FIRES CAN realise short-term and long-term devastation on data processing operations, but also reach far beyond the Data Centre itself, impacting Data Centre customers, their customers and so on. Here, Richard Taylor examines the key points to consider when formulating a fire safety strategy.

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THE DISPARITIES between Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Volume 1 and the recent revision of Part 6 of BS 5839 present housing providers with varying guidelines on the minimum requirement of fire safety provisions their property portfolio should currently specify. Ian Ballinger outlines why housing providers should consider pairing an LD1 Category specification with the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to future-proof their housing portfolio.

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AS AN industry, we’re now well versed and experienced in the value of sprinkler systems. Here, James Broadest explains precisely why it’s crucial to deliver continuing education on this matter so Government bodies and building owners alike recognise the truism that substantial costs – and lives – can be saved thanks to retrofitted fire sprinklers.

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FOLLOWING THE enforced lockdown restrictions introduced to help combat the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) took the decision to continue to offer certification by embracing new technology and migrating to remote auditing procedures. With the remote audit process now having been in place for three months, the organisation recently spoke with Heather Martin – operations manager at SSAIB-registered firm Southern Fire Alarms Ltd – to discuss its own remote audit conducted during the height of lockdown in April.

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WITH THE new regulatory framework placing more accountability on those responsible for building safety, William Makant is keen to encourage an open-minded evaluation of the most effective fire safety solution for each situation, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

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THE HACKITT Report revealed major concerns regarding the quality assurance of fire doors and the issues surrounding the transparency of information and availability of audit trails with regard to these building components. Here, Austin Stone explores the overriding importance of specifying riser doors that have been bi-directionally fire tested.

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HOT WORK-related fires are on the increase. In fact, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by insurer Zurich, more than a quarter of all accidental fires on construction sites are sparked by ‘hot work’. Here, Ian McKinnon explains what practising professionals need to remember when undertaking this type of work.

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IN LIGHT of the lockdown restrictions introduced by the Government in a bid to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) decided to continue offering certification services by dint of embracing new technology and migrating to remote auditing. With the new process having been in place for the last two months, Fire Safety Matters reviews what has happened to date.

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NO CURRENT conversation about timber is complete without comment on the Government’s catch-all ban pertaining to combustible materials. While there’s no question that the Fire Safety Bill is intended to enhance occupant safety, Jeremy English explains why we must not lose sight of timber’s inherent qualities as a building material.

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THE PROLIFERATION of false fire alarms places a huge burden on Fire and Rescue Services. Understanding false fire alarm causes and taking steps to prevent them can help reduce false dispatches, as Jim O’Dwyer duly explains.

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IN THESE rather challenging and somewhat surreal times for us all, Andy Hicks examines precisely why now is most definitely not the time to neglect fire safety on construction sites and temporary Coronavirus-related facilities.

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IN REVIEWING cases prosecuted under the Fire Safety Order, Warren Spencer reveals that over a quarter of all prosecutions brought under the Order since 2009 involve an element of domestic living, despite the Order not being intended to apply to domestic premises.

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Are you involved in the overhaul, renovation, refurbishment or distribution of products* originally certified when ‘new’, to any of the EU Product Safety Directives? If so, you could also be implicitly involved in the manufacture and distribution of ‘new’ equipment, without realising it and be required to assume certain legal responsibilities. Craig Halford looks at the situation in relation to pressurised fire equipment

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A man and a woman have been sentenced after fraudulently claiming almost £50,000 worth of financial assistance after they pretended to be residents of Grenfell Tower.

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Dennis Davis looks at the potential for environmental change in 2020

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Stephen Adams discusses the importance of premises management when it comes to fire safety and the higher level of recognition of this post Grenfell.

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Kevin Bridges looks at the new measures to improve high-rise residential building and fire safety in England

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The Fire Safety Event returns to the NEC, Birmingham on 22-23 September 2020 for its fourth instalment, and this year's event promises to be bigger and better than ever. FSM takes visitors through what’s on offer

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As our buildings and the way in which we put them to use become more complex, the challenges of safely evacuating occupants also increase. The latest analogue addressable fire panels give fire engineers, specifiers and end users more control and peace of mind than ever, delivering unprecedented levels of performance and accuracy, explains Paul Duffy

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Fire Safety Matters sat down with The Fire Safety Event director, Tristan Norman, to gain an insight into why it is essential to attend the event at NEC Birmingham on 22-23 September 2020

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