Cross highlights dangers of misusing fire safety terminology

by Featured NewsSafety

Cross UK has released a report on the potential dangers of misusing fire safety terminology, highlighting the issue that there are cases where inconsistent and inaccurate fire safety terminology is used.

The report noted that many terms related to fire safety in buildings use everyday language, however they may take on specific technical meanings which may not be fully aligned to the common meanings.

Cross said that the adjustment often happens with the aim of improving comprehension for non-specialists, but has the result of distorting the topic unless explicitly addressed.

The reporter said they had encountered the general issue of misleading or misapplied terminology in discussions on what is a high-rise, a higher risk residential building (HRRB), a tall building, a complex building, and most importantly what constitutes a common building situation.

The reporter raised awareness on the issue, highlighting the fact that different participants in the design process might have a different understanding of the same term and that there is no universal common base yet.

They added that they welcome comments of similar experiences and examples, and until this issue is resolved centrally, they encourage the explicit clarification of terms used in professional activities, so that any potential confusion, ambiguity, and miscommunication is reduced.

Find out more about the report.

Government intervenes in smoke and fire damper controversy

by Featured NewsSafety

The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) has said it will act to address the continued controversy surrounding the installation of smoke control dampers in buildings. 

The intervention is the result of a series of meetings with the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) which had issued several urgent warnings about this potential Achilles heel in fire safety strategies for buildings. 

The OPSS said it was responding to potential problems that had been brought to its attention by BESA and was now carrying out a documentation review. 

‘Targeted, risk-based and proportionate enforcement’

OPSS announced: “Some manufacturers, importers, or distributors of smoke control dampers are being contacted to provide documentation which includes but is not limited to, declarations of performance.” 

It added: “OPSS aims to provide targeted, risk-based and proportionate enforcement of construction products regulations and will act fairly and firmly where product risks exist.” 

Initial concerns

BESA previously produced a technical bulletin (VH001) to address concerns about the way many smoke control dampers and fire dampers were being installed ahead of a full update of its industry guidance for the ‘Installation of Fire Dampers and Smoke Dampers’ (DW145) which is due to be released later this year. 

The bulletin was published after several BESA members reported finding that a significant number of dampers had been incorrectly installed and, therefore, were unlikely to perform their function of reducing the spread of smoke in a building during a fire. 

Confusing 

The DW145 makes it clear that contractors must follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure fire dampers and smoke dampers are installed correctly and comply with fire regulations. However, the Association’s technical director Graeme Fox said those instructions were often confusing. 

“For example, some clearly state that you should not use self-drilling, non-fusible fixings, but some are not so clear,” he said. “We briefed the OPSS about this problem and they have now informed us that they are contacting manufacturers and importers to ensure there is clarity and consistency in their declarations of performance.” 

He added: “We are able to communicate the risks and solutions via our technical guidance, but the intervention of the OPSS is hugely significant and means the whole supply chain, including clients, will now be on full alert and unable to ignore the problem.”

UL Solutions announces battery testing laboratory for North America

by Featured NewsSafety

To accommodate the growing demand for electric vehicles and industrial batteries, UL Solutions has announced plans for a new laboratory for battery testing located in the Auburn Hills Oakland Technology Park complex, near the world’s automotive capital, Detroit.

The facility will house extensive battery test equipment so that UL Solutions can deliver safety testing and performance services for automotive and industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers. The new laboratory plans to open in mid-2024.

Services available at the new facility will include: Testing capabilities at the battery cell, module and full-pack level for thermal propagation, Fire testing, Design verification and product validation, and Electrical, mechanical, abuse, and environmental testing based on various UL and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, United Nations (UN) initiatives and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and OEM specifications.

UL Solutions said it will assist with transportation and regional standards as well as with obtaining local country marks, including:

  • UL 2580, the Standard for Batteries for Use In Electric Vehicles
  • ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 2271, the Standard for Batteries for Use In Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) Applications
  • UL 1989, the Standard for Standby Batteries
  • IEC 62619, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications
  • IEC 63056, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in electrical energy storage systems
  • IEC 62933-5-2, Electrical energy storage (EES) systems – Part 5-2: Safety requirements for grid-integrated EES systems – Electrochemical-based systems
  • UN 38.3, Transportation for Lithium-Ion Batteries
  • UN ECE Regulation No. 100 (ECE R100)
  • GB 38031, Electric Vehicle Traction Safety Requirements
  • IEC 63057, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Safety requirements for secondary lithium batteries for use in road vehicles not for the propulsion
  • SAE J2380, Single battery durability testing
  • Auto OEM/custom test specs
  • Thermal vibration
  • Damp heat
  • Splash water
  • Immersion thermal shock

The safety science company said that with its proven ability to support the development of safer, innovative technology, coupled with its global footprint, this new laboratory demonstrates how it will bring value to the electric vehicle (EV) and industrial industries.

Building safety campaigners call out Welsh government over lack of enforcement plan

by Featured NewsSafety

Building safety campaigners have criticised the Welsh government for not adopting UK laws protecting leaseholders.

The Building Safety Act, which will see developers in England be made to fund repairs like replacing cladding has no enforcement plan according to campaign group the Welsh Cladiators.

The Welsh government said any legislation had to be “appropriate for Wales”.

Giving evidence to the Senedd’s housing committee, Mark Thomas from the Welsh Cladiators – a group that campaigns to highlight problems with cladding and other fire safety defects – said he remained “deeply concerned about the slow rate of progress in Wales”.

“We’re getting tired. How long do we have to endure the 24/7 pressure of this issue before something is actually done to solve what is a relatively minor issue for Wales?”

Mr Thomas a:dded “The Welsh government was handed a solution by the [UK] government. It enjoyed widespread cross-party support in Westminster and was subjected to deep scrutiny.

“Sadly on 16 November the Welsh Labour government voted against fast tracking those provisions into Welsh law.

“We see that as a serious mistake.”

Majority of Estonian office buildings fail to reach safety standards

by Featured NewsSafety

Around 80 percent of office buildings in Estonia inspected by experts last year failed to reach fire safety standards, according to reports.

Of the 446 buildings vetted by the Rescue Board and private sector specialists, problems of varying seriousness were found in 80 percent of the facilities. Only 90 buildings were found to be following all the rules.

Ahti Kuusk, head of Forus’ safety department, told Wednesday’s “Aktuaalne kaamera”: “Of these, perhaps half are issues where some construction work already needs to be done., for example, installing fire alarms, maybe fire escapes, and then maybe building compartmentation.”

In some cases, problems related to missing fire extinguishers or an escape light. A common issue was not checking fire safety devices. Kuusk said fire alarms must be checked once a year.

‘Worse than the data suggests’

Firetek, a company that installs and maintains fire safety equipment, said the situation is worse than the Rescue Service’s data suggests.

Manager Georg Kangur said: “Fire safety is an area that does not bear fruit and people often save money on it. They build fancy offices, use expensive materials, but try to save money on fire safety.”

He said there is a shortage of specialists in Estonia and fire safety documents are often incorrectly formatted when designing new buildings. But the Rescue Board said awareness is rising every year.

“What is more worrying is that even in those buildings that we visit regularly, we have to repeatedly draw attention to deficiencies,” said the agency’s Tagne Tähe.

More inspections will be carried out this year.

West Sussex FRS to advise Churchill Retirement Living on fire safety

by Featured NewsSafety

A legal partnership between West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and the Churchill Retirement Living Group has been established to help ensure customers remain safe from fire.

Churchill Retirement Living (Churchill) has selected West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) to be the Primary Authority for their business.

The partnership will see WSFRS provide assured and consistent advice on fire safety regulations in order to make it easier for the company to comply with legislation across their organisation.

Going forward, other fire and rescue services will be expected to respect this advice when regulating Churchill premises in areas outside of West Sussex.

Fire safety regulations have ‘changed enormously’

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, and National Fire Chiefs Council’s Lead for Business Engagement, Mark Andrews said: “I am delighted to be working on this partnership to help manage fire safety within Churchill buildings.

“Following on from the Grenfell Tower fire, fire safety regulations for multi-occupied residential buildings have changed enormously, and will continue to do so. It’s vital that responsible persons fully understand the changes and implement the necessary adjustments to meet legal requirements.

“Fire safety was introduced into the Primary Authority Scheme in 2014, but this is the first Primary Authority that West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has agreed to. I believe that Churchill’s values underpin everything we stand for, with both organisations aiming to keep its communities safe from harm and this shared value stands us in good stead to fulfil a successful and productive partnership.”

Hugh Lambourne, Managing Director of Churchill’s property management business, added: “At Churchill we have always taken fire safety extremely seriously, so we are thrilled to have agreed this new partnership with West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. We look forward to working closely with them to ensure a consistent approach at the 200+ developments we manage nationwide, ultimately helping to keep our apartment owners safe.”

Placing items to close to heat sources biggest growing cause of fire in the UK

by Featured NewsSafety

New research from ADT has revealed that the causes of fires in the UK that have been rising the most are placing items to close to a heat source and faulty fuel supply.

The study looked at recent statistics to determine which were the most common causes of fires with the highest year-on-year percentage change

Although the misuse of equipment and appliances has the highest total for the most common cause of fire in England, placing articles too close to heat has the highest year-on-year percentage change with an increase of 4.87%, dwelling fires caused by this category rose from 3,327 in 2020/21 to 3,489 this year. 

Faulty fuel supplies follow behind as the second most common cause of dwelling fires in England. Increasing from 2,278 to 2,361, England witnessed a rise of 3.64% in fires caused by this category. 

Other accidental causes come in third place, this including the likes of flammable liquids and lithium-ion batteries.

Regional breakdown

The research also looked at the places with the highest fire-related incidents in the UK. 

Greater London experienced the most fire and rescue incidents with a rate of 202.96 per 100,000 people. The number of fires in the area has also risen by 13.36%, and fire and rescue incidents by 18.56%.

Greater Manchester experienced a growth of 34.84% in the number of fires in 2021-22, reflecting a rate of 53.99 per population, up from 49.16 last year.

The West Midlands sits in third place with a rate of 46.28. Interestingly, the percentage of fires in the West Midlands has jumped by 33.85%.

Further Insights

On average, dwelling fires receive the fastest reaction with a response time of 7 minutes and 52 seconds.

Scotland takes the top spot for the country, not only with the highest year-on-year percentage change, with fire-related incidents rising by 11.83%, but also the highest total of incidents per population with 1.75%.

The full research from ADT can be found here: https://www.adt.co.uk/blog/fire-fire

England high-rise owners given until October to register with new Building Safety Regulator

by Breaking NewsSafety

People responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England have been given until October 2023 to register with the new Building Safety Regulator, which was established in response to the Grenfell Tower fire to protect high-rise residents from unsafe building practices in England.

Under the Building Safety Act, high-rise residential buildings which are 18 metres tall or higher, or at least seven storeys, with two or more residential units are defined as ‘higher-risk’.

There are approximately 12,500 of these buildings across England and the new regulator will require all of them to be registered from April 2023, with a named person responsible for maintaining their safety.

A new campaign aimed at owners and managers of high-rise residential buildings will highlight their new legal duties and will call on those responsible for the safety management of higher-risk buildings to prepare for a new wave of regulatory change to ensure that they are ready to step up and comply. 

The campaign will run throughout March to help owners and managers of high-rise residential buildings prepare for their legal responsibilities. For more information, go to buildingsafety.campaign.gov.uk

A landmark moment for building safety

Registering buildings in scope will be a legal requirement and owners and managers who fail to comply by October 2023 will be investigated and may face prosecution.

HSE Chief Executive Sarah Albon said: “This registration process is an important step towards building a safer future for residents of high-rise buildings. We want it to be clear where responsibility for safety in these buildings lies.

“As the Building Safety Regulator, we will draw from our experience to provide guidance and oversight for the industry and lay the foundation for a world-leading building safety regime, which is a part of our mission to protect people and places.”

Chief Inspector of Buildings Peter Baker said: “Our message is clear – industry must raise its standards and residents of high-rise buildings in England must be kept safe.

“This is a landmark moment for building safety, the information provided through registration will be an invaluable part of our crackdown on unsafe building practices. Those who are responsible for high-rise residential buildings must register; failure to do so will be against the law.”

Building registration is a major step in a package of measures to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe for residents and users.  It follows the introduction of Planning Gateway One in August 2021 and will be followed by more robust building control of high-rise developments, and the certification of occupied high-rise buildings by the new Regulator.

Joint code of practice for fire safety with PV solar panel installation published by FPA

by Featured NewsSafety

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) has published a joint code of practice for fire safety with photovoltaic (PV) solar panel installations as the addition of a PV system to a building, which is not correctly designed, installed, or maintained could, like any electrical service, add to the overall risk of fire.

RISCAuthority, Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), and Solar Energy UK (SEUK) have worked together to update the RC62 document: Recommendations for fire safety with photovoltaic panel installations (first published in 2016) to develop a free to access Joint Code of Practice.

The technical guide focuses on fire safety for commercial and industrial rooftop mounted PV installations, with the aim of providing an updated practical guide for insurers and their clients on the requirements for the procurement, ownership, operation, and maintenance of safe and efficient PV systems.

Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS commented: “This new edition of RC62 will help solar contractors to safeguard against and mitigate fire risk at all stages of an installation. Working alongside the FPA and SEUK to realise these changes, we have been able to ensure that safety remains paramount when it comes to solar, that contractors are protected when installing and, ultimately, that consumers have confidence in home-grown energy.”

Gemma Grimes, Director of Policy and Delivery at Solar Energy UK said: “The commercial rooftop solar industry is poised for significant growth in the UK, as businesses turn to onsite generation to provide financial stability and reduce their climate impact. This new edition of RC62 means they and their insurers can have confidence in their systems, knowing they have been installed based on the most up-to-date practices possible. As such, we endorse and recommend that the insurance industry uses this new edition of RC62 as a guide to fire risk prevention in UK solar systems.”

Adrian Butler, Principal Consultant at the FPA added: “RISCAuthority have been pleased to work with solar industry professionals in the development of this new edition of RC62, providing a comprehensive Joint Code of Practice for solar PV specifiers, designers, suppliers, operators, and insurers. This guide will be further supported by a RISCAuthority Need to Know Guide: Roof Mounted PV Solar Systems, due to be published by the Fire Protection Association this spring.”

FDSA raises awareness of PFAS in C6 products

by Safety

The latest Fire Dept Service Announcement (FDSA) bulletin has raised the awarness of PFAS in C6 products. It said that transition should be to fire tested F3 products, nothing that several fire departments have recently sent out their F3 foams for specific sample testing for 1,4-dioxane and other chemicals. These departments have  taken the initiative to protect the public’s safety.

It noted that a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for a foam product may state it does not contain PFOA or PFOS: “Those are just two of more than 12,000+ chemicals in the persistent, bio accumulative class. Although PFOA and PFOS are no longer produced in the US, they continue to appear in PFAS testing.

“Does the F3 foam contain other carcinogenic chemicals? There are clean F3 products available now that do not contain carcinogens.

“Your firefighting foam should have a fire test rating, i.e., UL 162, NFPA 18.”

The bulletin added that the US Department of Defense quietly released the new MilSpec for firefighting foam in early January 2023: “The updated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FAA CertAlert 139 followed on January 12, 2023. Sea-Tac Airport recently purchased National Foam’s Avio Green which they had tested in 2019. This product contains, formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and methanol, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.”