Fire Protection Association (FPA, UK) News
The FPA is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gavin Dunn who will assume the role of Managing Director from 1 February 2024. Having held his current position as Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers since 2018, Gavin is an experienced business pioneer and Chartered Building Engineer with a talent for bridging technical matters with effective business management. He brings a wealth of experience in the testing, inspection, and certification markets in the sec...
The BAFE Fire Safety Register is pleased to announce Howard Passey has joined the BAFE Board of Directors. Howard Passey, currently in the position of Deputy Managing Director of the Fire Protection Association (FPA), has accepted an invitation to join the BAFE Board. Howard has been with the FPA since 1992, working in multiple roles during this tenure. This includes varying roles from Training/Information Officer to Principal Consultant, and more recently as Director of Operations...
In the last twelve months, the government has moved to strengthen a range of fire safety provisions in building regulations and guidance, including drawing up tougher standards on the use of combustible materials on medium-rise blocks of flats between 11m and 18m high. The changes are being brought about by the Building Etc (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 which makes amendments to the Building Regulations 2010 and changes to Approved Document B. Changes Other aspects of the changes inc...
A super-hospital in Glasgow is set to begin a multi-million-pound remediation project to remove cladding from the exterior of the building. The work, which will start on 27 November 2022, is expected to continue until 2027. With a total cost of £33 million, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital project will involve the removal of panels from the atrium alongside other remedial work. cost of remedial work According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), the Scottish government is...
An independent culture review has revealed a plethora of failings regarding the internal culture and well-being of staff at the London Fire Brigade (LFB), labeling it as “institutionally misogynist and racist”. The commissioned review published on 25 November 2022 was carried out by the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, Nazir Afzal OBE. independent investigation findings The report forms the outcome of an independent investigation that was requested by Lo...
A super-hospital in Glasgow is set to begin a multi-million-pound remediation project to remove cladding from the exterior of the building. The work, which will start on 27 November 2022, is expected to continue until 2027. With a total cost of £33 million, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital project will involve the removal of panels from the atrium alongside other remedial work. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), the Scottish govern...
The fault in question is from broken protected earth and neutral (PEN) conductors, which are typically used to make a circuit via exposed metalwork such as gas, water, and oil pipes. These conductors are used on the Protective Multiple Earthing or PME (TN-C-S) network, which was introduced in the 1970s as a self-monitoring system to improve safety and “provide (an) easy indication if a fault were to occur with the combined neutral and protective conductor”. Author's quote Head of...
The sudden evacuation – where residents left their flats at 10 o’clock in the evening – came after a new report was received by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which detailed a number of fire safety concerns on the upper floors of the Cardinal Lofts block of flats that make it “currently unsafe for occupation”. As a result, SFRS issued a Prohibition Notice for part of the building – affecting only 15 apartments in total – with no impact o...
Fire and rescue services have been responding to calls of ‘large-scale’ fires at industrial estates across the UK this past week, demonstrating their vital role in keeping residents safe. large-scale fire On the evening of 18 November 2022, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) sent crews to tackle a fire that broke out at a disused warehouse in the town of Ryton, in Gateshead. Described as a ‘large-scale’ fire, eight fire appliances and 40 firefighters at...
A recent fire incident in Greenock where a child nearly died has seen Scottish emergency service officials highlight the danger of combustible waste being left in tenement closes. Murdo Henderson, Inverclyde group commander for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has raised concerns over dangerous and flammable items being left in these areas, saying "It is an ongoing issue that we have a great concern about." Hospital for smoke inhalation With no specific legislation that they are ab...
A fire that broke out at an industrial estate near Rotherham is still issuing toxic smoke from burning waste eight weeks later. The warehouse at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate, which stores a mixture of domestic and industrial waste, caught fire in the early hours of 21 September 2022. However, it appears that fire crews are still struggling to completely extinguish hotspots within the waste piles, mainly due to the amount of waste that has been stored there. fire suppression When...
Senior Associate Trainer for the FPA, and one of the longest-serving trainers at the company, Mike Floyd has been shortlisted for a Lifetime Achievement Award. Organized by the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) as part of its annual ASFP Awards, the incredible accolade is given to those individuals who have demonstrated ‘exceptional practice over a significant period.’ In particular, they will have made a lasting impact on people, organizations, or companies with a...
A company and its former director have been ordered to pay more than £100,000 due to an insufficient fire risk assessment at a block of flats in Portsmouth. The Enforcement Support Team at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) first became aware of the inadequate fire safety checks at Forbes Court, in Hilsea, Portsmouth, in 2017. Fire risk assessment After being alerted to the issue, the property management company responsible for the three-storey block of flats r...
UL Solutions, a pioneer in applied safety science, in partnership with the FPA, opened a new fire resistance testing laboratory for building products and systems, doors and windows, fire stopping, joint systems, and related fire resistance products. Located at the FPA’s testing laboratory in Blockley, Gloucestershire, the facility features fire resistance test furnaces, funded by UL Solutions, that will benefit manufacturers from the UK, Europe, and worldwide who require independent fire...
Entitled Closing data gaps and paving the way for pan-European fire safety efforts, the report offers a useful overview of the situation of managing fire safety statistics in Europe and internationally. Additionally, it identifies "potential ways forward for further harmonization and cross-learning between different countries." It is hoped that the report will highlight the variations in fire safety measures that currently exist on an international level and offer a more unified approach t...
This past week has seen two serious fires impact high-rise buildings in New York and Dubai, highlighting the continued dangers of lithium-ion battery charging and cladding issues. On the morning of 5 November, a significant fire broke out at an apartment building in Manhattan after a charging e-bike battery malfunctioned. The spreading fire and smoke prevented people from escaping, meaning firefighters had to perform a daring rope rescue, as footage showed residents hanging out apartment window...
Overcoming barriers, breaking glass ceilings, and gaining a seat at the table: were the sentiments of the extraordinary group of women who attended the WIFS Awards on Thursday 10 November. The 300-strong guest list at the glamorous black-tie event gathered men and women who have spent years shaping the fire safety industry into what it is, alongside those who are just starting out and already have much to be proud of. Organized by Chloe Vickery and Kate Blake to tackle the histor...
During a House of Commons debate on the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Michael Gove, agreed that the government should re-examine its stance on personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for disabled people. At a second reading of the bill on 7 November 2022, Michael Gove noted that work still needed to be done on building safety overall, adding that the outstanding concern over PEEPs was a ‘difficult and sensitive que...
The announcement was made by Chief Financial Officer, Mike Scott, who spoke at Barratt Homes’ annual general meeting (AGM) on 17 October 2022. The developer is one of 49 firms that signed up to the building safety pledge set out by the Department for Leveling Up, Housing, and Communities earlier this year. Barratt Homes’ financial accounts The purpose of the pledge was to protect leaseholders from the costs of remediation of fire safety defects and hold the industry accountable. Th...
Flames engulfed a former care home near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, on 5 November 2022, with crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) sharing video footage of the blaze surrounding the derelict structure, which was in danger of collapse. Three fire crews and 10 fire appliances were dispatched when flames were spotted emerging from the former care home at 7 pm. At its height, 50 firefighters were in attendance alongside support officers. Multi-Agency response The service describ...
In January 2018, the national regulator for workplace health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), investigated Regent House, which is located in Brentwood, Essex, after a concern was raised that people were sleeping on the site. In addition to health and safety concerns, it was found that S&S Quality Building Contractors Limited had breached several fire management regulations and had put workers – along with members of the public who were visiting show flats o...
The service dispatched a number of firefighters after fire control received a call from the site confirming that multiple explosions were coming from inside a shipping container. On arrival, fire crews found that there were two shipping containers that required careful monitoring. Firefighters were forced to remain at a safe distance as the large explosions continued, and they set a 1 km cordon around the two containers, which was later reduced to 600 m. A police drone was used to assist with v...
Launched on 24 October 2022, a new consultation is seeking responses for a new suite of technical National Occupational Standards (NOS) for those working with fire and smoke control dampers. Spearheaded by Building Services Engineering (BSE) Skills, in partnership with the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), the draft NOS documents are directed towards those individuals working with fire dampers and smoke control dampers across the UK. Developing occupational standards Described...
A large fire broke out at a recycling center and waste depot in Kingsway, Luton, on the morning of 29 October 2022, leading to the evacuation of around eight homes and a block of flats. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) called in nine fire appliances and adjoining crews to tackle the fire at the recycling center. Around 60 residents had to leave their homes, while other residents were asked to keep their windows closed due to smoke. Important council service Councillor Tom Shaw, who...
The Environment Services Association (ESA) has launched it's latest ‘Take Charge’ recycling campaign to counter the rising number of fires caused by batteries that have not been disposed of correctly. recycle batteries First launched in 2020, the campaign aims to warn consumers of the dangers related to ‘zombie’ batteries, which can be a potential fire risk if they are thrown away alongside residual waste or via other recycling methods. Instead, it urges consumers to r...
A hotel company has been ordered to pay £16,590 in fines and costs for breaching fire safety regulations and potentially putting lives at risk. Union and Western Hotels Ltd, the company that runs the Union Hotel in Penzance, has been fined after pleading guilty to failing to meet fire safety regulations. fire safety failings It comes after a fire safety inspection, conducted in October 2020, saw officers from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) uncover several fire safet...
A fire that broke out at Slough bus station in the early hours of 29 October 2022 is being investigated by Thames Valley Police. Six fire appliances from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) attended the blaze that spread across the entire roof of Slough bus station. Aerial ladder platform deployed Tim Readings, the Group Manager for RBFRS, confirmed that the fire was 20m by 40m in scale, “When they got there, it was a very well-developed fire, the bus was already well-alight...
First launched in 2020, the campaign aims to warn consumers of the dangers related to "zombie" batteries, which can be a potential fire risk if they are thrown away alongside residual waste or via other recycling methods. Instead, it urges consumers to recycle batteries and electronic devices containing batteries using only specialist recycling services. According to the ESA, current statistics suggest that only 40% of local authorities actually offer kerbside collections. Additionally, the c...
Held at the prestigious Aviva headquarters in London on 18 October, the event was organized by the FPA, the Fire Sector Federation (FSF), the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). Shadow Minister for Policing and the Fire Service, Sarah Jones, set the tone for the day by commending the great strides that have been made by the fire sector to push forward the agenda for safer working and living practices in the built environment. However, she noted...
Students at the University of Lincoln have been told to vacate their privately owned accommodation amidst fire safety fears. Around 500 students at the University of Lincoln have been told they need to leave their university accommodation following the results of a recent fire risk assessment. Several issues at the privately owned residential building, The Gateway, were uncovered by independent fire consultants. In particular, they found there was a need to make “improvements to fire...
