FMJ.CO.UK FIRE SAFETY FOCUS
AUGUST 2021 37
boxes than think through the design process.
It is true that performance design, to be done
well, requires a detailed understanding of how
a building will behave in a fire. That is why an
entire specialism of fire engineering has built up.
Sometimes, however, the motivations of the fire
engineer can be questionable – whose interests
do they serve? Their client or the end user? Are
they looking to justify the minimum cost for their
client or the minimum level of safety that they
can comfortably justify and are the
two intrinsically linked?
The Dutch Building
Decree also uses a
performance-based
approach which
takes a particular
approach to
the limitation
of the spread
of smoke. It is
also the only
documentation
in Europe that
specifically sets
out requirements to
limit the development
of smoke.
Most of the countries with
diƒ erent approaches have also
experienced catastrophic fires and these have
o– en shaped their legislation and regulation. In
most countries, fire design has to be considered
at the start of the process, and in others it comes
much later. It is unlikely that any of them get it
entirely right. There has to be a balance between
the essential need to ensure safety and being
so prescriptive that design becomes nearly
impossible. Our experience has been that it is
easier to incorporate the right protection earlier
so that it is considered in the design process.
FIRE SAFETY DESIGN IN THE UK
As mentioned earlier, in the UK, we currently
have a performance-based code. This describes
how a building should behave in terms of fire and
it is then up to the designers to show that the
measures that they have put in place will allow
the building to achieve that performance.
The idea is that this allows designers to be more
creative and still have buildings that perform
well - but interpretation can be diƒ icult. Following
a fire at Lakanal House in 2009, which killed six
people, the coroner at the inquest called Part B
of the Building Regulations, which set out the
performance standard, ‘a most diƒ icult document
to use’.
To complicate matters further, there is not
currently one standard code that the four UK
nations adhere to. Fire safety designers in England
work to Approved Document B, Northern Ireland,
Wales and Scotland follow other guidance. An
example of these diƒ erences is that in England,
Wales and Scotland, combustible cladding is
banned for residential buildings over 18m tall.
With regards to sprinklers - in England, they
are required in buildings above 11m, while in
Scotland, the regulations require sprinklers in all
multi-occupancy residential buildings, regardless
of height, and in Wales any residential building,
regardless of multi-occupancy, needs to have
residential sprinklers. Meanwhile, in Northern
Ireland, a combustible cladding ban has not yet
been introduced, nor has the mandated use of
sprinklers in residential blocks.
With all these seemingly
small (but very important)
diƒ erences between
diƒ erent areas in the
UK and what could
be argued to be an
unhealthy focus on
minimising cost,
have we gone
too far towards
a performance
standard, and away
from prescription,
when it comes to fire
safety and construction
products regulation?
That question is now
starting to be addressed with the
introduction of the Dra– Building Safety
Bill, in addition to similar legislation in Wales
and Scotland, and the Fire Safety Bill, which will
bring forward necessary reforms to the service
and maintenance of high-risk buildings, with a
clear focus on improving both building and fire
safety; it can only be a matter of time before the
NI Executive puts similar measures in place. Each
Government’s objective is for the long-lasting
reform of the building safety system so that
people will be, and will feel, safer in their homes.
And, crucially, they can trust in the competency
of those who are responsible for the service and
maintenance of their building.
HOW TO STAY COMPLIANT
With so many areas to consider when
determining the levels of fire safety in your
buildings, in order to ensure you stay
compliant it’s worth arranging scheduled
maintenance programmes from competent
servicers. Look for those which are certified to
recognised standards; for instance, Colt was the
first company in the UK to be certified to both
IFC SDI 19 and SDI 05, demonstrating not only
our competency in fire strategy, scheme design
and installation but also our high standards of
service.
In addition to keeping your buildings and their
occupants safe, planned and regular maintenance
can extend the life of an item, reducing the
likelihood of downtime. Such a programme also
allows the equipment to be updated in line with
the latest technological advances and standards.
For more information visit www.coltinfo.co.uk
FIRE RISK ASSESMENTS
As the responsible person you must carry out and regularly
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Identify the fire hazards
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Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks
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Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly
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Emergency routes and exits
Fire detection and warning systems
Fire-fighting equipment
The removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
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The needs of vulnerable people, for example the
elderly, young children or those with disabilities
Providing information to employees and other
people on the premises
Staƒ fire safety training
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Most of the countries with
diƚ erent approaches have also
experienced catastrophic fi res and
these have often shaped their legislation
and regulation. In most countries, fi re
design has to be considered at the
start of the process, and in others
it comes much later.ƌ
/www.coltinfo.co.uk
