Interesting Articles / Viewpoint

In the latest reported statistics there were 443 deaths and over 13,00 injuries as a result of fires in the UK. In many cases these casualties could been avoided through the installation of simple fire protection measures. At the most basic level the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms saves many lives each year. Beyond that, it is the suppression and containment systems that can reduce the intensity of a fire, stop the spread of flame and smoke and in the best case scenario, put the fire out before it can take hold.

There have been many improvements in the design and manufacture of products used to provide fire protection in buildings but all these products rely on a good level of installation if they are to perform as intended. Whether it is installing a sprinkler system, a fire door or an intumescent pipe closer, making any sort of error could lead to a catastrophic loss of life or at the very least expensive and unnecessary property damage.

The importance of good installation of fire protection products is recognised in Approved Document B of the Building Regulations. ADB covers all matters concerning fire safety within new build construction. The document makes a clear recommendation to designers and contractors with regards to how they can ensure the best quality of installation when dealing with life safety products.

With insurance losses from fire exceeding £1.2 billion per annum, insurers are also keen to ensure the best possible levels of workmanship. They produce a document called The Design Guide for the Fire Protection of Buildings in which they list 12 essential principles that, if followed, will lead to better designed and protected buildings. Principle 6 states:

So what do ADB and the Essentials Principles Document mean when they refer to independent certification schemes and third party certification? The Ensuring Best Practice document issued in conjunction with the Department for Enterprise gives a very clear definition of what constitutes such a scheme.

The Scheme should include:

Schemes such as FIRAS, operated by Warrington Certification Ltd, meet all these criteria. FIRAS has over 120 member companies installing a range of fire protection products including fire doors, sprinkler systems, steel protection and penetration seals. Every company undergoes stringent checks and auditing to ensure the competence of their workforce and the professionalism of their workmanship. From an awarding contractors point of view, the Certificate of Conformity is invaluable should the unthinkable happen and a fire occur sometime in the future. The Fire Service not only has the power to investigate the cause of a fire but also to look at the deficiencies in the design or construction of a building that may have led to the fire spreading. The Certificate of Conformity is proof that the awarding contractor did everything they could to ensure the competence of their sub-contractor.