The Government has written to council leaders, building inspectors and fire chiefs to highlight new recommendations for building safety, following a damning report on current building regulations and compliance in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy that killed 71 in June last year.
The interim report from the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety published in December 2017 found poor enforcement of regulations is “leaving room for those who want to take shortcuts to do so.”
Furthermore a lack of clarity about roles and duties throughout the system mean “people are not aware of their responsibilities and often assume they are for someone else to do.”
A circular letter sent out in response by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government sets out three recommendations it considers “essential requirements for delivering safe buildings within the current regulatory framework,” to be implemented immediately.
The letter recommends input and support from fire and rescue services is sought “at the earliest stage possible so that fire safety can be fully designed in,” after the report found “fire and rescue service personnel may raise concerns about compliance...which are not acted upon because of cost, because the building work is too far advanced to make changes or because their advice is ignored.“
To bridge gaps in fire safety information transfer between those undertaking construction and those managing the building once occupied, the letter's recommendation states building control bodies must ensure this information is transferred and seek proof of the transfer taking place.
Finally, building developers must implement a formal review and handover process before any part of a new high-rise building is occupied, to ensure that in cases of partial occupancy safety alterations identified during completion can be properly incorporated.
The interim report also recommended fire risk assessments of high rise and complex buildings be undertaken “at least annually” and whenever significant changes are made.
Currently there are no statutory registration or accreditation requirements for fire risk assessors undertaking risk assessments on complex and high-risk buildings in the UK, compared with stringent competency rules practised by other countries including the USA, China and Dubai.
Chair of the review Dame Judith Hackitt said she was “shocked” by some practices revealed so far.
“As the review has progressed, it has become clear that the whole system of regulation, covering what is written down and the way in which it is enacted in practice, is not fit for purpose, leaving room for those who want to take shortcuts to do so.”
“What is initially designed is not what is being built, and quality assurance of materials and people is seriously lacking,” she said. “I have been shocked by some of the practices I have heard about.”
Institute of Fire Safety Managers welcomed all of the interim report's recommendations for improvements.
The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) also lent its backing. Chair Paul Fuller said “The FSF has long expressed concern about the current system of fire safety regulation and enforcement and the clear need to define competency requirements for all professionals involved.”
“We strongly support the call for clearly defined responsibility throughout a building’s lifecycle and for the establishment of formal accreditation and raised levels of competence for all those engaged in fire prevention within the built environment.”
The final report from the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety is due in May 2018.
Whale Fire is fully accredited to carry out both residential fire risk assessments and commercial fire risk assessments. Email info@whalefire.co.uk or call 0800 772 0738 for a quote, or read our FAQ on fire risk assessments to find out more about current regulations and how we can help you comply.
Whale Fire provide the Howard De Walden Estate with their fire safety services carrying out fire risk assessments to over 200 properties in and around the Marylebone area. This area is very busy and vibrant with many retail shops and restaurants located along the popular Marylebone High Street and Marylebone Lane. The buildings vary vastly in their age, history, usage and complexity. They range from very traditional purpose-built developments to modern and older converted and terraced buildings used for medical, office and commercial purposes.
Each building is different and has its own challenges so when we carry out fire risk assessments we have to take into account various factors such as the number of floors, reciprocal means of escape routes and shared usage. Some buildings have dental surgeries and may have occupants under sedation whilst other parts of the building house commercial offices and residential flats. The occupants may all share the same escape routes. We have to design a fire alarm system and fire safety strategy which will ensure all occupants can safely escape and works for the building as a whole.
We also complete the emergency plans for the Howard De Walden Estate and have to ensure that buildings which are residential only have a management strategy in place to ensure the tenants can self-evacuate immediately. Where dental surgeries and commercial offices are involved we need to ensure they have the right fire training in place to manage a fire evacuation.
Some properties may require a delayed system of five minutes before the system goes into full alert (two-stage fire alarm) which depends heavily on having competent staff members managing the situation when the alarm actuates.
Establishing a ‘cause and effect’ approach to fire detection systems can help identify the correct category of system designed to achieve the intended outcome on a building-by-building basis.
We have assisted with designing new fire safety guidance which deals exclusively with mixed use properties (residential, commercial and medical) and in varying combinations. The factors that need to be introduced include how a fire alarm system deals with this mixed use and the compartmentation and separation between the different uses of the building. The one-hour fire separation between premises can be deemed satisfactory from a life safety risk assessment perspective when combined with additional factors such as fire alarms, life suppression systems (when required) and reciprocal management procedures.
Our fire safety guidance deals with taller buildings of over 7-8 storeys high which impacts upon fire brigade access, water supplies, location of utilities to isolate, Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) and smoke control switches, etc. The requirements may differ if the building has a mixed occupation but it is important that fire safety guidance and a comprehensive fire risk assessment identify how the height of a building, travel distance and building usage can impact upon the speed of evacuation. This in turn can determine what is required to ensure that evacuation can be carried out in a safe and controlled manner.
Working in and around the Marylebone area we need to be aware that many buildings are listed and within conservation areas. This can severely limit what changes can be made to the compartmentation within a building such as replacing non-fire resisting glazing and fire doors. Therefore we need a flexible approach and can consider introducing compensating factors which can be used as alternatives, such as AOV systems, fire curtains, sprinklers, etc., when the compartmentation within the building cannot be brought up to a satisfactory level.
This puts a greater emphasis on management and being highly dependent on staff members to implement plans. Management systems need to be introduced in buildings of mixed use where there can be some human intervention (for example, by reception staff) and reciprocal arrangements need to be in place. It must be understood by tenants that they cannot, for example, use lifts and ensured they have a clear understanding of how to evacuate their building, the location of escape routes and where to assemble. We also need to ensure evacuation plans are in place when there are flats only and residents may need to evacuate by themselves, perhaps in the middle of the night.
Below is a list of items that we also consider when carrying out fire risk assessments to these properties, using a variety of fire safety guides such as the HM Government’s ‘Sleeping Accommodation’ Guide’, ‘Lacors’ and ‘Purpose Built Block of Flats’ guide.
· Unoccupied basements/cellars
· Surface finishes to escape routes
· Buildings converted into self-contained flats
· Flats in multiple occupation/mixed use buildings
· Roof exits
· External staircases
· Dead end escape routes
· History/risk of domestic fires
· Law/legislation/overlapping
· Means of escape specific to flats
· Means of escape for flats not meeting current building regulations
· Refuse/chute rooms
· External fire spread
· Engaging with residents
Other considerations include:
· Medical premises with the possibility of bedbound or sedated patients
· Disabled occupants in residential properties
· Electrical safety/building works and the various impacts on risk
· Managing risk, engaging with residents and the human element of sleeping/drunk/intoxicated residents, etc.
· Dependence on AFA systems and AOVs, automated evacuation systems, fire service arrival without staff intervention, fire service access to zone maps, isolation points, disabled refuges, fire service switches, fire curtains, fire dampers, etc.
Introducing a framework on which to put together a fire safety design guide to suit a whole range of different buildings is good for the fire safety management in a building. In addition to using a risk assessment approach for each building, we have established consistency and a reference point when making and justifying a decision based on the appropriate level of risk.
Whale Fire carries out fire risk assessments and a whole range of fire safety solutions throughout the UK. For more information, email info@whalefire.co.uk or call free on 0800 772 0738.
What is an emergency plan?
An emergency plan is a formal, predetermined procedure that is carried out in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or on hearing an alarm. This procedure denotes a scheme of manoeuvres which is designed to get everybody out of the building as quickly and as safely as possible. Emergency plans are hugely important and should be regarded just as highly as a fire extinguisher or a fire risk assessment within any business or organisations fire safety measures. Having a detailed and comprehensive emergency plan needs to be in place in order to be compliant with current law, and all members of staff or residents need to know exactly what the emergency plan is.
Whale Fire have gained a lot of experience in emergency planning for fire, and with the knowledge and insight learnt from working within the fire service, we’re able to create bespoke plans for every kind of building or premises from huge office blocks with hundreds of members of staff to small purpose-built blocks of flats, and everything in between. Our emergency plans cover the following:
What to do in the event of a fire
How people will be warned of fire
The identification of all escape routes
The location and use of fire-fighting equipment
The duties and responsibilities of fire wardens and selected members of staff
The safe evacuation of any disabled persons and any visitors to the premises
How and by whom the fire brigade will be called
Procedures for liaising with the fire brigade upon their arrival
Identification of utility isolation points such as gas, water and electricity
Our comprehensive and bespoke emergency plans cover both commercial and residential premises and we work closely with health and safety managers, landlords and property management companies to create the best plan for everyone. We can also create Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS) for disabled occupants who may need help evacuating a building. Whatever you requirement, we can provide you and your staff members with a comprehensive emergency plan tailored for you.
For more information, email info@whalefire.co.uk or call free on 0800 772 0738.
Doors designed to last 30 minutes were destroyed in 15, say Met Police, breaking fire door regulations.
The tests were undertaken as part of the criminal investigation into the West London blaze which killed 71 last June.
Current regulations state all fire doors must be able to withstand fire for at least thirty minutes to meet the requirements set out by British Standard BS476-22. However doors of the same type used in Grenfell Tower were destroyed in just 15 minutes, half as long as certified.
Research by magazine Inside Housing showed 44 housing associations and councils are now in the process of verifying the safety of their fire doors since the findings of the investigation were released last week.
Five said they believed they may have doors from the same manufacturer of the Grenfell doors that failed the tests, Manse Masterdor, among their stock.
Barking and Dagenham council confirmed that some of their fire doors in use were Manse Masterdor FD30, the type that failed the most recent tests. A spokesperson for the East London authority said:
"The type of doors fitted were fire-resistance-tested by the company and met the expected 30-minute time to failure test."
However the council said it is considering upgrading its doors to those designed to withstand 60 minutes of fire.
10 more landlords, including Optivo, Riverside and Home Group stated they plan to undertake extra checks following last week's findings.
The Manse Masterdor FD30 doors were manufactured by Manse Masterdor in 2013. The company is no longer trading, and currently going through liquidation under a new name, having been acquired by Synseal in 2014.
According to Inside Housing, there are numerous Manse Masterdor doors fitted throughout Kensington and Chelsea Council's housing stock, which included Grenfell Tower, and they are likely installed in many other social housing blocks elsewhere.
A survivor of the tragedy called the findings "shocking", and said more must be done to make homes safe from fire risk.
Natasha Elcock, part of the bereaved and survivors' group Grenfell United, told the Independent: "It's shocking – first the cladding and insulation then the doors, who knows what else is putting people's lives at risk. It's time people's lives are taken more seriously – and that includes everyone from every walk of life.
"People's homes must be made absolutely safe for them and their children. The Government should have improved regulations after previous fires. We can't listen to any more excuses.
"Grenfell United will not stop campaigning until the lessons of Grenfell are learnt. Nothing can bring our loved ones back but we must make sure a fire like this never happens again."
Inside Housing magazine is running its own safety campaign, Never Again, urging landlords to carry out fire risk assessments following the Grenfell Tower fire.
Scotland Yard said it was unable to comment on the test results due to the ongoing investigation. In a letter sent to survivors and families, a senior investigating officer from the Metropolitan Police, Matt Bonner, outlined the findings and added: "Independent experts have advised that the risk to public safety is low, and that evidence from the suspected issue does not change this assessment."
Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said the findings were not "systemic" and risk to public safety remained low.
The government said it will provide a further update on the testing in April, after the doors have been deconstructed and the materials analysed.
Whale Fire carries out comprehensive testing for both residential and commercial buildings. For more information, email info@whalefire.co.uk or call free on 0800 772 0738.