Fire Safety Risk Assessment - News

Wildland firefighting has always faced many challenges, but the challenges have increased as wildland fires have grown in size and magnitude, over the last 25 years. During a fire, wildland firefighters face long hours dealing with challenging and changing conditions. Wildland firefighters spend the majority of their time on their feet, walking over rugged and steep terrain, in hot temperatures, all while carrying the gear that they need for extended time, out on the fire line.   Imp...

On Tuesday, July 20, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is hosting “Community Risk Reduction: Insights into Action,” a one-day program that focuses on the issues fire departments and other public safety officials often face in mitigating safety risks, along with solutions, tools, and strategies to address those challenges. The program is part of the association’s virtual 125th Anniversary Conference Series, which replaces the traditional in-person 2021 NFPA C...

The fire safety industry is widely welcoming the campaign by AEI Cables to highlight the importance of using only approved cabling in signal and control equipment. The company has been advising the industry of the requirements under the revised version of the Code of Practice for Category 3 fire performance cables. The systems powered by these cables, including smoke and heat extraction systems, assist fire services in firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety. AEI Cables&r...

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...

More than 80 staff from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service took part in a major incident training exercise aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Fort Austin, the first for 18 months due to coronavirus. Part of an initiative with Cammell Laird, the training exercise put 10 fire and rescue teams through their paces with two different emergency scenarios - both set on the 23,384-tonne vessel which is berthed at Cammell Laird’s facility in Bidston, Wirral. The first scenario involved...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has announced the expansion of its Tyco corridor sprinkler family, with the launch of the Series RFII-C Royal Flush II Quick Response Concealed Pendent sprinkler. Corridor sprinklers Along with the recently released EC-8C Light Hazard Quick Response sprinkler, the corridor sprinkler family offers the cost-saving benefits of needing fewer sprinklers at lower design pressure, compared to standard covera...

Rainwear is a category of PPE that is as important as others. However, this category has often been put on the back burner in favor of other categories, namely safety shoes, gloves, eye & ear protection, etc. Why? Simply because rain isn’t an everyday thing. But businesses must understand that they can’t just discount the need for rainwear, simply due to the occasional nature of rain. If it rains and the need for rainwear pertains, they must have the ‘right’ PPE at t...

In anticipation of the upcoming Fire White Paper, the Fire Minister launched a new website called 'Fire England', where the government is now hosting 'trusted, transparent, and consistent' information about fire.    Previous Fire Ministers have trailed the creation of a fire-focused website for England, but it has not materialized until now. Unusually, this new website is located at www.fireengland.uk and not part of the standard gov.uk domain. Fire Kills campaign Fir...

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...

MSA Safety Incorporated, the pioneer in the development, manufacture, and supply of sophisticated safety solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures, announces a new partnership with UK-based non-profit FIRE AID to help protect firefighters in developing countries. The program will help deploy repurposed Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) to firefighters in developing countries, who oftentimes may have limited access to protective equipment. “MSA's mission is to see...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings announced the expansion of its Tyco corridor sprinkler family with the launch of the Series RFII-C Royal Flush II Quick Response Concealed Pendent sprinkler. Along with the recently released EC-8C Light Hazard Quick Response sprinkler, the corridor sprinkler family offers the cost-saving benefits of needing fewer sprinklers at lower design pressure compared to standard coverage sprinklers. UL Listed sprinklers...

BAFE are 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 life safety within the new and current built environment. Chris Auger joins Interim Indu...

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...

Nine years on from starting her career at a Norfolk company which helps keeps people and businesses safe worldwide, Laura Hutt is taking on the role of operations manager. Laura joined Britannia Fire in October 2012, and is now taking on the senior post at the company based near Wymondham. She said: “It is something I have been working towards by understanding the business and the manufacturing process. It was the perfect opportunity and time for me to accept this promotion.” The n...

It’s nearly that time of the year when schools break up for their six-week summer break, the perfect opportunity for schools to get on top of their maintenance, cleaning, and even upgrading their fire alarm system. Major works to the system are often done in the summer holidays as it causes huge disruption to the site and can require several weeks or even months to complete. Something to bear in mind when working on educational premises is that they are one of the biggest culprits for fal...

FIA released Fact File 90: Video Fire Detectors and Detection Systems. This FIA Fact File introduces ISO/TS 7240-29, the new ISO Technical Specification (TS) published in June 2017. It gives information as to the nature and content of the standard to assist manufacturers of video fire detectors (VFDs) in achieving design compliance. The Fact File also discusses the recent BRE/FIA collaborative research project aimed at developing repeatable test methods for testing video fire detectors. It als...

MSA Safety, an industry-leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of safety products the world over, announced the introduction of the GALLET F2XR rescue helmet. It is the first and only firefighters’ helmet on the market that can be used in a wide range of applications, including wildland firefighting and technical rescue operations, including responding to road traffic collisions, rescue at height, and water rescue operations. The F2XR helmet is produced at MSA’s design and...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) is partnering with technology firm - NBS to help architects and designers specify passive fire protection products and systems when looking at building safety design. In a win-win approach, those using the NBS cloud-based platform can now have access to appropriate high-quality guidance and technical content, helping them to produce accurate and structured specifications.  Providing product information It will also assist ASFP member...

Working with industry experts, the FPA has published a concise guide for sprinkler owners and specialist sprinkler maintenance contractors to inspect, test and maintain sprinkler systems to meet the required standards. Sprinkler system service and maintenance: guidance, records and checklists is supported and funded by RISCAuthority and is endorsed by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA). Maintaining sprinkler systems The guide is freely available to download here and cont...

Working on an assembly line can be physically demanding and exhausting, wearing the correct safety equipment and workwear will help to keep users safe and may even help with comfort levels when working. There are many dangers and hazards when working on an assembly line, whether that’s in the packaging industry, automotive industry, or even food production industry. Clothing can get caught in machinery and if users don’t have tear-away clothing, it may lead to physical danger....

Under the leadership of IAFF Financial Corporation (IAFF-FC) Chief Executive Officer Ed Kelly and the Board of Directors, Kurt Becker has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the IAFF-FC. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the IAFF, the IAFF-FC provides financial services and investment and insurance products to members and their families. Becker, a 22-year veteran firefighter and affiliate leader with the Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri, began his new role on June 1 and immediate...

Despite the many hardships faced over the last year’s dealer network successfully rose to the challenge of safely providing sales and service support to their customers. Pellerin Laundry Machinery Sales Company (PLMSCO), headquartered in Kenner, LA, was awarded First Place for overall machinery sales amongst the worldwide distributor network in 2020. Providing product solutions “The strength of our network of local dealers provided the reassuring availability of parts, service and...

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...

Dräger, an international pioneer in the field of safety technology announces the appointment of AWC, Inc., an industrial controls technology company founded in 1965 with offices in nine states and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The organization will represent and promote Dräger’s fixed flame and gas detection systems portfolio sales in the states of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama. “We are very pleased and excited to partner with AWC as an official manufacturer...

Three fire and rescue staff from South Yorkshire are named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021. Jess Grayson Control room operator - Jess Grayson has been awarded the British Empire Medal. She was named a BEM for services to mental health, having used her own mental health experiences to spearhead attempts to tackle the well-being issues firefighters and other emergency services workers face. Alongside her day-to-day duties in the control room Jess, a Watch Manager, also trained resili...

Firefighters from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) will be supporting Sheffield GP practices by delivering COVID-19 vaccines. This comes just over a month after several fire service volunteers were trained up as vaccinators by St John Ambulance, and is part of a huge national effort from fire services across the country to help with the pandemic response. vaccinations at practices The agreement struck by Chief Fire Officer, Alex Johnson, and pioneers at NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissi...

BAFE statement on the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire. BAFE would like to recognize the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Fire and pay respects to all the people who lost loved ones and their homes because of this event.   Regrettably, the fire highlighted multiple areas where substantial change is required to maintain a safe environment for people in their homes. BAFE has strong objectives to be part of this positive change to improve the fire safety arena and will c...

Osage Beach Fire District hired 3 new firefighters. Probationary firefighters once hired are required to work a 40-hour week of training preparing them for their first 48-hour shift with their assigned shifts. Learning the basics  During this 40-hour week, the newly hired firefighters learn the basics, including but not limited to, hose deployment, rope rescue, and auto extrication.    This 40-hour week also gives the new firefighters a chance to meet everyone they may not wor...

Emergency responders will receive worker protections from COVID-19 under an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The Occupational Exposure to COVID-19, Emergency Temporary Standard establishes protections for workers who are exposed to COVID-19 in settings where people with COVID-19 are reasonably expected to be present. Inclusions in ETS The ETS applies to healthcare workers, including emergency responders, while...