HazMat Protection Accessories news

JBM Power will expand the offerings of the ARA Electrical division, increasing ARA capabilities across Australia. As at 1 April 2021, the ARA Group acquired JBM Power, designer and manufacturer of switch boards and switch rooms. Mr Edward Federman, ARA Executive Chairman and Managing Director stated: “The acquisition of JBM Power completes our turnkey offering and truly does make ARA Electrical a one stop shop in the market. The switch room business will also provide opportuniti...

UKAS is delighted to announce that Lorraine Turner, UKAS Accreditation Director, has been appointed as a Member of the newly formed Interim Industry Competence Committee (IICC). The formation of the IICC coincides with the recent announcement of the Building Safety Bill in Parliament by Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing. The Bill outlines a program of actions aimed at preventing a recurrence of the problems that contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire. Foremost amongst these meas...

Fire and rescue services received money from the Housing Ministry to pay for work to review risks on residential buildings higher than 18 meters. The £6 million grant helped services like South Yorkshire to employ specialist staff to identify and review buildings in their area. South Yorkshire received £126,000 from the grant as part of the Building Risk Review program. Initially, fire and rescue services focused on identifying buildings with ACM cladding. The current phase of work...

High-rise buildings on an inspection list are not inherently unsafe say fire officers, as they report good progress in their mission to visit every high-rise residential block in South Yorkshire. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) has published the list of high-rise residential buildings forming part of its ‘Building Risk Review’ project.  The list includes buildings identified by the central government plus extra buildings identified by the SYFR- which made the deci...

A natural part of business is allocating and reallocating investments and resources into various areas. And, often, each department is asked to achieve more with less, pioneering to difficult decisions in order to achieve business goals. One key area where there can’t be any compromise is protecting workers from accidents, injuries, and illnesses while they’re on the job. When creating a safety plan for lone workers, companies often need to broaden their definition of what a lone wo...

In focus contains contributions from the four existing Police Fire and Crime Commissioners and two PCC candidates looking to take on fire. Since the PCC elections in May this year, the number of Conservative PCCs has expanded to 30 and they are now far in the majority across England. Prior to the May elections, the Home Office published the first part of a review into PCCs and made it clear they wanted to expand the model across the country. The much-trailed Fire White Paper will cont...

The UK’s national fire safety organization, the Fire Protection Association (FPA), is further developing its collaboration with UL, a global pioneer in safety science, to support fire testing in the UK by expanding testing and laboratory capacities at the FPA’s test laboratory in Blockley, Gloucestershire. UL is investing in the installation of fire-resistance test furnaces at the FPA’s test laboratory. As part of the collaboration, tests for fire resistance, which form the ba...

The UK’s national fire safety organization, the Fire Protection Association (FPA), is further developing its collaboration with UL, a global leader in safety science, to support fire testing in the UK by expanding testing and laboratory capacities at the FPA’s test laboratory in Blockley, Gloucestershire. UL is investing in the installation of fire-resistance test furnaces at the FPA’s test laboratory. As part of the collaboration, tests for fire resistance, which form the bas...

The FPA has published a technical questionnaire developed by RISCAuthority to be completed at the design stage of building planning. The questionnaire is designed to elicit technical information around quality assurance where Modular Building methods have been used, to assist insurers with understanding the building design and construction system. The key challenges addressed are the insurance perils of fire and water exposure. Technical Checklist for England Modules are large and heavy compo...

One of UKAS’ current Strategic Priorities is to develop a secure, online and free-to-use database of certifications that have been issued by the accredited Certification Bodies. This database will present information on each organization holding accredited certification from a UKAS-accredited Certification Body, including details of the organization, scope and the awarding Certification Body.  As such, the database will allow organizations, public bodies and Government agencies that...

While other industries are struggling to survive, let alone grow, demand for security services continues at a pace. Given this relatively healthy state of affairs, the fact that the industry has a skills shortage is, on the face of it, baffling. However, scratch the surface and the reasons for the current situation become apparent. Time For Action The hard truth is that when a young person is choosing a career, the security industry isn’t usually on their list, which makes attracting the...

In the upcoming weeks, further restrictions regarding COVID safety may be reduced or completely removed following assessments by Governments across the nation. This poses important steps for fire safety service providers/contractors, including reviewing their own COVID-19 safety policies in the interest of employee and client safety.  BAFE would like to offer the following guidance considering the removal or reduction of restrictions: Continue to exercise a risk-based approach prior to...

With the travel and social contact restrictions imposed around the world as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, accreditation and conformity assessment bodies turned to technology in order to continue their work remotely. Remote Audit/Assessment Survey A survey is now being run jointly by IAF, ILAC and ISO to better understand the views of the conformity assessment community and those that rely on the results of conformity assessment, on the use of remote techniques for audit/assessment/ev...

UKAS has welcomed the introduction of the Building Safety Bill in Parliament this week and in particular the role that accreditation is expected to play in ensuring the competence of certain key duty-holder roles. In an accompanying Factsheet to the Bill, the government has said: “The industry should continue to develop sector-specific competence frameworks which can be used to assess the competence of individuals. Organizations wishing to assess individuals against these frameworks...

On Monday 5th July 2021, the Building Safety Bill was published. In their press release, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, and The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP state this “will create lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.” Building Safety Regulator The newly established Building Safety Regulator “will oversee the new regime and w...

A massive fire service recruitment drive aims to boost its work enforcing safety laws. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has (Wednesday 7 July) launched a major new campaign calling on people to consider a role within its business fire safety team. The team is responsible for everything from inspecting businesses and licensing fireworks retailers to checking high-rise buildings – work which has increased significantly following the Grenfell Tower disaster. fire safety officers Area...

Kokosing Materials, Inc. (KMI) has been in the asphalt production business since 1980 and operates 17 asphalt plants and two asphalt cement terminals throughout the state of Ohio. Given the operational risks of asphalt plants, the company places a high emphasis on all aspects of team members’ well-being, including physical, psychological, and emotional health. This has led to KMI adopting a holistic, human-centered approach to safety and team member engagement, where managers travel to ea...

Drones equipped with microphone arrays will help rescue workers in disaster areas to find and rescue survivors more quickly. They will detect cries for help and signals from buried victims from the air and simultaneously pinpoint their location. Macarena Varela, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, is developing this technology to help victims in situations where every second counts. Equipped with Latest technology Varela descr...

Over the course of the past seven months, UKAS has been building on the early success of the Risk-Based project, working with technical experts and industry stakeholders to tailor it to meet the needs of the Construction Testing customers. The approach has been developed with input from the assessment managers, executive team, and advisory committees and has been designed to: Standardizes and structures considerations to improve the consistency of outcomes for customers. Move away from a on...

In a post-pandemic world, the outlook on workplace safety is changing. While physical and economic recovery is critical, organizations are placing an equally large focus on the psychological toll the pandemic and other aspects of the workplace have had on individuals in the past. Holistic approach This change in outlook is centered around implementing a holistic approach to health and safety, prioritizing all aspects of employee wellbeing. It’s a conversation that is no longer only taki...

The second phase of the Modifiable Underwater Mothership (MUM) project has now been initiated, following the handing down of a funding decision by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In the presence of all six partner organizations, Norbert Brackmann, the German government's coordinator for the maritime industry, presented the funding notification at the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel. Alexander Nies of the Fraunhofer FKIE Cyber Analysis & Defense Depa...

BAFE Registered Company, Bryland Fire Protection, designed and installed fire detection and gaseous fire suppression systems to safeguard the 10MW data center. Bryland announced their completion of a 2-year multi-million-pound project designing and installing fire protection systems for a new 10MW data center. gaseous suppression system In news from Bryland, Graham Turner, Managing Director - Bryland Fire Protection, explained "As this client specializes in providing telecommunications, prote...

Firefighters in South Yorkshire have started carrying fire escape hoods to protect members of the public from toxic smoke at fires. The smoke hoods provide members of the public with up to 15 minutes of protection from four of the main fire gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride, and acrolein) and can be worn by conscious or unconscious people. If more than 15 minutes of protection is required then another hood can be given to each wearer. They do not provide oxygen but te...

Chris Auger, Director of Schemes, joins Interim Industry Competence Committee (IICC). BAFE is proud to announce that Chris Auger, Director of Schemes, has accepted an invitation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to be a member of the Interim Industry Competence Committee (IICC). The committee has been established to act in an advisory position which will support the HSE’s Building Safety Regulator (BSR). The committee will aid in developing new regulatory measures regarding l...

Did they remember to schedule that fire risk assessment? They’re sure they did, but they’re just not 100%. They’ll have to pull out the “Excel spreadsheet of doom” and find the fire risk assessment tab. Not the quickest task to do at 4:30 pm on a Friday. Managing the fire risk assessments when they run a large property portfolio can be a headache. Tools like Excel and Google Calendar can help, but they’re not really fit for purpose, certainly once they start...

Big Bear Fire Department received a report of an aircraft down in a residential area at the corner of Meadow Lane and Nana Avenue in Big Bear City. Upon arrival at the scene, a single-engine plane was found to have crashed into a vacant lot. Fire crews observed a fire to the aircraft, nearby fence, and outbuilding that sustained minor damage. The pilot and passenger were pulled to safety by nearby bystanders. Bear Valley Electric crews Help restore power The victims sustained moderate to seri...

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) and National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have come together to produce a new Code of Practice to bring clarity to the use of premises information boxes for residential buildings. The Code of Practice for the Provision of Premises Information Boxes in Residential Buildings is in response to recommendations about fire safety information made by the Grenfell Inquiry. One of the recommendations focused on the provision of premises information boxes and this new Co...

The digital ingredient brand Twiceme Technology has joined forces with the Italian multisports brand Dainese to increase safety within the mountain bike segment. The Italian brand leaves no stone unturned in order to figure out how technology and innovation can be used to create the safest helmets out there while placing a large focus on usability. This mission compelled them to create the lightest full-face helmet ever made weighing in at a mere 570g even though it is filled to the br...

Leicester City’s new training facilities feature hotel-style accommodation that would not be out of place in a five-star resort. Each ensuite bedroom features a Scrigno pocket door from Boss Door Controls. Leicester City’s new training facilities near Seagrave is a state-of-the-art sports science resource. As well as pitches and sports facilities, it features hotel-style accommodation that would not be out of place in a five-star resort. Each ensuite bedroom features a Scrigno pocke...

More residents than ever to benefit from sprinklers in their homes as Nottingham City Council funds fire safety improvements in their housing stock. Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, Nottingham City Council agreed to an £8.5 million fire safety enhancement program. Nottingham City Homes manage the Council’s housing stock and have overseen fire safety works in low-rise and high-rise blocks across the city. Nottingham City Homes The program of works has led to sprinklers be...