Fire Protection Association (FPA, UK) News

The Grenfell Inquiry discussed the status of regulation within the professional fire risk assessment service market. This adds to the larger issue of the current landscape of fire safety and the ability of organizations to fulfil specific tasks to a competent standard. Module 3 Opening Statements In the Module 3 Opening Statements (29/03/2021) James Maxwell-Scott QC for RBKC (Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea) highlighted that “Industry practice is likely also to be relevant to...

Essex wood treatment firm, Prime Biomass Ltd created a huge fire safety risk to the local community by storing more than double the agreed limit of wood waste. A jury at the Old Bailey returned unanimous guilty verdicts against two directors of an illegal waste wood operation in Essex. One director was ordered to pay £50,000 in fines, compensation and legal costs while the other faces a five-year ban as a company director. A third director was acquitted by a majority verdict. five-week t...

Marking a year of challenges and change, IFSEC Global reviews a year of fire safety and publishes its list of the top influencers in fire safety. The Fire Safety Annual Report covers a wide range of fire safety topics and looks at how the fire safety industry has responded to Covid-19. In his foreword to the report, Ian Moore, Chief Executive of the Fire Industry Association said: “It has been an unpredictable and a somewhat turbulent year for us all. Broadly speaking, our year...

The confidential reporting system for the building industry now includes fire safety and has been relaunched as CROSS, Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK.  CROSS-UK welcomes reports about fire safety and structural safety issues related to buildings and other structures in the built environment. Reports include information that will help others to learn from safety issues and typically look at concerns, near misses or incidents. Structural Safety’s main function Establ...

The Fire Standards Board for England is seeking views by 9 April on a new overarching standard for Fire Protection. Having recently published the first fire standards focused on operations, the Board is now consulting on two draft standards for protection and prevention. The Fire Standards Board commissioned the development of the Fire Protection Fire Standard through the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Protection Policy and Reform Unit (PPRU). A working group, with representation from ser...

Roy Wilsher steps down as NFCC Chair after four years, handing over to his successor, Mark Hardingham. Created in 2017, the NFCC is the professional voice of the fire and rescue service and builds on the legacy of the Chief Fire Officers Association. Prior to taking on the role of Chair, Roy Wilsher was Chief Fire Officer of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. He was in charge when the Buncefield oil depot exploded in 2005, this was one of the largest fires in Europe since the second wo...

The report puts forward an argument against 'the threat of industrial action', referencing the two strikes that have occurred in the past twenty years over disputes for better working conditions and pay, before a plea to all policymakers to consider removing firefighters’ right to strike entirely.  Tensions are already high in the sector, with one in every five firefighters having been cut from the fire and rescue service since 2010. The report also criticizes the pace of change with...

Robert Jenrick MP, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, announced a “New £30 million fund for leaseholders in England to pay for the installation of fire alarm systems in high-rise buildings with cladding.”  Adding that this will remove or reduce “the need for costly interim safety measures such as waking watch.” Install common fire alarms The written statement continues by saying that “This step is supported...

Data released by the Fire Protection Association (FPA) has revealed the significant financial impact on businesses and key services caused by fires. The analysis of 4,782 major UK fires between January 2009 and December 2019 where the financial loss was £100,000 or more revealed a mean average loss of £657,074 per incident. The analysis focuses on fires in buildings used by private and public sector organizations and residential and mixed multiple occupancy shared ownership building...

A draft of PAS 8672 is now available for public comment and contains competence requirements for the Principal Contractor, a role set out in the Building Safety Bill. The Principal Contractor is one of three roles with oversight of building safety at each stage of the building’s lifecycle. The Principal Contractor will be responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring the building work, and coordinating matters relating to the building work to ensure compliance with all relevant requi...

A SURVEY of leaseholders found that ‘nearly nine in 10’ or 89% who have received external wall fire review (EWS1) checks have been told their buildings require remediation work. Earlier this year, the housing, communities and local government committee (HCLGC) found that ‘fixing fire safety defects’ in high risk residential buildings could cost up to £15bn, and branded the mortgage industry’s cladding form ‘slow and expensive’. The EWS1 process he...

A survey of leaseholders found that ‘nearly nine in 10’ or 89% who have received external wall fire review (EWS1) checks have been told their buildings require remediation work. Recently, the housing, communities, and local government committee (HCLGC) found that ‘fixing fire safety defects’ in high-risk residential buildings could cost up to £15bn, and branded the mortgage industry’s cladding form ‘slow and expensive. EWS1 process The EWS1 process he...

When a CO2 extinguisher is used in a confined space there is danger that the user may become overwhelmed by the sudden increase in carbon dioxide emissions. This occurs as CO2 is an asphyxiant, and the confined space means oxygen will be replaced by CO2 much faster. powder extinguishers Similarly, care must also be taken when using powder extinguishers. When the powder is discharged it can impair visibility and impact the breathing of the user, possibly jeopardizing their escape.  The p...

When a CO2 extinguisher is used in a confined space there is a danger that the user may become overwhelmed by the sudden increase in carbon dioxide emissions. This occurs as  CO2 is an asphyxiant, and the confined space means oxygen will be replaced by CO2 much faster. Similarly, care must also be taken when using powder extinguishers. When the powder is discharged it can impair visibility and impact the breathing of the user, possibly jeopardizing their escape. The possibility of the powd...

When a CO2 extinguisher is used in a confined space there is a danger that the user may become overwhelmed by the sudden increase in carbon dioxide emissions. This occurs as CO2 is an asphyxiant, and the confined space means oxygen will be replaced by CO2 much faster. Using powder extinguishers Similarly, care must also be taken when using powder extinguishers. When the powder is discharged it can impair visibility and impact the breathing of the user, possibly jeopardizing their escape. The...

Leaders from across the fire safety sector offered their expertise on how they believe the industry has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what their various associations have been doing to support their members. Presentations come from the heads of the Fire Industry Association (FIA), Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), Fire Sector Federation and Fire Protection Association. Social distancing rules Following the presentations, speakers took audience questions, coverin...

Discussions with architects, developers and others, as well as main contractors when discussing areas of a sprinklered building frequency relate to areas where sprinkler protection can be omitted. One concern often raised with the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) is the possibility of injury or damage when sprinkler protection is installed in electrical utility rooms.  BS 5306 Part 0 standards The forthcoming iteration of BS 5306 Part 0 standards contains advice on the...

The government announced the publication of its response to the consultation it undertook on ADB, publishing at the same time an amendment to ADB that ‘extends the provision of sprinklers in blocks of high-rise residential buildings to those buildings with a top floor height of 11 meters above ground level’. This announcement also contained ‘new guidance on consistent wayfinding signage’ for fire and rescue service (FRS) personnel in such buildings. mixed-use and reside...

The government announced the publication of its response to the consultation it undertook on ADB, publishing at the same time an amendment to ADB that ‘extends the provision of sprinklers in blocks of high-rise residential buildings to those buildings with a top floor height of 11 meters above ground level’. New guidance on consistent wayfinding signage This announcement also contained ‘new guidance on consistent wayfinding signage’ for fire and rescue service (FRS) per...

Instead of the Fire Safety Event, which was meant to take place in late April 2020 (postponed until September 2020), Nineteen Group hosted an online webinar event (15/05/2020) to discuss current fire topics. Several notable fire safety specialists discussed different topics, but the overarching topic was how the coronavirus pandemic will affect fire safety and any additional changes it will require. COVID-19 safety measures Niall Rowan, CEO - ASFP, noted Dame Judith Hackitt’s comments t...

In lieu of the Fire Safety Event which was meant to take place late April this year (now postponed until September), Nineteen Group hosted an online webinar event to discuss current fire topics. A number of notable fire safety specialists discussed different topics, but the overarching topic was how the coronavirus pandemic will affect fire safety and any additional changes it will require. Niall Rowan, CEO - ASFP, noted Dame Judith Hackitt’s comments that the previously thought difficult...

In these unprecedented times, as the UK’s national fire safety organization, the Fire Protection Association is offering businesses its wealth of knowledge and advice. Of particular relevance to the coronavirus crisis is ‘Unauthorized occupation of non-residential premises’ – a guide to managing the risk, which is available as a free download. As many businesses have had to move out of their buildings temporarily – and at some speed, owners may not have had time to...

Rethinking fire toxicity – inaugural conference featuring speakers from across the globe – focus on long-term effects of firefighter health. As part of the review of Building Regulations (Approved Document B), and in response to emerging evidence on long-term firefighter health issues, the government is investigating whether the effects of fire toxicity should be a legal requirement when choosing materials for high risk buildings. To assist in this research, the Fire Protection Asso...

FPA’s first Building a safer future seminar of 2020 attracted over 150 delegates to London to hear the latest updates from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. The expert speakers discussed competency, governmental and regulatory changes ahead, third party certification (TPC), dilemmas for the fire and rescue service (FRS) and toxicity. FPA’s managing director Jonathan O’Neill opened by ‘tracking the progress’ of the government’s recent announceme...

The Fire Protection Association’s (FPA) Building a Safer Future Seminar, held on Monday, January 27th, 2020 in London (sponsored by BAFE), played out the on-going discussion of competency within both the combined construction and fire safety industries. Chair of the event and Managing Director of the FPA, Jonathan O’Neill OBE, opened the seminar affirming his continued “whole-hearted” support for Third Party Certification, stating “I have been banging the drum for...

The recent ban on combustible building materials by the government was for buildings over 18 meters – or six storeys high. The Cube student block in Bolton (providing student accommodation in a six storey block) which caught fire on Friday provides a stark reminder that the problem facing UK fire safety is the result of many issues and not just Grenfell style ACM cladding. Although the final details have not yet been released, there are a number of key issues reported, all of which are re...

The FPA Managing Director Jonathan O’Neill thought it was important to chair the Fire Sector Summit to stress his feelings towards the current state of the fire industry. He opened the event commending the Fire and Rescue Services but commented “Please don’t see Sir Martin [Moore-Bick]’s comments and recommendations [regarding the Grenfell Tower fire] as an attack. See them as an opportunity.” “If Dame Judith Hackitt gets her way you will likely to be asked t...

Mr. Passey stated that they’re looking at a ‘new world order’, noting multiple changes recommended in Dame Judith Hackitt’s post-Grenfell Review that will dramatically alter the landscape of premises management which ‘some of us won’t recognize’. One of these changes he notes is that ‘duty holders should ensure that any recommendations outlined in the fire risk assessment are undertaken and completed in a timely manner.’ He adds to this, as...

At the UK Construction Week (UKCW) 2019 event, day one focused heavily on the fire safety and what actions are being taken in the construction industry to prevent further tragedy. Attending the show, BAFE observed an industry that is responding to the fire safety issue, but more action is required and fast. This comes just days after Dame Judith Hackitt told the industry to not wait for regulations to ‘raise the bar’. On the UKCW main stage, ‘Building Safe Homes: When will the...

Recently there have been five UK fires in commercial and residential timber framed buildings. Fires which have put multiple lives and property at risk. The Worcester Park fire in September saw a four-story block of flats destroyed and families lose their homes and belongings. Despite the widely reported tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017 and the progress made from the Independent Review of Building Regulations by Dame Judith Hackitt, fires are not decreasing in frequency, size or impact. The Fir...