25 March Support for you when the The Fire Officer visits No matter how well prepared we are, there is always a little trepidation when the Fire Officer visits. During such a recent visit, it was fantastic to see how well the client was prepared. A copy of the up to date Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) was available for the Fire Officer. This is the first … Read More
30 April The probable future of Fire Safety in Tall Building On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London, very early in the morning, just before 1:00 am. The fire caused 72 deaths, including those of two victims who later died in hospital. More than 70 others were injured and, fortunately, 223 people … Read More
21 April Phased Return to Work – Fire Safety Once the coronavirus epidemic restrictions (the UK Lockdown) are relaxed and businesses start to return to work (probably in a phased return), there are many things that need to be checked One important area that needs to be reviewed is that of fire safety. It is important to check that your fire alarm system is … Read More
24 January Building Safety Regulator The government have announced that a new regulator, as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will have oversight of the design, construction and occupation of high-risk buildings. Dame Judith Hackitt will chair a board to oversee the transition. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: The government is committed to bringing about the biggest change … Read More
27 June Fire Risk – “too awful to contemplate” People still put profit before safety. The man who created a fire safety risk that was described as “too awful to contemplate” by massive overcrowding during at an event at York’s Kuda nightclub has been given a suspended prison sentence. The club was rated to a safe capacity of 645, but during a Basshunter event … Read More
10 June Fire Safety – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: call for evidence The Government has opened a call for evidence that seeks views and evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for England in workplaces and the parts used in common in multi-occupied residential buildings. If you wish to respond, note that this consultation closes at 11:45 pm on 31 July 2019. Consultation description The government is … Read More
4 June Ensuring Effective Fire Safety in Housing – 1-Day Seminars I am chairing a series of 1-day Seminars on “Ensuring Effective Fire Safety in Housing”. These will be taking place mainly in London. In December 2018 the government committed to delivering the recommendations included in the Hackitt report from May 2018, with an emphasis on a more effective regulatory and accountability framework, clearer standards and … Read More
30 May Fire Safety – Emergency Lighting Why have Emergency Lighting? There are three main purposes of emergency lighting: Escape Route lighting: illuminates exit routes & helps occupants find fire fighting equipment in a fire Open Area Lighting: also called ‘Panic Lighting’. Keeps communal areas lit in a fire to reduce panic High-Risk Task Area lighting: provides light to shut down potentially … Read More
28 May Nearly two years on from the Grenfell disaster and not enough has been done It is nearly two years since the Grenfell tragedy in which 72 people lost their lives. Concerns have been raised that the government has not done enough to adequately prepare fire and rescue services for a similar incident. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) calls on the government to end the postcode lottery of public safety by implementing: … Read More
28 May 22 students died in a fire on 24 May … 22 students died in a fire on 24 May 2019. If this had occurred in the UK, this would have been huge news. Lots of underlying causes: lack of automatic fire detection lack of fire fighting equipment single wooden staircase inappropriate storage The fire occurred at a commercial complex (Takshashila Arcade) in Surat in India. … Read More