Posts in category: Safety

The Fire Brigades Union has criticised the government for its lack of action on the building safety crisis, after the London Fire Brigade said that builders were able to “game the system” and avoid fire rules.

The union said that the “massive” building safety crisis in the UK could be resolved if the government provided “the regulations and funding necessary to solve this crisis”, including “watertight legislation that prevents dodges and loopholes like this being possible”.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Deputy Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade Paul Jennings had said that “hundreds if not thousands” of new buildings may be “deliberately” designed to avoid fire safety rules brought in after Grenfell.

Mr Jennings said “We have got examples where we think people are deliberately designing and building their buildings below that 18 metre, six floor threshold, because they know if they reach that threshold they would have to put advanced and more intricate fire safety measures in”. He also discussed people focussing on loopholes where “the guidance doesn’t specifically say they can’t do something”.

Assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, Andy Dark, said:“There is a massive building safety crisis across the UK, and residents are rightly concerned about safety in their homes. We have been increasingly concerned with the growing evidence suggesting that the Westminster government, landlords and the construction industry are trying to avoid taking responsibility. It comes as no surprise that players within the building sector are ‘gaming the system’ to avoid compliance with the extremely limited improvements in the building regulations.

“Ministers should listen to fire professionals and provide the regulations and funding necessary to solve this crisis. The Prime Minister should be taking personal charge of introducing immediate action and introduce watertight legislation that prevents dodges and loopholes like this being possible. Hand-wringing and mealy-mouthed words from the government are worthless. It’s actions that matter.”

Public safety agencies across North America are investing in Motorola Solutions’ (NYSE: MSI) integrated mission-critical technology ecosystem to reduce crime and improve emergency response within their communities. Among the most recent is Yonkers, N.Y., which is deploying a real-time crime center, cloud-based software, body-worn cameras and fixed video security with advanced analytics to better understand what is happening across the city and improve community collaboration and overall safety.

“These new technologies, along with our land mobile radio network, will help us to understand and respond more quickly and efficiently to the needs of our community,” said John Mueller, police commissioner for Yonkers Police Department. “We know the public plays a vital role in community safety, and we’re particularly excited about new software that will allow our citizens to be more actively involved by sharing tips directly with our police department. This technology from Motorola Solutions will maximise the time and effectiveness of our officers and the role of our residents, who are one of our most important sources of information.” 

Yonkers selected Motorola Solutions for its expertise in integrating mission-critical technologies designed for public safety. Video security and access control solutions help users identify and understand events, find lost people and protect property. Command center software informs and accelerates emergency response by unifying data across the 9-1-1 workflow, including call handling, dispatch, video analytics, field reporting, records, evidence and community input. Voice and data communications connect law enforcement, fire and EMS from different agencies and jurisdictions for greater coordination and collaboration. End-to-end system integration of these technologies removes data silos, streamlines workflows and provides a stronger operating picture, enabling agencies to detect, analyse, communicate and respond to incidents, even while they unfold.

“Yonkers Police Department and other agencies across the country know communities are safer when technologies and people work together, and they are investing in smarter solutions,” said Mahesh Saptharishi, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Motorola Solutions. “Our integrated technology ecosystem brings transparency, speed and data to policing and emergency response, helps agencies use their public resources more efficiently and facilitates greater collaboration with the community. These agencies are building what will become a model for safe cities in the future.”

Dr Julie Riggs, Senior Head of Education, British Safety Council discusses the evolutional changes in fire safety training 

The act of combustion, the generation of a flame, smoke and creation of fire has been studied with fascination over the years, with ground-breaking studies carried out over the late 18th Century.  Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, Joseph Priestley, Carl Wilhelm Scheele identified gasses within combustion.  Sir Benjamin Thompson carried out research on heat transfer as a movement of particles.  Sir Humphry Davy’s measurements of flame temperatures and his invention of the safety lamp in 1815 has shaped our understanding around the dynamics of combustion.  However, you could argue that Davy’s most important discovery was Michael Faraday.  Under Davy’s mentoring, Faraday contributed an array of elements to the periodic tables and revolutionised the understanding of chemistry and physics.   

Faraday, who was inspired by Davy’s lecturers at the Royal Institution in London as a teenager, returned in 1848 to give a series of six lecturers on the chemical history of a candle.  The lectures are so beautifully written you can be entranced by the descriptive journey Faraday takes in performing his experiments. 

A rise in understanding fire safety 

The 19th century saw an acceleration in knowledge and a paradigm shift in scientific understanding. Due to the legacy of such an experimental period, by the time we enter the beginning of the 20th Century, we understand the relationship of combustion and the contributing factors of fuel, heat, and oxygen.  Indeed, the Triangle of Combustion, later evolving to the Fire Tetrahedron, the fourth element a chemical chain reaction, formed the basis for many businesses to understand and apply fire safety management, which is still used today. 

In parallel, during the same period of scientific exploration, Johann Friedrich Herbart, considered the founder of modern pedagogy founded the idea in the 19th Century that education and teaching are linked.  Herbart informs us that teaching only leads to a correct ‘grasp of the world’, it does not impart knowledge or shape aptitudes and skills.  In other words, we need to do more than just impart knowledge, we need to be creating effective teaching and learning environments. 

The progression of pedagogy 

Until the 1950s ‘talk and chalk’ education style had been adopted, with the educator at the front of a classroom and delegates listening and repeating their learning.  The experience would have not been inclusive and there would have been little evaluation of understanding.   As the 50s evolved, a progression in pedagogy slowly advanced.   Within health and safety education, there has been a dramatic shift of tutor led training to student led learning.  Consider the way we deliver fire safety training.  No longer do we just verbally instruct our occupants to leave by the nearest exit if they hear an alarm.  We actually test their level of understanding and expected behaviour via fire drills.   Such training is paramount to most organisation’s basic induction for occupants. 

The advent of safer fire-resistant buildings and improved fire-suppression techniques, have contributed towards reduction in the incidence of fires.  Indeed, if we examine the trend of deadliest incidents of fatalities due to fire, often the events are pre- 1940s.  The fire industry has contributed greatly to the reduction of unnecessary deaths.  And has reduced the risk of human behaviour and error when escaping from a building.  Although fire evacuation training remains a vital part of health and safety teaching, we have seen in more recent times a shift towards delivering a more mature model of fire safety.  In particular, understanding how occupants can contribute towards fire prevention.  Moving from a model of just evacuation and firefighting to also include recognising potential hazards and prevention at source. This training needs to ensure occupants feel empowered to act accordingly and keep themselves and others safe. 

The degree of training provided will depend on the nature of the organisation, fire risks and the occupants. The first step to identifying training needs can be the application of a fire safety training matrix.  A matrix will have the ability to provide an overview on the different roles in your organisation and the skills and competencies required. 

Every organisation will be different, but a foundation of understanding provides an essential insight into recognising the importance of fire safety and assisting in fire prevention and fire evacuation.   

Key topics for Fire evacuation could include, what to do if you discover a fire, actions to take if you hear an alarm, evacuation routes and assembly points and a personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). Similarly, topics for basic understanding could include the fire triangle, sources of fire and the prevention of fire. Finally, for specific site rules, shutting down procedures and storage of substances could also be key topics. You may even decide to train staff in using fire extinguishers. 

For those identified by the skills matrix that have a role in fire risk assessing or prevention, including fire wardens, you may decide further investment in training is required. Teaching occupants how to recognise fire hazards and empower individuals to report, reduce or eliminate the fire risk can lead to a greater understanding and contributing behaviours.    

The importance of consistent training 

Within your skills matrix, you should identify how often training and refresher training is required.  Consider the risk of new staff, temporary staff, visitors, contractors and remote staff returning to a premises.   

The pandemic has altered many aspects of our routine tasks and activities.  The world has seen an upsurge of people changing roles, the ‘great resignation’ or the ‘big quit’ is an ongoing trend since the beginning of 2021 and therefore staff turnover may require a more frequent refresher training.   

Another possibility for needing a refresher on fire safety training would be the location of the business or occupants has changed. With hybrid working becoming a norm, consideration must be given for such changes.  Although the majority of risks present in a standard home office would be minimal, educating employees to ensure fire detection and alarms are working and electrical equipment is tested and in a good condition, would contribute towards a duty of care. 

The transferable education of fire safety awareness can afford protection to them and their home occupants.  A lifelong essential knowledge. Writing your commitment to training should be established in a fire safety policy. With clear responsibilities and arrangements, communicated to all occupants. 

The pandemic has introduced new range of vocabulary, such as hybrid working, zoomed out, dynamic workspaces and a personal favourite, the waist up world (where our video conference facilities only projects the upper body of our colleagues).  Although traditional classroom courses are slowly returning, we have seen a high demand for digital, remote learning and classroom blended delivery.   

Digital technology has developed beyond a few PowerPoint slides and a PDF online, it is interactive, engaging and supports different learning preferences of our students. Evolution has encouraged a blending of technology used by trainers in either classroom or virtual delivery and the use of tutorial videos and remote tutor support for digital. These silo approaches have blended to offer a variety to students. If we look at virtual learning, trainers will use different delivery techniques to a classroom setting, using more technology, break out spaces, videos, animation, chat forums, use of apps to test and quiz students, set homework and create online activities.  Augmented reality, virtual reality, smart glasses and wearable technology is maturing, most of us have already embraced our smart watches.   

LED-driven digital flames and a laser training extinguisher provide a realistic simulation for people to experience fire extinguisher training, without the need for a messy clean up after firing a foam extinguisher at a tray of oil.  Of course, it does not fully recreate an actual experience, but it does make such training accessible to everyone and can increase the level of learning.   

Engaging beyond the textbook and slideshow, technology, such as eLearning, can also support students with disabilities, such as subtitling on videos/animation and colour filtering on screens for dyslexia. 

Delegates expectations, technology advancements, a diversity of pedagogical techniques and an increase understanding of fire safety issues are driving these rapid changes.  Standing at the front of a classroom offloading information to a passive audience is not the most effective method for educating.   

Challenges often force change and innovation and the reaction to the pandemic has enhanced a steady embracement of new educational techniques, student centric learning and digital technology that connects, informs and inspires, shaping our fire safety education industry. Embracing the blending of our digital, virtual and human worlds will create a greater depth of knowledge and contribute to our legacy of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. 

This article originally appeared in issue 9 of International Fire and Safety Journal

Trevor Cook Construction Ltd has been fined after a roof worker fell six metres through a fragile roof sheet whilst working on a barn at a farm in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 22 May 2019, the employee was replacing broken roof sheets using a mobile elevating working platform (MEWP) to gain access to the roof of the barn and crawling boards to traverse the roof. The employee’s foot slipped from one of the crawling boards and he subsequently fell through the fragile roof material, sustaining serious injuries including neck fractures, a collapsed lung, and a bleed on the brain.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Trevor Cook Construction Limited failed to plan the work appropriately. The company was aware of the risks and often used netting when undertaking large re-roofing projects, but made a conscious decision not to install nets for smaller jobs, which involved the replacement of individual roof sheets. The chances of falling whilst working on fragile roofs are very high and the company should have had the appropriate safeguards in place.

Trevor Cook Construction Limited of Garlands, Cadley Road, Collingbourne Ducis, Marlborough, Wiltshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £63,278 and ordered to pay costs of £6,721.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephan Axt-Simmonds said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

“Falls through fragile roof materials are not inevitable. They can be prevented by careful planning, using trained and experienced workers with suitable equipment, and employing a high level of supervision.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by using established control measures and safe working practices.”

Global Survival Technology leader Survitec has completed the acquisition of Blue Anchor Fire & Safety Ltd, one of Scotland’s leading providers of survival solutions providers to the fisheries, maritime and offshore energy industries.

The investment, part of Survitec’s expansion strategy, follows the acquisition in May of Norway’s Hansen Protection, a leading provider of personal protective equipment.

Baba Devani, Chief Executive Officer, Marine, Survitec, said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition, which marks another step forward in our strategic growth plan.

“With a similar offering, together with shared values in terms of quality and customer value, Blue Anchor is an excellent fit for Survitec. This investment allows us to enhance our capabilities across the region.”

Blue Anchor offers survival solutions, including servicing, liferaft rental and product supply, to a significant proportion of the UK fishing fleet; operates an MCA-approved liferaft service station in Boyndie, Scotland; is recognised as the leading supplier of fire safety equipment to the Scottish fleets; and is one of only a handful of UKAS accredited companies certified to carry out gas cylinder testing in the country.

With a loyal customer base and a strong track record of repeat and sustained business, the company has achieved year-on-year growth since it was established in 2006, particularly in the fisheries and aquaculture business, which accounts for 60% of its revenue.

Growth has also been supported by investment in the liferaft hire fleet, with over 700 SOLAS approved liferafts in operation.

“The transaction supports our objective to improve our coverage in attractive markets,” said Devani.

Blue Anchor co-founder Scott Skinner, will continue at Blue Anchor as Operations Manager, said: “It is testament to the commitment and dedication of all my colleagues that Blue Anchor can generate interest from a global player like Survitec.

“By becoming a part of the Survitec family, our customers now have access to a larger portfolio of products and service network. The acquisition offers scope to increase the utilisation rate of existing sites in Scotland and develop new ones. Survitec’s presence across Scottish ports provides the opportunity for expansion across the UK including the Scottish Islands.”

Blue Anchor’s existing sites in Boyndie (Banff) and Fraserburgh, North East Scotland, are considered large enough to accommodate growth in liferaft servicing, gas cylinder inspections, and increased utilisation of its warehouses and workshops shot blasting and painting facilities.

Over 500 fires involving home oxygen, resulting in over 300 deaths including two firefighters, have been reported by the US media since 2017, a new study has revealed.

There were also reports of over 130 serious injuries, including a further two firefighters, as well as injuries to nearly 200 other people, among them 17 firefighters and two police officers, according to the research. Nearly 200 properties were reportedly destroyed during this period, with fires resulting in damage to over 70 neighboring buildings, and over 100 incidents leading to residents being forced out of their properties.

The research, conducted by BPR Medical, also examines the impact of burn injuries resulting from home oxygen fires. Over 1,000 patients are treated for burns resulting from fires involving home oxygen every year, according to data from Emergency Room admissions. Severe burn cases can cost $1 million to treat, even without complications, and very complex cases can exceed $10 million. This suggests that the true cost of treating victims of home oxygen fires could run into hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

The report reveals:

• 567 incidents were reported by the media between December 2017 and July 2021.
• There were 316 reported deaths in this period, equating to one death every four days.
• Two firefighters have been killed attending home oxygen fires in the past three years, the most recent during a house fire in Oklahoma City in July 2021. In the previous incident, in October 2018, a firefighter fell victim to a piece of shrapnel from an exploding propane tank.
• 134 individuals, including 17 firefighters, suffered serious injuries from incidents. The majority of these were sustained by oxygen users and included either burns or smoke inhalation injuries, or both.
• Exploding cylinders are referenced in a third of all reported home oxygen fires, posing a significant threat to third parties, including emergency services.
• Nearly a third of incidents resulted in the destruction of the resident’s, or another, dwelling.
• The majority of oxygen fires (70%) were either caused, or were likely to have been caused, by patients smoking while using oxygen therapy.

Evidence has found that more than half of patients with burns attributable to smoking on home oxygen die within a year of being discharged, therefore subsequent deaths from injuries may not be reported. This suggests that the likely annual death toll is higher than previous estimates by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and that the actual figure could be twice as high.

Citing a study by the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the report points out that patient education alone is not a solution to the problem. The center distributed low-cost thermal fuses, which cut off the flow of oxygen in the tubing in the event of a fire, to patients, and found that the number of patients admitted to hospital with oxygen-related burns dropped by two-thirds.

Richard Radford, Managing Director, BPR Medical, said, “This data confirms that home oxygen fires represent a material public health issue. Incidents not only affect oxygen patients themselves, but also their families, their neighbors, and the emergency personnel who attend fires. It also reveals the enormous human and financial impact of burns.

“The evidence for fitting thermal fuses to oxygen tubing, alongside other measures, continues to grow. An American home oxygen user is still 20 times more likely to die in a home oxygen fire than a home oxygen user in England, where they are fitted as standard.

“There is a potential risk of fire for all home oxygen patients, and universal use of firebreaks would be ideal. Installing firebreaks among high-risk patients, however, could significantly reduce the impact of these devastating fires.”

The full report can be found here: www.firebreaks.info/unitedstates/

The Fire Brigades Union has issued a formal letter before claim for Judicial Review proceedings against the government, in an attempt to prevent the government making firefighters pay the cost of the discrimination introduced by the government into their pension scheme.  

The courts had previously found that the government’s public sector pension reforms discriminated against firefighters based upon their ages on 1 April 2012 (the McCloud and Sargeant cases). Older workers had been allowed to stay on a previous, pension scheme whilst younger workers had been required to leave it and join the new 2015 scheme.

The government has said that it will try to impose the cost of the discrimination onto those who are now on that 2015 pension scheme – a large number of whom will be made up of those who were discriminated against.

Fire Brigades Union national officer Mark Rowe said:  “It is unbelievable that the government is trying to make firefighters pay for their own discrimination, and unbelievable that it is forcing firefighters to come back to the courts time and time again to try and win pension justice. The government needs to get a grip, recognise its mistakes, recognise the highly valuable contribution that firefighters make every day, and sort out firefighter pensions in a timely and straightforward manner. Six years after the relevant pension reforms came in the government is still in a mess over this.”

The government is trying to make these firefighters pay via a scheme in their pensions called “cost control”. Cost control adjusts pension contributions or benefits if the actual cost of the pension scheme diverges from the target cost of the pension scheme by 2% or more, with firefighters losing out if the actual cost is higher. It was the government who introduced the cost control mechanism into the new pension scheme. The mechanism provided that savings from the new scheme should be passed on to those scheme members. The government now wish to ignore the legislation that made that provision, legislation that they introduced.

The Treasury and Secretary of State have been asked to provide a response by 19 November 2021.

For more information please see the FBU circular on this here. 

NEBOSH, the leading global organisation, which provides health, safety and environmental qualification have been shortlisted for Awarding Organisation of the Year at the FAB 2021 Awards.

The FAB (Federation of Awarding Bodies) Awards recognises the contributions made by awarding organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year.

Now in its 6th year, the FAB 2021 Awards dinner, sponsored by Creatio, is being held at the end of the first day of the FAB Conference, on 11 November at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester.

Everyone has a pandemic story; whilst NEBOSH’s nomination outlined the exceptional work that was done to adapt and modernise, quickly, in the COVID-19 era, it also highlighted the positive impact all of our activities have on the health and safety community. An impact which can help keep even more people safe when they go to work every day.

Tom Bewick, FAB Chief Executive, said “This year we received an abundance of excellent nominations for the FAB Awards, all of which were of a very high standard and demonstrated the commitment of our members to learners and the sector. I am immensely proud of how our industry has risen to the challenges of the last two years and I have heard and seen so many examples of excellence demonstrated by individuals and teams pulling together to support one another as well as centres, employers and of course learners. We look forward to celebrating as an industry on 11 November.”

The driver of one of two trains involved in a train crash in Salisbury has suffered injuries believed to be life-changing.

A total of 14 people were taken to hospital and treated for minor injures. Following the crash, a carriage was initially believed to have derailed after hitting an object, and the second train then crashed into it. However, these reports have yet to be confirmed.

Supt Lisa Garrett, of BTP, confirmed that the rescue operation of the crash had now been concluded. “We have now moved out of the rescue phase of the operation and into the investigation, which will involve the trains remaining in situ for some time.”

The National Fire Chiefs Council have warned that more attacks on firefighters could be seen on the run up to Bonfire night, after a report revealed that incidents are rising. More than 930 firefighters in England were attacked while on duty in the last 12 months – an increase of 4 per cent.

Since 2015, there have been more than 3,800 reported firefighter attacks across the UK.

Almost 18 per cent of attacks are recorded during this time – NFCC is urging the public to report anyone carrying out these mindless attacks.

NFCC has also called for stronger sentences to be handed down for anyone attacking an emergency service worker.

Both Merseyside and Manchester fire services have reported recent attacks on firefighters in recent days. In Manchester, a BB gun was fired at two fire engines and crews as firefighters attempted to extinguish multiple fires in wheelie bins in the area.

While in Merseyside, firefighter had fireworks thrown at them by a 20-strong group of youths while they tried to extinguish wheelie bins fires which had been deliberately set alight.

NFCC Chair, Mark Hardingham, said: “I never fail to be shocked when I see the high numbers of firefighters who are attacked while doing their best to protect lives and property. It is nothing short of disgraceful that people are attacking emergency service workers who want nothing more than to protect the communities they serve and keep them safe.

“While we see these attacks all year round, we do see an increase around bonfire night, which coincides with an increase in callouts for fire services across the entire UK.

“These attacks not only have a severe impact on crews involved, but can take fire appliances off the road, leaving communities and people at risk – who may have a life-threatening emergency.”

Scottish Fire & Rescue Service has reported a 19 per cent increase in attacks last year, rising by ten to 63. Last year, there were 12 attacks alone on bonfire night in Scotland.

And in Northern Ireland earlier this year a firefighter was injured after a glass bottle was thrown at him, resulting in cuts to his face, His colleagues were also targeted and they were forced to withdraw as they attempted to fight a fire.

Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service reported 42 attacks during the last year – including missiles being thrown at vehicles – and have had to call for police back up on several occasions.

Chris Lowther, Chair of NFCC’s Operations Committee and Chief Fire Officer for Tyne and Wear, echoed the call for the courts to hand out the maximum custodial sentences available.

He said: “To see an increase in firefighter attacks is abhorrent; these are people doing their utmost to protect communities and ultimately saving lives.

“Jail sentences for attacks on emergency services workers are very rare and this needs to change. I want to see custodial sentences handed out. Emergency services staff must be treated with the respect they deserve; blue light services are here to keep people safe.”

Mr Lowther confirmed in parts of Tyne and Wear there are occasions where firefighters cannot attend a secondary fire – a small outdoor fire or a fire on grassland or derelict buildings – without police in attendance.

NFCC is also an advocate for the use of body worn cameras, which capture vital evidence which can be used in prosecutions to bring people to justice.