Ignite May 2022

GNITE

May 2022

EVENTS SPECIAL See pages 12-21 for all ASFP events, trade shows and much more

INTRODUCING

THE HUB Page 32

WWW.ASFP.ORG.UK

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STRUCTURAL TIMBER ASSOCIATION

Member

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E: sales@tbafirefly.com E: technical@tbafirefly.com W: tbafirefly.com

eFIREFLY

CONTENTS ASFP

06

CEO EDITORIAL 02 ASFP COUNCIL ELECTION 03 OPERATIONS UPDATE 04-05 ASFP UPDATE 06-07 IRELAND 08 NEW COURSES 09 MARKETING 10-11

EVENTS ASFP AWARDS 12-13 FIRE SAFETY EVENT 14-15 FIT SHOW 16 FIREX 18-19 ASFP EVENTS 20-21

INDUSTRY

20 28

MEMBERS

33

COMPETENCY 23 INDUSTRY AFFAIRS 24-29 TECHNICAL GROUPS 30 PUBLICATIONS 31

ASFP HUB 32 INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP 33 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 34-35 MEMBER BENEFITS 36

Visit our website: www.asfp.org.uk

Be sure to follow us on Linkedin at: @Association for Specialist Fire Protection

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: @ASFPUK

Be sure to follow us on YouTube at: @ASFPTV

CEO

EDITORIAL

By Steve Davies

“

ASFP CEO Steve Davies welcomes you to the second edition of the Ignite magazine and outlines some of the ASFP’s upcoming plans.

It has been a very hectic start to 2022 here at the ASFP as we begin to come to terms with the ever-increasing demand for information, advice and support right across the passive fire protection (PFP) industry.

This is evidenced by the number of candidates booking both online and classroom PFP courses.

We are having to schedule some extra sessions to meet this demand, so watch this space.

Our other big news is that we went live with our new website and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system on 1st March 2022. We have transferred the well-loved old content, as well as updated and created new content for a wider audience.

At the time of writing this, the ASFP has a grand total of 275 member companies, with an associated 1,850-plus registered employees who directly benefit from ASFP services and technical support. In addition, we have a further 11,000-plus guests who previously registered with us or attended a course/webinar and now receive our dedicated PFP industry communications and promotional member news. For the first time, we can ‘speak’ to the entire industry via the usual email route, as well as to promote our own courses and activities to better inform and engage all sectors of the construction sector.

The website and associated systems will continue to develop and evolve so please do not hold back from making suggestions regarding improvements we could make.

We are in the process of developing new training content both in terms of improving our current offering and tailoring existing materials to suit a wider audience. Many of these ‘courses’ will take the format of CPD videos, operating via our new online learning platform. They will be made available to the whole construction sector from architects, manufacturers and installers to building owners, insurers and facilities managers. Over the next 12 months, we will be working very hard to promote best practices in PFP in sectors beyond that of our traditional audience.

KEY STATISTICS Within our the first two weeks of launch we have:

40

Requests for advice or information answered by our training, membership and technical team.

02

I hope I have given you a flavour of our plans over the next 12 months and I very much look forward to working with you all.

Of course, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions as to how we can improve, please feel free to contact me directly on steve.davies@asfp.org.uk or on +44(0)7768 713 842.

” 59 We have received

ASFP contacts consist of:

Members and guests have downloaded an average of 18 documents per day comprising of: 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

So, what’s next in 2022? While implementing this new method of working with our members, we have also been fine-tuning our competence framework for the PFP industry, incorporating installer certification, as well as creating a workable skills matrix and installation inspection criteria that works with the industry. At the ASFP, we envisage that competence will be based on a mixture of third-party certification, competent person schemes, registration schemes, practical training and CPD. The BSI framework standard BS Flex 8670 defines competence in terms of Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours (SKEB) is being used to form the basis for this work. We hope to be able to publish the findings to date very shortly.

55% UK/Ireland

45%

Rest of the World

35

50

25

Advisory Notes

Best Practice Guides

Colour Books

54

16

Technical Other Guidance Documents Documents

It may be news to some, but any employee of a member company can register and receive full ASFP member benefits and discounts on training and events.

CEO EDITORIAL

guest registration requests (equates to over 7 per working day)

275 ASFP Members with an average of 8 employees registered per member company

ASFP IGNITE

d

ASFP COUNCIL

ELECTION Mike Ward explains why getting involved in the ASFP delivers benefits.

People and companies join trade associations for all kinds of reasons, some for the badge, others for the benefit of information and knowledge, and a few to make a positive difference.

Any owner, director, manager or employee of a full member company is welcome to put themselves forward to be voted onto the next ASFP Council.

The ASFP benefits from long term involvement and engagement from member companies and employees of said companies. Some of these owners and employees have contributed significant time, energy and resource in supporting the goals of the ASFP, these goals always being directed towards the improvement of the passive fire industry.

This page will contain details about the next Council election dates and process.

Member involvement comes in many forms, from participating in events to contributing to the many technical groups.

The pinnacle of member involvement is that of being voted onto the ASFP Council, which in turn can lead to becoming the Vice-Chair and Chair of the association.

ASFP IGNITE

When election begins you will be able to nominate and vote on the following page www.asfp.org.uk/page/JoinTheASFPCouncil.

This year the ASFP has joined with Women into Construction and Women in Fire Safety as part of our Diversity and Inclusion support. Notwithstanding this, the ASFP wants to encourage as many eligible members as possible to consider applying for the Council of the ASFP. Numbers are limited by member type to maintain a fully representative cross-section of membership with the office being held for a period of one year, unless voted to Vice-Chair and in turn Chair, which is a combined four-year period of office.

You may not have thought about Council as a route to greater involvement or improved engagement, what we do know is that the more you put in, the more you get out! Leave a legacy of a better built environment from the work you do with the ASFP. Nominations will start in early May and the new Council will be announced at the AGM on Thursday 7th July

ASFP COUNCIL ELECTION

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SUPPORTING

ASFP GROWTH Mike Ward looks back on operations over the last six months and forward to the rest of the year.

ASFP continues to grow its management support relationship with the British Coatings Federation, this culminated at the end of 2021 in new dual signage being installed on and around the headquarters building.

The team have been working extremely hard on delivering the new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, website and store. This has been no simple task as those of you who have gone through the pain of installing such systems while maintaining day-to-day operations can appreciate. Notwithstanding this the team is fully aware of the benefits it will bring to membership.

The beginning of 2022 saw the meeting rooms come alive again, hybrid meetings seem to be the new working from home, and it was great to see members that could make it to Coventry. The rooms have also been used for training, with Siderise and a series of training days with members of the Checkmate team all taking advantage of the excellent facilities.

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People Since the last edition of Ignite, the ASFP team has increased by an additional member. Lauren Smith joins the ASFP as Operations Administrator supporting all the new events we’re developing, plus maintaining the quality of our CRM data.

Lauren joins the ASFP having spent the last seven months working for British Coatings Federation covering maternity leave and assisting with the implementation of their CRM system (which is the same system as ASFP).

Also, the ASFP is very pleased to announce that Tom Gilbert, Head of Fire Safety at Lendlease has joined the ASFP Board as a non-Executive member. The Executive Board, Council and management team are very much looking forward to working with Tom and the added value his experience will bring the association.

OPERATIONS UPDATE

ASFP IGNITE

Marketing and Events The most significant development this year to date is the launch of the new ASFP CRM and website. The CRM will enable the ASFP to have a far broader but more focused reach in terms of its voice and those we wish to engage with.

ASFPTV has also continued to grow and develop by way of followers and views. At the beginning of this year an investment was made to support the launch of the association’s new podcast series, the Sparking Interest Podcast, which is designed to complement the Meet the Member and Sparking Interest series.

The channel will be covering all trade shows, ASFP regional and all other live events via the ASFPTV series and Sparking Interest; Sparking Interest will also continue to update on standards and regulations that affect the passive fire industry; the Meet the Member series will continue to promote ASFP members to the wider industry; a series of new podcasts will update on ASFP’s competency and training initiatives as well as the new member benefit, ASFP HUB, and finally significant events relating to the passive fire industry.

In February, the newly formed ASFP Marketing Group had its first meeting chaired by David Roulstone of Etex, more information on this will be provided in the next issue of Ignite.

The Association held its first technical regional event since early 2019 at Warwick Racecourse. Although not one of ASFP’s usual venues, all delegate and exhibitor places sold out in only a couple of weeks.

Presentations from ASFP officers, members and third parties gave a broad overview of current and future developments in passive fire.

Further regional events will be announced for 2022, including the possible reintroduction of the event at the Aviva headquarters in London which proved popular with London-based influencers and stakeholders.

During 2022, the ASFP has committed to the following trade shows: • • • •

Fire Safety Event The FIT Show Firex International London Build

Birmingham NEC Birmingham NEC London Excel London Olympia

5 - 7 April 10 - 12 May 17 - 19 May 16 - 17 November

At the Fire Safety Event and Firex, the ASFP will be operating its usual pavilion, surrounded by its exhibiting members, plus a theatre and learning zones to support the continuation of improving knowledge and standards. More information of all events and trade shows can be found on pages 12-21.

If you are interested in exhibiting at any of the trade shows or events that ASFP supports then please enquire at info@asfp.org.uk

ASFP IGNITE

OPERATIONS UPDATE

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ASFP CEO Steve Davies provides a whistle-stop tour of the ASFP’s new website

ASFP WEBSITE

WELCOME TO THE NEW 06

Quarter one of 2022 has been especially busy as we have refreshed our website and updated our Membership CRM system. The change brings a range of new benefits and services to Members and Non-Members alike, so here is a quick whistle-stop tour of how you can get the most from the ASFP online.

Membership This is the biggest part of our web offering and the key to getting the most from it is to login. All ASFP members should have received an email invitation to create their own account and profile. If you haven’t received an invitation and you are an employee of an ASFP member, you can easily register; all you need to have is a member company email. Go to the Become a Member page and follow the link.

Non-members can also register with the ASFP to receive our updates and Association news.

Once your registration has been approved by the ASFP Team and you are logged in you will be able to access a range of other services and ASFP members will automatically benefit from any applicable member discounts for training, documents and events. All registrants will receive the ASFP Weekly Newsletter, keeping you updated on what’s going on in the passive fire protection sector.

Members can also populate their own pages on the ASFP website, which will be displayed in the member search facility. Members should use these pages to explain what services their company offers, as well as posting comments, photos or suggestions on the main feed posting.

This area also has details of any ASFP courses and CPDs you may have completed, a record of invoices due or paid to the ASFP, as well as access to our Technical and Non-technical groups.

We have added a Member Hub where you can take advantage of a wide range of services that we have negotiated on your behalf. Many of these services are free or offer significant discounts that you can benefit from by simply registering. We will be adding more products and services to this area so watch this space.

ASFP UPDATE

ASFP IGNITE

ASFP Training We have added the ability to book both our classroom and online training courses via our online booking system. Member discounts will be applied automatically once the member has logged in. There is information about the various courses, lists of dates, as well as the ability to create your own training record.

Knowledge Section This contains all the ASFP publications and guidance documents for download. ALL these documents are free to ASFP members and are sent automatically to your registered email address. Non-members can also access ASFP guidance documents but for some, there is a charge attached.

This section is also home to our webinars allowing you to book and register for upcoming sessions as well as watch our previous webinars from the archives.

A new section, Ask the Expert, lists ASFP staff, giving you the opportunity to contact the correct person with your queries or comments. From training queries through to technical advice, this is the area where you can reach out and ask the questions that have been puzzling you!

We are have a selection of short videos in this area, showing more details of how to get the most from our website.

ASFP IGNITE

News Here you will find a wide range of content from weekly industry updates, through to the latest issue of Ignite magazine. This is also the location of ASFPTV, where we host various series of content to help you to learn about ASFP members and gain a greater understanding of the sector and all the latest associated developments. Members are encouraged to get in touch if they wish to participate in any ASFP promotional content.

Events The ASFP now offers a wide range of events for members and non-members alike. From networking opportunities to team building sessions and educational presentations, they can all be found here. Again, members who have logged in will benefit from discounts automatically and can register and change their bookings online. You can read more about ASFP events on pages 20-21.

About us The ASFP is a trade association that comprises of employees and volunteers to drive the business forward while abiding by our rules and governance. Here you can meet the team, find out who does what as well as see who is involved with our Council and Executive Board.

There is a section on how you can get involved, put yourself up for election to Council or simply drop us a line to say hi.

ASFP UPDATE

Careers This new section is where you can take the opportunity to benefit from the traffic to the ASFP website and post and manage your job vacancies. This is a paid service that you can manage directly, advertising roles for 30, 60, or 90 days, or until the post is filled. Follow the link to find out how you can benefit from this new service.

The new ASFP website has been designed to better serve our members and anyone with an interest in passive fire protection. We are always fine-tuning how we present ourselves, so if you have any comments or suggestions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Over the coming months, we will be adding more and more benefits, services and information to the website and we would love you to be a part of it.

07

CHANGING TIMES FOR PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION IN IRELAND ASFP Operations Officer Ireland David O’Reilly FIFireE provides an update of the latest activities of ASFP Ireland.

Core to implementing new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations (BCAR) in 2014 was the desire to change culture and practice in Irish construction. Irish Building Regulations recognised this need when referring to ASFP’s best practice guidance, Ensuring Best Practice for Passive Fire Protection in Buildings, in the 2006 revision of Technical Guidance B (Fire Safety).

The ASFP guide calls for a more collaborative approach to fire protection than the existing confrontational one identified in 2003.

In addition to the introduction of BCAR, the 2012 public consultation document, Strengthening the Building Control System, heralded mandatory contractor registration. In May 2017, the Government approved the draft text of a Bill to place the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) on a statutory footing and the Bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, and Local Government (DHLGH) for pre-legislative scrutiny. The main objective is to develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice, and compliance with the building regulations within the builder community of the construction sector, which will benefit consumers and the public.

This will be achieved by the establishment of a mandatory statutory register on which a builder must be included to carry out works under the Building Control Acts. The CIRI register will be divided into different categories depending on the nature and complexity of the works involved.

It is intended that specialist contractors, such as those who carry out specific fire safety works, for example firestopping, will have a specific category.

08

The Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2021 can be viewed on the Oireachtas website. Once enacted, the Bill will provide consumers who engage a registered builder with the assurance that they are dealing with a competent and compliant operator. It will complement the reforms which have been made through the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and contribute to the development of a culture of competence and compliance within the construction sector.

The 2018 ASFP Ireland members’ agreement is designed to equip members in demonstrating knowledge-based competence in anticipation of the enactment of registration. The ASFP Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection prepares candidates studying for Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) certificates in Passive Fire Protection. ASFP classroom training and e-learning programmes are ongoing with IFE examinations taking place in March and October, with members agreeing to educate employees as follows: • Project managers will achieve the IFE Level 3 Certificates in Passive Fire Protection, demonstrating the academic knowledge as Technician Grade members (TIFireE).

• Supervisors will achieve IFE Level 2 Certificates in relevant passive fire protection disciplines.

• Installers complete the ASFP Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection and appropriate manufacturer’s training.

The Fire Safety Task Force looks beyond construction identifying the need to extend BCAR progress into improved fire safety standards in the built environment. Additional guidance is now available: • Code of Practice for Fire Safety Assessment of Buildings and Premises (published 2022).

• Fire Safety Guide for Owners and Operators March 2022 - Guide for persons having control under Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 (Draft published for public consultation) ASFP Ireland offers a structured and professional approach to passive fire protection, working with Government and industry alike to improve the knowledge of all involved in the manufacture, approval, specification, installation, and management of passive fire protection.

The implementation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations in 2014 (BCAR) brought about a change of culture within the Irish Construction Industry. The 2018 Fire Safety Task Force report highlights the importance of demonstrating appropriate competence for all engaged in the management of fire safety in our buildings.

IRELAND

ASFP IGNITE

ASFP TRAINING

UPDATE ASFP Training Manager Chris Sharman provides news of the ASFP’s latest course.

As this second edition of Ignite is published, the ASFP will be launching its new Introduction to Passive Fire Protection online course and receiving feedback on it from our delegates.

As I am sure you are all aware this is our introductory offering for those new to the world of passive fire protection, or to those who work for companies in the sector but are not engaged “on the front line” as installers. The idea of the course is to offer those people an overview of the world of passive fire protection, what it is all about from a regulatory and operational standpoint, and how products are designed, installed, and tested. Hopefully, those taking the online course will find it a step forward from our previous offering, and further proof of our ongoing commitment to increasing the level of competence within our industry from the ground up.

We took the decision very early on to include our membership in the production of this training and we have found their resources and assistance invaluable. The training we provide has to represent both the best of what we have to offer as an association and what our industry needs for its members. It is important that our membership is fully on board with what we are trying to do and fully supportive of our efforts and we have gone to great lengths to consult them as best we can to ensure their needs as well as ours are met.

We would like to thank everyone that has contributed time, resources, staff, (and coffee) to the new training, your efforts have been greatly appreciated as has your patience allowing us to take up space in your facilities as Max, Mike, and I travel all over the country getting in the way and generally making a nuisance of ourselves. I know I can speak for Max and Mike when I say the support we have had for our filming sessions has been excellent and you have all made us feel most welcome.

It shows that this can be the two-way street we had hoped it would be, and we look forward to working with you again as we look to the long-term future of our training offerings and we would very much welcome your input as to where we as an industry think we should target our efforts going forward.

We would also welcome any feedback that can be given on the style and content of our new offerings, as any feedback we receive can only help us fine tune our packages in future.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part, and I look forward to being able to bring you further training updates in the near future. To those of you that have taken part in our online introductory course please send your feedback to me at chris.sharman@asfp.org.uk and I look forward to receiving your thoughts and opinions in due course.

ASFP IGNITE

NEW COURSES

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ASFPTV ASFP Marketing Executive Reece Goodman talks about ASFPTV and the new ASFP Instagram page.

ASFPTV is an award-winning video platform which takes ASFP further into the world of video content, with videos from the world of passive fire protection (PFP).

The ASFPTV platform aims to broadcast updates from within the PFP industry, exploring the roles that ASFP members play within the industry and providing greater insight into ASFP. You can watch all ASFPTV videos by scanning the QR code or visiting: www.youtube.com/asfptv or www.asfp.org.uk/page/asfptv

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ASFPTV consists of several different series: • ASFPTV: A series showcasing everything ASFP. Find out about all upcoming events, news from the ASFP team and what is going on within the Association •

Meet the Member: A series dedicated to ASFP members, discussing their company, projects, upcoming events and why they joined the ASFP

•

Sparking Interest: A series on the PFP industry, including the world’s leading PFP trade shows, presenting talks from ASFP hosted theatres and general industry updates

MARKETING

ASFP IGNITE

The Sparking Interest Podcast: Part of the Sparking Interest series is the ASFP Sparking Interest Podcast.

This is a 20-40 minute sit down discussion, inviting specialists from all over the PFP industry to discuss their views of the sector, recent industry affairs and much more! ASFP also dedicates some episodes to highlight affairs from within the ASFP that may benefit the industry and its members.

Award-Winning ASFPTV As previously mentioned, ASFP is happy to say that ASFPTV was nominated and won the UK Association Award for Best Association Video in 2021. This category recognised a video, video series or video channel that achieved a high viewer following, response rate, and overall engagement.

This could not be achieved without the incredible member base ASFP has built up over the years, so from everyone at the ASFP, we would like to say a huge thank you to our members and anyone else who has supported us or our content.

Technical Videos On ASFPTV you can also find all of our old technical videos that help give you a quick overview on certain topics such as cavity barriers and cladding, fire risk assessments, fire doors and so on.

You can also find our Introduction to Passive Fire Protection where we examine the vital role of passive fire protection and explain the legislation and the responsibilities of building owners, occupiers, designers, contractors and installers.

FOLLOW US ON

INSTAGRAM Our brand new ASFP Instagram account is asfpofficial.

With the marketing team at ASFP attending every event, trade show as well as getting content for ASFPTV, Ignite, the weekly newsletter update and so on, a lot of content is built up, most of which never gets to see the light of day.

That is why we made asfpofficial. This page is a chance for us to show you everything that happens within the ASFP, behind the scenes footage of events and trade shows as well as helping us get a little bit closer to our members.

During events and trade shows you will see our stories filled with behind the scenes footage and live on-the-day content that can’t be seen anywher else.

This is a more personal platform that we have created to give you a better insight on what goes on at the ASFP. We encourage you all to follow us.

You can visit via this link: www.instagram.com/asfpofficial/ or by scanning the QR code.

ASFP IGNITE

MARKETING

11

ASFP

ASFP Marketing Officer Anna Hayes talks about the 2021 award winners.

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) announced the winners of the 2021 Passive Fire Protection Awards, at the Association’s Awards Lunch at the Edwardian Hotel in Manchester on 26 November 2021. Broadcaster, naturalist and marine biologist Monty Hall presented awards to the winners in six categories, each recognising excellence within the passive fire protection industry.

Optimum Fire Stopping - Grange University Hospital The winner of the ASFP Best Installation of the Year Award was Optimum Drywall Systems for its SCCC - Grange University Hospital project. As one of the largest passive fire protection projects in the South-west and Wales, this project presented many design challenges that were resolved with innovative solutions. It demonstrated that a positive collaboration of design, client, supplier and installation professionals can be achieved.

Kieran Carlisle - Checkmate Fire Solutions The Individual Rising Star of the Year, which recognises those earmarked as future industry leaders, was named as Kieran Carlisle of Checkmate Fire. Kieran joined Checkmate as a graduate in 2017 and has quickly developed a sound technical knowledge. Having taken advantage of all of the training opportunities available to him to expand his knowledge of the passive fire protection industry, he has been rewarded by receiving a quick succession of role promotions.

Jim O’Hagan - Structural Fireproofing System The Lifetime Contribution Award was awarded posthumously to Jim O’Hagen of Structural Fireproofing Systems, a hugely respected stalwart of the industry who died during 2021. Jim was a pioneer of the nascent fireproofing industry in the 1970s, eventually establishing Structural Fireproofing Systems in the early 1990s. With a lifelong association with the ASFP, Jim served on the Council, always striving to improve standards in the industry. The award recognises his huge contribution to both the ASFP and the wider passive fire industry.

12

ASFP AWARDS

ASFP IGNITE

Global HSE Group - Independent Scrutineer Service The Passive Fire Protection Innovation of the Year Award was presented to Global HSE Solutions for its Independent Scrutineer Service. This monitors fire safety at the three gateways of construction: design, construction and pre-occupation. At each stage, Global provides desktop analysis and site visits to ensure that all design and actual build details are compliant and installed correctly. Evidential, auditable records are provided for the O&M manuals.

Team at NEO Neo Property Solutions received the ASFP Training and Development of the Year Award for its extensive programme of training activities delivered to numerous stakeholders. The business has demonstrated its commitment to its staff and the wider community by developing passive fire protection knowledge, with significant investment in training initiatives. In the past year, Neo has delivered over 4,729 hours (197 days) of training while evolving career development and apprenticeship programmes.

Joe Cilia - Finishes & Interiors Sector Joe Cilia of the FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector) was awarded Advocate of the Year for his work in bringing together several industry trade associations, including the ASFP, to develop the Firestopping of Service Penetrations, Best Practice in Design and Installation Guide. This guide aims to assist in the design, specification and installation of building services penetrations through fire compartment walls and floors in new buildings to ensure that fire compartmentation is maintained.

NEXT

YEAR’S AWARDS ASFP IGNITE

On top of that, we will also be continuing to award companies or individuals for the following:

We are proud to announce that this year we will also be awarding for the following catergories

See more information on the 2022 awards, including the date and location, on page 20 ASFP AWARDS

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THE

FIRE SAFETY EVENT Mike Ward reports from the Fire Safety Event at the NEC, Birmingham on 5-7th April.

It was the ASFP’s second visit to the Fire Safety Event in six months, with the last event having taken place in the September of 2021, with that event being the first for the fire safety and construction passive sector since the beginning of COVID. The 2022 show was a huge success with many member companies joining us there around the ASFP stand. In usual ASFP fashion our ASFPTV team went round and gave each member a visit. All interviews can be seen here: www.youtube.com/ASFPTV This year’s ASFP member exhibitors were: • Checkmate Fire Solutions • Coopers Fire • Firetrace Ductwork • FSI • IFC Certification • London Fire Solutions • Profire Systems • Quelfire • Rockwool • Sika

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The show was well organised with the ASFP rebranding the name of their theatre from the Tall Buildings to the Passive Fire theatre, a move designed to capture all aspects of passive fire in the construction sector and be more inclusive for those speakers who may not be directly involved in passive fire but still have value to offer through their knowledge and experience.

The talks given at the 2022 show were: • • • • • • • • • • •

Dan Rossiter, BSI - Supporting the Golden Thread through product traceability Philip Sayer, CCPI - Building a Safer Future Code for Construction Product Information Adrian Aynsley and Ashley Philips, Etex - The critical importance of passive fire protection in the UK marketplace in terms of data and figures, and building envelope in terms of cavity barriers Russ Timpson, Tall Building Fire Safety Network - What you need to know to manage Fire Safety in High Rise Buildings Hannah Mansell, Masonite UK - Passive Fire Protection Stephen Bond, Glass & Glazing Federation - Getting it wrong / Getting it right David Keeble, Coopers Fire- Fire Curtains and their applications Andrew Cooper, Global HSE Solutions - CPVC & Passive Fire Protection Lessons Learned Moe Elmasry, Checkmate Fire Solutions - Early Planning and Electronic Work Logging Joe Cilia, FIS - Should we be treating Walls as a system?

Andrew Taylor, ASFP - Not if but when...? How the ASFP sought to change PFP regulation and where will we go from here?

FIRE SAFETY EVENT

ASFP IGNITE

The ASFP’s stand was the largest of any previous Fire Safety Event, covering some 60 square metres and including multiple AV systems, a meeting zone and the ASFPTV interview area where speakers coming off the passive fire theatre were interviewed about their presentations ready for future broadcast on the association’s media channels. We thank the team at 19 Group for their ongoing support of the ASFP and its members at the show.

The ASFPTV team were out interviewing as many exhibiting ASFP members as possible and this year some of our fellow trade associations.

Key subjects included the Government’s recent scrapping of the legal requirement for building owners to appoint a building safety manager as part of a series of amendments to the Building Safety Bill, Rt Hon Michael Gove’s demand that the construction industry fund rectification work(s) on ‘legacy jobs’ and the ever-increasing pressure put on specialist sub-contractors and consultants by the cost and limited availability of cover for Professional Indemnity insurance (PI).

On a brighter note, ASFP members were keen to ASFP IGNITE

talk about their ever-increasing levels of employee competence through the ASFP’s 2021 Competency Pathway scheme, plus tell the ASFPTV team all about new products and services for the year ahead.

ASFP’s CEO, Steve Davies attended a roundtable discussion on ‘Updates on new fire safety/ building legislation’, which included other notable members of the fire and safety industry, Jon O’Neill (FPA) and Dennis Davis (Fire Sector Federation).

Overall, the Fire Safety Event was worth the effort, it is sometimes hard to quantify success from trade shows; however, the ASFP’s investment in its new CRM system will significantly improve the association’s engagement and follow-up of those that chose to seek us out in Birmingham.

We documented the first two days we were there as well as all of our speakers. To watch any videos from the event please visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/TheFireSafetyEvent

Throughout the event we were greeted by many familiar and unfamiliar faces with plenty of enquiries about membership, training and technical questions, which in some cases, tested the very best of our technical team. Visitor migration between the ASFP stand and theatre was good with many coming to the ASFP stand off the back of listening to the talks at the theatre.

During the final day, the ASFP used the Fire Safety Event as a backdrop for the association’s new marketing group to meet and follow up on their previous meeting from the month before.

FIRE SAFETY EVENT

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THE

FIT SHOW

Mike Ward explains why the ASFP is exhibiting at the show.

The passive fire industry covers a broad spectrum of products, systems and methods to achieve a desired outcome for designers, engineers and contractors, but at the heart of it the primary discipline has to be maintained, that being to stop or limit the spread of fire, heat and smoke for a pre-determined time.

Part of this family of product systems are ‘operable elements’, or to put it simply, fire (and smoke) rated doors, shutters, curtains and windows, a product grouping commonly found under British Standard BS EN 1634, or latterly EN 16034.

So why are you reading about these products in the Ignite magazine by the ASFP? The fact is once these products move to their operational position, they become a passive fire element and fall under the same performance standards, regulations and best practice installation methods as all other passive fire products and systems.

To reinforce this, the most recent addition to the ASFP Colour Book family is that of the Black Book, a best practice guide for the specification, application and installation of active fire curtains.

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Over the past few years, the ASFP has been receiving an increasing amount of enquiries from the fenestration industry where the core discipline is fire, specifically fire-rated glazing and curtain-walling.

The ASFP has chosen the FIT Show to engage with all stakeholders within the fire-rated fenestration industry in a hope that we continue to improve standards and mitigate risk.

The FIT Show took place at the NEC Birmingham on the 10-12 May 2022.

It combined every link in the fenestration supply chain and showcased the very latest in products and innovations within the industry • Windows • Doors • Glass and Glazing • Hardware • Associated home improvement products such as : • Conservatories • Smart home tech • Roofing solutions • Outdoor living products.

To see more about the event you can visit www.fitshow.co.uk

FIT SHOW

ASFP IGNITE

HELP DONATE TO Scan here to donate today The Children’s Burns Trust is a national charity dedicated to providing rehabilitation support for burned and scald injured children and their families, as well as prevention and awareness campaigns for which there is little or no national funding.

Making a positive difference in three ways: • Raising awareness of burns and scalds to children with PREVENTION campaigns • Working with NHS professionals to provide direct help and funding for REHABILITATION • Giving direct financial SUPPORT to families and hospitals, providing advice on how to access burn related information

Why does the UK need a charity like this?

A burn injury is for life. Being burned or scalded as a child means years of painful treatment and in the worst cases hundreds of operations to release the scar tissue as they grow. The psychological impact of a burn injury is also immense, particularly when burn survivors reach their teenage years and have to cope with self image and self confidence issues. The Children’s Burns Trust is the only UK children’s charity working nationally who are devoted solely to these areas.

Be a part of the change. Your support to continue this vital work, and of course your money, will be helping the lives of hundreds of children. And in return, you will have something to smile about, and every reason to feel proud of your contribution.

To donate today, simply scan the QR code at the top left of this page and follow the instructions or visit www.cbtrust.org.uk/

7661

Children were burned or scalded in 2021 This figure only relates to the more serious burns and scalds - it does not include the thousands seen by A&E departments

Including: 3361 0-2 year olds 2055 2-4 year olds 2245 5+ year olds

FIRST AID

ADVICE

1) COOL the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes and remove all clothing and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound).

2) CALL for help: 999, 111 or local GP for advice.

3) COVER with cling film or a sterile non-fluffy dressing or cloth. Make sure the patient is kept warm.

For more information visit www.cbtrust.org.uk/burn-prevention/first-aid/

Darr

FIREX INTERNATIONAL

Marco Arreghini – Exyte

Mike Ward gives a brief glimpse into the first show for three years.

This years Firex Event is taking place at the EXCEL in London on Tuesday 17th to Thursday 19th May 2022. With this edition of Ignite being released at the show many of you will be reading this live from the event.

ASFP had a different CEO back then and everyone was still trying to make sense of the fall-out from the Grenfell disaster. There was a strong sense of compassion and a feeling of responsibility to do the right thing and make things better; the ASFP was at the forefront of this thinking.

My last experience of Firex was in 2019 as an exhibitor at an ASFP member company.

Three years has now gone by and an awful lot has changed in my world as it has in some of yours too.

At this year’s event there are 19 member companies exhibiting in and around the ASFP pavilion. those companies are as follows:

Some twenty-seven member companies exhibited around the ASFP pavilion that year, the learning theatre within the pavilion was a relatively new addition as was the passive fire information wall. My funniest memory was when we realised the pavilion builders struggled spelling ‘Association’, concluding one ‘S’ would do.

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Now the ASFP has a new CEO, a new home, and in parts, a new and certainly bigger team.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Bolster Systems BSB Engineering Checkmate Fire Solutions CLM Fireproofing Coopers Fire FSi Global HSE Solutions Gunfire Health Services Executive Hempel UK Hilti (Gt.Britain)

FIREX

• • • • • • • •

Independent Fire Inspections Kingspan Insulation Limited T/A Kingspan Technical Insulation Legrand Electric Polyseam Quelfire Tenmat Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants Warrington Fire Testing & Certification

ASFP IGNITE

WHAT TO EXPECT

FROM 2022

SPEAKERS Day 1: 17th May 2022

Andrew Taylor – ASFP 10:30 – 11:15 Andrew Cooper – Global HSE 11:30 – 12:15

ren webster – Firesafe Fire Rated Ductwork Ltd 13:00 – 13:45 Paul Horton – Protecta by Polyseam Ltd 14:00 – 14:45

Day 2: 18th May 2022

Niall Rowan – ASFP 10:30 – 11:15 Chris Miles – UL International 11:30 – 12:15 Checkmate Fire Solutions Ltd 13:00 – 13:45 Ashley & Adrian – FSI Ltd 14:00 – 14:45

Day 3: 19th May 2022

David O’Reilly – ASFP 10:30 – 11:15 James Brooks – Coopers Fire 11:30 – 12:15

Karthick Govarthanam – Firefly 13:00 – 13:45 e Hargreaves Limited / SFS Smoke & Fire Safety 14:00 – 14:45

Pavillion Zones On the ASFP pavilion there will be a ‘Member Zone’, a ‘Learning Zone’, and an ‘Events Zone’.

The Member Zone will be an area where you can learn more about the value and benefits of individual, full or even international membership. We will be there to answer any questions on membership and show you what you can gain from being an ASFP member.

The Learning Zone will be an area that highlights the benefits to you and your business of improving individual and companywide skills and knowledge, by way of the ASFP competency pathway of online and classroom-based education.

The pavilion will also feature an ‘Events Zone’ where you can learn more about all the up-and-coming events organised and run by the ASFP, as well as all the events that the association will be attending over the coming year. You can read more about all of these events in more depth in the events section of this magazine on pages 12-21.

Interactive System On our stand there will be a fully interactive touchscreen system that can guide you through the ASFP’s new website and member CRM system. This will help us help you so if you have any questions please do feel free to stop by and ask.

The ASFP Hub One subject we would be more than happy to guide you through is the new ASFP Hub. This is a new member benefit that offers member companies savings from third party providers on some of the more business critical services. You can read more about this on page 32.

ASFP Theatre The ASFP pavilion will include a small theatre on the back of the central ASFP stand. This theatre is free to attend for members and non-members alike and is in fact also available to any visitor attending the show.

There will be presentations on a broad range of passive fire products, best practice methods, plus standards and regulations concerning the sector.

ASFPTV ASFPTV will be in attendance at the event, going around and interview exhibiting members on how they are finding the event as we have done at other events throughout the year. Notable attendees and visitors to the ASFP pavilion will also be invited to give their views on the current challenges facing the passive fire industry this year.

Our Team Finally, and by no means least, most of the ASFP team will be supporting the pavilion for the three day event.

The ASFP team is the Association’s strongest asset, so if you want to come to talk about an issue or opportunity then members and non-members alike are welcome.

We look forward to seeing you all.

ASFP IGNITE

FIREX

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ASFP EVENTS

ASFP Marketing Executive Reece Goodman gives more information on all of the ASFP run events.

The ASFP runs various events throughout the year from networking meetings to awards dinners and technical engagement sessions. The main three events that are run are the ASFP Regatta Challenge, the ASFP Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the ASFP Awards Dinner.

On top of these three events ASFP also runs CPD-accredited Regional Events, Conferences and Webinars.

The Regatta Challenge For the first time ever the ASFP is organising a fun networking event out on the water. This will be a great way to get to know your clients and colleagues away from the office.

The Regatta Challenge is a full day event including three meals: breakfast on arrival, a packed lunch on board the boat, and a BBQ after sailing. The main feature of the event is the boat race that will be taking place, the winner of which will be awarded a year of ASFP membership absolutely free!

The event will be taking place on Tuesday 7th June 2022 starting at 9am at Port Solent Marina, Lock Approach, Portsmouth.

To book your ticket you can visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/ASFPRegatta

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The Annual General Meeting The ASFP AGM, usually held in London, is a daytime event that consists of speakers, presentations and networking as well as a lunch for all guests.

The 2022 AGM will be held at Saddlers Hall, London on Thursday 7th July 2022. The event will be starting at 10am for members, 11am for non members, and finishing at 4pm.

To see the speaker list or to book your ticket you can visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/AnnualGeneralMeeting The Awards Dinner The ASFP hosts an awards dinner every year in November. In 2022 this will be hosted in Birmingham, 160 Broad Street B15 1DT on Friday 25th November. Tickets will be on sale soon.

The Awards gives us an opportunity to celebrate the incredible achievements of our members and the passive fire protection industry as a whole! See the winners from last years awards and the awards categories announced for 2022 on pages 12-13.

To see more about this year’s award, including sponsorship opportunities, you can visit: www.asfp.org.uk/page/ASFPAwards

ASFP EVENTS

ASFP IGNITE

CPD-ACCREDITED

EVENTS

The ASFP Regional Event The ASFP Regional Events are daytime events that combine a lunch, networking, opportunity for member companies to exhibit as well as a CPD accredited seminar.

At the 2022 event, we had eight speakers over two hours discussing the importance of passive fire protection as well as some talks from our own officers on ASFP training and membership.

Regional Events are a great way for members to show off their products and services to the wider industry as both members and non-members attend. At the 2022 event we had nine exhibitors and around 200 attendees.

Seminars and Webinars The ASFP used to host many seminars throughout the years. As Covid-19 became more prevalent these had to change over to an online environment and ever since we have continued to run online webinars.

In 2020 we ran six webinars, followed by nine in 2021.

For 2022, as of writing this article, we have held two webinars for the year to date but are looking to run more by the end of the year.

To see our previous and upcoming webinars or to book your space you can visit: www.asfp.org.uk/page/WebinarsCPDs

To see more about our Regional Events including a video of how this year’s event went you can visit: www.asfp.org.uk/page/RegionalEvent

ASFP IGNITE

ASFP EVENTS

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ASFP IGNITE

THE HIDDEN COST OF

COMPETENCE

ASFP Training Manager Chris Sharman identifies the true costs associated with the manufacture and installation of passive fire protection.

Passive fire protection, and firestopping in particular, is often seen as expensive, however, within the context of a construction project, the total cost of the fire-stopping package may be relatively small. “How much? That is way too expensive…”, “It’s only shoving a bit of mastic around a pipe”, and “anyone could do that…” will be familiar refrains to anyone who has carried out fire-stopping projects on site. But what is the true cost of competence and why is it seen as expensive, when we are talking about life safety? Perhaps, if we start by looking at those three statements we may be able to show how the true cost of competent passive fire protection is misunderstood.

How much? That is way too expensive Compared to what? While it may be easy to say “If you think fire protection is expensive, try having a fire…”, it should be remembered that, although fire-stopping products may be seen as being relatively simple, there is a lot of research and development, testing and manufacturing costs that must go into such products before they get anywhere near a job site. Furthermore, for such materials to be installed correctly requires the adherence to tested installation details from the manufacturers. This requires a specialist contractor, with a level of technical knowledge that other trades may not possess. These are all costs that need to be factored in, and invariably will not be considered by those who are unaware of them.

Raising the awareness and understanding of other trades who are not themselves specialists but that may come into contact with fire protection as a function of their role is vitally important for the passive fire protection industry.

It’s only shoving a bit of mastic around a pipe It may look like that, but is it the correct sealant for that pipe type/substrate/opening size?

Would you know? Manufacturers go to great lengths to test their products with the typical pipes, cables, ducts etc that are on the market and this is an ongoing programme as new systems are brought to market. Keeping their staff up to date on the right products to use and the right details is a hidden cost that the clients may never see.

If we are to overcome this view, we need to educate those same people that it is never just mastic around a pipe.

ASFP IGNITE

COMPETENCY

Anyone could do that This is true to an extent. Installing firestopping products and systems has no pre-requisite level of competence, when compared to electricians who must meet the requirements of the IET 18th Edition; or plumbers, who must be on the Gas Safe register.

However, third-party accreditation schemes, backed

by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited organisations offer the client a level of assurance that the contractor and their personnel are competent to carry out the works. Membership of such schemes costs the contractor in both membership fees, and in the time taken to train and assess their staff, audit the company as a whole, and keep up with the latest industry standards.

These costs are never seen and understood by clients. Until the construction industry as a whole, including clients, architects, consultants, Tier one contractors, and the other trades understand these costs and the more hidden cost of not appointing competent contractors, the opinions expressed above will persist. As a trade association, the onus is on ASFP and its members to lead the construction industry to a position where competence is seen not as a cost but as a necessity.

Above all, the correct installation of passive fire protection to limit fire spread is still cheaper than the cost of having an uncontrolled fire.

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RESOLVING THE

BUILDING SAFETY AND CLADDING CRISIS ASFP Technical & Regulatory Affairs Officer Niall Rowan reviews the latest Government announcements on building safety and discusses their implications for the construction industry.

Since the start of the year there has been a raft of new announcements from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on building safety and the cladding crisis. In particular, these have focused on how and who should pay for remedial actions needed to make buildings safe. Initially, in January, announcements were made in relation to making developers pay for defective buildings, with subsequent declarations in February and March.

Letter from the Secretary of State - 1 Michael Gove’s 10th January letter to developers stated: “I am now offering … open and transparent negotiations to agree a settlement that will restore confidence and ensure the industry that caused the problem pays to fix it… you should: 1. Agree to make financial contributions this year and in subsequent years to a dedicated fund to cover the full outstanding cost to remediate unsafe cladding on 11-18m buildings, estimated currently to be £4bn; 2. Fund and undertake all necessary remediation of buildings over 11m that you have played a role in developing (i.e. both 11-18m and 18m+). Any work undertaken by developers themselves on 11-18m buildings will reduce the total cost of cladding remediation that has to be paid for through the proposed 11-18m fund...”

Quite how these discussions and deliberations will be made is not clear.

How many buildings? How many developers? Should all developers pay, or just those that installed defective cladding? (See ‘The elephant in the room’ red box on page 26). How much should each developer pay, and how should that be decided and so on.

In a later letter from Richard Goodman Director-General – Safer and Greener Buildings, he asks of developers: “I would be grateful if you could start creating a fuller return with all 11m+ buildings that you have developed so that we can match these against our database of buildings that need remediation where we do not have developer information.”

What happens if you simply don’t reply, or state ‘no buildings over 11m’? How do they check? How is this going to be audited?

He goes on: “We wish to ensure that those developers who are committed to making a full contribution do so... We envisage that those who meet these commitments will be recognised as the responsible actors in this market.”

Fine words, but unless you get everyone involved, then not many will volunteer to pay ‘a fine’ determined by civil servants for something that they consider was not illegal.

If this is not a can of worms, I don’t know what is and as you might expect, several prominent developers have already stated that they had done nothing wrong because they installed products in good faith believing they met the regulations as described in Approved Document B to the Building Regulations (AD-B). I see court cases looming.

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Redrow chief executive Matthew Pratt became the first to comment, branding Gove’s threats “unrealistic” and “inequitable”. Pratt said: “I don’t think anyone can sign a deal that says ‘you will give me anything I want’. Which basically [is saying that at] the end of the year ‘we’ll tell you how much it [the cost] is and you’ll sign up to say you’ll give us it.’ Nobody can sign up to that, it’s unrealistic.”

In a similar move, a letter from the chief executive of housebuilder Persimmon to the DLUHC called the sanctions “unlawful”.

So was this stalemate 1?

Letter from the Secretary of State - 2 In order to cover all the bases, Gove also criticised the construction products industry with a letter to them, stating: “There are a number of cladding and insulation companies whose products or services have contributed to the need for remediation of 11m+ buildings on fire safety grounds. I am offering a window of opportunity, between now and March, for the sector to work with my department through open and transparent negotiations to agree a settlement that will restore confidence and secure an appropriate contribution from the sector.”

This approach was similar to that used for the developers, and a lot of the same arguments apply.

Who will pay, and how much for each manufacturer? Will Kingspan only pay 15% and Celotex pay 85% on the basis of the respective uses of their products on Grenfell? How much will Arconic pay for the cladding? What about other buildings and other fires? What time period are we talking about? Why should manufacturers pay out and not contractors? Or the architects who designed it? Or building control who approved it? It looks like an unworkable mess of claim and counter claim and blame/liability deflection.

CPA discussions So far, the Construction Products Association (CPA) has responded positively and weekly meetings have been undertaken with Gove’s team at DLUCH. DLUCH originally had a hit list of around 70 organisations – mostly those who were associated with Grenfell, including architects and engineers, as well a product manufacturers and developers. But as indicated above, while there is a desire to get those involved to pay, and to be fair, some goodwill from some of those parties to contribute, it would be hard to charge a relatively tiny portion of the construction industry for faults at Grenfell, when there have been fairly widespread failings across the industry.

Whatever, the Government has the wind at its back and as one CPA representative said to me, “Gove has the leverage to whack us!”

There is also a strong sentiment in Westminster that ‘Construction must pay’.

So is this stalemate 2?

Question: If he gets the money from the developers will the manufacturers get off scot-free? Or vice versa? How will the balance be struck?

INDUSTRY AFFAIRS

ASFP IGNITE

Gove’s February announcement Move forward to 14th February 2022 and DLUCH announces 38 pages of amendments to the Building Safety Bill currently going through Parliament. These will provide legal powers to force developers and construction product manufacturers to pay for remediation. One wonders if the ask nicely approach didn’t work then? I can’t help feeling that having the two stage approach is confusing. What about those already engaged?

The Government is linking future building control and planning consent to past behaviour. Companies that do not agree to remediate their buildings cannot become members of a new Building Industry Scheme (no details yet). Companies that are not members of the scheme will not be able to obtain planning or building control permission. Quite how this will work in practice remains to be seen and I can see numerous legal challenges against it, since surely this a restriction of trade.

Whatever, it does give more concrete and legal backing to the ‘who pays?’ question in the cladding crisis that has been lingering for years and to that extent is welcomed, but the devil will be in the detail.

Other big concerns are that the Building Safety Bill amendments go much further than the request for money letters and that the extension to 30 years of coverage under the Defective Premises Act will cripple the industry with almost unending claims. The amendments also significantly increase an existing problem of lack of available professional indemnity (PI) insurance. Imagine the PI cover needed to protect the last 30 years of work.

The Government’s objective is to create a pecking order as follows: 1.

2.

3.

Developers and cladding manufacturers are first in line to pay.

Second are freeholders subject to an affordability test (still to be determined).

Leaseholders are only expected to pay a capped amount towards non-cladding costs only. This contribution can only be collected where the landlord is not – and has never been – a company associated with the original developer.

Each player will have to put in place its funding before the next player has to pay, the aim being for the leaseholder to be the payer of last resort – and preferably not at all. Who manages all this?

This process also addresses the issue in the leasehold system whereby landlords (or their agents or the company managing the property) can spend leaseholders’ money without any effective control. As a former leaseholder, I’m very familiar with this. The fact that freeholders are before leaseholders might concentrate their minds on the need for works in all cases and the need for value for money.

The proposals mean that no-one living in a building: • •

more than 11m tall (or 5 storeys) will have to pay anything for remediating flammable cladding or will have to pay more than £10,000 (£15,000 in London) to remediate non-cladding defects where the freeholder or head lessor is an associated company of the developer will have to pay anything, for either kind of remediation.

There are higher limits for properties worth £1-2m and over £2m. The caps set out above can be spread over five years, in equal instalments.

For someone living outside of London in a property valued at less than £1m, that would mean contributions of £2,000 a year for 5 years.

The caps set out above are one-off and one-time only contributions.

Once they are exhausted, the landlord cannot come back for further contributions.

New powers The amendments also create a series of new statutory powers to enable action to be taken against developers, cladding manufacturers and companies associated with them to force them to pay toward non-cladding costs.

ASFP IGNITE

Further activity in Parliament There has since been a meeting of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee on the subject of Building Safety: Remediation and Funding. The report of the 7th session published 11th March makes interesting reading; the overall thrust being that leaseholders should not have to pay (no surprises there) but that the Government’s proposals still have gaps whereby leaseholders can still be left to pick up the bill. Amongst the recommendations are: • • • •

Scrap the proposed cap on non-cladding costs for leaseholders Implement a comprehensive Building Safety Fund to cover the costs of remediating all building safety defects on any buildings of any height where the original “polluter” cannot be traced Compensate leaseholders for costs already paid out, including for interim measures and for rises in insurance premiums Require all relevant parties who played a role in the building safety crisis to contribute to funds for remediation

The committee chair Clive Betts said: “The Government should be looking beyond developers and manufacturers to contribute to the costs of fixing the building safety crisis. We recommend the Government identify all relevant parties who played a role in this crisis, such as product suppliers, installers, contractors and subcontractors, and legally require them to pay towards fixing individual faults and ensure that they also contribute to collective funding for building safety remediation. Insurers should also be required to contribute to funds for remediation.”

What happened next?

The Government negotiations with developers and separately the construction product manufacturers outlined earlier continued. The Government reached an agreement with the developers on 13th April when 36 of them signed a pledge committing to remediate life critical fire safety works in buildings over 11m that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing over the last 30 years in England. They also agreed to reimburse any funding received from Government remediation programmes in relation to buildings they had a role in developing or refurbishing.

Details can be found here www.gov.uk/guidance/list-of-developers-who-have-signed-buildingsafety-repairs-pledge

INDUSTRY AFFAIRS

25

RESOLVING THE

BUILDING SAFETY AND CLADDING CRISIS CONTINUED...

Negotiations with the product sector have not been as successful.

Regular meetings between the Construction Products Association and the DLUCH remediation funding team failed to agree a scope of work or the contribution from sector, with the industry unhappy with the ‘blank cheque’ approach from DLUCH, and of course many in the product sector are blameless. The end of March deadline laid down by Michael Gove passed and despite further meetings, no agreement was reached before Parliament rose for Easter.

The letter can be viewed here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/1068866/13.04.2022_Letter_to_ Construction_Products_Association.pdf

On 13th April, Michael Gove wrote to the CPA stating that as there was no clear acknowledgement that actions taken by cladding and insulation manufacturers have contributed to the problem. He declared that manufacturers have individually and collectively failed to come forward with a proposal for playing their part in addressing it and that negotiations were now concluded. He continued: “I have instructed my officials to do whatever it takes to make sure that construction product manufacturers are held to account through the powers that I am establishing in the Building Safety Bill. My new recovery unit will pursue firms that have failed to do the right thing, including through the courts.”

We will have to wait and see what transpires in the product area. One solution that has been aired, which I think might be the quickest and easiest overall, is to impose a levy on the whole of the sector, which, while unfair for the ‘good guys’ might be easier, less painful and also get the ‘win’ that Gove needs. It’s also possible that the ‘bad guys’ will cough up more than their pound of flesh.

Strong stuff. In hindsight, I can’t help thinking that the CPA and the DLUCH team have been talking across each other, with neither side being able to address the other side’s concerns in a concrete way.

ASFP as members of the Construction Products Association, Build UK and the Construction Industry Council will be closely monitoring developments and reporting back to members and lobbying as appropriate.

The elephant in the room A lot is riding on the outcome of the Grenfell Public Inquiry chaired by Sir Martin Moore Bick. Since the fire, the Government line has consistently been that cladding had to be of limited combustible (or better) performance by virtue of the meaning of the word ‘filler’ in Approved Document B – specifically clause 12.7. They claim that filler includes the core of any aluminium composite material cladding such as that used on Grenfell. Many others beg to differ and it is widely considered that 12.7 is poorly drafted with the word ‘filler’ used as a catch-all.

It might have been the intention, but it certainly was not the effect. Shortly after the fire, the Building Research Establishment was requested to do screening tests on approximately 750 samples of cladding from high-rise buildings sent in by owners/landlords etc. The screening tests indicated that almost all of them ‘failed’, that is, they would not have been classified as of limited combustibility if the full test requirements were undertaken.

If, as is the DLUHC line, the guidance and meaning of 12.7 was clear, then surely all, or nearly all, or even a large majority would have passed the screening test? Surely, it is inconceivable that all the architects/designers/façade engineers/cladding installers deliberately misread or misinterpreted this leading all the tests to fail?

Why is this important?

It’s important because after the Lakanal House Fire in 2009 which killed six people the Coroner, Frances Kirkham’s Rule 43 letters instructed DLUCH to reconsider the AD-B guidance with respect to cladding and external walls, because it was “a most difficult document to use”. DLUCH did not revise AD-B despite pressure from the fire safety industry and the All Party Parliamentary Fire Safety Group.

Responding to the Coroner’s call to make AD-B an easier read, Secretary of State Eric Pickles said that he had “noted concerns about the difficulties that some of those involved in the Inquests had with the interpretation of Approved Document B”. But he said, while his department was committed to a programme of simplification, “the design of fire protection in buildings is a complex subject and should remain, to some extent, in the realm of professionals.” Perhaps he didn’t mean to be rude, but this bit didn’t come across well.

If Martin Moore Bick finds that the AD-B was indeed not clear and that combustible products used in external walls were used legally, then the blame/liability for remediation falls back on DLUCH, not the industry. This is probably why DLUCH is funding remediation above 18m, but doesn’t assist with the much larger number of buildings between 11m and 18m.

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INDUSTRY AFFAIRS

ASFP IGNITE

Contain

Control

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TITLE

27

TAKING THE

INITIATIVE

ASFP Technical Officer Dr Andrew Taylor highlights how the ASFP aims to influence culture change in the construction industry.

In April, I gave a presentation at the Fire Safety Event at the NEC, and again on a webinar, covering the need for, and progress with, culture change in the construction industry post-Grenfell.

Dame Judith Hackitt’s Building a Safer Future report, published in May 2018 identified that the current system of building regulations and fire safety is not fit for purpose and that a culture change was required to support the delivery of buildings that are safe, now and in the future. The report mentioned the need for a culture change on over 30 different occasions.

Sadly, these requirements are nothing new for the ASFP. In 2003, a group of ASFP members, led by the then CEO David Sugden, produced a report entitled Ensuring Best Practice for Passive Fire Protection in Buildings. The report was funded by the Department of Trade and Industry in the UK. The report recommended that improvements were needed in the design, installation, building control, record-keeping, and maintenance of passive fire protection (PFP) systems. These improvements need to be underpinned by regulatory change.

One of the conclusions of the report was that: “Public safety is being impinged by incorrect PFP measures and we feel that a disaster caused by accelerated or unexpected fire spread could follow if no action is taken to improve initial standards and to define the responsibility of building occupiers to undertake correct maintenance.”

Sadly, we know that no regulatory changes were made, even after the Coroner at the Lakanal House Inquiry made this recommendation.

The legal text on materials and workmanship in the building regulations requires that: “Building work shall be carried out with adequate and proper materials […] and in a workmanlike manner”.

This is hardly the most rigorous of statements.

A cornerstone of ASFP’s policies down the years has been third party certification of products and installation activities. All ASFP members are signed up to a code of practice including third-party certification of product manufacture and installation as appropriate.

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New legislation We are now waiting for the Building Safety Bill to come into force, as many of our product families will be contained in the “Safety Critical” list, and therefore will be covered by a mandatory scheme that is underpinned by a new series of product standards. That will bring about an improvement in the mandatory testing, attestation, and verification of conformity for these products. It is close to making our third-party product certification policy a regulatory requirement. For some of our member organisations, this will be the realisation of something we have long lobbied for.

repairs, but there are many more steps on the road to resolving where the eventual bill will end up, as Niall Rowan writes on pages 24-26.

The secondary legislation for the Building Safety Bill also includes recommendations for changes needed in determining the competence of those working on all buildings.

We are continuing to see lots of conversations about competence, and ASFP Is looking at setting up a competence frameworks scheme for our members.

One of the biggest challenges with the Building Safety Bill is the slow progress of the draft text through Parliament.

As I write this, we approach the five-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Tragedy.

The draft text that contains many improvements for the future has been held up during conversations about who pays to repair defective buildings.

These repairs may not be limited to external cladding. It is right that leaseholders should not be expected to pick up the bill for

INDUSTRY AFFAIRS

ASFP IGNITE

Taking action Given that the timescale to fully implement the Building Safety Bill, to draft and transition to new product standards will be measurable in years, we must not wait for this to come into being before we act.

In presenting her report in 2018, Dame Judith Hackitt invited the industry to do the right thing in advance of regulation. She also pointed out that we needed “to maintain the spirit of collaboration and partnership which has been a feature of the review process to date”. I would like to think that ASFP has long lobbied for collaboration to be the way ahead.

We have been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of installed passive fire protection measures.

From 2018 to 2020, ASFP worked with several trade associations to produce the guide, Firestopping of Service Penetrations. Best Practice in Design and Installation.

We are now working jointly with the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) and Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) to produce a labelling system explaining that a fire-resisting partition wall is an important fire safety measure. Each label is linked by a QR code back to a website with appropriate advice.

The website encourages builders to Stop, Think, Plan, Check and Record the work that they undertake in passing services through the wall.

ASFP has also encouraged our members to engage with other industry initiatives, such as the Code for Construction Product Information, a forthcoming code of conduct, proposed by the same, not for profit organisation, that runs the Considerate Constructor Scheme.

We will continue to look at these industry initiatives, and engage with them as appropriate in our quest to improve the quality of installed passive fire protection.

ASFP IGNITE

INDUSTRY AFFAIRS

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TG6

TASK GROUP SUMMARY

ASFP Technical Officer Dr Andrew Taylor reviews the work of the ASFP’s Technical Task Group 6 – Ducts and Dampers.

The ASFP operates a number of Technical Task Groups (TGs) which undertake the Association’s important work in developing industry guidance and best practice. In the last edition of Ignite we summarised the work done by each of the TGs. In this article, we will look in more detail at the work of TG6 which covers ducts and dampers.

TG6 is unusual in its remit, in that its work covers the development of two colour books. The Blue Book on fire-resisting and smoke control ductwork.

It provides guidance on the use of the historical British Standard (BS) testing regime, while a more recent version, published in 2020, covers the newer BS EN testing regime.

TG6 is also responsible for the Grey Book which covers fire-resisting and smoke control dampers. The terminology of fire-resisting dampers (which can include a smoke resistance classification) and smoke control system dampers (which include a level of fire resistance) is a source of error and confusion in the marketplace, and one we are looking to correct. The first part of the Grey Book covering fire-resisting dampers is currently in draft, and we hope to publish later in the year.

Further Guidance We are currently revising another of the key documents produced by TG6, Technical Guidance Document 18, which covers the installation, inspection and maintenance of fire-resisting ductwork.

TG6 is also considering how to approach developing a new product standard for fire-resisting ductwork, which is needed to cover a kit approach. This cannot be addressed until legislative change related to the Building Safety Bill is clear.

Recent publications from TG6 include Advisory Note 26, a new guidance document on combined penetrations, covering the situation where a duct or damper is contained in the same service penetration as pipes and/or cables. This was published in October 2021.

More recently, we have published an update to TGD20 entitled Fire Test Standards and the Construction Products Regulation in Relation to Fireresisting Ventilation and Smoke Control Ductwork. Although only published in August 2020, this document needed a review given the effects of Brexit and the forthcoming Building Safety Bill secondary legislation on construction products.

TG6 has a healthy work programme going forward, and will be involved in collaborative work with other similar trade associations such as Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), Association of Ductwork Contractors and Allied Services (ADCAS) and National Association of Air Duct Specialists UK (NAADUK). As always, we look to ensure that best practice advice is available for this important fire-resisting product family.

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TECHNICAL GROUPS

ASFP IGNITE

PUBLICATION

UPDATE

ASFP Technical Officer Dr Andrew Taylor gives an update on the new ASFP publications.

The ASFP continues to update the best practice advisory and guidance documents published on the website.

Already this year we have published three new documents and updated another three. The contents of these six documents are explained below.

The first new publication, Advisory Note 27 covers the structural fire protection of steel beams with corrugated webs. These are a type of fabricated section, recently introduced to the market. One of the benefits of corrugated webs is that a thinner steel plate can be used in the web. Whilst this saves weight and cost, the performance of these sections in a fire resistance situation is not fully understood, so the advisory note warns against use of plain section data in support of a corrugated web section without extra testing.

Advisory Note 28 concerns the firestopping of metal pipes where flanges are located close to service penetration seals. This new advisory note has been developed by TG3, and covers a topic initially raised by the group that wrote the joint industry guide covering best practice in the design of service penetrations. The key conclusion of the joint industry guide was that earlier involvement of passive fire specialists could prevent the construction of untested service penetration arrangements. One key area that could be avoided is the presence of flanges within the secondary insulation zone (typically within 500mm of the wall). Arrangements of flanges can be covered within the scope of BS EN 1366-3 testing, although this is not commonplace. For the avoidance of issues with certification and installation, it is simplest to keep the flanges more than 500mm away from the wall. However, this detail is not always considered during the spatial coordination of services.

The final new publication, Advisory Note 29 covers planned maintenance. This document originally comes from TG7, operable fabric curtains, where maintenance and servicing is important. It draws upon advice from within The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, BS 9999 and BS8524 to ensure that a competent person conducts that maintenance.

One of the revised documents, Technical Guidance Document 15 covers the Installation and Inspection of spray applied PFP. The document has been updated to align the film thickness measurement criteria for these material to ASTM E805. The document has also been updated looking at the implications of Brexit and the consequent changes to UK Construction Product regulations.

We have also had to revise Technical Guidance Document 20, which covers the CE marking of fire-resisting and smoke control duct sections. The changes to UK Construction Product regulations and introduction of the UKCA mark mean that we need to review many of these documents. We also took the opportunity in TG6 to amend some of the wording for clarity.

Finally, we have also updated Advisory Note 21, a document covering the phenomenon of coatback to secondary structural steel preventing conduction of heat into a primary structural member and consequent early failure.

This document will probably be updated again in the near future, as we have some new evidence to consider.

In fact, this highlights one of the key issues for ASFP’s technical information. Our knowledge and understanding is constantly developing, and the as the regulatory framework evolves, we continue to keep our guidance as current as possible.

You can see all of our publiations by scanning here.

ASFP IGNITE

PUBLICATIONS

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ASFP Commercial Projects Manager Rich Green outlines the growing portfolio of member benefits the Association offers.

Why do companies join trade associations? For entrepreneurs and business owners, visibility and networking are key, but these are just a couple of the many reasons why it is a a good idea to join industry associations. Another key driver of joining is to obtain enhanced benefits. Some associations offer members access to a world of benefits and other perks as a reward for your investment.

At ASFP we are currently creating what we believe will be one of the best portfolios of association benefits available in the wider construction field. We will be launching these to ASFP members over the coming months. We know that ours will be one of the best because we have looked at over 100 other associations on your behalf to create a list of the best benefits in the market and we are in the progress of selecting the right commercial partners to provide these services. A few of these benefits are ready to go now, as detailed on this page.

MAKE UK

Make UK is the biggest representative body in the UK for engineering and manufacturing companies. Providing access to Human Resources (HR), Legal, Health and Safety, Learning and Development, and wider expertise, Make Business provides essential knowledge and practical support to help your people and business thrive. As a member of the ASFP, your company also enjoys Affiliate Membership of Make UK, free-ofcharge. This allows access to HR, HSE and technical expertise either online or face-to-face.

For more details of the benefits listed above and new ones as we launch them, please take a look at the ASFP website. Hopefully, these will have wet your appetite for what is to come through 2022. We are here to serve our membership, so if you have a suggestion for a membership benefit you think we could offer, please contact Rich Green, rich.green@asfp.org.uk

BARBOUR ABI

Barbour ABI is the market leader, with the largest UK-based research team in construction intelligence.

Since ASFP sponsors the Fire Safety Hub at Barbour ABI, our members receive a 10% discount on all Barbour ABI Services.

GATELEY

CAPITUS

Gateley Capitus offer a dedicated R&D tax relief and Patent Box advisory service to help companies access and maximise their entitlement to these tax incentives in a compliant manner. In addition, Gateley Capitus and ASFP is now able to offer all members a free assessment of their current use of the tax incentives available to our sector. This new service enhances the ASFP offering to members.. It has the added benefit of ensuring that individual members pay the right amount of tax by claiming all available reliefs, generating tax savings and in certain circumstances even bringing about a tax rebate. Our account manager Peter is always available to help and to advise.

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ASFP HUB

CHAS

CHAS is the UK’s award-winning and leading accreditation scheme for contractors and supply chain management services for clients. Now you can become a member and stay on top of everchanging risk management standards.

By becoming a member through the ASFP, you can save you up to 20% of your annual membership fee for CHAS.

ASFP IGNITE

INDIVIDUAL

MEMBERSHIP ASFP Commercial Projects Manager Rich Green outlines the benefits of joining as an Individual Member.

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) prides itself as being the voice of the passive fire protection (PFP) industry. ASFP provides a supportive network for all professionals within the industry who wish to know more about passive fire, from students setting out to start their careers to those already established.

We understand that not all professionals working in PFP work for companies that are eligible to be members of the ASFP. Therefore, we are now able to offer a Professional Individual Membership which is ideal for professionals working in architects’ practices, local authority, facilities maintenance companies, building management and many others…

Why join as an Individual Member?

• Access to a wealth of MEMBER BENEFITS from our Affiliate Members, HR and Tax advice, and access to BSi Standards, to discounted industry statistics • Free copy of ASFP’s IGNITE MAGAZINE along with the opportunity to advertise directly to the industry • Member discounts on ASFP TRAINING COURSES, PUBLICATION, SEMINARS and WORKSHOPS

What criteria do I have to meet to be an individual member?

An ‘Individual Member’ of the ASFP is an individual (and not a business - but may be working within a business eg Building Control). Individual Members can be involved in building consultancy/design/specification/inspection and must commit to adhering to the ASFP’s Code of Practice as defined in the ASFP Bylaws.

Individual Members must hold at least the minimum relevant qualification/training/experience or undertaking required in line with their role and responsibilities as defined in the ASFP Bylaws. This however is not applicable to students or apprentices.

To read our bylaws in full you can visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/Become_a_Member Join as an Individual ASFP Member Now! If you have any questions or need more information please contact Rich Green on rich.green@asfp.org.uk or visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/IndividualMembership

How much is it to be an Individual Member?

Individual Annual Membership costs as a one-off fee of £300 (+VAT) or in 10 equal instalments of £33 (+VAT) Can a student apply?

The ASFP welcomes all full-time students and apprentices studying construction to join as an Individual Member.

You will need to complete the introduction to PFP course before receiving member status.

Do I have to be in the UK to join?

The ASFP welcomes PFP Professionals from all around the world to join as Individual Members.

It is worth noting that all ASFP documentation is in English and to receive member status you will need to pass the introduction to PFP course which is also in English.

ASFP IGNITE

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP

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MEMBER

SPOTLIGHT CLC Contractors, is one of the nation’s most respected refurbishment contractors with over 14 branches across the UK. As a trusted name in the fire prevention industry, CLC has more than 20 years’ experience working within a variety of industry sectors, including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), care homes, healthcare, education, commercial and hotel and leisure. In 2019, we were proud to attain membership of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP).

Our bespoke range of fire protection services includes removal and fitting of fire doors, fire compartmentation surveys, fire protection work (cavity barriers and penetration sealing) and fire door maintenance.

Since evolving our business to include fire precaution works, we have worked with many customers from both private and public sectors such as schools and higher education facilities to residential buildings and multistorey blocks. Our experience in high risk environments extends to working for the NHS at hospitals across the country where infection control is critical, especially when continuing our services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the devastating effects of Grenfell Tower, we have seen a surge in demand for fire protection works.

In 2017, we partnered with Southampton City Council to upgrade the passive fire protection to 17 blocks across the city. Our work and dedication to the project led to a ‘Best Customer Impact’ nomination at the National Housing Maintenance Forum (NHMF) Awards in 2018 and again in 2022.

As experts in the fire prevention industry, our onsite training school guarantees our 250 third party accredited operatives and management staff remain the best in the industry. We encourage our highly skilled team of operatives to attend one of our many seminars led by our National Fire Protection Manager to help improve their firestopping knowledge. Through the school, we offer CPD hours for seminars. Customers eager to learn more about fire prevention are also welcome to attend. With makeshift doors plaster-boarded to the walls with penetrations, attendees get to practice their skills via hands on activities.

Why choose CLC Contractors?

• We are third party accredited • Members of the ASFP • Members of the Fire Protection Association • Hold FIRAS certification • BM Trada Q Mark certified • Work with leading suppliers of fire protection materials such as HILTI and Rockwool Between 2019-2021 our highly sought after team worked with approximately 70 different clients on fire prevention services. For 2022, we anticipate this number to grow as we provide both new and existing clients with high quality firestopping solutions.

CLC Contractors Limited URL: www.clcgroup.com Phone number: 023 8070 1111 Email: mail@clcgroup.com 34

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

ASFP IGNITE

Siderise

URL: www.siderise.com Phone number: 01656 730833 Email: enquiries@siderise.com Compressibility is a vital consideration for protecting curtain walling. This is because curtain wall systems are constantly moving, due to dynamic forces, such as wind loading, natural movement/deflection during occupation and seismic movement in the ground. In a fire scenario, the high heat load can also cause elements of the structure to expand and distort in all directions. To allow for this movement to happen without damaging the facade or the structure, buildings are typically built with a gap between the curtain wall facade and the floor slab edge.

A fully tested firestop, commonly known as a perimeter edge seal, should be installed in this gap. A curtain wall perimeter seal must be able to withstand continual movement without compromising its compression fit and firestopping ability during the product’s durability and serviceability life span. If it cannot maintain its integrity as a property of the product installation under compression, gaps between the curtain wall facade system and the structure will allow the fire to spread through the building envelope, putting both lives and property at risk. Therefore, it is recommended that curtain wall perimeter seals should demonstrate via fire testing that they can accommodate such movement at the movement joint, allowing both compression and flex. This is a very real requirement, with deflections sometimes being considerably larger in comparison with the void dimension being sealed.

Product innovation Curtain wall perimeter seals ─ such as the Siderise CW-FS Curtain Wall Firestop System ─ have been developed using innovative vertical stonewool fibre orientation (referred to as Lamella). Via a unique manufacturing process, the products are pre-compressed under quality-controlled factory conditions.

When installed with the appropriate level of additional compression suitable to the gap being filled, they can accommodate the movement of the façade for their lifetime.

It is also worth noting that, where the designed deflection of the curtain wall system is greater than the standard installation compression of the product, then this should also be considered for additional compression over and above the

standard installed compression. As a dry-fit solution, the CW-FS system is both quicker, and easier to install and check than comparable wet systems, requiring no specialist equipment or curing time/conditions.

As with any fire protection product, it is vital to ensure curtain wall perimeter seals are comprehensively tested, following appropriate local building codes ─ for example, in Europe EN 13501-2, which mandates testing to EN1364-4: Fire resistance tests for non- loadbearing elements - Curtain walling. In the UK, the current Approved Document B mandates the classification and testing of products for fire resistance to EN 13501-2: Fire classification of construction products and building elements - Classification using data from fire resistance tests, excluding ventilation services. European Assessment Document EAD 350141-00-1106 for linear joint and gap seals additionally requires ‘cycling’ of the perimeter seal between the maximum and minimum movement capability a minimum of 500 times ahead of the EN 1364-4 fire resistance test.

ASFP Advisory Note 7 advises that EN 1364-4: 2014: is the most suitable fire resistance test for perimeter edge seals used at the periphery of buildings. The test utilises curtain walling in a real life scenario, rather than standard linear gap seals tested to EN 1366-4 and/or BS476 Part 20 or 22, since, these are predominantly static concrete to concrete tests. The Siderise CW- FS Curtain Wall Firestop is the only system on the market that has been tested and certified to EN 1364-4, including pre-test movement cycling of 500 times, as stipulated under European Assessment Document EAD 350141-00-1106 (2.2.14).

Additionally, last year, the product passed the comparable US standard ASTM E2307 Standard Test Method for Determining Fire Resistance of Perimeter Fire Barriers Using Intermediate Scale, Multistorey Test Apparatus with EI 180.

Welcome to our newest members

We also welcome our Individual members: Jason Challenger

ASFP IGNITE

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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SERVING OUR

MEMBERS ASFP Membership Officer Tony Corcoran outlines the services ASFP members receive.

ASFP serves and represents the needs of its members and the wider passive fire protection industry, by raising standards and competence through training, testing, certification and through quality of installation and maintenance, by: • Advancing knowledge and guidance on all aspects of ‘built-in’ fire protection • Providing technical support and impartial advice • Leading regulatory and behavioural change as an independent authority • Improving competence and quality through training ASFP membership covers a broad spectrum of the construction industry, with each member having access to specific benefits which provide them with the opportunity to align with a strong industry voice, to access guidance and technical documentation while accessing promotional capabilities available to ASFP members.

The benefits of ASFP membership provide both direct and indirect opportunities. Members have access to a member discount structure for the ASFP’s globally recognised training scheme for passive fire protection. This equips candidates with the knowledge required to demonstrate competency, providing a route to academic recognition while improving quality and competence across the breadth of the industry. The ASFP foundation courses are available online via the eLearning platform, offering a flexible learning option.

ASFP members are able to take advantage of technical support, available through the many Technical Task Groups and via the extensive library of technical guidance documentation, advisory notes, best practice guides and video library. By attending the dedicated technical task groups, members are able have an input into the development of specific industry related technical guidance and policy development along with access to an ever expanding pool of expertise.

Raising the profile Members are able to link with the ASFP marketing support activity in order to align their own promotional activity with the ASFP. These can be at industry events, ASFP regional seminars or online via the ASFP Meet the Member YouTube series, having the opportunity to knowledge share.

The ability to post articles within the weekly newsletter allows members to reach an extensive audience of industry subscribers, another important benefit that allows the member to gain access to an industry specific audience.

ASFP members also benefit from displaying the ASFP logo and from having their company profile on the ASFP website. This creates visibility of their company to general website visitors.

Through the ASFP, members gain access to wider representation at a regulatory, government and standards level. Membership also allows access to the information produced by national bodies such as Build UK, the Construction Products Association, the Passive Fire Protection Forum, the Fire Sector Federation and the European Association for Passive Fire Protection.

Members also have access to the Members’ noticeboard – an ASFP member community and information exchange; and Jobs board – industry focused and only available to members along with the CPD provider portal, which allows members to upload their CPD presentations for public access to a ‘go-to’ CPD service for the passive fire industry.

Becoming a member of the ASFP allows member organisations to link to the power of the ASFP brand – use of the ASFP logo gives members the opportunity to promote a joint brand identity whilst creating a link to the ASFP values.

The ASFP works hard to promote the importance of Passive Fire Protection, the values of best practice, while educating industry and the wider supply chain on the benefits of using ASFP members – something which is of great benefit to all ASFP members.

If you want to learn more about ASFP membership scan the QR code or visit: www.asfp.org.uk/page/Become_a_Member

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MEMBER BENEFITS

ASFP IGNITE

It’s all about ...

Your Installer The singular most important

person associated with Passive Fire Control

NAPFIS is a self-accredited trade association designed to give credit and support to installers of Passive Fire Control products.

Membership Benefits Constant support via Mobile Web App

Whether your installers are maintaining existing Passive Fire Control or installing New Projects , NAPFIS systems are there to record, preserve and notify your customers every year of work undertaken to be checked.

Fire Door Inspection App designed to reduce office time and speed up quotations Online Member Area containing all certificates issued and audits undertaken 24/7 helpline Self Audit facility, facilit providing a portfolio of installer abilities or ‘proven cv’ Audit trail for companies, showing that installers are a proven workforce

NAPFIS Foundation Membership Visit www.napfis.co.uk Book a course and you are half way there!

ASFP IGNITE

TITLE

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PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION

TRAINING

The ASFP offers flexible passive fire protection training solutions for all levels of instruction

CLASSROOM TRAINING

The ASFP’s acclaimed classroom courses have a proven record of preparing learners for the IFE Level 2 and Level 3 certificates in passive fire protec on. They are the ONLY Ofqual recognised passive fire protection qualifications

E-LEARNING PLATFORM

An innova�ve online training solution to allow learners to study remotely at their own pace towards the IFE Level 2 and Level 3 Certificates

ASFP ONLINE INTRODUCTION TO PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION

This CPD course offers an excellent overview for learners new to the sector

Whatever your training needs, choose the experts at the Association for Specialist Fire Protection

WWW.ASFP.ORG.UK