Company News

After a fantastic show in 2018, STI will once again be exhibiting at FIREX International hosted at the ExCeL, London in June. Joined by 18,000 fire prevention and protection professionals, STI will be showcasing some exciting product updates. Exhibiting at last year’s show, Steve Hunt, STI Managing Director, said, “FIREX gives the industry and certainly STI an opportunity to showcase its products, both current and new.” Networking “In addition, it’s a great place...

ISSEE has had its core training courses endorsed by the Institute of Explosive Engineers (IExpE), including Explosive Ordnance Disposal Levels 1-3, Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, Counter-Terrorist Search, and many more. IExpE endorsement highlights the academic rigor of ISSEE’s training program. As an endorsed center their courses have been externally verified by the IExpE, checking that there are policies and procedures in place to ensure safe and effective training. It demonstrat...

Force 21 Vietnam officially opened its doors to the local Vietnam market on 9 May 2019. It marked the occasion by having an opening ceremony, where they invited customers, partners, and the Singapore management team to grace the ceremony. Force 21 Vietnam is positioned as a Value-Added Distributor of Smart City products, focusing on the area of Safety and Security. It works closely with the system Integration partners to bring value to their customers in Vietnam. Open concept The new office i...

West Midlands Fire Service is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Sprinkler Week campaign, from 19 to 24 May. NFCC and the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) research into sprinkler systems’ effectiveness and reliability found that they operate on 94% of occasions and extinguish or contain the fire virtually every time. The evidence also demonstrated that in both converted and purpose-built flats, sprinklers are 100% effective in controlling fires. Ins...

As a result of considerable growth within Informa’s Security and Fire portfolios, the IFSEC and FIREX senior leadership team has undergone expansion. Firstly, Informa welcomes Simon Young to IFSEC International & FIREX International as Exhibition Director. Young will be responsible for driving further growth for IFSEC and FIREX exhibitors in the flagship London events and pivot these highly regarded exhibitions into the next stages of success. Simon Young has long-standing expertise...

March Fire Station recently hosted a week-long Safety Zone for primary school students from across Fenland. The Safety Zone, organized by the Fenland Community Safety Partnership, saw more than 450 students attend during the week to help develop their understanding of being safe at home and outdoors. Firefighters from March, along with the Service’s community champions, delivered information about fire safety in the home and staying safe around open water. Other work stations included ro...

mySidewalk is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the renowned information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical, and related hazards. This collaboration project will combine industry-renowned NFPA codes and standards, including NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development and related information, with mySidewalk’s innovative Community Intelligence Platform to create a us...

Keeping the workplace safe is imperative for the wellness of employees as well as customers, no matter the size and industry of the business. Companies put their employees, customers, and reputation when they take Fire Safety for granted. Furthermore, failure to send their employees to Fire Safety Training heightens the risk of accidents and fatal injuries. Maximizing fire safety and productivity in the workplace comes hand in hand. planning and training When there is proper planning and trai...

Fire Safety Training can be easily taken for granted. People are so preoccupied with their daily work and activities that they tend to forget the importance of planning the fire safety of the building. It is important that occupants or employees of a building are aware of the Fire Safety Plan and how to efficiently respond to an emergency without panic or confusion; a proper fire safety training is the key. The lack of planning and training puts everyone at greater risk. Fire safety training...

Residential smoke alarms are reaching new, advanced levels of detection and discrimination, and are being designed to help save more lives. Kidde, continuing its legacy of fire safety innovation, is the first smoke alarm manufacturer to receive certification to the UL Standard for Smoke Alarms, UL 217, 8th Edition, set to take effect in May of 2020. The new Kidde smoke alarms utilize Kidde’s TruSense sensor and are designed to reduce common cooking nuisance alarms and respond faster to di...

Euralarm has released its Annual Report 2018-2019. The period was a year of change for Euralarm. With a new President, Board, General Director and sections leaders in place and the final integration of the extinguishing section in the overall structure, the association is ready for moving forwards into the future.  The annual report covers the period running between the General Assemblies of the association. The report follows the structure of Euralarm, with every section and technical com...

With the recent series of fire breakouts in Australia, practicing Fire Prevention and Safety is a pressing concern in household and retail environments. Thousands of avoidable fires were recorded last year which resulted in loss of lives and serious damage to property costing millions of dollars. This stresses the danger of fire outbreaks and catastrophes they carry. Fire safety should be a primary concern at home and all business establishments. Since the majority of fire outbreaks are caused...

Is it time for the building's annual fire inspection? While a lot of people look at the fire inspection process negatively, these inspections benefit the building/business owners, in addition to those who use the building. Staying compliant means being on top of the most updated fire safety equipment and fire safety laws. fire protection benefits Keep in mind that compliance standards are there to keep people safe! Did users know that most small businesses that experience a big fire never reo...

A number of fire incidents recorded in Australia could have been prevented, most of the causes were avoidable, such as smoking, burning candles, faulty wirings and overheating of appliances. This is why fire safety should be strictly implemented at all costs. Fire protection equipment should be installed in the household or business establishment with adequate fire safety training of occupants and workers. Smoke alarms Among these fire safety equipment is the smoke alarm. Smoke alarms detect...

One of the most crucial safety components in an establishment is its fire protection system. The system must competently be able to detect and extinguish a fire, before it goes out of control. This implies the importance of having the system up to date and dependable. FCF explains in this article the top three signs that a fire protection equipment requires replacement. The system is old The efficiency of a fire protection system depreciates with time. Corrosion and leaks in fire sprinkler sy...

While the investigation continues, preliminary reports from Paris suggest that the April 15, 2019 fire that devastated the 850-year old Notre Dame Cathedral was most likely caused by an electrical short circuit. Firefighters moving quickly up hundreds of steps to reach the attic level where the fire originated were credited with preventing the damage from being even worse. The response of 500 firefighters was able to bring the fire under control within 5 hours, but only after the cathedral&rsqu...

Follow these steps when a required fire protection system is out of service for repair, replacement, or another problem. Like any electronic or mechanical device, fire protection systems require periodic maintenance to assure a high degree of reliability. Occasionally, they are damaged and need repair. Often, they need replacement or upgrades. Regardless of the reason, there are times fire protection systems are shut down on purpose. Shutdown steps If there is a planned shutdown, advise...

Navistar International Corporation was recently recognized by industry solutions advisor Carlisle & Co. for having two of the highest performing parts distribution centers in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors. The Edmonton, Alberta Parts Distribution Center (PDC) was awarded the Top Performing Warehouse in the Truck and Heavy Equipment category for the second consecutive year, while the Queretaro, Mexico PDC was named the second-place honoree. Navistar’s distribution cente...

In Australia, all commercial businesses are required to maintain electrical safety. One important component of Electrical Safety is the installation of RCD Safety Switches. Once the RCD's are installed, they are also required to be tested periodically to ensure they are working correctly. There are RCD Testing Requirements in place help the owner maintain safety and compliance. However, the first question some owners may have is, "what is an RCD?" Frequently Asked Questions About RCD's What i...

Every homeowner should consider having a fire blanket somewhere in their home. After all, you never know when it will be needed. Of course, it is important to make sure that it is out of the way when it is not being used. This way, it will be in good condition in those emergencies. Below is some more information regarding Fire Blankets. Get Familiar With Your Fire Blanket If there is a fire blanket already installed in your home or office it is good to familiarise yourself with it. Take the b...

AS 1851 (stands for Australian Standards 1851) is a set of rules and regulations that ensure building owners are compliant in meeting the safety standards imposed on fire protection systems. These rules and regulations help to ensure all state and Occupational Health & Safety rules are met so the building owner can be sure they are in compliance with all applicable laws. fire protection systems AS 1851 sets the standards for all inspectors, contractors, regulators and business owners in t...

The Australian Standard 1670 (AS1670) outlines the basic requirements when it comes to the design and installation of automatic fire detection as well as alarm systems. The components for the systems are designed and manufactured in line with the AS 1603 standard. emergency warning systems According to the Building Code of Australia (BCA), emergency warning systems fall under three main categories, including: Emergency warning and intercommunication system. Emergency sound and interc...

Commercial business owners need safety devices to prevent worker injuries. Among the events that are known to produce multiple injuries and potential fatalities are fires. The most common fires in these buildings relate to electrical systems and wiring. For this reason, owners must install devices that help gain better control over these events. A Fire Control Panel could be the right answer to this anomaly. However, the first question most business owners have is, "What is a fire control panel...

Foam fire extinguishers have undergone a major transformation over the years. They originally came with a thick and gloopy texture. The foams were rather smelly due to the use of high animal protein content. Conversely, modern Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) is more evolved and advanced. It provides a more effective solution when it comes to fire extinguishing. class A and B fires This type of extinguisher is typically indicated by a blue band above the instructions. It is designed to exting...

AS 1319:1994 is an Australian standard that outlines the need to devise and implement safety signs in a work environment to ensure safe workplace behavior and practices and hazard prevention. These signs help prevent injuries by making sure both employees and visitors are alerted about the likely hazards and dangers ahead in specific environments and situations. The absence of these signs would make it difficult for the people on the floor to react to or escape an industrial accident. More Abo...

Planning for emergencies is an integral part of the safety and security of every organization and its personnel. In 2010, changes were implemented to the AS 3745 Standard by Australian Standards. This standard is also known as Planning for emergencies in facilities. With the new version in place, organizations are encouraged to update their practices and training procedures to comply with the legislation. Following is a brief overview of the differences as presented by the new standards. ECO A...

A Carbon Dioxide Fire extinguisher or Drychem extinguisher is a specific type of fire extinguisher that can be used on electrical fires. This is particularly important for workplaces in Australia that use high-powered equipment or infrastructure. Depending on the nature of the workplace, the user may be required by law and the AS 1851 safety standards to ensure the user has a CO2 fire extinguisher installed. The Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher is one of the 6 types of fire extin...

Childcare centers are tasked with keeping children safe while parents are away, but they also must ensure that kids and staff remain safe in an emergency. Should a fire break out in the facility or nearby, it is crucial to have fire evacuation procedures in childcare in place. Without it, businesses may face legal ramifications and more if the fire causes injuries or death. Australian Authorities have put several standards and policies in place to ensure a professional level of safety. Several...

Electrical fires are far more common than everyone thought and they can happen at just about any time. As such, commercial properties need to be properly equipped to handle the same, if one does occur. Certain types of fire extinguishers are designed to work in the case of electrical fires. These are called Electrical Fire Extinguishers. It is important to understand the nature of electrical fires so you can understand which type of extinguisher is best to use.  fire extinguishers Becaus...

Electric blankets are a money-saving option. They make it easy to stay warm and comfortable without needing to heat a whole home. However, they are not without their risks. Electric Blanket Safety is a serious issue due to the house fires and severe burns they cause every year. In most instances these tragedies are avoidable. Here are a few ways to be a responsible owner of an electric blanket. Tips for Electric Blanket Safety The easiest way to reduce the electric blanket fire risk is to tur...