Features are carefully selected from across the website and magazine, these articles are contributed by a wide range of authors from across the sectors covered by Fire & Security Matters, as well as the editorial team. Addressing the latest topics in terms of technological developments, legislation and industry issues
ODDLY, THE image you see below isn’t the burned out hulk of an industrial or commercial building such as the Cannock warehouse that caught fire in May 2024, writes Tom Roche. It’s a photo from Stockholm showing a low-rise residential building left largely uninhabitable after a fire spread across the structure. It catches the attention not because it’s unique, but rather because its familiar. Too familiar, in fact.
WITH ANOTHER school year about to begin, once again we find ourselves having the same discussion about fire safety guidance, writes Thomas Roche. The last attempt to revise Building Bulletin 100 was back in 2021, but nothing came of it, with Government sliding aspects into the generic design brief for schools. This leaves us with a gap to the guidance written in 2007. In the meantime, schools have continued to face serious fires, leaving communities to deal with avoidable consequences.
FIRE SAFETY is a critical aspect of any building’s design and ongoing management, writes Paul Smith. While active fire protection systems such as sprinklers, alarms and extinguishers are well known, passive fire protection is equally vital in mitigating the risks associated with fire.
ARTICLE 21 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states the designated ‘Responsible Person’ must ensure that all employees are provided with adequate safety training, writes Luke Ventura. It’s a legal requirement that training must be provided from the time the employee is first employed and subsequently if they’re exposed to a new or increased risk.
THERE IS something quietly encouraging about the story of St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby, notes Iain Cox. Following its destruction by fire in 2020, the school has been rebuilt, not simply with an eye on sustainability, but with resilience very much front and centre.
