Tall Building Fire Safety Network initiatives target high-rise fire safety

The first of these is scheduled for May 2023, when the Tall Building Fire Safety Network delivers a trio of themed conference streams in London. Speakers from around the world will provide valuable insights on current Best Practice.

On Tuesday 16 May, the focus is on ‘High-Rise Construction Fire Safety’. The following day, ‘Green Fire Safety Issues’ is the theme, with the subject of ‘Crisis Management in High-Rise Complex Buildings’ completing the programme on Thursday 18 May.

The ‘High-Rise Construction Fire Safety’ Conference covers those issues connected with the management of fire risk during all stages of construction, duly considering the latest guidance from the UK and the international stage and including a consideration of insurance requirements. Case Studies of recent high-rise construction fires will be examined and Best Practice – along with innovative products and processes – showcased.

Given the requirement for energy efficiency and carbon reduction to drive innovation in the modern era, fire safety professionals must be part of the debate and well informed. With this very much in mind, Wednesday 17 May 2023 sees the ‘Green Fire Safety Issues’ Conference examining the rapid changes now taking place in order to make buildings ‘greener’. The programme will focus on the themes of ‘green’ walls and roofs, stored energy, photovoltaic panels and devices along with new systems for cooling and shading buildings.

The need to have a robust response process in place and operational when crisis events occur is well established. In modern complex buildings, the evolving threat environment requires constant vigilance and assessment. As criminals, extreme weather, civil unrest and unknown threats emerge, security and building management must evolve their processes and plans. The ‘Crisis Management in High-Rise Complex Buildings’ Conference will draw on the latest Best Practice examples of crisis management in complex buildings.

International Stair Descend Day

Launched at the 7th International Tall Building Fire Safety Conference in May this year, the International Stair Descend Day is an initiative aimed at encouraging all residents, occupants and tenants to descend the stairs in their high-rise building on the same day (ie Friday 19 May 2023).

It’s not a fire drill or a practice evacuation. The intended purpose is that occupants descend the stairs in their high-rise building and that this process kick-starts a conversation between them about their knowledge and ability to use the stairs in the event of an evacuation. If occupants descend the stairs together, this could then culminate in a community event at ground floor level and realise further discussion. The occupants of several notable buildings around the world have already committed to take part.

International Stair Descend Day should not be limited to residential high-rise buildings. Those who inhabit mixed use and business-focused buildings are also being encouraged to take part.

The Fire Safety Mark

The third initiative is all about The Fire Safety Mark, which borrows from some great work that has been transacted in the food safety industry here in the UK.

The food safety scoring scheme is a visible indication of performance that can help consumers make informed choices. Using a simple scoring scheme linked to the fire risk assessment, The Fire Safety Mark will provide a simple visual indication of the fire safety status within a given building. Hopefully, this visible indication will help to promote discussion and debate and engage the consumers of fire safety.

*Further information is available online at www.tallbuildingfiresafety.com