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
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.
PASSIVE FIRE protection relies on the effective compartmentation of a given building, writes Alec Purdie. It’s made up of fire doors, walls and floors and works alongside active systems such as sprinklers and fire alarms.
GREEN IS a colour we all see every day. It has multiple uses and is synonymous with nature, calmness, clean energy, sustainability and conservation. Considered by many as the universal colour of safety and ‘go’, we’re even told that green improves focus and is good for us. In the UK at least, legislation dictates that emergency exit signage (ie the ‘running man’ legend) is white on green. Alan Ward examines precisely why.
WHEN A devastating fire destroyed a once grand and historic hotel (specifically The Claremont Hotel on Eastbourne’s seafront), writes Iain Cox, one could have expected an effort to rebuild and replace it pretty quickly. However, in this particular case it has become a symbol of disruption ever since.
PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEMS harness sunlight to generate electricity through semiconductor materials, providing a sustainable and renewable energy source. Being electrical systems, though, means that solar PV installations present common fire risks that need to be managed to ensure safety and performance, as Spike Armstrong discovers.
