Ignite Nov 2022

EDITORIAL CHAIRPERSON’S

By Chris Miles

When I became Chair back in April 2021, I did so in the full knowledge that the new organisational structure was a move in the right direction; from an organisation that operated on a ‘shoestring’ to a fully functioning, ‘proper’ business. That change meant that the Association would become more commercially capable – something we have achieved in many ways.

As I said in the first edition of IGNITE, the full results of the efforts from ASFP employees, partners and members were yet to be felt and would come to fruition in the next year or so. This view seems to have been borne out in many of the new activities the ASFP is now involved in; many of which are highlighted in this magazine.

At the ASFP Annual General Meeting in July this year, I mentioned that we now need to ensure we engage our technical and regulatory support functions fully and transition into a commercial AND a technical organisation. That is not to say we have not been active on a technical front but that we need to be doing MORE to support the construction sector in understanding and improving passive fire protection (PFP).

I now believe that there are three main areas in which the Association and the wider construction industry needs to focus. These are Education, Education and Education, plus evidence of the same!

We are all very aware that competency has become a much-used term nowadays and we do see a drive to increase the level of competence in construction. But we also see that this is taking far too long and that there are a multitude of different means to show competence. I hope we can finally start bringing the industry together to support one means of demonstrating competence which is based on an increased and consistent level of education. The ASFP will be at the forefront of that drive.

Of the many training courses available, there are those which are a very high standard and provide a very good foundation for the demonstration of knowledge via the appropriate exams. There are also courses which provide an understanding of knowledge in a quick and simple way. Although part of the system these simple courses do not go far enough and should not be used to show competency, especially in PFP matters. PFP requirements are very particular and so a good breadth of knowledge is necessary. The ASFP is working at all levels, including with the Government, to support the drive for improved competency and high standards in all aspects of PFP, from design through to installation and maintenance.

The ASFP has taken a brave and, some may say, risky step to require that all member companies have a demonstrable minimum level of competency in PFP. This is the culmination of many years of training and examination development. This will no doubt cause some member companies a little pain and difficulty, but I would argue with anyone that says it isn’t the right thing to do. The ASFP is acting as a driver for change and I for one couldn’t be prouder that the Association has taken this position.

ASFP Chairperson Chris Miles discusses how the Association is evolving and examines its upcoming plans

EDITORIAL CEO

By Steve Davies

ASFP CEO Steve Davies reflects on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and considers the future

The passing of our Monarch has affected a great number of us. From the pomp and ceremony of the funeral procession and service to the many public signs of grief and respect, it has become clear that our country has changed over the last few weeks.

So why have we seen such a dramatic response from not only UK citizens, but from people all across the world? What has prompted so many of us to show our feelings in this way?

Personally, I believe it is the fact that we have witnessed a change in what we believed to be constant. No matter what your views are on the monarchy, few people would argue that Queen Elizabeth II was a symbol of the UK that could be relied upon to represent our country and its values in a way that was ‘predictable’, ‘honourable’ and simply majestic. Despite her age and recent news items reporting of her need to ’take it easy’, I believe we were not prepared for the inevitable. Put simply, I think in some way we believed this event would never come as it was too difficult to imagine a day when Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor would not be the Monarch, or indeed the Head of State for 15 Commonwealth Realms.

This type of seismic change usually leaves us uncertain of what will happen, what we should do next or indeed what the future holds. However, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II triggered a sequence of events derived from history which were executed with utmost precision. A plan existed for this ‘unimaginable’ event, allowing us to move forward and giving us some form of certainty over what comes next.

In comparison, we have seen industries and society have their own ‘unimaginable events’ that change them forever. Events such as Piper Alpha, 9/11, Grenfell Tower and, more recently, the Covid pandemic have all left a legacy that lives on, affecting people, places, industry and economies.

What happens next after these ‘unimaginable events’ is not so clear. We wait upon inquiries, reports and, in most cases, legislation that attempts to guide us to avoid repetition. We do not have a predetermined plan to enact, that has been meticulously prepared and adequately resourced. Instead, we try to react in the best possible way to eliminate the risk of a recurrence.

In a post-Grenfell world, generally, the fire and wider construction sectors have been slow to

react; often quoted as ‘waiting for legislation in the form of the Building Safety Act. True, we don’t have the luxury of a predetermined course of action, but we do know what is right and hence should not wait for others to tell us to do the right thing.

Since 1975, the ASFP has been promoting competency and accreditation in the passive fire sector and this continues to this day. We recently launched a new competency framework for the industry which sets out how companies should recruit, train and develop their staff to attain and maintain their competency in terms of the activities they perform. We are urging all involved in the construction sector to get involved to make sure they measure up to what is needed now and into the future.

But what else happened in 2022. Below are some ASFP statistics from the last six months. Accurate as of 15/10/22. Some of which show the differnce between the data we gathered for our last issue in May (which was two weeks into the launch of our new CRM) to now in November (6 months in).

So where did 2022 go? Since writing my last piece for Ignite, the ASFP team has continued to develop our new CRM system, the connected website, and shop with more usability and features.

The operations team have been focused on improving our financial systems and procedures, as well as continuous improvement in our training and events. This year we have delivered more classroom training and faceto-face events than the ASFP has ever done before. This is a testament to our young, dynamic team.

At headquarters, the carpark is full more often than not with more and more visitors every week. Please enquire if you need meeting facilities in the heart of England. The British Coatings Federation (BCF) continues to support the ASFP in many facets of our day-to-day operations, human resources, IT provision and support, and social events as part of our collective team-building programme. BCF’s contribution to supporting ASFP should not be underestimated.

People

In our last issue, I introduced Lauren Smith as our new Operations Assistant and Tom Gilbert

(Lendlease) as the first of our non-Executive Board members. I can confirm we have continued with our investment in people and talent as described at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Milford and Marah

Kate Milford and David Marah have been working with us in developing our Competency Pathway for improving skills, knowledge, and ultimately competency in passive fire protection. Kate and David are specialist consultants that have years of experience in developing structured learning curriculums. We look forward to continuing to work with them in 2023 in delivering new training modules and course content.

Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager

We welcome Tariq Malik to the ASFP team as Compliance & QA manager. Tariq’s main role will be to produce and manage the Association’s umbrella member quality mark scheme, Competency Pathway, plus any certification schemes that will add value to ASFP and our members.

Tariq will be taking the ASFP on a journey through our ISO 9001 certification application, supporting the production and

management of ASFP’s new quality mark for members. We wish Tariq all the very best in this new exciting role at the Association.

Technical Assistant

As I write this, we have just hired our Technical Assistant, Sadiyah Begum. Sadiyah has a BEng Chemical Engineering degree, a Level 3 in Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market and a foundation degree in Combined Engineering, the study of Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

This is a new role and is designed to support our technical and regulatory officers from an administrative and operational point of view. However, there is more to this role than support; we aim to further develop our new recruit since the role forms part of our succession planning strategy which will enable us to maintain the Association’s ability to grow and continue to support its members.

ASFP Business Manager Mike Ward outlines the new developments from the second half of 2022 up to the new and exciting times ahead in 2023

Marketing

One of our new initiatives in 2022 was to launch a series of overseas satellite websites with local domains. To date, we have launched sites in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, France and Spain. These are written in the local language on the main landing page and key pages for membership, training and technical documents. Beyond this, they gather information from the main UK ASFP website.

Big Investments

ASFP is excited to announce for 2023 one of our most significant investments this year. Our new mobile classroom and event trailer, primarily designed for the provision of skills and knowledge as part of the ASFP’s Competency Pathway. The trailer and car used to tow it are pictured at the bottom of this page. This mobile facility

can be taken to any location accross the UK to provide training on your doorstep no matter where you are. But it doesn’t end there! We have partnered with RiVR Link to bring you a new type of training that takes place within a Virtual Reality environment. VR technology gives learners the ability to see the methods, systems, products, and applications for a variety of product types across the whole of the passive fire sector without having to try and access several different manufacturer facilities.

The system is also designed to be adaptable, meaning we can tailor the environment, the materials, or the scenario to fit the requirements of that particular member. We are very excited for this new investment and we can’t wait to show it to you all at next year’s Fire Safety Event.

ASFPTV

Our social media platforms are growing in content and, more importantly, in engagement. ASFPTV has broadened its programming to include two new features, Getting Technical for all technical content and ASFP Live, where we will show off our activities at trade shows and livestreams.

The ASFPTV channel as a whole continues to raise awareness of compliance and regulatory requirements and changes. Normally hosted by one of the

technical team, it is designed to keep members and key stakeholders informed of the fluid situations that challenge the passive fire sector in its day-to-day dealings. If you have a specific subject you would like discussed, it would be great to hear from you. You can get in touch by emailing Max at max.joyce@asfp.org.uk.

ASFPTV will continue to cover exhibitions, trade shows and other related events. We’re investing in more equipment and software to improve the quality of our output and content and will continue to challenge ourselves to keep formats and content fresh, informative and engaging. 2023 offers some new exciting programming to push the boundaries even further.

ASFP’s new website and CRM is evolving, if you are an employee of an ASFP member company and have not yet set up your account, you’re missing out!!! Ignite circulation is growing and events are increasing and diversifying. All of this we do for two reasons; to grow our member benefits and to improve standards in the passive fire industry, it’s what the ASFP does best.

ASFPTV

UPDATE

We are happy to announce that the award-winning video platform ASFPTV has had a makeover, including brand new series, a new upload schedule and brand new content. The makeover includes the two new series ASFP Live and Getting Technical. You can read more about these series under their logos. We have also introduced ASFP Clips and ASFP Extras. These are not full series but content from other series that we want to either highlight or which did not make the final edit, for example full interviews with members or behind the scenes.

As well as our new series we are also looking into a structured upload schedule. This is starting with the Sparking Interest Podcast but may expand into other series too. As you can see from the previous pages 06-07 Dates for your Diary we are planning on uploading a podcast on the first working day of each month.

ASFPTV aims to broadcast the ins and outs of the passive fire protection (PFP) industry. If you want to get involved with any of our series please email our Production and Digital Content Executive Max at max.joyce@asfp.org.uk.

Giving updates about everything ASFP. Find out about all upcoming events, news from the ASFP team and what is going on within the Association.

Inviting industry specialists to discuss their opinion of the sector, discussing recent industry affairs and much more!

A series dedicated to our members, discussing their company, projects, upcoming events and why they joined the ASFP.

A series where we dive deep into the world of Passive Fire Protection with informational videos and news / updates from within the industry.

ASFP CLIPS

Many of our videos are 10-20 minutes long and cover a range of different topics. For those topics we find particularly interesting, we have created ASFP clips. This is not so much a series as it is reuploading small sections, or ‘clips’, from longer videos that we want to highlight.

Tune in to us attending the world’s leading PFP trade shows, re-watch ASFP hosted events or even see us live from the event over a livestream.

ASFP EXTRA

With so much content out there, our videos could be hours long. ASFP Extras again is not a series but a collection of videos that shows you behind the scenes and extras bits cut from our main videos.

Reece Goodman explains the new updates that ASFPTV has to offer, including new series and new schedules

MEMBER BENEFITS: THE HUB

ASFP’s Commercial Manager Rich Green discusses all the new benefits offered in the ASFP Hub

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 good idea to join industry trade 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 their investment.

Hub Updates

Moving on from the initial success of the Member Hub, we haven’t let the grass grow under our feet and since we first told you all about the Hub in issue two of Ignite, we have added even more benefits for all of our members to use. We are pleased to welcome you to these new Hub offerings:

BSI

There are three benefits that come with BSI.

• BS, BS EN and ISO standards at discounted rates (up to 20% off) providing you with access to all the standards you need at an affordable price.

• As part of a Government scheme to support SMEs (small to medium size enterprises), 100 passive fire-related standards are free of charge to qualifying ASFP members. The range available reflects those of most interest to the passive fire protection community, as well as helping member companies with their company quality assurance by offering BS EN ISO 17025 and BS EN ISO 9001 quality management standards.

• Free onboarding to the BSI Identify Scheme, which aims to bring transparency and product traceability throughout the built environment supply chain. This new BSI service harnesses Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology to deliver a unique, constant, and interoperable identifier, called a BSI UPIN, which can be assigned to products. It helps UK manufacturers to directly manage information about their products in the supply chain, providing a persistent record of each product throughout its life cycle, from manufacture, specification, procurement, and installation, to de-commissioning or reuse.

Consort Insurance

Consort are a fully licensed general insurance broker, capable of arranging placement for your entire commercial insurance programme and are offering free insurance advice to all ASFP members. Given the increased scrutiny surrounding the fire industry following several high-profile events, insurers’ ability to provide cover within this space has been extremely limited. However, because of Consort’s extensive expertise in the fire-related space, and deep insurer relationships, they have developed a unique insurance solution that is likely to be of benefit to ASFP members.

Dell Technologies

As an ASFP member, you receive discounts on selected IT Equipment from Dell

Jobs Board

The new ASFP Jobs Board is up and running. You can choose to submit a vacancy for up to 30, 60 or 90 days or for an unlimited time. These range in price from £150-£400, however, members have a 30% discount. Anyone using the ASFP website can search for your job vacancy and submit their application direct to you.

For more details on all of the benefits listed above, our previous benefits and all new ones that we are yet to launch, please take a look at the ASFP website www.asfp.org.uk/page/Memberhub or scan this QR code

Hopefully, these will whet your appetite for what is to come through 2023. 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 at rich.green@asfp.org.uk.

THE BENEFITS OF ASFP MEMBERSHIP

ASFP members cover a broad spectrum of the fire protection industry including; manufacturers, system and product installers, distributors, product testing and assessment authorities, fire engineers, fire risk assessors, certification bodies and other associated groups and organisations.

The ASFP serves and represents the needs of its members and the wider passive fire protection (PFP) industry by:

• Advancing knowledge and guidance on all aspects of ‘built-in’ fire protection

• Providing technical support and impartial advice

• Supporting regulatory and behavioural change as an independent authority

• Improving competence and quality through training

Being a member of the ASFP provides a number of both direct and indirect benefits. These can range from technical help to marketing and networking benefits. We have compiled a list of what we think are the most important benefits.

Brand

Becoming a member of the ASFP allows all member companies to be associated with the powerful name and brand of the ASFP. Displaying the ASFP logo gives members the opportunity to promote a joint brand whilst creating a link to ASFP values and best practice.

Technical Help

A key benefit of membership is having access to technical support, available through the many Technical Task Groups, via the extensive library of technical guidance, advisory notes, best practice guides, as well as through the wide range of videos available on ASFPTV.

Technical Task Groups

By attending the dedicated Technical Task Groups, members are able to give their input into industry-related technical guidance and policy development, along with access to an ever-expanding pool of industry expertise.

Discounts

Members have access to discounted rates for a wide range of the ASFP offerings. These include ASFP’s world-leading training schemes for PFP, the ASFP Colour Books, the benefits offered in the ASFP Hub, ASFP event tickets, and sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities at ASFP events.

Training

ASFP offers various types of globally recognised training courses including; the online Introduction to PFP that gives a brief yet substantial overview of PFP, and the ASFP Foundation Course for both Level 2 and Level 3 leading to IFE qualifications. Members have access to a member discount structure for these courses, which equip 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 also available online via the eLearning platform, as well as in a multitude of languages such as Spanish and French, offering even more flexibility for learning.

ASFP.org.uk

Members can add their company profile to the ASFP website, providing visibility to the thousands of website visitors who regularly access guidance documents, videos, news, specification support and information on ASFP member services.

The Hub

The ASFP Member Hub provides access to many business support services including but not limited to membership of MakeUK, Barbour ABI, and CHAS. There is also access to the ASFP Jobs Board, which is industry-focused and only available to members (read more about The Hub and our new Hub benefits on Page 9).

ASFP Membership Officer Tony Corcoran explains the benefits of membership of the Association

Representation

Members have access and representation through ASFP to bodies such as Build UK, the Construction Products Association, the PFP Forum, the Fire Sector Federation and the European Association for Passive Fire Protection. The ASFP produces detailed authoritative technical publications and codes of practice that are used throughout the construction sector and ALL ASFP documents are FREE to download for eligible ASFP members.

Marketing

As part of their promotional campaigns, ASFP members have the opportunity to link with ASFP marketing support and to align their own promotional activity with that of the ASFP. Members are encouraged to use as many of the marketing avenues as they can, some of which include advertising or writing editorials for the industry magazine, Ignite, taking part in series for the ASFP YouTube channel ASFPTV such as Meet the Member or The Sparking Interest Podcast, or posting in the weekly newsletter. Marketing with the ASFP allows members to reach an extensive industry-specific audience that they otherwise may not have been able to target.

The ASFP Member noticeboard

Members have access to the Members’ noticeboard, an ASFP member community for information exchange. In this area, you will find your company profile with the CPD provider portal, which allows members to upload their CPD presentations for public access to a ‘go-to’ CPD service for the PFP industry.

If you would like more information on ASFP membership, an overview of which type of membership is best suited to your business, the key member benefits, and the requirements you will need to meet in order to progress to membership, please visit the membership tab on our website www.asfp.org.uk.

Harmony Fire – the fire protection experts

Harmony is a global fire protection firm with integrated research and development capabilities. We work with clients to design specialist integrated fire detection and suppression solutions to protect life, assets, and business continuity. We provide a comprehensive design, implementation, delivery and maintenance strategy for high-risk environments giving clients a complete end-toend solution with measurable costs.

Born from an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to do things differently, Harmony was founded in 1976 by a group of fire industry professionals. Each brought specialised knowledge, experience, and talent to the table to craft a methodology that continues to challenge the industry status quo.

Since that day, Harmony has grown swiftly. With globally recognised talent collaborating on local projects, we seamlessly unite research, design, project management and delivery to achieve real, measurable results for their clients.

Our way of working

We created a new methodology that provides a real-world, end-to-end solution that challenges the status quo and brings new perspectives and efficiencies to managing risk to ensure the protection of life, assets and business continuity. We call it think. protect. sustain.

Think

Challenges bring our people together to create ideas and better future-proof solutions. We partner with clients to ask the hard questions, challenge conventions, and apply new thinking. We develop solutions from multiple disciplines and perspectives for a safer, more effective, and risk-averse business future.

Protect

Together with our clients, we translate our global research into resilient solutions that allow people and businesses to achieve their best in safer, better-protected environments.

Sustain

Agile partnerships are built on understanding our clients’ needs to deliver better value. The costs are measurable with proactive maintenance plans and scheduled resilience testing, and support teams which can build partnerships with mutual trust.

Why choose Harmony Fire?

• Third-party accredited contractors

• Trusted by some of the industry’s leading framework providers such as CHIC, EEM, Fusion21, SEC and EN Procure

• BM Trada Q Mark certified

• Safe Contractor approved

• Experience working across multiple sectors such as Social Housing, NHS and Education

‘Harmony has taken on the responsibility of their experienced in-house team to develop and deliver a system that meets all compliance to the required access and regulation requirements. Every one of our projects has its challenges. Despite this, Harmony always delivered projects without fault. Their commitment to being at the top of the national framework’s contractors is second to none.’ - Customer, Social Housing.

HEET coatings estimation softwaremaking estimations simpler for passive fire protection (PFP) coatings

Hempel recently launched HEET (Hempel Estimation and Engineering Technology), a software estimation tool that accurately calculates the right amount of intumescent coating for structural steelwork on projects. For our customers in the PFP market, coating estimations can be a significant challenge.

PFP coatings require very specific thickness and volume calculations, and these can be time-consuming to perform. Hempel’s HEET software overcomes this issue by enabling customers to perform calculations themselves, quickly and easily.

The software enables our customers to perform PFP calculations for their own projects on their own terms. With HEET, customers get:

• Time-savings through faster intumescent thickness and volume calculations

• Cost-savings by using free software

• Simplicity with built-in parameters and easy-to-use solutions

• Estimation accuracy, thanks to a mandatory online tutorial for users

HEET comes complete with a list of typical default limiting temperatures that are used throughout the industry, eg according to Eurocode and the Yellow Book 5th edition. When it comes to section factor calculations,

HEET is equipped with a variety of steel sizes, including custom profiles, with built-in parameters for easy calculation. When custom data is essential, the software also allows data input from Excel for external data mapping requirements. These are just some of the key features that ensure users are guaranteed estimation accuracy.

HEET is available for users who are competent in PFP estimations and can be obtained in all countries and regions where Hempel’s intumescent coatings are available. In order to access the software, users will need to complete an online user tutorial, followed by a software download which can only be activated with a licence key.

If you are interested in learning more about HEET, please visit our Hempel website or email Lindsay Hutcheson at pfp.uk@hempel.com

We also welcome Fire Duct Systems Ltd Alexandru Stoian Angus Nairn Brendan Hughes Cem Demirel Chris Cole Chris Gadney Colin Walker Colin Taylor Darren Stranger Dave Hanrahan

Elizabeth Saunders Gary Tibbs Hassan Ahmed Jake Walker

Jakub Machalinski

Joanne

Welcome to our newest members

Elsewhere in this publication, ASFP’s Technical and Regulatory Affairs Officer Niall Rowan discusses the Association’s thinking on recent consultations for secondary legislation in the UK being prepared following publication of the Building Safety Act. This article explains how Ireland is already ahead of the game

In a new development, a whitepaper was launched at the Fire Conference 2022 in October by the Fire Sector Federation (FSF) and other industry leaders, calling for a wider discussion to create a national fire safety strategy in the UK.

The FSF whitepaper, Developing a National Strategy for Fire Safety, sets out a possible pathway for the fire sector and government to work together to create a safer society – one which goes beyond the current legislative proposals. Seeking a framework to effectively manage fire risk to help achieve a sustainable and safer society, the whitepaper states:

• Without a strategy we will always seek to reconcile and compromise, rather than take direct forceful action

• Fire has historically been a low priority in Britain

• Fire safety legislation in Britain continues to be reactive to tragedy

• Competency and commitment are at the heart of all success in safety.

Britain isn’t alone when it comes to legislators reacting to tragedy. This is a common theme globally, and certainly the Irish experience. The Stardust Disco fire in 1981 claimed 48 lives and was the trigger needed to develop a proper set of building regulations and approved documents, under the Building Control Act 1990 which came into effect in July 1992.

The FSF whitepaper states that fire safety, especially in buildings, is dependent upon being focused on prevention and control from inception until closure, or in the case of a building, demolition. It describes six fundamental principles as being at the core of fire safety and it is the fifth of these that could be described as the core of the core:

‘A written fire safety strategy, with a plan that details all building work and integral fire safety processes must exist that will allow a “certificate of completion” to be issued when the works are satisfactorily completed according to the plan. No building should be handed over to the owners, or clients, or be occupied without an appropriate and valid completion certificate, accompanied by the background material used to assess completion including ‘as built plans’ etc, which must be maintained up to date.’

In Ireland, we tick each of these three boxes already. The issue is that they come under two separate pieces of primary legislation further divided by the separation of Building Regulations from Building Control Regulations.

As the UK implements changes in fire safety legislation to improve fire safety in buildings, David O’Reilly, ASFP Ireland’s Chief Operations Officer, describes how Ireland got there first, and without a tragedy to force it to happen

The Irish legislative framework

The Building Control Act 1990, in effect since July 1991, established:

• A system of self-certification

• Clear legal standards – Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations

• Technical Guidance Documents – TGD B – Fire Safety

• Statutory responsibility for professionals to design and contractors to build in accordance with the building regulations.

Building Regulations require a Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) to be issued for all new construction, other than single unit dwellings, or material alteration of existing buildings. The FSC is issued by a local authority approving an application submitted by the designer. As part of the planning process, designers are required to develop a fire strategy for a proposed development, demonstrating compliance with Building Regulations and to submit this to the relevant local authority for approval. The relevant parts of this application are:

• A Compliance Report – sets out the fire strategy for the proposed design, demonstrating compliance with the requirements of B 1 – B 5

• Drawings – showing locations and specified fire resistance ratings of fire compartment walls and floors.

This ensures ‘a written fire safety strategy, with a plan that details all building work and integral fire safety processes’, the fire safety strategy is designed by competent professionals and approved by their counterparts within the local authority building control system.

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BCAR) Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works, ’allow a certificate of completion to be issued when the works are satisfactorily completed according to the plan’. It also delivers the additional requirement, ‘No building should be handed over to the owners, or clients, or be occupied without an appropriate and valid completion certificate accompanied by the background material used to assess completion including as built plans etc’.

Fire safety management

Fire safety management comes under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, probably the least understood of the three legislative strands. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) Fire Safety Task Force report, published in 2018 in the aftermath of the Grenfell Fire Tragedy, stated that fire safety in buildings is generally seen as a function of four aspects: passive fire safety, active fire safety, management and behaviour. Recognising improved construction standards under BCAR, it sought to extend this progress into managing fire safety in the built environment and promised new direction and guidance including:

• Code of Practice for Fire Safety Assessment of Premises and Buildings, published in March 2022

• Draft Fire Safety Guide for Building Owners and Operators (Guide for persons having control under Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003). Following public consultation, publication is due before the end of 2022

The need for culture change

Core to implementing new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations (BCAR) in 2014 was the desire to change culture and practice in the Irish construction sector. Irish Building Regulations recognised this need when referencing ASFP’s 2003 Best Practice Guidance in the 2006 revision of Technical Guidance B – Fire Safety. This calls for a change from confrontation to a more collaborative approach, something echoed in many of Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations following the Grenfell fire in London.

Great strides have been made in delivering higher construction standards. The next challenge is to extend this progress into fire safety management, quoting the FSF whitepaper ‘prevention and control from inception until closure, or in the case of a building: demolition’. Designers need to be cognisant of the competence, knowledge and experience, of installers and maintainers of specified systems.

WHAT AN

Mike

ASFP has achieved the delivery of and exhibited at more events and trade shows in 2022 than in any previous year. Some events are those we have long supported and which we believe continue to add value, others are new and part of our new strategy for improved engagement internally and externally.

New for 2022 was the ASFP Regatta, an inter-association and guest sailing competition on the Solent in Hampshire. A fun activity for both beginners as well as seasoned sailors, offering a perfect opportunity for member-company team building, networking and guest engagement.

Regional events in 2023 and onwards will be more accessible with ASFP visiting cities across the UK to give all members the opportunity to attend and network in locations local to them. The first regional event in early 2023 will be in Leeds.

In 2023 the ASFP AGM is going to be held for the first time outside of London, again to highlight the ASFP’s commitment to making engagement and networking accessible to all. The move reflects the fact that most ASFP members are located in the midlands and the north of Britain. Also, for the first time since 2019, the ASFP hosted its Technical and Leadership event at the Aviva Insurance building in the heart of the City of London. 2023 will however be the last time this takes place in Aviva’s fantastic theatre as the building has been sold. The good news is Aviva have offered their continued support for the ASFP at their new headquarters.

We know members value the opportunity to display table-top exhibits at our technical, regulatory, and leadership events and we will continue to support this where we can.

We are looking into some of the more diverse events and trade shows for future years. We will be focusing on those where we know there are many companies and individuals that are primary stakeholders and influencers for our members.

If you are interested in any of the events mentioned on this page they are all available to book.

Please scan the QR code to read more.

Ward discusses ASFP’s events from 2022 and looks forward to how things may change in 2023

ASFP

The ASFP Awards give us an opportunity to stop and look back over the past year to celebrate the great achievements made by you, our members, and to recognise the excellence within the passive fire protection (PFP) industry.

This year we have included three brand new award categories; best customer service, best marketing campaign and highest engagement with the ASFP. These were specifically chosen to give greater diversity to the award categories, to widen the net of accessibility and allow even more companies and individuals to be able to be nominated. If you are reading this live at the event, we wish all of you good luck. We would also like to give a special thanks to our judges for providing their technical expertise to select today’s winners.

Last year we also introduced our longest serving member awards, made up of Gold for 40 years of ASFP membership, silver for 30 years, and bronze for 20 years. These awards will continue through this year where we will be celebrating one of our member’s 30 year anniversary with the ASFP, can you guess who it is?

and leadership contexts. Mandy is currently serving as an Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport.

ON THE

THIS YEAR’S FINALISTS

Battersea Power Station

Coopers Fire completed the installation of 86 fire and smoke curtains in 2022 at the recently completed Battersea Power Station.

Equinix LD7.2

Equinix LD7.2 is a £90 million new data centre building which connects the new site to the existing campus and the public realm.

Sellindge Converter Station

A 24 hour-dedicated Sharpfibre Project Management Team was quickly assembled and led by Kevan Crowe.

These candidates have been chosen based on the following criteria:

• How much training the employees of said companies have done with ASFP

• How many ASFP events they have attended

• How many ASFP events they have exhibited at, sponsored or have provided speakers for

• How many employees of the company have logged into the ASFP CRM

• The frequency of those employees logging in and using the ASFP CRM

• How many ASFP documents employees have downloaded

• How many transactions the member company has made

FPLHV: a fire-resisting high voltage cable enclosure

FPLHV: a fire-resisting high voltage cable enclosure that offers unparalleled insulation performance at high temperatures.

Ceasefire Global’s Composite Fire Doors FD30s Range

A new composite fire door range developed in conjunction with Winkhaus.

Primary Walkway Fire Protection

FD30 timber doorset with a 1.1m high Stonewool sandwich panel all housed within a premanufactured framework at deck level with provisions for a uPVC double glazed window unit above, mechanically fixed to the solid substrate.

Harvey Brown

With a strong technical background and excellent communication skills, Harvey has been able to build strong relationships and provide excellent advice to the specifiers and installers he works with.

Aadam Khan

A tenacious and well-organized individual with excellent learning agility. Effective negotiation and interpersonal skills. Perfectly comfortable working under pressure and outside their comfort zone.

Molly Callaway

Molly’s professionalism, eagerness to learn and enthusiasm for the industry quickly became apparent and TBL identified her for their Management Training Programme.

Relaunch Campaign

To create a stronger, more distinct, standalone FIREFLY brand and raise its awareness across multiple sectors, including fire protection, distribution, specification and end-use sectors.

Spread the word Focused on heightening awareness of Minster’s PFP range. The drive delivered unprecedented levels of sales of PFP products for Minster and stimulating interest.

Trusted Firestop experts leave no gaps

Objective - To raise awareness to the target audiences, grow the pipeline of enquiries to help achieve their sales targets.

The Lifetime Contribution award will be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional practice over a significant period (20+ years). This individual will have made an impact on people, organisations, or companies with a display of wisdom and depth of service / leadership. This nominee is recognised throughout their organisation for all they have contributed to the sector.

The Academic Achievement Award is awarded to the students who studied via the ASFP Level 2 training course or the ASFP Level 3 training course and recieved the highest score on the respective IFE exam.

The Passive Fire Protection Advocate of the Year will be awarded to a non-member of ASFP who can demonstrate that they are a major advocate of high-quality installed PFP. The nominee provided significant evidence of activities undertaken between 1st September 2021 to 1st September 2022 to raise awareness, educate and promote quality passive fire protection.

Promat and FSi — Fire Protection from the Experts

Promat is the global leader in passive fire protection, operating in 40 countries worldwide. Our systems are used to provide structural protection and maintain compartmentation, backed by transparent testing and technical support.

FSi’s reputation for reliability, support and

As the Trusted Insurance Advisor and Affiliate Partner to the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), Consort Insurance have developed an exclusive, informed insurance programme reserved for ‘Best of Sector’ companies operating within the fire and security industry. This is not an open market solution and terms are exclusively available from Consort. Over the past few years, Consort have secured the backing of leading reputable insurers, and in combination we are able to provide an incredibly comprehensive

ASFP

Business insurance designed to help organisations manage their exposure and liabilities in relation to fire risk.

HELP DONATE TO

Scan here to donate today

We are so proud of the achievments of our members and our industry. To celebrate the ASFP awards 2022 we would like to take this time to thank the Children’s Burns Trust for the incredible charitable work that they carry out day on day throughout the year. We hope that during this time of celebration you too can take a moment to look into your hearts and into your pockets for something that you’re willing to donate.

The Children’s Burns Trust is a national charity dedicated to providing rehabilitation support for burn 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/

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/

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

ON YOUR MARKS

Construction Products Regulation (CPR) 2013. For a product to be in scope it would need a harmonised EN product standard that had been listed in the Official Journal of the EU.

The necessary provisions of the European CPR were transferred into UK law by the Construction Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 when the UK left the EU. Harmonised European standards such as the damper product standard became designated British Standards, listed on the Government website, and as such the mandatory requirement for CE/UKCA marking was retained. Once the UK left the EU on 31st December 2020, these products were required to be UKCA marked for the GB market, although the Government allowed a further transition period for CE marks to be accepted which was extended out to 31st December 2022.

As it stands at the moment, this means that only fire-resisting dampers and smoke control dampers have a harmonised EN/Designated BS product standard, which matches how the market uses the products. Therefore for these products, it is mandatory to attach a CE mark or a UKCA mark today, and once the Government puts in place the necessary steps to end CE marking, UKCA will be the sole acceptable mark for these products.

There are two special cases which need a little further consideration where a harmonised EN standard/designated BS standard exists, but does not necessarily mean that a product can be CE marked.

Firstly, fire-resisting and smoke control ducts cannot be CE marked if they are supplied in the normal form, where the metal duct is sent to site and insulation is added on site. In this instance, it is not possible to complete the necessary factory production control checks. Therefore, it is only possible to CE/UKCA mark single compartment smoke control duct sections, which do not require insulation to be added to the metal duct sections. This situation is covered in detail in ASFP’s Technical Guidance Document TGD20.

Secondly, it is mandatory to affix a CE/UKCA mark to an operable fabric curtain in certain circumstances. This is because the scope of the harmonised EN product standard EN 16034:2014 mentions “rolling shutters or operable fabric curtains used in retail premises which are mainly provided for the access of persons rather than vehicles or goods”.

EN 16034:2014 has also been given designated BS status, so if an active fire curtain is being used as described above, then it is necessary to attach a CE or a UKCA mark covering the fire resistance performance. Information on this topic can be found in ASFP Technical Guidance Document TGD21.

There is a further requirement to CE/UKCA mark active fire curtains, in order to comply with the provisions of the Machinery Directive. Further details on this requirement can be found in ASFP’s Advisory Note AN25.

Voluntary process

For the bulk of PFP product families, manufactured by ASFP members, CE marking was a voluntary process, carried out using the European Association for Technical Approvals (EOTA) route involving European Assessment Document product standards, leading to European technical assessments. This voluntary route was open to manufacturers of structural fire protection (boards, sprays and intumescent coatings), firestopping and cavity barriers.

For these products, the use of a CE mark historically, and the use of a UKCA mark now and for the immediate future is not mandatory, but a voluntary approach. Therefore even after 31st December 2022, these products can be placed on the GB market without a UKCA mark. ASFP members have long used third party certification as a route to show product consistency and safety. Third party certification is also recognised as one of the methods to achieve compliance with Approved Document 7, covering fitness of materials and workmanship.

There may be a future requirement for a mandatory conformity assessment mark, which would bring those product families currently under a voluntary scheme into the scope of mandatory marking. This was mentioned in the proposals regarding Safety Critical Products contained within the draft secondary legislation to the Building Safety Act, published in October 2021.

As a final point, it is worth considering that the Government’s advice on the transition between CE marking and UKCA marking of construction products was last updated in September 2022. The final point in the guidance states that “[Government] intend for this arrangement to end on 1 January 2023, which will require legislation. Businesses should ensure they are prepared for the new system before it comes into effect.”

However, as I type this article at the end of October 2022, there is no sign of such a piece of legislation and there are a number of construction product sectors in a position where there is no way that they will be able to comply with this requirement due to a lack of UK-based testing and certification bodies. The Construction Products Association and Construction Leadership Council have been advocating for a further extension to the 31st December 2022 deadline for some considerable time. There is a rumour that a Government announcement is imminent, but a rumour is all that we have as we go to press. Therefore, a blanket market demand for UKCA marking after 31st December 2022 is something that may well be the Government’s intention, but the legal framework is somewhat short of demanding this for many of the products within ASFP members’ portfolios.

To keep updated on UKCA and CE markings please visit www.asfp.org.uk/page/UKCAandCEMarkingUpdates

Put safety first.

Protect your customers and your reputation.

BSI Identify is the digital identification service that improves industry safety by ensuring the traceability of your products and the accuracy of your product information.

Demonstrate your commitment to customers and to a safer supply chain by providing permanent and accurate access to your product information.

Create your digital fingerprint in 3 steps

1. Receive unique, permanent identifiers

BSI Identify will issue you with a unique, permanent and traceable identifier called a BSI UPIN for each of your construction products at unit level.

2. Ensure accurate product identification

You can then mark or tag your products with the UPIN, which acts as a smart link to signpost users to a page where they can quickly find all your most upto-date information.

3. Maintain one single source of information

Supply chain operators scan the UPIN and are directed to an open-access page, controlled by you, ensuring that there’s one definitive, accurate and up-to-date source of information.

Why join BSI Identify? Demonstrate your pledge to product safety Enhance your reputation as a responsible manufacturer with integrity Reassure customers by giving permanent access to accurate product information Mitigate the risk of product substitution Do the right thing and put safety first Find out more: www.identify.bsigroup.com

IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE

As I write this article we are looking forward to the IFE examinations taking place at the begining of October. For many, this will be the time they put their newfound knowledge from our classroom, online, or revision courses to the test. At the time of going to press I am sure many of you are keenly awaiting the results from this exam, and to you all we wish good luck. We would love feedback from you so please do let us know how you fare; it helps us to no end knowing where we may improve in supporting you taking your next steps on the competency pathway.

Twelve months ago, on 4th October 2021, I found myself at the Association’s office in Coventry for my first day in my new role with the ASFP, and in May of the following year we introduced the revised and updated online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection course. This was the first course where I was directly involved in creating the content, and I am, justifiably, very proud of what our team has produced.

The original online introductory course was created in partnership with an external consultant and at the time met the Association’s needs as providing a basic oversight to the world of passive fire protection. Having taken into account the ongoing changes in the construction industry it has become obvious that a more formal competency pathway is needed if we are to ensure best practices are observed at all levels of the industry. The ASFP have been very successful in recent years in promoting training and competency at the higher levels through the Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection in conjunction with the IFE. It was felt that the introductory courses should follow the same format, hence the creation of a new package, this time run with external partners in direct conjunction with us rather than at arm’s length.

We worked with Milford and Marah, a very experienced training consultancy, to frame this training at the correct level, with us providing the technical content. This has led to the creation of a very well received course which, while continuing the previous offering’s modular setup, contains much improved content. This content features images, animations, audio, and video, all of which have been created in-house to enhance the learning experience and create what we believe is a truly industry leading course.

Do not just take our word for it though, here are just a few of the comments we have received in response to the course;

“Animations and Infographics are excellent. Different voices keep the user’s interest.”

Michal Skrna Hilti (GT. Britain) Ltd.

“Wow, what a difference between the previous online introduction and your new version…. graphics and visual aids are far better and clearer… and the verbal delivery is clear, concise, and engaging.”

Martin

Buckroyd – Rhodar

“I liked the video series, it was informative and covers good ground. A great introduction to passive fire safety. ...the quality and relevance of the images to what was being talked about was really good and served as good visual aids”

Jack Colloff – TBA Firefly

What we have achieved in these last 12 months is beyond anything I would have imagined myself doing as recently as two or three years ago. I look forward to the next years with great interest as to where things in our Association and the wider construction industry may be going, and what part I will be playing in it.

For all that I have experienced over this last year, and for that which is yet to come, I thank you all! The ASFP would also like to thank the following for their assistance and support in the creation of the course; Kate and David from Milford and Marah, Hilti (Great Britain) Ltd, Swegon Actionair, Simon Watkins and the team from Etex Building Performance, FSi Ltd, TBA Firefly Ltd, Siderise Ltd, Rockwool Ltd, Global HSE Solutions Ltd, and of course, all of the ASFP Officers and Members for their contributions and support.

ASFP Training Manager Chris Sharman review the ASFP’s training and development activities throughout 2022

THE BUILDING SAFETY ACT CONSULTATIONS

Responding to Government

Following the granting of Royal Assent for the Building Safety Act (BSA) at the end of April 2022, the Department for Levelling Up Communities and Housing (DLUCH) has launched three tranches of consultation. These aim to steer the development of secondary legislation to enable further implementation of the Act. These are:

1. Consultation on implementing the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings and wider changes to the building regulations for all buildings

2. Consultation on the in-occupation regime for occupied higher-risk buildings

3. The Building Safety (Fees and Charges) Regulations 202[3] and charging scheme

They can be accessed here: www.consult. levellingup.gov.uk/building-safetyconsultations.

The ASFP has responded to the first two consultations, which closed on 12 October. While many of the proposals are welcome and seem straightforward, we have a number of concerns which could be interpreted as a weakening of resolve to the commitments made by the Government following the Hackitt Review of Building Safety.

Role of Clients

Our first concern relates to the interrelationship between the client, the Principal Designer (PD) and the Principal Contractor (PC). The BSA puts a lot of responsibility on the client. ASFP has learned that the regulation was deliberately framed this way as it was considered that many of the poor buildings constructed are as a result of ‘poor clients’. Whatever the rights and wrongs of that statement we believe, as do many others, that many clients are not able to undertake the tasks and responsibilities put on them by the Act.

It is proposed that the client has to ‘provide building information to every designer and contractor on the project and have arrangements to ensure information is provided to designers and contractors to make them aware that the project includes any higher-risk building work; and, cooperate and share information with other relevant dutyholders.’

We believe that this is the role of the PD/PC, not the client and that most clients would not be able to do this.

Competence Requirements

In respect of competence requirements, the consultation states that non competent persons can be used if they are suitably supervised: ‘It is recognised that competent individuals may be supported by other individuals who may not be fully competent (such as labourers or apprentices)’.

ASFP believes that the installation of safety critical products and systems such as fire protection measures should not be left in the hands of labourers, even if supervised. We believe that they should possess the necessary Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviour (SKEB) as determined by the appropriate competency framework. The use of unskilled labour and its inconsistent supervision is a major cause of poor quality installed fire protection.

Another concern we have over competency is the statement: ‘We propose that building regulations require that where any person ceases to satisfy the competence requirements: If they are the Principal Designer or the Principal Contractor, they must notify the client……; If they are a designer working on the design, they must notify the Principal Designer……..; If they are a contractor undertaking building work, they must notify the Principal Contractor…. and, in any other case, they must notify the person who asked them to carry out the work’. This statement is fine, but at no point does it propose or require that those who have lost their competence tell the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) or other Building Control organisation. It is all kept ‘in house’ on the side of those undertaking the work and working on the project ie, the client, PD, PC etc. This is a clear conflict of interest.

The Role of Design and Build in Gateway Two

The ASFP has major concerns over the following information required for the building control approval application (‘Gateway two application’) for higher-risk buildings: ‘A design and build approach document setting out the proposed standards to be used’.

The whole principle of Gateway Two is that full plans are submitted with detailed fire safety design. Gateway Two is supposed to end design and build, not facilitate it. Design and build is one of the biggest causes of poor quality passive fire protection (PFP), in particular firestopping arrangements in buildings. The ASFP along with many others believes it should be consigned to history.

In further discussions with DLUCH, they claim that Gateway Two is still ‘full plans’ and that the ‘proposed standards to be used’ refers to the use of Approved Document B (AD-B) to the Building Regulations, or BS9999, BS9991 etc as the guidance used by designers. We remain sceptical because in no other part of the consultations can we find any reference to ‘full plans’.

Our scepticism is backed up by building control approval applications for new higher-risk buildings following a staged approach. The statement below is no real change from what we have now: ‘The detailed plans and design and build approach document covering work up to the specified stage must, however, be accompanied by outline plans for the whole building’.

Use of Competent Person Schemes

The consultation asks if competent person scheme work should be reflected in building control approval applications. Whilst this might be suitable for some trades, eg electricians, and it reflects current practice, we believe that for safety critical systems and products, e.g. passive fire protection, competent persons schemes should not be included because these use self-certification.

If the installation of such systems is undertaken by third party certificated installers, then the ability to vary the inspection required for building control approval, as negotiated with the BSR, is worth pursuing. But a separate regime for safety critical installations is not spelt out and so this is of concern.

Types of Changes to Building Control Approval Applications

The consultation provides a list of subjects which require consideration by the BSR. However, there is nothing on passive fire protection. ASFP believes that changes to the

ASFP Technical and Regulatory Affairs Officer Niall Rowan shares the Association’s views on recent consultations for secondary legislation being undertaken following publication of the Building Safety Act

fire strategy should be considered by the BSR. A typical example might be where a ‘tradeoff’ is proposed between active and passive systems, such as a reduction in fire resistance periods being compensated by the installation of a suitable suppression system, It should be noted that the ASFP does not support the principle of trade off in any situation. However, if it is to be considered, it should be notified to and formally considered by the BSR.

Another concern we have is in relation to product substitution. We are very concerned about this statement from the consultation allowing: ‘Substituting a �like for like” product where the new product has the same specification/performance classification as the original specified in the original building control approval application’.

This sounds harmless enough, but in the past has led to extreme value engineering and a race to the bottom, as highlighted by Dame Judith Hackitt in her report. For example, the term ‘or similar’ is often used to justify totally inappropriate product substitution. We believe this should be notifiable as a ‘major change’ rather than a ‘notifiable change’ and should be considered by the BSA. If nothing else, it might concentrate the minds of designers and specifiers to get it right first time.

Maintaining Accuracy of Information in the Golden Thread

The consultation states: ‘through the design and construction process there should be a duty on all dutyholders to review the information within the golden thread to ensure it remains relevant and proportionate and supports compliance with building regulations’.

We are concerned that when you ask a lot of people to do something, they all assume one of the others is doing it. If one considered the arguments over design liability at Grenfell Tower, all the parties found a reason to blame the others. If you don’t single out ONE person/ dutyholder this will fail.

Consultation on the In-Occupation Regime for Occupied Higher-Risk Buildings

The consultation asks if only information relevant to building safety risks should be stored in the Golden Thread. The ASFP considers that the Golden Thread should include all active and passive fire safety

systems and measures. We further believe that there is a need to separate out Golden Thread information on fire/structural as these are the main drivers behind the Building Safety Act. Our worry is that Golden Thread information will become bloated and/or irrelevant and/or inaccessible.

There is also a proposal that the Golden Thread requirements will be sufficient so that the current Regulation 38 ‘cannot apply to buildings in scope of the more stringent regime.’ Regulation 38 information is specific fire safety information on installed fire protection systems (active and passive). The purpose of this was so that the Fire Risk Assessor could access this before doing the fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. The idea being that the Regulation 38 information will provide a list of what to check which will make their assessment easier, but also more thorough. The concern is that if this is ‘buried’ in the Golden Thread that it won’t be accessible, and this will lead to poorer fire risk assessments

Key Building Information

The consultation considers the creation of Key Building Information to be provided to the BSR to enable oversight and analysis of the building industry. We have two main comments:

1. There is a LOT of overlap between Key Building Information and Golden Thread. Do we really need two types of information? We would argue that a less bloated Golden Thread might make a very good Key Building Information. Or Key Building Information could be developed into Golden Thread.

2. There appears to be no information on active, passive or firefighting systems! Whether or not a building has a sprinkler system is crucial to any analysis of how buildings behave in a fire. The same applies to passive systems. We would propose that information on active, passive, or firefighting systems, even if just in a very simplified form is an essential factor in analysing data from buildings and fires.

Work undertaken by residents

We are concerned about the statement: ‘Building work commissioned by residents within a dwelling should not change the key building information because of the nature of such work and the confinement to an individual dwelling.’

We would argue that work by a resident such as changing room layouts to increase room sizes and/or the installation of services into the property without adequate firestopping would affect Key Building Information. A more pertinent example would be a ground floor resident removing concrete protection to cast iron columns to obtain a more aesthetic look could compromise the structural integrity of the building. One ASFP correspondent has recently seen an example of this.

Conclusion

The ASFP welcomes the Building Safety Act as a major step forward in the creation of safer buildings, but we have significant concerns regarding some of the details that are emerging in these latest consultations. We shall continue to lobby to ensure that the legislation enhances the quality of designed and installed passive fire protection thus delivering safer buildings. All the comments above and others have been submitted to DLUCH for consideration.

BROADENING OUR REACH

There has been a lot said recently on the subject of culture change in construction. Last month, at the ASFP’s Industry Leaders event at the Aviva Building, Chandra Dissanayeke of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUCH) gave a key note speech on why the Government thinks that culture change is an important part of the measures needed to ensure safer buildings. culture change, to do things first and foremost with building safety in mind, is seen as an allencompassing change, which works at every level, and will ultimately give the best chance of ensuring safer buildings for all.

Whilst the Government has delivered both the Fire Safety Act and the Building Safety Act, much of the detailed secondary legislation is still to be published. Indeed, there has been little evidence of progress in developing this secondary legislation since the end of the Johnson Government in early July. However, the advice from Government and contained within Dame Judith Hackitt’s Building a Safer Future report has been not to wait for Government, but to do the right thing now.

One of the main groups who could influence this change, are the Tier 1 contractors. Recently both Niall and I have been meeting with a group of Tier 1 contractors, as part of setting up a new collaborative forum, the Passive Fire Knowledge Group, PFKG. The PFKG has been established to drive culture change through the design and construction process to improve fire safety in buildings.

Tier 1 contractors comprise the largest stakeholder group within PFKG, and have the influence within the construction industry to drive forward the necessary culture change that will ultimately ensure safer buildings. Culture change in the construction industry is only going to be possible if there is buy-in from the Tier 1 contractors at the top of the contractual chain. This is what makes the PFKG potentially such an interesting group.

The PFKG is initially focusing on three topic areas: education; process and testing issues related to the design and specification of passive fire protection for compartmentation; and service penetration sealing and compatibility with fire-resisting partitions (firewalls). One of the key areas in which ASFP will be contributing to PFKG is the testing

information group. This aims to provide the Tier 1 contractors with advice on best practice in the use and interpretation of fire test evidence, whilst at the same time ensuring that ASFP manufacturer members (initially those involved in ASFP TG3) are testing their products in the most appropriate designs to cover the actual end-use situations demanded by the construction industry.

Other issues the forum will consider include inspection and recording of installed works during construction, and the education requirements of those designing, procuring and installing passive fire protection (combined) products or systems.

ASFP will continue to support the PFKG, and its Tier 1 contractor members to help ensure the delivery of safer buildings by way of the much needed culture change in construction. There will be a formal launch presentation of PFKG at the London Build 2022 exhibition at London Olympia on 17th November. For further information, visit www.PFKG.org.

ASFP Technical Officer Dr Andrew Taylor introduces the Passive Fire Knowledge Group

Passive Fire Protection

Our range of passive fire protection products include coated batts, cavity / fire barriers, sealants and mastics for fire protection in walls and floors.

Our products are supported by a complementary Technical Advisory Service, providing guidance for designers, specifiers and installers.

Kingspan Insulation Ltd

7-3-3 Cameron House | White Cross Business Park Lancaster | LA1 4XQ

T: +44 (0) 1524 388 898 F: +44 (0) 1524 383 724 E: passivefireprotection@kingspaninsulation.co.uk www.kingspanpassivefireprotection.co.uk

® Kingspan and the Lion Device are Registered Trademarks of the Kingspan Group plc in the UK, Ireland and other countries. All rights reserved. TM Safire is a Trademark of the Kingspan Group plc.

COMPETENCY PATHWAY

Competency is being used as a buzzword across the construction industry at this current time, indeed this is not the first article I have written about this very subject. In previous articles we have looked at how we define competency, and the hidden costs associated with competency (or more often the lack thereof…). In this edition we are going to look at what we, as an association, are proposing to do about it.

May we present the ASFP Competency Pathway.

Officially launched by Kate Milford of Milford&Marah at the ASFP September event in London, the ASFP Competency Pathway is a multi-faceted guide to achieving, recording, and demonstrating competence at different levels within the Passive Fire Sector. It has been created in direct response to those changes to the construction industry being brought about following the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, the creation of the UK Building Regulator, the implementation of the recommendations from the Hackitt report, and the need to demonstrate both individual competence and organisational capability across the industry.

This represents a massive culture change across the entire construction Industry, and it is one that we can either choose to create and foster to the benefit of all of those involved specifically within the passive fire sector, or we can choose not to take a lead in such matters and find ourselves being legislated by government. Legislative history teaches us this usually leads to the creation of a “one size nearly fits all but doesn’t actually fit any” method that may not reflect the specific requirements of our sector. It is imperative that to ensure best practice is both understood and adhered to we take the first option.

I have to take a moment to admit to being a little blasé about this myself when first looking at it. Having worked in the passive fire sector for the last seven or so years, and in the fire sector in general for over 20 I thought this might be a relatively straightforward undertaking. Only when I had been sat in front of a large screen and directly exposed to both the scale of what we needed to consider and the minutiae of the individual subjects we need to look at and the huge empty gulf of “assumed competency” between them did I realise the true scale of that which is facing us.

We can break down the competency requirements for those in passive fire protection in several ways, however we can begin with two very clear descriptions.

1. Those directly involved in Passive Fire Protection. For example: installers, supervisors, site managers, project managers and technical staff for specialist passive fire contractors, inspectors and clerks of works, and technical sales staff and technical support staff for manufacturers or suppliers of passive fire products.

2. Those who are either tangentially linked to the actual installation of products, or those for whom an understanding of Passive Fire Protection is a function of their role rather than the role itself. For example those involved in the design of buildings, engineers and consultants, QS’s and those designing/installing mechanical and electrical systems in buildings who will be likely to compromise elements of compartmentation. Each of these will require a differing level of knowledge and skills to enable them to carry out their works correctly whilst correctly maintaining the fire resistance of the building’s structure and separating elements.

In each case, we need to break down the required Skills, Knowledge, Experience, and Behaviours (SKEB) required to complete their tasks in a competent fashion, regardless of whether they are directly involved in the provision/installation of passive fire systems or not. Only when we begin to break down these SKEB requirements do we realise

ASFP Training Manager Chris Sharman investigates the ASFP Competency Pathway as it takes its first steps

just how much we need to consider when defining the competence of an individual. An ideal place to start, and indeed where we have the largest number of individuals involved is at that point where knowledge, skills, and experience come together at the coal face, with the installer.

Historically an installer, when being recruited for a role or project, has been asked to provide proof of their competence and ability by having a CSCS card, an NVQ 2, and a third-party accreditation by a UKAS accreditation body such as FIRAS, IFC, LPCB, UL, FM, BM Trada etc. While these may have been the accepted industry standard requirements for an installer of passive fire products, they are not necessarily a proof of an individual’s competence since they only demonstrate the bare minimum of site safety and assessment have been met. It does not show, for example, that a specific knowledge level has been achieved, nor that the individual has experience in installing a particular type of product from a specific manufacturer. So, when trying to create our Competency Pathway we need to consider the Skills, Knowledge, and Experience linked to each product type, each application, and each system within each of the realms of passive fire protection.

We can begin by looking at the product sectors: Structural Fire Protection, Compartmentation, Firestopping, Ducts and Dampers, Fire Doors, Fire-resistant Glazing. If, from that list, we take Firestopping as a single section, we

need to split down the section into various firestopping types such as Penetration Sealing, Linear Joint Seals, Cavity Barriers, Load Bearing Seals etc. Drilling down further; within Penetration Sealing, we need to consider each of the following penetration types: Cables (single, multiple, bunched, trays or baskets) Pipes (combustible/non-combustible) Ductwork and Damper sealing.

From the previous list, if we were to select combustible pipes, we have various options for pipe sealing utilising either collars, wraps, bandages, or high expansion sealants all of which have different applications depending on the size, type, orientation, and material the pipe has been manufactured from. All of this is purely an example of drilling down to one specific application in the myriad of those available to the installer of passive fire protection systems. For each of these individual system applications a matrix containing all the SKEB requirements will need to be drawn up so a clear definition can be made of who is competent to carry out such installations based on their having the correct demonstrable competencies. This then gives us additional challenges. If an individual possesses all of the competencies required for a particular part of their role including training and assessment, project history and proof of

completion, AND the standard requirements of third-party accreditation, CSCS card etc, how do they demonstrate it if there is no one individual place where their competencies can be verified?

Since we are the ones that are creating the Competency Pathway and the levels required, are we then going to have to be able to verify those when asked to by potential employers etc?

Should we offer a service where we host the records of those on the ASFP Competency Pathway so they may be verified to external bodies going forward?

These questions then give us a whole other line of matters we must take care of, including the hosting of such a database, the ability of third parties to access such information, and the guardianship of same. This presents our next set of challenges yet to come. For now, our focus is on the requirements for the pathway itself and getting the buy in from all our members and industry partners. Many of whom have already signed up to support us in our ongoing quest for improvements in the competency of our sector, and the construction industry as a whole.

As you can gather from the above, this is neither a simple, nor straightforward undertaking, but if we are going to ensure that the competency of those working in the passive fire sector reflects the needs of that sector then it is something that must happen. It is going to take a concerted effort from a great many people to enable the creation of such a complex scheme and to ensure that once established it continues to develop. It must eventually expand to include all of those who are less directly involved in passive fire protection itself but who will cross paths with it and must also understand the competency requirements that will be placed upon them. This will require the buy in of a great many parties both within and adjacent to the passive fire sector, and also many of those who have little understanding of those elements listed within these pages. We are grateful that many individuals and organisations have already given us their undertaking that they will actively support us and promote the ASFP Competency Pathway in both its creation and its ongoing development. We ask for all those who wish to support us going forward to declare their support and join us in bringing a clearer and more defined future to competency in PFP.

TECHNICAL GROUP

The ASFP operates a number of Technical Task Groups which undertake the Association’s important work in developing industry guidance and best practice. In the last edition, we summarised the work done by TG6, which deals with fire-resisting and smoke control ducts and dampers. In this article, we will look in more detail at the work of another of the TGs – TG7 which covers Active Fire Curtain Barriers.

TG7 is responsible for the development of the ASFP’s Black Book: Active Fire Curtains: Compartmentation and Protected Routes: Guidance on specification, use and application of product, the newest of ASFP’s colour books. This contains information on the various tests needed to achieve compliance with BS 8524-1:2013 and BS 8524-2:2013. The Black Book also explains how curtains can be designed and specified to deliver compliance to design codes, such as BS 9999 and BS 9991 (BS 8524 is referenced in these codes). This includes the use of newer European style calculations based on the radiation classification (EW) rather than the previous Insulation Zone testing done historically under BS PAS121: 2007.

At the same time as we published the Black Book, ASFP also published a new technical guidance document TGD20, explaining how fire test standards and the Construction Products Regulations work together in relation to active fire curtains. Although initially, TGD20 was only published in September 2020, this document needed a recent review given the effects of Brexit and the forthcoming Building Safety Bill secondary legislation on construction products.

TG7 has also come together to author advisory documents for manufacturers on the requirements of the Machinery Directive and on the maintenance of active fire curtains. New documents are in preparation covering the use of smoke seals as part of an active fire curtain assembly. A new technical guidance document covering the installation and inspection of active fire curtains is also needed. This document will be developed by TG7 members once the current review of BS 8524-2 has been completed by the appropriate BSI committee.

The biggest challenge faced by TG7 members is the recent closure to new entrants and the impending withdrawal of KIWA, IFC’s third party certification scheme covering product testing to BS8524-1. Third party certification of products has long been a cornerstone of the ASFP’s policies and membership requirements as it remains the best way to ensure that the fire curtains placed on the market are the same as those that were originally tested. Third party certification also gives a clear and validated statement of the testing that has been carried out, and the performance achieved. This is an issue facing both the manufacturers and the specifiers who have been historically using third party certification to ensure the performance of active fire curtains. ASFP is continuing dialogue with the certification bodies trying to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

The issue with certification for active fire curtains could become even more pressing when the proposed Government initiative on safety critical products eventually comes into force. Active fire curtains would come into scope as a safety critical product. This will then require BSI to develop a mandatory product standard for active fire curtains, which will require some form of mandatory testing and certification process.

This remains a very important market segment for ASFP, and TG7 has a busy work programme delivering best practice guidance on these safety critical systems.

ASFP Technical Officer Dr Andrew Taylor reviews the work of the ASFP’s Technical Task Group 7 – Active Fire Curtains

Photo provided by Coopers Fire