Siemens FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

As the countdown to Christmas gets well and truly underway with offices and places of work getting into the festive spirit, Siemens Building Technologies is warning UK businesses about the potential consequences of false fire alarms during the busiest period of the year. False alarms from remotely-monitored fire detection and fire alarm systems cost the UK economy an estimated £1 billion in business disruption with 95% of automatically-generated alarms being proved to be false placing Fire and Rescue Services (F&RS) and the public at unnecessary risk. “The vast majority of automatic fire alarm calls are proven to be false and are often caused by either false fire triggers or the inadequate maintenance of alarm systems,” commented Don Scott, fire engineering consultant Siemens Building Technologies. False alarm activations Christmas is already a time of heightened risk of fire for many businesses with the F&RS stretched to capacity across the country" “Christmas is already a time of heightened risk of fire for many businesses with the F&RS stretched to capacity across the country. False alarms create further pressures when emergency services have to challenge whether alarms are genuine before attending incidents – the time lost could end up costing thousands of pounds in repairs or at worst, put lives at risk.” Ionisation or single-sensor optical smoke detectors are a common cause of false alarm activations as they have difficulty in accurately distinguishing between airborne pollutants, such as steam, aerosols, dust, cooking fumes, insects, sparks, embers and a real fire. The incorrect siting of detectors can also be triggered if there is excessive air movement from mechanical heating or ventilation. Testing compromise safety Multi-sensor detectors are responsive to more than one fire phenomena, i.e. smoke, heat and carbon-monoxide and are proven to be more immune to false alarm phenomena thereby giving fewer false activations. For more stringent applications; beam detectors, heat detectors and aspirating detectors are available. A regular maintenance programme ensures the correct functioning of a fire alarm system - inadequate servicing and testing compromise safety A regular maintenance programme ensures the correct functioning of a fire alarm system - inadequate servicing and testing compromise safety. If an alarm system is aging or becoming unreliable replacement is advised when offset against the cost of disruption to a business. Generally, detectors should be replaced every 10-15 years, depending upon the environment in which they are installed and the manufacturers recommendations. Increase response times Dave Green, national officer, Fire Brigades Union added: “False alarms use up resources which could be better served elsewhere, and increase response times to actual emergencies. But it is better to be safe than sorry, and fire services should always be called when any alarm is raised.” “Fire services are under more pressure than ever before, dealing with more incidents and more fires, with increasingly fewer firefighters. Since 2009, there has been a 23% decrease in the number of firefighters across the UK. This huge decrease in the number of firefighters has meant that preventative work, which would help to reduce the number of false alarms, has worryingly fallen by the wayside.”

UIOGS 2017 to discuss and debate the future of exploration and production of oil and gas in Uganda His Excellency, President Yoweri K. Museveni has been confirmed to again give the keynote and welcoming address at the 3rd Uganda International Oil & Gas Summit (UIOGS) to be hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda, from 27-28 September 2017 at the Hotel Serena, Kampala. Held with the support of the Uganda National Oil Company and Petroleum Authority Uganda, official delegations at the event are being led by Hon. Irene Muloni, Minister of Energy and Minerals Development of Uganda and H.E. Gabriel Lima, Minister of Mines, Industry and Energy, Equatorial Guinea alongside over 400 oil and gas industry leaders from throughout the world. Presentations on exploration and production Building on the success of its 2nd edition in 2016 which saw over 350 attendees, UIOGS 2017 will again demonstrate the importance of Uganda’s exciting oil and gas industry, discussing and debating the future of exploration and production in the region.  It will feature presentations from industry leaders and experts in their fields from all across the world. Further underlining its growing international significance, the event has supporting partners from all over the globe including major independent operators; Total and CNOOC as Knowledge Partners and Principal Sponsors, leading the list of partners which also includes; Siemens, Ponticelli Uganda, Fluor, OGAS Services, Freight Forwarders Kenya, Honeywell, UOP, Civtec Africa, Emerson Automation Solutions, Frontier Services Group, Jaihind Projects, Shawcor, AFEX, Alpha Logistics and Bawaka & Sons. Road map discussions Speaking of the event’s growing global significance, Event Director, Global Event Partners, Dan Grogan explained; “The Uganda International Oil & Gas Summit is continuing to build in huge international significance, attracting professionals from across all aspects of the global oil and gas sector, including all of the key players in the industry and all elements of the value chain. It will act as a platform for the industry to come together, discuss and debate the crucial next steps in the road map to production. We look forward to the participation of all global partners, suppliers and customers in support of our endeavours.” With over 21 oil and/or gas discoveries made to date, 87 oil wells drilled and 21 fields in existence, Uganda’s long-awaited development phase is now certainly in full flow and the country is now unquestionably one of the hottest prospects and most promising areas for exploration ROI on offer.

FIREX International will showcase all the latest technology, solutions and knowledge From June 16-18 this year the Fire Industry will once again gather in London to participate in FIREX International, the annual industry event that connects the global security and fire markets. FIREX International is co-located alongside IFSEC International which re-unites the fire and security industries in one location. There are increasing opportunities and convergences within both sectors so this seamless blend will create three days of focused attention on life safety and property protection. Formidable range of manufacturers and service providers Both FIREX and IFSEC welcome a formidable range of world leading manufacturers and service providers, which makes the breadth of expertise and solutions on offer unmissable for fire and security professionals. With a major focus on innovation and products, the events provide complete snapshots of what’s currently available and an intriguing view to future product developments. With over 100 suppliers working within the fire sector currently confirmed to participate, FIREX International will showcase all the latest technology, solutions and knowledge. A highlight this year will be the BM TRADA stand, a leading provider of independent testing and approvals services, who will showcase the benefits of effective passive fire protection through a range of interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and free seminars. Live fire door test from fire testing facility On the first day of FIREX International BM TRADA will conduct a live fire door test from their fire testing facility in High Wycombe that will be streamed directly to the FIREX Expertise & Guidance Theatre, this powerful demonstration will show two identical doors subjected to a prolonged period of fire, one of the doors will have been correctly specified and installed, while the other will demonstrate many of the common mistakes made. Additionally, the BM TRADA stand will host a passive fire protection demonstration zone featuring a full-size corridor and suspended ceiling simulation. Another exciting feature to return is the Innovation trail; organisers of FIREX International polled the industry to discover all the latest trends and innovations that will be on display across the show floor. The Innovation Trail will allow visitors to navigate all the newest products and services from across the fire safety industry that have launched this year in an easy to follow format, each stand that has something new to showcase will be included and highlighted to visitors. Proprietary addressable protocol Highlights include C-TEC’s powerful new proprietary addressable protocol, CAST along with a host of associated devices including a new range of EN54-23 certified visual alarm devices (VADs). Hilti Great Britain will showcase their new universal solution for fire stopping combustible pipes. The Hilti CFS-C EL Firestop Collar Endless can fit around not only straight pipes but also pipe elbows, inclined pipes and pipes with limited clearance to walls, ceilings or other pipes. Additionally, FFE Ltd will use the annual industry gathering to unveil its bespoke Talentum flame detector. Working with Bloodhound SSC, the team behind a car capable of over 1000mph, the Talentum flame detector will protect the pilot when they attempt to break the Land Speed record next year in South Africa. All these new products, plus many more, will make up this year’s Innovation Trail at FIREX International 2015. Visitors will also be able to speak to leading suppliers that are shaking up the industry with new services, experts will be on hand to answer any questions and demo all the latest products on their stands.  Inspirational Speaker Series New for 2015, FIREX International launches its Inspirational Speaker Series with three high-profile personalities covering the sports, business and extreme adventure worlds, all have reached the pinnacle of their careers and will share their expertise and unique experiences with our audience. In its inaugural year the Inspirational Speaker Series will host leading businesswoman Baroness Karren Brady CBE, the world’s greatest explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE and Britain’s greatest Olympian Sir Chris Hoy MBE across the three days. The Expertise & Guidance Theatre will cover key topics including Fire Doors, Smart Hotel Solutions, IP Systems and Fire Risk Management, amongst others. Highlights include Nick Coombe, Fire Safety Regulation Manager at London Fire Brigade who will run a session on ‘Enforcement and the Fire Safety Order – is it working?’ exploring the lessons learned from 10 years on and also asking if there needs to be any changes made to this going forward. Additionally, Lance Ruetimann, Senior Manager Industry Affairs within the Building Technologies Division at Siemens Switzerland will look at ‘Evolving Fire Safety towards Holistic Safety’, discussing fire safety and the convergence of other safety measures along with the importance of evolving fire detection and alarm systems into danger detection and management systems. LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) Red Book Pavilion Other exciting features at this year’s FIREX International include the LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) Red Book Pavilion; visitors to the show can access information free of charge about products and services that have certification from this highly reputable certification provider. Returning after a successful launch in 2014 is Security & Fire Installer Live, where experts will be on hand to present live demos and test the kit to the extreme so visitors can see for themselves the limits products can be pushed to. FIREX International will be presented as part of UBM EMEA’s Protection & Management Series. The Protection & Management Series encompasses five major shows in related marketplaces covering safety, service management, facilities, security and fire, the overall ethos of the series is about protecting and managing buildings and places of work, along with the people and information within those places of work.