Siemens introduces new fire safety training wall in Manchester

by Featured NewsFire DetectionSafetyTraining

Siemens expands hands-on training for fire safety engineers in the UK

Siemens has introduced a practical ‘training wall’ at its Manchester facility as part of ongoing investment in its partner training programme.

According to Siemens, the installation is designed to give engineers hands-on experience with its fire safety and building management systems.

The company said the wall includes Cerberus PRO and Cerberus FIT panels, FDA241 and FDA262 aspirating smoke detectors, sounders, two fire dampers with Siemens actuators, a PXC4 automation station, a Connect Box IoT unit and a Desigo optic embedded device.

Siemens confirmed that these components are connected to demonstrate how the systems integrate with each other and the wider Siemens Building X digital platform.

Siemens trainer highlights need for practical learning

Siemens Fire Product Trainer Justin Leeks, who was appointed in 2023, said the new setup was created to support deeper learning through experience.

Leeks said: “Theory is important but it only goes so far.

“I have been a fire systems engineer myself so understand how getting your hands dirty by being ‘under the hood’ and seeing how these systems operate is the best way of learning.

“This knowledge can then be taken into the field by engineers who understand the specifics of the systems and how to best manage installation, commissioning and maintenance.”

Leeks added: “One of the benefits of the systems is that a lot of the work can be done in advance, pre-configuring a whole site and thereby offering significant savings in on-site installation and commissioning time.

“I’d like to thank Advanced Air and Detector Testers for supplying some of the equipment for the wall – it’s great to see that other companies also recognise the value of training the next generation.”

Training format combines e-learning and in-person instruction

Siemens explained that the training is delivered using a two-part structure.

The company stated that the programme begins with e-learning to cover basic principles, followed by face-to-face sessions for more in-depth technical content.

It noted that the wall was designed with a modular approach so that it can be updated as new products are introduced to the Siemens portfolio.

According to Siemens, this aligns with its wider product strategy of supporting ongoing integration and flexibility.

UK leadership highlights industry relevance

Rob Yates, Siemens Head of Building Products Fire Safety in the UK and Ireland, said the training programme is part of the company’s response to the sector’s personnel needs.

Yates said: “Effective training programmes are vital to the future of the fire safety industry.

“Much is spoken of the skills shortage which demonstrates all too clearly why it is more important than ever that we invest in the training of those that do choose to go into fire safety engineering.

“Hopefully, in doing so, not only do we develop their skills but we also potentially encourage others to consider it as a career option.”

Siemens introduces new fire safety training wall in Manchester: Summary

Siemens has added a practical ‘training wall’ to its Manchester training centre.

The company said the wall includes connected fire safety and building systems hardware.

The equipment features Cerberus PRO and FIT panels, ASD range detectors, and BMS devices.

Siemens stated that the wall supports its Building X platform integration approach.

Justin Leeks, Siemens Fire Product Trainer, emphasised the value of hands-on experience.

Leeks said real-world interaction enhances engineers’ understanding of installation and maintenance.

He credited external suppliers for supporting the setup with additional equipment.

Training combines online foundational content with classroom-based technical sessions.

The modular wall design allows Siemens to update the wall as new products are developed.

Rob Yates, Siemens UK and Ireland Head of Fire Safety, commented on the sector’s skills gap.

Yates said the training investment supports both competence and industry engagement.

Manchester Arena terrorist attack Inquiry concludes

by Featured News

The Inquiry into the terrorist attack on the Manchester Arena , which claimed the lives of 22 people and injured hundreds of others on 22 May 2017 has concluded.

The Inquiry was led by Chairman, Sir John Saunders. The explosion in the arena was caused by Salman Abedi detonating a bomb in the City Room close to one of the exit doors of the arena, with 22 people killed and hundreds seriously injured.

Volume 1 of the report, which focused on the security for the arena, was published in June 2021. Volume 2 of the report from the Manchester Inquiry, which focused on response of the emergency services to the attack, was published in November 2022.

Volume 3 of the report, which focused on the radicalisation of Salman Abedi and whether the attack might have been prevented, was published in March 2023.

Volume 3

On 2 March 2023, Chairman of the Inquiry, Sir John Saunders, released his final volume of the report, comprising an open report and closed one – the latter being one which contains sensitive material to national security and can therefore not be made publicly available.

Experts and witnesses of the Inquiry relevant to this volume included representatives from local schools and colleges, Abedi’s friends and associates, as well as members of the security services (MI5) and Counter Terrorism Policing.

Overall, Saunders concluded that there was a “significant missed opportunity to take action that might have prevented the attack” – which included a failure of the Security Services to act swiftly enough and that actionable intelligence could have been obtained prior to the attack.

The report stated that “no one should underestimate the very difficult job that the Security Service and Counter Terrorism Policing do… [which] has become more difficult with the emergence of lone actor terrorists”. However, Saunders says that mistakes were made, and that these should be identified and steps taken to make them right.

Recommendations

A series of recommendations were made by the Chairman, which included:

  • A scheme be created to prevent extremist prisoners from radicalising those who visit them
  • Education department to consider whether significant behavioural problems should be noted on records if students move school
  • The Government should strengthen legislation on witnesses not complying with inquiries (Abedi’s family did not provide any assistance)
  • Home Office should consider and respond to the 2021 review on laws relating to hateful extremism

Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, commented in response to the findings: “I share the sorrow that MI5 have expressed that this wasn’t prevented. All of us are working to make sure that the improvements that need to be made, are made.”

SE Controls adds safety measures to Manchester residential development

by Projects

An integrated smoke control and environmental ventilation solution from SE Controls is helping keep residents safe and comfortable at a prestigious 11-storey residential development in Manchester, which also incorporates the company’s intelligent temperature monitoring and control system, SE Evello.

Designed by SimpsonHaugh architects, Burlington House comprises 91 luxury private rental apartments with one; two or three bedrooms and is located in the historic Piccadilly Basin area adjacent to the Rochdale Canal and a number of heritage buildings including the Grade II listed Jacksons warehouse.

The building’s three-layered design combines the use of brickwork on its six lower levels with aluminium cladding and a glazed facade system on the upper two geometric structures to reflect the historic surroundings while creating a modern residential space.

As regulations dictate that residential buildings higher than three storeys require a smoke control system to be installed, SE Controls was approached to design an effective solution that ensured escape routes are kept clear of smoke if a fire should occur.

Also, as the building’s energy efficient design and use of large glazed areas has the potential for temperatures in corridors and circulation spaces to become elevated during summer months, SE Controls engineered the system to provide integral environmental ventilation and ensure temperatures are maintained at comfortable levels for residents.

To achieve this, the SE Controls solution utilises the system’s smoke shafts and two dedicated environmental fans to provide day-to-day corridor and stairwell ventilation, which alleviates any issues with building overheating while preventing the build up of stale air.

The SE Evello system not only monitors the temperature, but also controls devices such as the ventilation fans and smoke shaft vents with a self-adapting control algorithm, which targets ventilation to the warmest corridors or areas of the building, where the heat increase is greatest, while also reducing ventilation to more temperate zones.

Developed using a combination of extensive building studies, CFD modelling and data derived from live test sites, SE Evello’s algorithms constantly monitor temperature levels and provides predictive control over the opening of corridor ventilation louvres and the extract fan speed to ensure temperatures never reach excessive levels. The other main benefit is that stale air and odours that can build up in static air spaces are removed and replaced with fresh air.

While the environmental system improves comfort, it is the smoke control system that makes it possible. Burlington House uses two mechanical smoke extraction shafts and one air inlet shaft for make-up air for the lower six floors, while a single smoke shaft is used in the upper five levels with the addition of pressure sensors to prevent over-pressure on the escape door.

Two roof mounted duty and standby SHEVTEC fan sets serve the smoke shafts, which are actuated as soon as smoke is detected within the building. The smoke control system operates on a floor-by-floor basis to provide protection for corridors and lobbies adjacent to the escape stairs and ensure smoke is removed from the ‘fire-floor’.

Once smoke or fire is detected, the environmental ventilation system is over-ridden automatically and smoke is extracted from the activated floor with all other automatic opening vents (AOV) locked out to maintain compartmentalisation. Additional smoke vents at the head of the stairwell and roof remain open until they have been reset by fire-service personnel using the relevant tamperproof manual control point (MCP), which are located on every floor.

In addition to the wide range of specialised equipment installed on the project, including smoke control dampers, SHEVTEC grilles, MCPs and temperature sensors, the system is controlled by three OS2 SHEVTEC controllers with battery back up.

The system also uses SECloudlink™ to provide round-the-clock smoke control system status information and reporting to enable monitoring and system adjustments to be made remotely, as well as enabling preventive and corrective maintenance to be performed by maintenance teams.

www.secontrols.com/en-gb/