THROUGHOUT 2022, as Tony Boyle observes, many notable topics came to the fore within social housing, but have we lost sight of one of the basics when it comes to not only compliance, but also improving the safety of others? Moving into 2023, it’s crucial to recognise and respect the fundamentals regarding safety within the residential environment.

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THERE IS often talk about why the construction and fire safety industries need to embrace cultural change and what both can do to facilitate that change, but in parallel it’s easy to forget to recognise those steps that have already been taken in the right direction. Here, Rebecca Croton focuses on some of the positive changes realised of late and celebrates the successes of all parties involved, from architects to installers, in making a positive difference.

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WAREHOUSE FIRES have the potential to be devastating, posing a threat to life, destroying business operations and exerting a detrimental impact on the supply chain. Ahead of the busy Christmas period, Neil Eves offers some Best Practice advice when it comes to fire safety strategies.

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THE COST of living is at an all-time high just now, so as a business owner how can you deliver a price increase announcement for your customers? Here, Simon Tushingham Jones provides key tips on how to do just that, as well as explaining an effective way in which to increase costs without losing valuable customers.

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THE TRAGIC fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017 has led to much examination of the escape protocols for high-rise buildings and the materials and products used within the build process. In parallel with Fire Door Safety Week 2022, which ran from Monday 31 October until Friday 4 November, Alfie Hosker discusses the overriding requirement for the enhanced security and fire performance of door sets.

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A PHRASE first coined by Elon Musk to describe his first electric car battery production plant, the term ‘gigafactory’ has now become the generic way of describing any large-scale facility that produces lithium batteries for cars on a massive scale. What measures can the businesses running these undertakings put in place as part of their drive to be resilient and protected? Iain Cox offers a timely overview.

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OVER THE last decade, carbon monoxide poisoning has caused an average of 162 deaths yearly in the UK. That’s equivalent to one life being lost every few days. Here, Ian Ballinger shares some expert insight on achieving carbon monoxide compliance and future-proofing properties.

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THE LAST year has witnessed significant changes regarding the legal requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) protection for all types of residential dwellings throughout the UK, including both owned and rented properties, but concerning disparities remain regarding the minimum level of protection required throughout each country and property type. Ian Ballinger and Craig Drinkald discuss the situation in some detail.

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JUNE 2022 witnessed the publication of the amended Part B of the Building Regulations and with it new mandatory requirements for evacuation planning. Here, Ken Bullock explains the changes in detail.

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SINCE THE beginning of the year, it has been noticeable that the supply of various technologies – including fire detection systems – has become more and more difficult to orchestrate. Gordon Thomas examines the global shortfall of raw materials and finished products impacting the fire sector and what’s being done to mitigate this issue.

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FOLLOWING THE Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017, where 72 people lost their lives, high-rise building owners and operators across the UK have been charged with ensuring that fire safety and evacuation procedures are the absolute best they can be in their buildings. What’s the current state of play? Hochiki Europe has the detail.

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WHEN IT comes to investments, fire suppression is the one we hope to never use. All-too-often, it acts like a safety blanket, unseen yet always there: hidden investment policy we hope never to have to cash in. With systems we manage daily, such as heating, air conditioning and lighting, a fault is often noticeable and easy to identify but how do you quickly ascertain an issue with fire safety infrastructure? Adrian Kay investigates.

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THE INTERNET of Things, Artificial Intelligence, connected data, wireless systems and Government guidance are all going to play their part in how fire safety evolves during the remainder of this year and into 2023. Nick Rutter shares his predictions for the sector.

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VISHAL BEDI describes in detail how businesses operating in the fire sector can make efficient and effective use of cloud-based job management software for easy control and governance of their sales, operations and marketing initiatives as they scale upwards.

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ON TUESDAY 29 March at 10.30 am, Fire Safety Matters hosted another webinar in its ongoing CPD series. The focus on this occasion was ‘Flexible Evacuation Solutions to Meet BS 8629’. Brian Sims reviews what was said on the day by subject matter experts from webinar sponsor Advanced and Veritas Fire Support Services.

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THE SUBJECT of competency in relation to fire safety was brought to the fore in the wake of Grenfell Tower and Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. Here, Justin Maltby-Smith discusses the importance of confirming competency and individuals’ responsibilities within the ‘golden thread’ of fire safety.

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AS REGULATIONS continue to be enacted restricting the use of Class B firefighting foams containing fluorosurfactants termed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), all foams containing PFAS will soon become defunct, with aqueous film-forming foams, film-forming fluoroprotein foams and fluoroprotein foams being phased out. Ian Ross describes the regulatory changes ahead, key considerations and the questions that should be asked when planning the transition to F3 foams.

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THE LATEST research involving UK heating engineers has identified a significant increase in the number of dangerous appliances across the nation being installed or poorly maintained due to the repercussions of COVID-19, with many individuals delaying crucial annual servicing. Steve Boggis and Craig Drinkald outline how every area of the industry can work together to ensure the highest standards of protection.

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ON TUESDAY 23 November last year, the Government published the results of a consultation proposing an extension to regulations for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms applicable to all rented properties within England. Andy Speake explains the requirements of the new legislation and outlines how to comply.

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IN ITS role as the UK’s national standards body, the British Standards Institution recently published a new Code of Practice for the fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing multi-storey and multi-occupied residential buildings. Mike Fox examines why the publication of PAS 9980:2022 could be the moment when the Government finally abandoned short-termism in its post-Grenfell approach to legislation and regulation and began to focus instead on long-term outcomes.

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The multilayer PCB segment is a big part of our production. In order to support this important segment, we have developed long-standing relationships with a broad factory base. The factories are carefully selected in our sourcing process.

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