared to 75,306 in 2018/19, and issued 2,295 formal notices – a smaller number than in 2018/19 – comprising 347 enforcement notices, 788 prohibition notices, 108 alteration notices and 52 prosecutions.
NFCC chair Roy Wilsher said: ‘As the latest figures show, [FRSs] continue to work extremely hard, delivering excellent prevention and protection work and carrying out an additional 8,312 other fire safety activities during 2019/20. Although these latest Home Office figures reveal an 8% reduction in HFSCs, [FRSs] are better at targeting the work and are committed to delivering an improved risk focus to ensure the most vulnerable in our communities receive the best possible fire safety advice and support.
‘This year’s stats have also highlighted a very small decline in fire safety audits. Reduced protection capacity is an area which has been highlighted consistently by HMICFRS, which is directly related to austerity and the subsequent 23% reduction in wholetime firefighters since 2010. This year, fire protection in English [FRSs] received £16m investment from government, plus another £4m to the NFCC Protection Hub to improve central co-ordination, guidance and input to issues like the new fire safety bill.
‘We welcome the extra Home Office and Ministry of Housing Community and Local Government funding this year but would want to see that base lined through the spending review. We currently do not know what the economic impact of COVID-19 will be on the public sector, but it is essential people continue to receive an excellent level of service.
‘Resourcing to risk, maintaining the number of firefighters, better resilience, investing in people and vital prevention and protection work are all areas the government must consider to ensure [FRSs] can continue to provide the services communities need and have come to expect.’
Despite this perspective, many regional FRSs were reported to have carried out ‘record-low’ or lower numbers of safety checks on buildings, with Chelmsford Weekly News, Stroud News and Journal, Telegraph and Argus, Northumberland Gazette and MiltonKeynes.co.uk all reporting on their local FRSs’ figures.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service was said to have undertaken a ‘record-low number’ of building safety checks, with 824 fire safety audits completed – ‘the lowest number of inspections since comparable records began in 2010-11’, while Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service completed 610, 758 fewer than the 1,368 undertaken in 2010-11. Of those, 80 or 13% resulted in an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating, while 74 informal notifications were handed to premises that failed audits.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out 646 audits, again ‘the lowest number of inspections since comparable records began’ in 2010-11, with 301 or 47% resulting in ‘unsatisfactory ratings, and 210 informal notifications handed out alongside 81 enforcement notices and 11 prohibition notices.
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service undertook 427 audits, 1,133 fewer than the 1,560 recorded in 2010-11, with 146 or 34% ‘unsatisfactory’, and 133 informal notifications and four prohibition notices handed out. Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service completed 267 audits, ‘the lowest number’ since 2010-11, with 79 or 30% ‘unsatisfactory’ and 101 information notifications handed out, alongside 11 enforcement and 13 prohibition notices, and one prosecution.
Finally, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service undertook ‘over 1,000 fewer’ checks compared to 2010-11, and Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack, stated that over a decade of government cuts had led to preventative work being ‘slashed’: ‘The Grenfell Tower fire exposed the shameful state of building safety in the UK. The scale of the building safety crisis is beyond all current comprehension – and firefighters have a crucial role to play in tackling it.’
While the FBU supported the building and fire safety bills, Mr Wrack commented that ‘to be effective, the [FRSs] must be properly funded. As things stand, the government is trying to do public safety on the cheap’.
A Home Office spokeswoman meanwhile said that the government ‘was committed to providing’ FRSs with ‘the resources they need’, stating: ‘Funding for standalone [FRSs] has increased by 3.2% in 2020-21. We’ve also made more than £20 million of funding available to the sector to support fire protection work – £16 million of which is being invested directly to increase the number of audits and qualified officers.’
