BAFSA Focus May 2019

sprinkler

focus

m ay 2019

in this issue

Where next?

Heritage protection Regulation Skills & Qualifications News & Sprinkler Saves

bafsa.org.uk

bafsa.org.uk

ba f sa f o c u s m ay 2019

Contents 2 Part B to the Building Regulations for England

Ian Gough reviews the current situation 4 One flag, different standards

Danny Doherty questions the variances in

UK fire safety 6 The Future for Building Regulations and fire

safety legislation in Wales

What has changed since 2013 asks

Ritchie O’Connell?

9 Still no sign of funding for sprinklers

Is Government ignoring the need for more

robust, active fire protection?

10 Compliance & certification for Watermist

Fire Suppression Systems

Stewart Kidd examines the standards and

regulations 12 Preserving heritage around the world

Notre Dame, National Museum of Brazil,

Glasgow School of Art – could it be

Westminster next?

16 Fire & cultural heritage protection

Alan Brinson expresses shock and sadness

following the Notre Dame Fire 17 Singing from the same hymn sheet

Is now not the time to finally act asks Tom Roche?

18 Sprinkler Saves

If Only ...

19 Sprinklers highlight the difference between

two fires 21 Making London the safest global city

London Fire Brigade report raises awareness of the efficacy of residential sprinklers

24 Progressing skills and qualifications

Ruth Oliver reflects how action is essential in

the fire sprinkler sector 27 Don’t get caught out in the

Qualifications “Trap” 28 From the Sprinkler Head

A round up of news from BAFSA Members 32 Technical queries & resolutions

The questions you are asking the BAFSA

Technical team

BAFSA Focus is published by BAFSA, Unit 12, Kildean Business & Enterprise Hub, 146 Drip Road, Stirling FK8 1RW E info@bafsa.org.uk W bafsa.org.uk ISBN – 978-0-9571838-9-6 Disclaimer : The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd and/or its Council, directors, officers or employees are in no way responsible or legally liable for any error or anomalies made within the editorial by our authors.

Reprints of articles are available on request.

Designed and printed in the UK by RIASCA

Sprinkler FOCUS is the biannual magazine of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association. It is the only UK publication which has automatic fire sprinklers at its core with current news, features and opinions along with case studies and product updates.

From the Chair Welcome to the latest edition of Focus, which is filled with the latest news from the sprinkler industries in the UK and worldwide together with issues that are affecting the sprinkler industry.

As we approach the second anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, it has to be asked in real terms what has the UK Government done about the risk to buildings from fire in the UK? The Inquiries and Reviews continue but we are seeing very little in terms of real change to the protection of buildings from the actions of central government.

There have been calls this week from the Commissioner of London Fire Brigade and from the Deputy Mayor of London for sprinklers to be fitted to high-rise housing; there is strong crossparty support across all the Boroughs in London for sprinklers to be fitted. Yet, to date the only announcement has been for £200million to be made available for the removal of cladding from housing in the private sector.

There is currently a Government review of BB100 and the need for sprinklers in schools, however this Review was due to take place two years ago prior to the Grenfell fire so in reality we are actually two years behind schedule.

BAFSA continues to work with the industry to develop standards and competency and I am pleased to announce that BAFSA will be providing courses in the design of sprinkler systems as from June 2019.

Previously the courses were delivered

by Tony Marlow and led to many of our Members successfully passing the LPC examinations and reviews. BAFSA will be delivering the Basic, FHC, Intermediate and Inspectors courses.

We will aim to provide the courses across the UK together with in-house bespoke courses. Details of the courses available will be sent out to Members in the very near future.

We also continue to work with the third party accreditation bodies, LPCB, FIRAS and IFCC with a view to integrating the L2 Installation Course into the audit of the accreditation process. We look forward to discussing with Members the best means of taking this forward later this year.

John McCann Chairman

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b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

Review of Part B to the Building Regulations for England I N T H E WA K E O F T H E G R E N F E L L TOW E R T R A G E DY , T H E G OV E R N M E N T HAS BEEN SEEKING VIEWS ON FUTURE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE TO S U P P O R T T H E B U I L D I N G A C T 1 9 8 4 A N D A S S O C I AT E D B U I L D I N G R E G U L A T I O N S 2 0 1 0 F O R E N G L A N D 1 . T H E C O N S U LT A T I O N E N D E D O N THE 1ST MARCH AND NOW IAN GOUGH C.BUILD E MCABE; MIFIREE R E V I E W S T H E S I T U AT I O N .

specifically identified during the ongoing Grenfell Tower Inquiry and ‘higher risk residential buildings’ (HRRBs)2.

It will not, however, address the fire safety guidance issued for hospitals and healthcare premises (which have their own customised guidance); or schools in Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) as the Department for Education (DfE) will launch a call for evidence specifically relating to schools in early 2019.

Scope

A Call for Evidence Published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on 18th December 2018, ‘Technical Review of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations – A Call for Evidence’ is a key first step in the technical review of Approved Document B (ADB). It will be used to set the agenda, terms of reference and programme for the review and to identify what further research may be needed.

A spokesman for MHCLG emphasised that: “Whilst fire safety in high rise flats is at the centre of our attention, this review will look at 2 | bafsa.org.uk

any issues that affect fire safety in all types of building.”

Furthermore, although the work conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt concentrated on issues about the system of building regulations and fire safety as whole - rather than technical issues - a number of her recommendations in the report ‘Building a Safer Future - Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ will be relevant to this next review.

The review is therefore said to be ‘wide ranging’ and will take into account previously completed research work - much of which BAFSA participated in - as well as issues

Currently fire safety regulations focus only on the ‘health and safety of persons in and around buildings’. However, there are many who now believe that the Building Act 1984 and the Approved Documents (Fire Safety) should be extended to include some degree of property protection – especially in relation to the sustainability and resilience of buildings.

For those who wish to see a greater use of automatic fire suppression in all types of building, this is a vitally important point and one which the Government seems to have, at long last, taken onboard.

However, key topics for consideration suggested by MHCLG are: • Purpose Groups • Specialised housing and care homes • Compartmentation • Space separation • Trigger heights and thresholds • Means of escape from blocks of flats

regulations

• • • • • • • • •

Means of escape for disabled people Age distribution Smoke and toxicity Sprinklers and other fire suppression systems Access and facilities for the fire and rescue service Basements Construction technologies and designs Construction details Other issues

A growing role for automatic fire suppression

fire compartmentation standards and the actual ability of the fire and rescue service to satisfactorily intervene safely in all but the simplest of structures.

Also pleasing to note is that there is clear recognition of the important work done to establish evidence on the costs, benefits and impacts of installing sprinkler systems (much of which was, of course, produced by BAFSA and the Sprinkler Coordination Group). It seems highly likely therefore that we can expect to see an increasing role for sprinklers and watermist systems in future guidance – especially in tall blocks of flats.

Sprinklers and other fire suppression systems As previously mentioned it would seem that for those responsible for Building Regulations the sprinkler message is getting through; and so it is excellent to see that the topic of sprinklers and other fire suppression is to receive particular attention.

This does raise the possibility therefore that future English regulations might follow the Scottish approach where automatic fire suppression is a separate ‘mandatory standard’ – something BAFSA argued for the last time that ADB was reviewed.

Significantly though, MHCLG is seeking to address the issue of property protection by linking this matter within the topic of automatic fire suppression; the importance of this is something that should not be underestimated. With the exception of the old ‘local acts’ (now repealed) UK Governments have hitherto refused to even contemplate the need to legislate for property protection and always steadfastly insisted that it was a matter for owners and insurers. This indicates a major change in thinking.

However, anyone with a proper understanding of fire safety cannot fail to appreciate that the most effective and efficient way of protecting a building and its occupants from an unwanted fire is by use of automatic fire suppression – especially when so many concerns are emerging now regarding

Notwithstanding that the topic ‘Sprinklers and other fire suppression systems’ is singled out for particular attention, BAFSA members will appreciate that even a cursory glance at the list of other key topics reveals areas where automatic fire suppression is certain to be an important consideration in much of the work ahead.

Over the years, BAFSA has been making good cases for sprinklers to be mandatory in a wide range of risks and it is hoped that much of this will have laid firm foundations for the work being planned.

Competent contractors

Further work on Approved Document B

With this in mind, BAFSA believes that is now more important than ever that we continue the drive to ensure the competence of our workforce and differentiate ourselves from those who see an expanding statutory role for sprinklers and watermist as an opportunity to make a fast buck.

Indeed, BAFSA is aware of many cases where ‘non- approved’ systems and products are being, at times, dishonestly installed by unscrupulous people whose marketing skills far outweigh their knowledge of fire engineering; we need therefore to use this opportunity to ensure that all systems are appropriate for the risk, fit for purpose; and designed, installed and maintained by competent contractors.

However, despite the faint praise given in the current ADB (Fire Safety) about the value of ‘third party certification’, at present, there is no significant impetus from regulators or from those procuring systems to look for third party compliant installations or equipment; this needs to change. BAFSA will therefore be making the case for legislation to tighten up on the need for regulators to ensure that contractors have the necessary competence and certification to take on design and installation work.

• Spring 2019 – Publish the clarified Approved Document B (this is in relation to matters specifically related to combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings) • Spring 2019 – Publish government response to this call for evidence and a roadmap for wider technical policy changes.

Two years after the tragic loss of 72 innocent people in Grenfell Tower fire, the scene is set therefore for a major overhaul of England’s fire safety building standards and important changes can be expected. BAFSA believes that many of these changes will have an impact upon the water-based fire suppression industry. It is incumbent on all us to make sure that the industry is well prepared and ready for the challenges ahead.

1

2

It should be noted that Wales now has separate Approved Documents.

Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs) are defined as being 10

A TIMELINE TO UK FIRE LAW

London Building Act

1938

1961

Factories Act

1961

Licensing Act

1963

1964

Offices Shops & Railway Premises Act Public Health Act

Fire Precautions Act (Factories & OSRA Premises Order) Building Act/ Regulations

1965

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Building Act 1984

1971

1977

Fire Precautions Act (Hotels & Boarding Houses Order)

1985

1997

2007

Fire Precautions (Workplace) Premises Regulations

2014/16

The Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Regulations 2013

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One flag, different standards we have for some reason accepted, that,

throughout the united kingdom, there is a variance in the fire safety standards that we expect to be enforced on each of our

four nations. danny doherty, bafsa scottish representative would stop short of saying

c u t t i n g e d g e , b u t s cot l a n d h a s c e rta i n ly b e e n more proactive in terms of fire safety than some of our neighbours.

prior to the Grenfell tragedy Scotland required sprinklers in high rise residential buildings over eighteen metres, in height whilst similar high-rise properties in England had to be over thirty metres before requiring the same level of protection.

Scotland is required to install sprinklers in all new residential care homes, a direct consequence of the terrible fire in Rosepark Care Home in Bellshill in 2004 where 14 people lost their lives. The Scottish Government passed legislation within months to ensure all new Care Homes were sprinklered. At present there is not a requirement to retrofit existing establishments, but there are those amongst us who believe this must change. But, when we have national care providers across the entire UK, why have the enforcing authorities in England not mirrored that standard set in both Scotland & Wales.

It is conceded that the wider adoption of sprinklers is not all about life safety and although, thankfully, there are virtually no children dying in school fires however, we recognise that these types of 4 | bafsa.org.uk

properties are more vulnerable than others and the cost to the public purse is highly significant. To further underpin this argument, we fully appreciate that the loss of a school has a huge impact on not only the educational attainment of the pupils with the loss of school work and teaching days, but the loss to the local community. Hence Scotland’s position and change in sentiment of building standards to reflect elements of property protection. Wales have incentivised schools in such a manner that almost all new ones are sprinkled. Yet in England amendments to BB 100 is resulting in very few schools south of our border being sprinkled in comparison.

Warehouses in Scotland over 14,000 square metres must be sprinklered compared to 20,000 elsewhere in the UK. A standard that must be an issue for some UK companies that are established cross border. We know that many of our current fire safety standards are based on post war building studies, something that has stood us in good stead but is past its useful time. Modern construction materials, stock and furnishings should be driving this size down. In the modernday world, firefighter safety is higher on the agenda and firefighting tactics and priorities have changed considerably over the years, warehouse sizing should reflect this.

Although Scotland has not reached the dizzy heights of Wales in the domestic environment, we are striving towards it. Huge steps have been made with the acceptance of David Stewart MSP’s private members bill being adopted by the Scottish government and some Local Authorities - Angus, Perth & Kinross, Dundee and Fife - have had the foresight for some years and already require sprinklers to be installed in all their new build housing stock.

scotland

In June 2018 the Scottish Government announced that it would legislate to require sprinklers in all new social housing and in July 2018 it published a consultation on proposals to require sprinklers in all new apartments and in large Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with 10 or more residents. At the time of writing we are waiting for the timings for this implementation, although not surprisingly with the current political turmoil over ‘Brexit’, it is unsurprising that it may be on the back burner for the moment.

With the United Kingdom’s looming divorce from Europe it could be argued that now more than ever a uniform set of standards should be striven for. However, we are hopeful that in the near future premises similar to that in Wales will be required to install AWSS. The second disastrous fire at the renowned Mackintosh Glasgow School of Art whilst under redevelopment has had reverberations throughout the country. This iconic property was not adequately protected on the first or second occasion, now leaving the building a teetering shell. We have been interviewed on television, radio and for the national press as we promote the sprinkler agenda and how it can help protect our iconic historic buildings.

So, it begs the question why is there such reluctance to change elsewhere in the UK? Through the efforts of Ann Jones in Wales and David Stewart in Scotland these two countries found champions to lead change. Why can this person not be found in England?

The evidence is there for all to see and be scrutinised. Look at the success of Scottsdale in Arizona where 50% of the property stock is now sprinklered. The statistics show that fire deaths and injuries have fallen by 50% not to mention the huge financial savings that have been made. So why is there no political appetite to save lives and protect the country’s property? We appreciate someone has to pay for sprinklers who previously did not. The developers argument that the installation of sprinklers gives an impression of unsafe homes and not built to standard has absolutely no foundation other than no desire to pay for the installation.

In recent months we have seen a considerable number of enquiries from organisations wishing to either expand their existing operations to include the supply of sprinkler systems or looking for training for their staff. They are seeking the credibility that being a BAFSA member can bring and I am sure the new partnership with West College Paisley will help with the heightened demand for training.

We expect the requirement to fit sprinklers in new apartments and new social housing to be announced soon but that will not end our work in Scotland; we will continue to campaign for sprinklers in large factories and warehouses, historic properties and the retrofitting of Care Homes.

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

The future for Building Regulations and fire safety legislation in Wales F I V E Y E A R S F R O M T H E I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O F T H E F I R S T T R A N C H E O F T H E D O M E S T I C F I R E S A F E T Y ( WA L E S ) R E G U L AT I O N S 2 0 1 3 L E G I S L AT I O N , W H AT H A S C H A N G E D A S KS R I T C H I E O ’ C O N N E L L , B A F S A’ S R E P R E S E N TAT I V E I N WA L E S ?

one of the first things is that despite the naysayer’s prediction of an end to housebuilding in Wales, building continues very much as it did previously.

The installation of domestic sprinkler systems in new build and change-of-use is largely accepted as custom and practice by housebuilders. The exception being first time self-builders who still regularly seek confirmation from BAFSA as to whether AWSS is actually a requirement.

In the post Grenfell landscape, the wisdom of the Welsh Government in implementing 6 | bafsa.org.uk

the legislation despite the resistance is selfevident, but what next?

There is, UK wide, an acceptance that the implementation and efficacity of the RRFSO and the Building Regulations have been impacted by incremental change, reduction in resources and a lack of transparency.

The Welsh Government responded to the Hackitt Review’s recommendations with an initial response in a written statement on 23 May 2018 by Rebecca Evans, the then Minister for Housing and Regeneration, which stated:

“… I am therefore announcing our intention to make the radical and far-reaching reforms to the regulatory system which Dame Judith calls for.

Our reforms will embrace all relevant regimes, including fire safety, building regulations and housing standards, and will aim to simplify, strengthen and integrate those as the report recommends. It will also consider other high-risk buildings, not just high-rise blocks over a specified height. While we do not want to see regulation out of proportion to risk, we also cannot accept a dysfunctional system which jeopardises the safety of any citizens.”

wales

Whilst acknowledging the challenges of enacting all facets of the Hackitt report and accepting “… the broad diagnosis” of the inquiry, the Minister goes on to say; “Subject to a legally-required consultation into this matter, we will move to ban the use of combustible materials in cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings in Wales.”

The Minister chaired an expert group to develop the recommendations into workable law, policy and practice changes for Wales. A detailed plan for implementing the recommendations is expected to be in place early this year.

While the recommendations of the final Hackitt report refer to buildings of 10 storeys or more, the Welsh Government has indicated that it will focus on buildings of seven storeys or more.

I am pleased to report that rather than ‘rest on its laurels’ having had the vision to enact possibly the most forward thinking piece of fire safety legislation to date, that the Welsh Government appears firmly engaged with the improvement of fire safety and Building Regulations agenda, particularly in relation to high-rise buildings, and once more there is recognition of the role that fire sprinklers can play in delivering improved safety, and the gaps in current legislation with regard to high rise fire safety The Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Regulations 2013 applies only to new dwellings, post Grenfell it is abundantly clear that whilst this represents a huge step forward the legislation does not completely remove the risk. Existing housing stock does not benefit from this legislation and focus now appears to be shifting towards addressing the residual risk in older housing stock Across Wales, 21of the 38 social high-rise blocks, have been fitted with or are in the process of retro fitting sprinklers.

In their November 2018 report Fire Safety in High-rise Buildings (private sector), the National Assembly for Wales Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee (ELCG) acknowledged difficulties under current legislation of retrofitting sprinklers in privately owned buildings.

As a result of this Recommendation 12 of the ELCG report is “that the Welsh Government outline what actions it is taking to encourage or incentivise the retrofitting of sprinklers in the private sector.”

This recommendation was accepted by Julie James the Minister for Housing and Local Government in her response to the ELCG report who confirms that the consideration of how private owners of “multiple occupancy” buildings could be encouraged or incentivised to retrofit fire sprinklers.”

Interestingly, the ELCG report does not include a requirement akin to recommendation 7.2(b) of Building a Safer Future – Independent Review of Building

Regulations and Fire Safety: Final Report.

“The testing of products that are critical to the safety of HRRBs should be subject to independent third-party certification” However, a petition put before the Welsh Government by BAFSA member John Newman addresses the issue of thirdparty accreditation of domestic sprinkler installations.

The petition (P-05-858) is entitled “Fire Sprinklers are for life, not a fast buck!” and is still under consideration by the Welsh Government.

Third party certification schemes for fire protection products and related services are an effective means of providing the fullest possible assurances, offering a level of quality, reliability and safety.

This petition addresses a shortcoming in the Welsh Sprinkler Regulations.

The law of unintended consequences, proposes that the actions of people, and especially of governments, always have effects that are unanticipated or ‘unintended.’

In this instance, the implementation of the Welsh sprinkler regulations, in addition to making people safer in their homes, created an increase in demand for sprinkler installations. The consequence has been an increase in supply to meet that demand as existing companies scaled up and new entrants to the market arose. The unintended consequence has been a concomitant upsurge in unqualified entrants into the marketplace.

At a recent NFSN conference a delegate described to me the domestic sprinkler market in Wales as the ‘wild west’.

The availability of sprinkler system components via online auction sites and some national plumbing stores has only served to exacerbate this problem. I receive a number of enquiries every month from people who want to install their own systems and almost as often from people who, having paid for

a system to be ‘designed and installed’ are unable to obtain a certificate of conformity and are therefore unable to satisfy the building control body.

There is no minimum qualification to design and install sprinkler systems, John Newman’s petition seeks to address this, the response from Lesley Griffiths AM the Cabinet Secretary for Energy planning and Rural affairs whilst non-committal has indicated that this proposal may be under consideration Approved Document 7( Wales) which seeks to provide supporting advice to Regulation 7 of the Building Regulations, discusses independent certification schemes and management schemes as means of demonstrating the adequacy of workmanship but unfortunately offers ‘past experience’, vaguely described as “such as use in an existing building, may show that workmanship is appropriate for the function for which it is intended”.

Regrettably, past experience is given apparently equal weighting to independent certification schemes and quality management schemes.

Whilst it may seem obvious to the casual observer that a life safety system should be designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by a suitably qualified person, and that person should be subject to external verification to underpin the standards required, this is not currently the legislative requirement.

UK wide there appears to be appetite throughout the fire sector for change, this appetite does not always fully translate to governmental action. Having taken the bold step to mandate for sprinklers, I hope that the Welsh Government will continue in the same vein and embrace the opportunity to make sweeping changes to an outdated, overly complicated and under resourced system of fire safety regulation. bafsa.org.uk | 7

Ensure the highest level of protection from fire

Anything less will not protect you or your property

funding

Still no sign of funding for sprinklers

at a time when the Local Government Association calls for tougher sprinkler rules to be introduced to ensure fire safety in high-rise buildings and care homes, the government continues to focus on cladding and ignore the need for more robust and active fire protection.

The LGA is calling for the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, are required in new residential buildings in England to be lowered to 18 metres - down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit.

It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, to be installed in all new premises where vulnerable people sleep, including care homes and residential schools.

The LGA, which represents 370 councils and all fire and rescue authorities in England, is further calling for the same standards to be applied to existing buildings.

It says these measures will provide increased safety protection and reassurance to more people and have been proved to be effective.

Under the proposals put forward by Dame Judith Hackitt last year, owners of existing tower blocks more than 30 metres high will have to satisfy regulators that residents are safe.

But the LGA believes the 30-metre threshold is too high given the practicalities of firefighting and the “safety satisfaction test” should also be extended to cover buildings in which vulnerable people sleep.

It says that if the Hackitt review definition of high-risk buildings isn’t widened, automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, should be retrofitted in existing blocks more than 18 metres high, care homes and other high-risk premises where a risk assessment justifies it.

The LGA says studies show sprinklers operate on 94 per cent of occasions and when they do operate they extinguish or contain the fire on 99 per cent of incidents. They also reduce fire injuries and fire damage by 80 per cent.

With councils facing an £8 billion funding gap by 2025, the LGA is urging government to use its forthcoming Spending Review to provide funding to any council experiencing financial difficulty in meeting retrospective obligations to fulfil these safety proposals, as it has done in respect of remedial work for social housing blocks with flammable cladding.

More than half of the fire and rescue services in England and Wales have experienced a huge increase in prevention and protection work, due to the safety checks carried out on high-rise buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire. These checks have had to be carried out by a fire service workforce which has fallen in recent years alongside reductions in government funding for all standalone fire and rescue authorities.

The LGA says this is unsustainable and could expose communities to risk unless the new provisions or expectations on fire and rescues services arising from the Hackitt review or subsequent changes in policy are treated as a new burden and funded separately.

Speaking at the LGA’s annual fire conference in Brighton today, Cllr Ian Stephens, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, said: “Residents have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their homes and automatic fire suppression systems, which can include sprinklers, offer a strong reassurance that is urgently needed following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

“The cost benefit case for them in new high-rise tower blocks and care homes has

been made and retrofitting needs to be considered in existing buildings as part of a holistic approach to fire safety.

“Sprinklers alone are not a universal panacea and installation should be proportionate and risk based. Nevertheless, the investment required may impact heavily in some areas with large numbers of tower blocks, which is why we are calling on government to provide funding for this work as it has for the remediation of flammable cladding.”

Despite the LGA urging Government to, on 9th May it was announced that the Government will cover the £200m cost of replacing Grenfell Tower-style cladding on private buildings with a fire-safe alternative.

The Government has already committed to funding replacement of the cladding in the social sector.

Housing Secretary James Brokenshire had previously said the cost of the work should be paid for by the owners of the tower blocks, not the taxpayer. But, following almost two years of inaction from building owners – some of whom tried to make leaseholders foot the bill – the minister said that it was causing stress for those living in the blocks.

The Government will pay to remove aluminium composite material cladding from around 170 privately owned high-rise buildings across the UK. The survivors group Grenfell United, said the news offered hope to people feeling at risk at home but added “ “It is not a quick fix so we ask the Government to also consider what financial support can be put in place while residents continue with night watches and wait for remediation works to start.”

Providing the funding to retrofit sprinklers would swiftly bring greater peace of mind! bafsa.org.uk | 9

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

Compliance & certification for Watermist Fire Suppression Systems G I V E N T H AT T H E U K H A S M O R E T H A N 1 3 0 Y E A R S O F E X P E R I E N C E I N T H E U S E A N D A P P L I C AT I O N O F S P R I N K L E R D E S I G N A N D I N S TA L L AT I O N R U L E S A N D M O R E T H A N 2 0 Y E A R S ’ E X P E R I E N C E O F T H I R D - PA R T Y C E R T I F I C AT I O N S C H E M E S F O R I N S TA L L E R S , I T I S S U R P R I S I N G T H AT S O M U C H H E AT A N D S O L I T T L E L I G H T I S G E N E R AT E D BY D I S C U S S I O N S A R O U N D T H E Q U E S T I O N O F S TA N DA R D S A N D C O M P L I A N C E I N T H E WAT E R M I S T M A R K E T W R I T E S S T E WA R T K I D D , C H A I R O F T H E B A F S A WAT E R M I S T G R O U P.

Systems Design Compliance In the UK, watermist systems should be designed and installed in accordance with one of the two referenced standards. The standards require that the system application complies with the Scope laid down in the standard. For example, in BS 8489 Part 1, Table 1, a number of suitable occupancies for mist systems are specified.

Note for example, that the list of permitted occupancies includes ‘hotel bed rooms and their access (only)’. Thus, if it was desired to fit a watermist system to protect all parts of a hotel, it could not be done under BS 8489 Part 1. Reference to the Introduction

10 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

to the standard will makes it clear that ‘The watermist system is to be…tested in accordance with a recognised test protocol’.

Sadly, at the time of publication, the test protocols published as part of the BS 8489 series do not include ‘hotels’.

This means that the system specifier for the hotel has to resort to requiring the designer and installer to produce other evidence that the proposed system is fit for purpose. This should include one or more of each of the following: • Fire testing undertaken in a reputable fire laboratory • Reference to tests already undertaken elsewhere for such an application

• Reference to an identical, existing installation using the same system components whose design was supported by testing Care should be taken by manufacturers and installers to avoid claims appearing to fulfil these criteria but which on closer inspection do not.

Systems Product Compliance As is well established with automatic sprinkler systems, a compliant design is only part of the issue. The equipment to be installed must also comply with fire test protocols (which prove it can fight a given fire) and an appropriate equipment or product standard (which include a variety of tests concerning through-life reliability and durability).

Currently, full compliance with this is impaired by the lack of any widely acceptable equipment standards other than for watermist nozzles. However, it’s not enough for a manufacturer or installer to claim that a nozzle has been tested. One company rather misses the point when claiming that their nozzle has ‘successfully passed the fire tests in DD 8458’.

This is by no means the worst example of a misleading claim as another manufacturer proudly boasts that their mist nozzle has been ‘successfully tested to BS 9252’ – which is of course, a test standard for residential and domestic sprinkler heads.

watermist

In the UK, watermist systems should be designed and installed in accordance with one of the two referenced standard ...

While BS 8458 and BS 8489 set out the essential features of a watermist fire suppression system and include some limited fire test protocols, the standards contain little component detail – presumably on the basis that specific test standards for nozzles, pumps, pipework, valves and control equipment will be forthcoming (indeed, BS 8663-1 “Fixed fire protection systems – Components for watermist systems – Part 1: Specification and test methods for watermist nozzles” is in advanced stages of drafting at BSi).

In the transitional phase in which the watermist industry finds itself, it has to be accepted that there is a shortfall in respect of product standards (although this is rapidly being addressed by CEN). Not all observers are entirely happy with the quality of some of the work emerging in this area which may be a reflection of the need for swift delivery of the documents to support the imminent publication of the CEN watermist standard, EN 14972.

However, even when there is a suitable standard against which components can be tested, there needs to be a test laboratory willing to undertake the tests. In the UK, traditionally it has been the LPCB which has tested, certificated and listed active fire system components.

Reference to the January 2019 edition of Red Book Live indicates that at present, the LPCB/BRE Certification work on watermist relates to the support of two schemes: • LPS 1283: Requirements and test methods for the approval of watermist systems for use in commercial low hazard occupancies • LPS 1285: Requirements and test methods for the approval of watermist systems for use in domestic and residential occupancies There is a strong caveat printed in bold (which appears often to be ignored) which relates to the approval of individual components – ‘Watermist component approval does not mean LPCB watermist system approval’.

Thus, in Section 1.2 of Part 5 of the Red Book we find confirmation that watermist nozzles from two manufacturers have been successfully tested by LPCB but no reference to any systems being tested and approved.

In fact, the only approved system so-far listed is a stand-alone “personal protection system’.

For the sake of clarity, it should be understood from that to be able to claim full third party certification, the body undertaking the test must be nationally accredited for that purpose. In the UK this means listed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Note that LABC is not UKAS accredited so its ‘approvals’ of fire suppression systems is worth only as much credence as you can place on that body.

Installer Certification The third essential element part of the quality requirements for installations is an assurance that the designer /installer of the system is fully competent to undertake this work. It should not really be necessary to explain in any further detail why this is necessary but, it should suffice to say that, third-party certification is the only certain way to ensure that the requirement in BS 8458 and BS 8489 that the design and installation of fire suppression systems under the standard are ‘entrusted to appropriately qualified and experienced people’.

This article has already referenced the LPCB scheme for watermist systems and components but as yet, there does not appear to be an LPCB or BRE Certification scheme for watermist system installers.

Warrington FIRAS does have such a scheme and there are a small number of companies accredited by them. IFC Certification also maintains a watermist installer certification scheme and at the time of writing had one listed installer.

System Design The problems which inevitably arise in respect of watermist system design result from the fact that there is no universality of design (as there is with sprinkler systems) and this situation is engendered by the fact that watermist nozzle design is unique to each manufacturer. The normal approach to managing system design is for the system manufacturer to issue a Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance manual (DIOM manual) which can be used to provide a detailed design for a watermist system to counter a specific fire risk in a specified property. The critical components in watermist systems are the nozzles and the pumps and

even a superficial assessment will reveal that there is no commonality of design in respect of the nozzles. By contrast, the pumps used in low pressure watermist systems tend to be drawn from the available ranges. High pressure watermist pumps are, like the nozzles, manufacturer-specific. The material from which pipework is fabricated can be copper, (black) steel, CPVC and stainless steel – this will often be dictated by whether a system is high or low pressure.

Insurers’ Concerns Insurers (and other such as the Fire Protection Association) have expressed concerns about the wider use of watermist in buildings and are known to have made it clear that in locations such as schools, they do not regard watermist as providing an equivalent level of protection as an automatic sprinkler system.

To this end, the RISC Authority which undertakes research work on behalf of insurers has produced three questionnaires which it suggests should be utilised by any property owner considering the installation of a watermist system as opposed to a sprinkler system.

For would-be buyers and specifiers, watermist may be a good option in specified occupancies, however, end-users and their advisers are urged to exercise caution and recognise the risks which exist. Authorities having jurisdiction including the fire and rescue service and building control officials should also exercise caution when recommending or proposing the use of watermist without ensuring that the systems which will be installed are fully compliant with British Standards and are undertaken by installers who are fully competent using tested equipment.

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b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

Preserving heritage around the world

the fire which consumed the NotreDame Cathedral in April burst rapidly through the roof of the 800 year old cathedral and engulfed the spire, which toppled, quickly followed by the entire Gothic roof.

A valiant effort by more than 400 firefighters did however save the main bell towers, the iconic rose window and outer walls from collapse before bringing the blaze under control.

The cathedral, which was built over a century starting in 1163, was in the midst of renovations, with some sections under scaffolding, and bronze statues had been removed.

Questions in the House of Lords As the world reflected on the irreversible damage inflicted on Notre Dame by the fire, questions were being asked in the House of Lords.

Lord Berkeley asked the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps were being taken to 12 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

ensure that the current plans for detecting and extinguishing fires in the roof space of the Palace of Westminster are adequate.

In his response Lord Laming, Chair, Accommodation Steering Group Committee, Chair, Services Committee said, “there are automatic smoke detection systems in most of the roof spaces across the Palace and coverage of the remaining spaces will be completed during December 2019. There is no automatic system for extinguishing fires in the roof space of the Palace, but the roof space is compartmentalised to prevent the spread of fire” But Lord Berkeley felt his question remained unanswered and asked “my question is: when smoke is detected, how do you put the fire out? Can we look at a way of installing more extinguishing medium in the roof space to deal with such fires, if and when they occur, which obviously we hope they will not?

Lord Laming replied : “ in this building there is an assumption that if a smoke detector is

activated, it has to be inspected immediately— there is no assumption that it is a false alarm.

Secondly, the procedure is to tackle fire from within the building rather than to wait until it goes up.

A little later in the debate Baroness Brinton, Party of the Liberal Democrats “One problem at Notre Dame was the lack of sprinklers. In recent renovations at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, sprinklers have been installed and old beams have been painted with fire retardant. What plans are currently under way for us to do that here at the Palace of Westminster to provide extra security?”

Lord Laming reported that a huge amount of work has been undertaken during the past three years with more than 700 fire doors, improving compartmentalisation within the building and improving ways of getting people out of the building should there be a threat of fire. However, there is more to be done.

We have managed to get water sprinklers in the basement, which is probably the most vulnerable area of the building, and we will continue with the programme in many ways. I will not go through all of them but a substantial work programme is already in place.

Lord Reid of Cardowan took up the argument “I am sure we are all glad to know that there are smoke alarms in the roof space. But I have to say I am surprised—indeed shocked— that in an area so vulnerable to conflagration there is no sprinkler system.

Can he explain why there is no sprinkler system? I am rather sceptical about the argument that compartmentalisation is the answer to vulnerability—that was the case on the “Titanic”.

Lord Laming reassured the noble Lords that the roof space in Westminster Hall is very precious, and confirmed that there is an alarm system in place in that part of the building.

The R&R programme will have to address a whole range of issues, and this will be a key one.

However he concluded “But we need to be clear that it will not be a simple matter to put a sprinkler system in that part of the building”.

Here at BAFSA, we think that it will be a simpler matter to install sprinklers that it will be to replace the building.

Interestingly, Richard Forrest, when Director of Engineering Services with Lawrence Webster Forrest and once responsible for the design of fire strategy and fire safety systems in the Palace of Westminster stated back in 1996 that the most effective automatic means to provide fire protection to any premises is to introduce a fire suppression system and there were a selection of sprinkler and water spray systems that can be configured to provide ultimate protection against fire growth and spread and also against accidental activation.

heritage

Meanwhile in America… Sprinklers protect St Patricks and Smithsonian Castle An efficient sprinkler system quickly prevented a fire causing any damage to some of America’s most historic books and artefacts.

An electrical fault was blamed for the fire which started on the third floor of Smithsonian Castle in Washington DC. The building constructed in the mid 1800s is the administrative centre for the government organised Smithsonian Institute which has museums across the United States.

The Castles houses some items from each museum collection, but the sprinklers quickly prevented the fire spready from a meeting room called The Library and the damage was described as ‘minimal’ and as the building was quickly evacuated there was also no injuries.

BAFSA on fire suppression in heritage buildings While all modern buildings include the provision of a range of fire safety measures to protect the lives of occupants, these cannot be taken for granted for structures built before 1961.

Problems can arise when an old building undergoes a major refurbishment or where there is a change of use (adaptive reconstruction), which may require work to be carried out in accordance with modern building standards.

Compliance with UK fire regulations generally includes: • provision of means of escape • structural protection of escape facilities and the structural stability of the building in the event of a fire • access and facilities for the fire and rescue service • early detection and warning of fire • facilities for fighting fires • an effective fire safety management regime Traditionally, the first four of these have been imposed on new or altered buildings under building standards, while the last two are imposed by the fire and rescue authority on the building occupier. In Scotland, the latter requirement is covered by the Fire Safety (Scotland) Act 2005, while in England

and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must be complied with.

Recent experience of fire suppression installations (mainly in Scotland) makes it clear that a well-designed system can compensate for a range of deficiencies in other areas, such as means of escape and containing fire and smoke spread.

Automatic fire suppression and firefighting systems are unique in that they not only detect and notify the presence of a fire but fight the outbreak as well. A properly designed, installed and maintained system will, at the very least, contain a fire to a small area and consequently reduce the extent of damage. In many cases, the system will often manage to extinguish the fire before the arrival of the fire and rescue service. The potential of suppression systems to minimise damage is especially beneficial in heritage buildings where historic fabric or contents may be irreplaceable.

Water is probably the most readily recognised extinguishing medium suitable for the majority of fires. It is inert, low-cost and plentifully available with minimal impact on health and safety and the environment.

There are two main types of water-based systems; sprinkler and water mist systems. Each is radically different in design, cost and application.

Objections to the installation of sprinklers are usually on the grounds of potential water damage. Contrary to popular belief, only the sprinkler heads in the immediate vicinity of the fire operate, so the amount of water released to suppress the fire is kept to a minimum.

Scotland has pioneered the use of water-based fire suppression systems in historic buildings and has gained significant experience in designing and installing these systems in a sympathetic and non-intrusive way. Buildings known to be protected the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, Newhailes House in East Lothian and Broughton House in Dumfries and Galloway.

In 2007, the first Scheduled Ancient Monument was protected when a sprinkler system was installed in Corgarff Castle, West Aberdeenshire.

Water mist systems superficially appear very similar to conventional sprinkler systems but the heads discharge aerated water in a mist or fine spray.

Pioneering applications of water mist protection include a gallery in the National Portrait Gallery, London and a number of very old Norwegian churches which were at risk from arson. The largest heritage-related mist installation to date is believed to be in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. A significant number of mist systems are installed

ba f sa .o r g .u k | 13

b a f s a f o c u s n ov e m b e r 2018

in large palazzos in Venice (although these systems reportedly only protect the roof spaces).

Much research has been undertaken into the appropriate use of water mist systems in both confined spaces and large volume areas. High ceilinged rooms with large floor areas can pose a design problem in ensuring that potential fire locations fall within the effective range of the nozzle distribution,

although 6m high rooms in the Royal Apartments in Stirling Castle are protected with a low pressure mist system.

Mist systems are less effective at extinguishing slow, deep-seated fires in ‘normal combustibles’ than traditional sprinkler systems. In one particular test, the performance of water mist protection in cellular archive storage areas was disappointing.

There are likely to be significant benefits from installing a fire suppression system in a refurbished or modified historic/heritage building. In addition to compliance with current building standards the system will make it easier to meet fire safety standards, reduce damage to the fabric of the building and be less intrusive than the conventional escape routes and compartmentation.

Protecting heritage and the economy Back in December 2015, the Oxfordshire County Fire and Rescue Service were called to a reported fire in Oxford’s historic Covered Market. The sprinkler system was able to prevent significant damage to the single storey complex which dates back to the 1770s. When crews arrived on the scene, they found that not only had the fire been controlled, but also completely extinguished by the operation of a single sprinkler head.

Simon Piper, Watch Manager from Rewley Road Fire Station, said: “If it not been for the sprinkler system, it is extremely likely that this incident would have spread throughout the Covered market, causing great loss to

14 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

this heritage property and the local economy”.

Significant industrial buildings deserve to be protected from fire. On the morning of 8th August 2014, one of Southampton’s most historic and iconic buildings was saved from serious damage thanks to its in-built sprinkler system.

Fire crews were called to the Solent Flour Mills building, operated by Rank Hovis,at Western Docks and when firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the building they found the floor heavily smoke-logged but they were able to locate and extinguish the fire, which had been contained to the milling machine it started in, by the sprinkler system.

Group Manager Ryan Thurman, officer in charge of the incident, said: “Historic buildings such as the mill are able to have sprinklers fitted and the presence of sprinklers in the building prevented this fire from becoming a life-threatening incident and also saved the building and the business from serious damage”.

By contrast, a blaze in May 2019, in an empty Grade 11 warehouse in Ipswich, demanded the efforts of 60 firefighters and disrupted the local community who were advised to keep windows and doors closed…

The building, dating back to 1858 was totally destroyed… Arson is suspected.

Historic buildings burnt to the ground

Galleries & libraries destroyed by fire

Sprinklers protect our heritage from fire

Preserving our treasures for future generations

bafsa.org.uk

Fire & cultural heritage protection On behalf of the EFSN and its members I would like to express our shock and sadness at the terrible damage fire has done to the Cathedrale of Notre Dame de Paris, one of the world’s most famous and culturally significant buildings, writes Alan Brinson, Chief Executive of the European Fire Sprinkler Network.

That anything is left at all is down to the efforts of 400 firefighters, many of whom endured considerable risk. It is reported that one is seriously injured. Firefighters attended from the Louvre, which has its own fire brigade, and helped to remove the priceless treasures.

As with State-owned treasures in other countries, Notre Dame is not insured, the French government has confirmed. Fortunately in this case the sense of loss is so deeply felt that private citizens are pledging huge sums for the restoration. Fires in lesser-known buildings do not generate this response.

While it may take some time before the cause of the fire is formally established, informed speculation suggests it may have been due to hot work on the lead roof, which was under renovation. Roof fires are often caused by hot work and a French insurer has informed us that 30% of fires in businesses are caused by hot work.

Many people see the stone walls and vault of a cathedral and and assume there is no risk of fire. The vault is not weatherproof so it is protected by another material, such as lead or copper, supported by a wood structure. The York Minster fire in 1984 also began in the roof, although it is believed to have been caused by lightning. Chartres Cathedral has been damaged or destroyed by fire five times, most recently losing its roof in 1836 when it had a similar structure to that at Notre Dame.

It is reported that a new fire detection system was fitted at Notre Dame in 2013 and that it worked. Paris has a dense network of fire stations to ensure rapid attendance times. Despite that the fire developed so quickly that firefighters were unable to save the roof and almost lost the entire building.

The EFSN believes that a fire suppression system in the combustible roof void would prevent fire spread and buy time for firefighters to reach the fire to complete extinguishment.

Some have commented that it would not be possible to fit a fire suppression system in such a congested space – the roof void was known as the ‘forest’. Yet fire suppression systems are often installed in highly congested spaces, such as ship machinery spaces and submarines. They have also been fitted in wooden churches in Nordic countries, as well as many museums, palaces and other historic buildings, including cathedrals.

Since 2006 even the Eiffel Tower is protected with a sprinkler system. While Notre Dame would require a system tailored to the risk, we believe that this would be possible and should be considered as part of the fire protection measures when Notre Dame is rebuilt.

6th & 7th May 2020 firesprinklerinternational.com

bsa

Singing from the same hymn sheet a recent parliamentary debate on fire safety and sprinkler systems at Westminster Hall once again highlighted the consensus of opinion amongst a wealth of experts sprinklers protect life, protect buildings and keep firefighters safer. They work and make complete sense as an important layer of safety, but why are we are not making use of them? Is now not the time to finally act on this asks Tom Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance?

Requested by Sir David Amess MP, and former firefighter and MP Jim Fitzpatrick (Chairman and Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety & Rescue Group), the first dedicated debate on the subject since 2014 made it abundantly clear that sprinklers should be part of overall fire safety solutions in both new and existing buildings.

There was a unified voice across the members in the chamber and we wholeheartedly agree with all the experts – the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) the Building Research Establishment, London Councils, RICS, RIBA and COIB – to act and legislate now.

The members emphasised the need to listen to the experts and not the myths. Fire and Rescue Services tackle fires across the country every day. They understand the challenges of those fires and the need to control them quickly to avoid loss of life and damage to property, and of course the danger they are exposed to when firefighting. The NFCC makes it abundantly clear that building standards in England must be enhanced and brought in line with national policy in Scotland and Wales. Sprinklers are essential for building safety and public safety, and should be installed on a mandatory basis to appropriate buildings, not just high rise residential.

The evidence shows that sprinkler systems have an operational reliability of 94% and of those cases, they extinguished or contained the fire on 99% of occasions across a wide range of building types1. There are no cases on record of multiple fire deaths occurring in buildings with appropriately designed, and properly installed and maintained sprinkler systems. “The ABI states that in the UK no one has ever died from a fire in a fully

sprinklered building,” said Jim Fitzpatrick.

The evidence also shows that no lives have been lost in the UK due to fire in homes fitted with working domestic sprinkler systems.

Furthermore, mistaken perceptions about cost can be dispelled. Sprinklers are not expensive – as little as 1% of the total build if they are included at design stage – and there is overwhelming public support for their use.

The debate only served to highlight that we have been kicking the can down the road for far too long and with devastating consequences. This was reiterated by Sir David Amess, “Wales and Scotland are much further ahead in regulating for automatic fire sprinklers in their built environment. This nonsense can no longer go on and we will not accept it. We want action on this, and we want sprinklers to be installed retrospectively, particularly in new school buildings.”

Clearly we need to pick the can up and act. There is a strong body of evidence that tells us that fire sprinklers are an important layer of safety. They are not being utilised, through ignorance or misunderstanding. We should be seriously considering a much wider deployment of sprinklers, using them right across the built environment whether it is a hospital, school, retail or leisure facility or commercial and industrial building. The nation will benefit if more are fitted because sprinklers save lives, save businesses, save jobs and protect the environment. If we act now, we can make a difference.

For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.businesssprinkler-alliance.org

1 Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service Data – Optimal Electronics May 2017

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ba f sa f o c u s m ay 2019

Sprinkler Saves S EPTEMB ER Factory, Lancashire The fire occurred in a factory that makes buoys for the marine industry. A pipeline of liquid paraffin wax, fed from an external silo, fractured within the factory and wax ran into pipeline insulation which was heated by a wire element and ignited.

The building became smoke logged and the fire started to spread by the burning wax escaping the pipeline. The sprinkler system quickly activated and prevented any further spread of the fire. The fire was held in check until fire crews attended and two firefighters tackled the fire using breathing apparatus and a hose-reel.

Overall damage was limited to less than 10 sq. m. with two metres of pipe insulation and an electrical distribution board damaged.

OC TOB E R School, Cleveland In a large secondary school, a fire started in a utility room in a washing machine. The school was fitted with a sprinkler system, which activated and confined the fire to the washing machine.

There was only a small amount of radiated heat damage to a tumble dryer and fridge located either side of the washing machine.

There was severe smoke damage to the remainder of the room but no smoke passed through the door of the Caretaker’s room into the adjacent corridor.

There was no casualties and the school classes ran as normal with no disruption.

DE CEMB ER Flat, Sheffield A fire was deliberately started in a bedroom of a flat by a patient in a residential facility, which accommodates people with a range of physical and mental disabilities.

The flats had been fitted with a sprinkler system which activated and successfully controlled the fire until the fire crews arrived and completely extinguished what was left burning. If the fire had developed unchecked it would have put at risk the other occupants of the flats but because of the sprinkler system there were no casualties.

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JANUA RY

IF ONLY … automatic fire sprinklers had been fitted

Flat, Plymouth A fire which started just after midnight in the kitchen of a flat on the 11th floor of Tamar House, a tower block in Plymouth, was contained and fully extinguished by the retrospectively-installed sprinkler system.

Six fire appliances attended the scene and firefighters quickly confirmed the fire was extinguished, so did not need to use the firefighting hoses deployed in preparation to fight the fire.

The building was safely evacuated and a woman was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke following the accidental kitchen fire.

Taking a proactive approach to fire safety, Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) completed the installation of a full sprinkler system throughout the Mount Wise Towers in December to help keep residents safe.

MARCH Market, London In a Market in the City of London, one sprinkler head activated and controlled the fire in a cold store caused by a defective light fitting.

Block of flats, London One sprinkler head activated and extinguished a fire in the living room of a sixth floor flat in a purpose build block of flats over 18m high in Wandsworth.

Halls of Residence, London One sprinkler head activated and control a fire caused by unattended cooking.

The fire was on the 5th floor of an 18 storey Halls of Residence for students in Wembley.

A P R IL Retail, Surrey One sprinkler head activated and stopped the spread of a fire in a wheelie bin at a department store in Mitcham

Sywell aerodrome Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service received more than 100 calls from members of the public about a fire at Sywell Aerodrome, which caused a significant smoke plume and ash deposits being carried by the wind.

A Public Health England (PHE) spokesperson said: “Responders are aware of some reports of ash deposited several miles downwind of the fire. These visible pieces of soot contain lighter materials involved in the fire. Businesses around the Sywell Airfield industrial estate may be affected by larger pieces of debris from the affected building, which will be cleaned up by specialist contractors.

1198 storage units destroyed A fire that engulfed a four-storey self-storage warehouse in Croydon on New Year’s Eve, destroying 1198 rented units, has once again brought into sharp focus the wider impact of fire and the vulnerability of unsprinklered buildings.

About 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines were called to battle the blaze at the Shurgard self-storage facility in Purley Way. In addition to the hundreds of people whose possessions were destroyed in the fire, its impact was felt in nearby residential areas with large plumes of smoke threatening air quality and transport congestion due to road closures.

It’s another painful reminder that fire does not discriminate; whether it is a self-storage warehouse, a university, a car park or an office, fires happen on a regular basis. However, they can be contained and extinguished by systems such as sprinklers to ensure that life is not put at risk and businesses, jobs and the economy are protected.

efficiency and effectiveness of sprinkler systems

Sprinklers highlight the difference between two fires courtesy of Kent FRS

TWO SUPERMARKET KITCHEN FIRES, TWO VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES. I N N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 8 , A C H I P PA N F I R E T H AT S P R E A D T H R O U G H O U T A MORRISONS SUPERMARKET IN FOLKESTONE CAUSED THE ROOF TO COLLAPSE AND DESTROYED MOST OF THE STORE. FOUR W E E KS L AT E R , A N O V E N F I R E I N THE GROUND FLOOR BAKERY OF A S A I N S B U R Y ’ S I N A LT R I N C H A M , C H E S H I R E WAS E X T I N G U I S H E D BY A N AU TO M AT I C S P R I N K L E R S Y S T E M IN LESS THAN THREE MINUTES. IT BEGS THE QUESTION WRITES TO M R O C H E , S E C R E TA R Y O F T H E BUSINESS SPRINKLER ALLIANCE, : W H Y D I D O N E S U P E R M A R K E T H AV E SPRINKLERS AND THE OTHER NOT?

whilst thankfully all staff and customers were evacuated safely from the Morrisons in Folkestone, the early morning fire in the café kitchen spread quickly and engulfed three quarters of the building prior to the roof collapsing. The fire caused disruption to local businesses and residents, some of whom had to be evacuated. For Morrisons, this will cause loss of earnings along with business disruption as their store will have to be rebuilt, a temporary store erected and staff will need to be redeployed.

In contrast, the bakery oven fire at Sainsbury’s in Altrincham had a very different outcome, with an automatic sprinkler system activating and extinguishing the fire prior to the arrival of Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

The store reopened three hours after the fire started with damage limited to less than £500. This figure is minuscule when compared to the substantial cost of rebuilding the Morrisons supermarket and the loss of business incurred.

There is clear evidence that sprinklers work and are one of the most efficient ways

to reduce the impact of fire because they control or even extinguish it before the Fire and Rescue Service arrives. In an independent report carried out by Optimal Economics, thousands of incidents have been analysed to provide detailed and comprehensive analysis of the activation and performance of sprinkler systems used to control fire in buildings. The evidence shows that sprinkler systems have an exceptional operational reliability and demonstrates that when called to work, they have a very high reliability.

We must always be thankful when a fire is contained and extinguished with no loss of life, but it is not enough. Lives are still affected regardless, and we must strive to minimise the effect that fire has in all circumstances. When we protect property and halt the spread of fire we not only protect lives, but we also protect businesses and jobs. A properly controlled fire can be the difference between a building requiring renovation or demolition. Halting the spread of fire when it is first detected is the best way to limit damage and thus

minimise costs and impacts. Sprinklers have been shown to contain, control or extinguish fires in 99% of cases1.

The contrast between two buildings with and without a sprinkler system in a fire can be quite stark. In the event of a fire, many businesses with sprinkler systems suffer a minor interruption and find they are back up-and-running in a matter of hours. Those without can see 5 to 6 times the damage and suffer longer spells of interruption. These systems make buildings and businesses resilient to fire incidents because they control or extinguish a blaze before the fire and rescue service arrive. The impacted business can be operational within hours, avoiding the economic and social costs.

For more information about the BSA visit the www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org 1 Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service Data – Optimal Electronics May 2017

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afss

Making London the safest global city london fire brigade published a report into a fire in West Hampstead with the main aim of raising awareness in the residential sector of the beneficial/effectiveness impact that incorporating Automatic Fire Suppression systems (AFSS) can have in a multi-point residential high rise fire. In this case, following an external balcony fire, in the space of 19 minutes from the actuation of the first nozzle head, 5 apartments were exposed to fire and heat activating 12 nozzle heads which is unprecedented in a residential fire.

The fire occurred in a development in West Hampstead comprising seven individual residential buildings ranging in height between 14m (5 floors) and 35m (12 floors) and has been occupied since 2016.

The buildings within the development are constructed in traditional reinforced concrete frame/brickworkwith triple glazed aluminium tilt and turn windows/doors and Balconies

constructed of steel frame with aluminium facia and composite decking and plastic soffits with toughened balustrade glazing.

The Orwell building where the fire occurred has 34 Apartments ranging from studio flats to 1,2 and 3 bedroom apartments over 7 floors with balconies fitted to a selection of apartments.

Fire Safety Arrangements : *residential AFSS; firefighting shaft/pressurised staircase; smoke ventilation; dry riser; automatic fire detection L3(M) in non residential areas; stay put policy/defend in place; 24/7 on site concierge/security. *Unless identified by a fire strategy or risk assessment external balconies that permanently open to the outside may be excluded from the provision of AFSS protection.

The Residential Automatic Fire Suppression System was designed, installed in accordance

with BS9251:2005 by a third party certified *FIRAS contractor, member of BAFSA and the RSA. The water supply was via a cold water boosted system; a combined tank using the domestic water supply with a capacity of 6,300 litres.

Infill top up was provided via the town mains, a major advantage compared to a stand alone AFSS capacity tank. An isolation valve set located on each floor with the flow switches linked to the automatic fire alarm panel. AFSS coverage was provided for the residential apartments only compensating for the open plan living design.

Viking VK457 residential concealed nozzle heads installed, temperature rated to 74°c, the cover plate rated to 57°c which were designed for installations on concealed pipe systems where the appearance of a smooth ceiling is required.

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The fire started on the third floor external balcony, spreading vertically affecting three additional balconies from the fourth to sixth floor level. A further apartment located directly below the seat of the fire at second floor level (podium level) was also damaged by fire due to falling fire debris.

Fire and heat penetrated 5 apartments in total activating multiple nozzle heads ranging from 1 to 3 nozzle heads in each apartment, 12 in total. The cause of the fire has been recorded as careless disposal of smoking materials (cigarette butt) into a plant pot on the balcony of the third floor.

Eight pumping and one aerial appliance attended and the fire was extinguished using 5 jets and an aerial appliance used as a water tower. Eight people in total evacuated the building with no fire related injuries reported.

All four balconies’ glazing units were completely destroyed by the fire with only the steel frame remaining, lateral fire spread did not occur and façade was of brickwork construction.

The windows located either side of the balconies sustained heat and smoke damage. The Podium level apartment sustained fire damage due to fire debris landing on the podium level adjacent to the apartment.

Activation nozzle heads, logical order of operation.

11.26 Time of call to LFB by on site concierge who observed the fire on the balcony level

RESI-STREAM RANGE

Indicator panel recorded 11.32 apartment 402 as the first nozzle head that actuated

11.32

402/4th floor Suite/studio 3 3

DOMESTIC / RESIDENTIAL / WATERMIST

11.32

302/3rd floor Suite/studio 3 3

11.34

502/5th floor Suite/studio 3 3

11.38

602/6th floor Suite/studio 1 3

11.51

201/2nd floor 2 bedroom 2 5

Key for information above Time of nozzle head operation Apartment number /floor Type of apartment No. of nozzle heads that operated Number of nozzle heads fitted

FEATURES & BENEFITS BS9251 & EN 12259-12 compliant •

Vertical multistage, inline pump and IE2 motor

• PLC based motor starter panel in an IP54 rated enclosure

•

Easy to install, fully assembled package

• Adjustable automatic test cycle & adjustable minimum run timer

•

8 litre expansion/ pressure maintenance vessel

• Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) option

•

Danfoss pressure switch

• SMS capability

TO ORDER OR FIND OUT MORE: www.spppumps.com . fire@spppumps.com tel: +44 (0) 118 932 3123

70544 SPP Resi-Steam Leaflet A5 V2.indd 1

03/05/2018 15:40

In the space of 19 minutes from the actuation of the first nozzle head, 5 apartments were exposed to fire and heat activating 12 nozzle heads which is unprecedented in a residential fire. At most only one or two heads activate during a fire.

Under BS9251:2005 the maximum number of nozzle heads that are designed to operate simultaneously is only 4 and only if the 4 heads reside in one compartment.. However when a AFSS is fed from the cold water boosted supply, more heads can operate as the cold water booster supply is far more powerful than required under the standard

afss

Financial Costs Installing AFSS during the construction phrase is relatively inexpensive in residential blocks of flats costing between *£1000 and £2000 per flat. In comparison the ¹Association of British Insurers (ABI) identify that the cost of the average fire claim for a domestic property was £15000 in 2016.

The installation of the AFSS allowed a extra layer of fire safety protection to be installed into the apartments. This allowed for a more innovative and flexible design option reducing overall building costs because the need for passive fire measures and further compartmentation is removed.

It should be remembered that for this incident the AFSS suppressed the multi point fires preventing it from spreading into the apartments. If the fire had been allowed to spread the remaining 8 flats located in this elevation would have been involved in the fire.

The impact cost to insurers would have been extremely more.

Benefits/Impact of AFSS The primary objective of a residential AFSS is life safety, controlling any fire that occurs within the protected premises to allow time for occupants to escape or to be rescued.

The operation of any AFSS will also provide a significant degree of property protection by minimising damage to the room of origin of the fire and its contents.

AFSS allows freedom of design which in turn can lead to savings in initial capital costs, lifecycle costs and on construction. Within this development, the installation of AFSS was an appropriate and cost effective solution for the open plan flat design.

It was fortunate this was the case, otherwise the outcome of this incident may have been more serious with the potential for five multi point fires which would have seriously compromised the safety of both residents and firefighters .

The fire did not spread within the apartments due to the prompt activation of the AFSS. Fire damage was restricted to the glazing units/frames with heavy smoke logging confined to the ceiling level of the apartments.

The contents/personal processions contained in the apartments were virtually untouched by the fire, no fire related injuries were reported *London Assembly “Never again: Sprinklers as the next step towards safer homes” Table 3 Estimates the cost of installing sprinklers in new high rise flats ¹Indepent review on Building Regulations and Fire safety written evidence from the Association of British Insurers.

Information for Operational Crews On arrival crews were unable to immediately interact with the fixed installations including the AFSS due to the lack of appropriate information available. Following the actuation of the AFSS, water damage can be an issue, particularly if insufficient information is available to allow operational crews to isolate the supply following the successful extinguishing of the fire which was the case with this incident.

Fires on balconies New legislation came into force on 21st December 2018 for the requirements of external balconies in England and Wales, balconies are, for the first time counted as part of the external wall: classified as a “Specified attachment”

Conclusions and recommendations In England residential apartment blocks of over 30m in height must be fitted with AFSS. This residential block was 21m in height.

AFSS would not have been installed into this building without the concessions offered in the appropriate building control standards, in this case open plan living).

Without the installation of AFSS, the outcome could have been much more serious and potentially fatal resulting in 5 separate uncontrolled compartment fires located over five floors, thereby significantly increasing the risk to residents and firefighters . The production of heat and smoke was also greatly reduced and allowed time for occupants to escape to safety by detecting and controlling the external fire and preventing it from spreading to adjoining apartments.

Employing a third party accredited sprinkler contractor is paramount which was the case for this installation. This approach allowed a correctly designed AFSS to be installed to the above mentioned standard reducing the risk to life and the degree of damage caused in a fire event preventing flashover.

Cold water booster supply or capacity tank?

If the latter had been chosen due to the multipoint fires the limitations of this system 1) would have been exposed.

2)Supply exhausted under 30mins 3) Supply overrun 4) Performance of pumps exceeded Careful consideration must be given to materials and structural design to mitigate the risk of a balcony fire spreading to other parts of the building.

Consideration should therefore be given to promote the BRE publication, “Fire Safety Issues with balconies” to Fire Safety Inspecting officers. This approach would allow the dangers of fire spread from balconies to be highlighted to a wider audience property developers, designers, managers and risk assessors. Who need to be mindful of the potential fire risks associated with fires on balconies A common myth regarding AFSS is water damage. As with many incidents this was no exception due to the fact that inadequate information was available for crews to isolate the supply once the fire was extinguished.

Business continuity. AFSS can help to protect valuable assets (People, buildings, machinery and supplies) from fire, or can significantly mitigate the effects that a fire has upon assets, helping to achieve business continuity as clearly demonstrated in this incident.

The LFB vision for residential AFSS, is that it should be mandatory to install AFSS in all high rise residential buildings above 18m in height.

In England it is mandatory only to install AFSS in residential buildings over 30m in height.

ba f sa .o r g .u k | 23

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

Progressing skills and qualifications in the fire sprinkler sector THE FIRE SPRINKLER INDUSTRY IS NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER INDUSTRY REFLECTS RUTH OLIVER, BAFSA SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT ADVISER, IN NEEDING TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES AND O P P O R T U N I T I E S T H AT B R I TA I N FA C E S AS I T ST R I V E S TO S U C C E E D I N T H E G L O B A L E C O N O M Y.

skills are now recognised as a key driver to achieving economic success and social justice in the new global economy.

This is not simply a task for BAFSA, it is a call to employers and employees to create a world class workforce built upon skills and advancement for all.

Skills are capabilities and expertise in an occupation or activity and most occupations use a mix of different types of skills. On the job training in the workplace is both a vital source of skills development and career

24 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

progression with the most common measure of skills being a qualification.

With the IQ Level 2 Certificate in Fire Sprinkler Installation now firmly established and delivered by five colleges across the UK, BAFSA can feel satisfied that its ambition of having a specific qualification for the fire sprinkler sector has been achieved. However, one cannot become complacent and BAFSA continues its journey into education and workforce development.

This year will see the IQ Level 2 Level 2 Certificate in Fire Sprinkler Installation (Experienced Worker Route) (EWR) come into being; a qualification for those installers who have more than 5 years installer experience under their belt. Responding to industry requests, this qualification, is available through a one week assessment period, replacing the learning and assessment of a traditional college based course (36 weeks or block release study).

With the one week assessment programme comes a free BAFSA Masterclass in legislation

and regulation, and a BAFSA handbook providing further explanation of the subject.

With a Level 2 qualification as a starting point for all installers, it is now time to look to the future, provide career progression opportunities and develop a Level 3 qualification for the installer workforce addressing topics such as Design, Testing, Inspection, Team Leadership, Service, Awareness of Energy Performance (complementing Passive Fire Protection), Dry and West Rising to name a few subjects on the list for discussion.

BAFSA is currently working with CSCS Ltd to develop a new CSCS Skills Card which will evidence the Level 2 qualification. This is a major step forward as at present there is no Skills Card evidencing such competencies.

BAFSA continues to recognise that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is fundamental to the improvement of standards and skills for individuals and their industries and BAFSA looks to continue offering such opportunities to those involved in the industry and those interested parties.

We try to protect chlldren from danger, sprinklers will protect them from fire

skills & qualifications

Don’t get caught out in the Qualifications ‘Trap’ How to make sure that your course and qualification is nationally recognised Fire Sprinkler Installers face a myriad of courses with many titles which often presents confusion and on occasions leads to choosing and obtaining a qualification that they later discover isn’t nationally recognised. So how can this be avoided?

A qualification is intended to show employers, clients, contractors, insurers and the general public what someone has learned and can do as a result of that achievement. In our sector current and future Regulators may require a nationally recognised qualification.

This article explains the key facts about recognised qualifications to help guide you.

Training providers can and do deliver their own training and award their own personal ‘qualification’ and it is important for a potential student to understand the difference between a qualification that a training provider awards themselves and one that is delivered by an accredited training provider.

there are two types of qualifications

• A personal qualification e.g. a provider who does not deliver an awarding organisation qualification.

• A qualification that has been delivered by a provider who is accredited by an awarding body and whose qualification is nationally recognised i.e, IQ Level 2 Certificate in Fire Sprinkler Installation

So what is the difference?

Number one above means that while the training may be excellent and recognised by the provider if it is NOT on the Qualifications & Credit Framework then it may not be recognised by key stakeholders in the industry.

A qualification as number two describes is definitely recognised and in some cases recognised in Europe and often in other Countries Worldwide.

If your provider’s qualification is NOT on the Qualifications & Credit Framework it will not be nationally recognised.

Awarding Organisation, Nationally recognised qualifications – what does this mean?

An awarding Organisation is an ‘Organisation’ that has complied with a criteria laid down by Government to deliver qualifications.

The ‘Organisation’ develops a qualification that goes through a process and if successful is placed on the Educational Framework.

This means that a student who enrols on such as course can be confident that their qualification will be recognised.

How can you make sure that you access a nationally recognised qualification?

Very simply – you undertake research and ask questions of the potential training provider and follow the steps below: • If you wish to undertake a course go to https://www.gov.uk/find-a-regulatedqualification. You will be able to undertake a search on the subject you wish to study.

• If you have seen a course advertised check to see: • The full title of the course

• The name of the awarding organisation e.g.

IQ, Agored • Check that the provider is a current provider with Ofqual.

• If after looking at the information you are still unclear, contact the provider and ask for clarification.

• If you seek further information contact BAFSA (qualifications@bafsa.org.uk) We recognise that our journey will take time and there is no quick fix when addressing either workplace competency or recruitment requirements and, if BAFSA is to ensure that these project developments are meaningful and to be of value to the sector, then it is important that time is taken to have the necessary discussions with industry representatives.

BAFSA members, representing, installers, manufacturers, suppliers and third party certification bodies gather at regular Skills & Committee meetings. New members are always welcome. qualifications@bafsa.org.uk

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think” – Albert Einstein.

ba f sa .o r g .u k | 27

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

From the sprinkler head A ROUND-UP OF NEWS FROM BAFSA & ITS MEMBERS

Hundreds made safer by sprinkler funding Some of the most vulnerable people in Barnsley are now safer than ever in their homes, thanks to sprinklers that have been part-funded by the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority.

In total 163 flats have been fitted with the life-saving devices across six independent living complexes – all of which are run by Berneslai Homes. The housing provider was awarded £240,000 from the Fire Authority’s sprinkler fund to match fund the project – which now means 200 more people have the highest level of fire protection available.

A number of personal protection systems and kitchen suppression units have also been match funded by the Authority and will be installed in certain homes where tenants are identified as extremely vulnerable, demonstrating the service’s commitment to safeguarding the most vulnerable in South Yorkshire.

Roger Brason, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s sprinkler advocate, said “We’re really pleased that all of these homes have had sprinklers installed and even more pleased that we’ve been able to help provide some personal protection systems to help safeguard the most vulnerable.”

Berneslai Homes’ Fire Safety Officer, Kerry Storrar, added: “The sprinklers give our tenants the highest level of protection and over the coming year we’re hoping to fit sprinklers in other buildings.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority’s sprinkler fund forms part of the Stronger Safer Communities Reserve that is made up of money set aside from the Authority’s reserves. syfire.gov.uk/business-advice/sprinklers-2/

6 block retrofit project completed Essex Fire Sprinklers have recently completed a project retrofitting sprinklers within the Felmores Estate in Basildon, Essex for the Basildon Council. The site consists of 6 blocks compromising of 5 various property types; 2 and 3 storey houses, flats, bed sits and maisonettes.

Carried out by EFS’s highly skilled team of installers, the project involved the installation of side wall sprinklers to each of the property’s ground floors and false ceiling sprinklers on all of the first floors, of which the latter have been installed from the loft space within each property.

As a result of the project being a Category 1 site, each block of houses is fed with a single tank and pump set utilising a service duct underneath each block. A 50mm main was then run through the duct and a residential

riser was fitted underneath each property, ready for our rising pipework and subsequent install to proceed.

All documentation - for example test and completion certificates and RFI’s are monitored by the on-site supervisor to ensure that each project is managed securely.

Keep an eye out for the new EFS website launching soon. essexfiresprinklers.com

Working with Nottingham City Homes FSE have successfully assisted Nottingham City Homes with the installation of sprinkler systems in their high rise tower blocks around the city and completed a number of other high profile sprinkler installation works as well as capitalising on their newly 28 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

awarded LPBC accreditation. There have also been installation works with assisted living bungalows in the Nottinghamshire region and the engineering team has grown to 15 personnel (6 this time last year) with the latest member of staff joining last week. fsesprinklersandrisers.co.uk

Dedicated & customised delivery At the start of 2019, Rapidrop added to their growing fleet of delivery vehicles to further enhance the high quality service already provided to its customers and meet the growing changes and market requirements in the fire sprinkler industry.

Currently servicing both residential and commercial construction sites in London on a daily basis, Rapidrop will be expanding this service to include the West Midlands, Essex and Yorkshire ensuring that products are delivered to site safely on time, every time by a Rapidrop employed driver. This personal service provides the customer with peace of mind and confidence with the knowledge that projects will be completed on schedule.

This dedicated and customised delivery service has been recently launched but Rapidrop intends to grow and develop this project in the future, with the eventual target of being able to deliver fire sprinkler equipment using their own fleet of vans nationwide. rapidrop.com

New appointment Grundfos Pumps Ltd are delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Fallon as Area Sales Manager for Fire pumps & systems. Paul is based in the North West and brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge built up over the past 18 years in the fire protection and safety industry and moves from an operations role to an external technical sales role for Grundfos.

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

From the sprinkler head A ROUND-UP OF NEWS FROM BAFSA & ITS MEMBERS

NEW PREMISES

A fresh new chapter Domestic Sprinklers have moved to a new larger premises to accommodate the company’s expansion. Purpose built design studios located in one of the finest locations on the South Coast provide an excellent working environment and a start a fresh new chapter in the business’s development.

The company had been in its existing base for 20 years so it’s a welcome move for its staff and customers.

Unit 16/17, Hamm Beach Road, Portland Marina, Portland. Dorset. DT5 1DX Tel/24hr: +44 (0) 1305 765763 domesticsprinklers.co.uk

Moving towards further expansion 2018 was a year of development for Sprinkler Tech with the addition of new employees in both the Office and Installation/Maintenance teams along with a growing fleet of vehicles.

Striving towards continued growth and success this year, the company has now moved into a newly constructed 2400 sqft commercial premises which has the capacity for demonstration/testing facilities and additional staff employment.

Unit B1, Leasows Court, Hortonwood West, Telford TF1 7AF Tel: 0800 040 7738 sprinklertech.co.uk

And Manchester makes four Back in 1976 Peter Armstrong, a retired teacher, decided to start his own company Armstrong Priestley based in Leeds West Yorkshire. 43 years on the company is an established Level 4 LPCB Accredited Sprinkler Installation company. In the past 3 years the company has seen a number of changes including a Management Buyout and the opening of its regional offices in Maidstone and South Shields and the more recent relocation of the South Shields office to bigger premises.

Now within the past few weeks the company has expanded further with the opening of a fourth office in Manchester.

The new office is fully staffed by a team with a wealth of sprinkler knowledge.

The company is confident that having a base in this region, full of experienced members of staff, can only be a positive move and one which will help secure, not only Armstrong Priestley’s regional presence but also the future of the company and its employees.

Monsall Road, Manchester, M40 8WN Tel : 07827 739785 Armstrongpriestley.co.uk

Long awaited new brochure After many months of technical review, preparation, photography and re-setting work – both in-house and by their marketing partner – Sale Engineering Products (SEP) are excited to announce that their new product brochure is available in print!

As before, this is not a full catalogue of everything they do (“and certainly not everything we can do”) but an introduction to main product lines, with information and quality photos to cover the most popular products. SEP is rather proud of this output for the size of company, but believes that quality investments such as this will help continued growth.

The new ZONE GUARDIAN (both ‘commercial’ and ‘residential’ sizes and the stainless steel Resi-Riser are both featured in the new brochure. Updated sections include our Standard Air Compressors range, Duplex Compressor Station, Air Dryers, Pump Initiation Boards and much more.

If you haven’t received a copy and would like to (or just receive a link to our online ‘flip’ version) then please email info@ saleengineering.co.uk firesprinkler.co.uk

A boom in retro installations Triangle Fire Systems Ltd CHAS

Contractor 18/03/2020

83772

Triangle Sprinklers have experienced another year of growth and another year of increased staff levels in all departments. The majority of growth came from retro fit installations, with a 77% increase on these type of projects from the previous year and the completion of the fire sprinkler installation of 7 high rise tower blocks on behalf of Whitefriars Housing Association in Coventry – the company’s biggest contract to date. Currently Triangle is in the final stages of completing 25 tower

blocks for Croydon City Council and one of the contractors installing sprinklers in the 213 blocks in Birmingham as well as many other projects nationwide.

For large retro projects Triangle often assume the role of Principal Contractor and has been awarded a Worksafe Contractor membership certificate as a Principal Contractor by Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and the company has also successfully transitioned from ISO 9001:2008 to 2015. trianglesystems.co.uk ba f sa .o r g .u k | 29

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

From the sprinkler head A ROUND-UP OF NEWS FROM BAFSA & ITS MEMBERS

Designed for fire control & protection Johnson Controls has broadened its AquaMist® product line to include three ultralow flow (ULF) VdS-approved fire suppression nozzles. Each nozzle is designed to help control fire and protect valuable assets in public buildings and accommodation spaces.

New to the line is the AquaMist ULF AM34 Horizontal Sidewall Nozzle, approved according to the latest VdS accommodation test protocol intended to help control Class A fires.

In addition VdS approval was also received on the AquaMist ULF AM28 Pendent Nozzle.

The AM28 and AM34 can be used to protect accommodation spaces like hotels, hospitals and residential areas and the ULF AM28 is also approved according to the latest VdS office spaces test protocol and designed to help control Class A fires in public buildings.

For Class A fire control in spaces with false floors and ceilings, the AquaMist ULF AM30 Nozzle offers the ideal solution. tycoaquamist.com/ULF

Delivering peace of mind in school With 28 classrooms, an additional 4 nursery playrooms plus a library, all combined in a single modern unit, the recently opened Wallyford Primary School in East Lothian is ready to meet its School of the Future billing. Safety was an important factor that was integrated into every aspect and Grundfos Pumps were delighted to be involved with assisting in specifying and supplying a specialist pre-fabricated unit. The OH1-15 single electric packaged pump house is fully compliant with all standards and technical bulletins. With a compact footprint of just 2m x 2.5m these units arrive on site fully commissioned and ready to plug n’ pump.

This new campus was built to meet a range of needs and is set to play a central role, not only in education but also in the wider community and Grundfos Pumps are pleased to be delivering the fire related peace of mind.

30 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

grundfos.co.uk/fire

5 years on, the cat has retired

A key area for training

With training being a key area Vipond has invested in providing a training centre at its Head Office in East Kilbride, which includes a variety of different valve sets; monitoring; a live working pumphouse which includes an electric and diesel fire pumps; live burn area where different types sprinklers and deluge

Offsite build is conquering some of the challenges within the fire sector with pre-engineered solutions which tick all the boxes in terms of the coordination of a range of elements from planning and design, through to fabrication, the actual assembly of components, plus all required testing.

The 12,000m2 Grundfos manufacturing plant in Sunderland is a recognised centre of manufacturing excellence and offers customers design, build, assembly, test and distribution solutions under one roof, making this a streamlined and very cost-effective option.

There is a real future for these systems and Grundfos believes it has the flexibility to consistently produce a complete solution to a myriad of demands.

systems can be demonstrated in a realistic setting.

Other benefits include demonstrating to customers and stakeholders the advantages and effectiveness of a sprinkler activation. vipondfire.co.uk

Five years ago on 4th of July (Steve Walker’s birthday) Steve made the first phone call from his bedroom with only one member of unpaid staff (my cat) as Managing Director of Hydrotech Fire & Mechanical Ltd. He had seen there was a requirement in the market for an alternative supplier of highrise related fire protection products and since then with the help of a dedicated team the company has moved premises several times to accommodate growth to what is now a £3M turnover business. The success is, Steve believes, a result of innovation and service along with excellent support from their distribution network. The product line up now encompasses dry & wet packages, CPVC, residential heads, and a full range of residential riser valve sets. Hydrotech intends adding value to its chosen industry for the next five years.

Hydrotechfire.co.uk

sprinkler

focus

m ay 2019

Where next?

bafsa.org.uk

All of these and more are available to download at bafsa.org.uk

b a f s a f o c u s m ay 2019

Technical queries & resolutions In recent months the queries received by BAFSA technical support staff, Ian Gough and Joe McCafferty, were many and varied with questions relating to Building Control, Approved Document B, domestic and residential systems and liaison with water providers directed to Ian and Joe picking up queries relating to commercial premises i.e. High Rise, Warehouses, storage categorisation, sprinkler equipment, Wet and Dry Risers.

Some queries are from BAFSA members, but the majority come from companies such as Fire Consultants, M+E companies, FM companies, small domestic sprinkler companies, Letting Landlords, house builders and some from overseas.

During 2018 over 100 website technical queries were received and some resolved by a single email but in other cases a phone conversation is necessary to get more information and discuss the specific situation so a clear response can be formulated.

When the query is about a current contract where a sprinkler system is being installed the advice is usually that the inquirer discuss the problem with the installer so they can agree a solution.

32 | ba f sa .o r g .u k

We always try and avoid getting caught in the middle of contractual issues as these are best resolved by both parties concerned.

We will of course give an opinion on interpretation of sprinkler rules but in the end of the day it’s down to the installer and his/ her client along with any AHJ’s to have the final decision on the best solution.

The following enquiries will be of interest:

resolution

The 20 bar is a maximum at the outlet of the landing valve before the pressure reducing/ regulating valve is installed. The maximum system pressure can be very high at the pumps i.e. maybe up to 35 or 40 bar with suitably sized high-pressure pipes.

Wet Riser pressures in BS9990.

Sprinkler tank on a BS9251 System.

What is the requirement for an overflow on his sprinkler tank as one was not fitted. resolution

Figure A.2 Elements of a typical pump and tank sprinkler system in BS 9251 shows the necessity for an overflow.

Wet Riser pressures in BS9990.

BS9990 Paragraph 4.1.4.1 Design operating pressure Systems should be designed such that maximum system pressures serving a fire main outlet do not exceed 20 bar. Is the 20 bar a maximum system pressure?

Can a sprinkler tank can be shared between two commercial buildings. resolution

BS EN 12845 Para. 8.1.2 Continuity.

All practical steps shall be taken to ensure the continuity and reliability of water supplies.

NOTE: Water supplies should preferably be under the control of the user, or else the reliability and right of use should be guaranteed by the organization having control.

In addition, get all relevant AHJ’s approval before proceeding with the shared supply.

technical queries

resolution

Wet Riser pressures in BS9990.

Are corrosion resistant sprinklers available for a ‘hydropool’ room which has a chlorine rich atmosphere.

BS EN 12845 defines high-rise systems in Para.

3.32. system.

Areas to be protected

resolution

The Sprinkler Manufacturers in the BAFSA members list on the BAFSA website would indicate where suitable heads would be found.

Review of sprinkler reports.

Could BAFSA refer them to a company who could do an ‘independent’ review of some sprinkler system status reports that they had received.

What areas of a BS 9251 sprinkler protected building do not have to be protected. resolution

BS 9251 Para. 5.4 Extent of sprinkler protection defines the areas of a building that can be ‘unprotected’. Also note following paragraph 5.4 regarding fire strategy which could affect the necessity for sprinkler protection.

LPC Rules TB234 Para. 4.2

resolution

The BAFSA Associate members list on the BAFSA website identifies suitably qualified companies.

If the AMAO had to be increased for say 12.5mm/m2/min to 17.5mm/m2/min did the AMAO have to be increased form 260m2 to 300m2.

Necessity to maintain a sprinkler system.

Are there regulations regarding the necessity to maintain a sprinkler system. resolution

BS EN 12845, LPC Rules and Approved Document B refer to the necessity for sprinkler system to be maintained for property and life safety protection.

Reduced capacity sprinkler tank infill testing.

Do regulations exist regarding the necessity to test the infill rate to a reduced capacity sprinkler tank? resolution

LPC Rules TH224.5 recommend quarterly town’s main testing for reduced capacity tanks.

Pipe supports.

resolution

Open Cell ceilings below sprinklers.

What are the requirements for open cell ceilings installed below sprinklers.

This query was forwarded to the RISCA WG who responded that there is no requirement to increase the AMAO as well.

resolution

BS EN 12845 Para. 12.4.14 Suspended open cell ceilings clarifies the requirements.

E-coli and Coliforms in sprinkler tank.

Concrete storage tanks What standards does a concrete water storage tank for a sprinkler system have to be designed to. resolution

Sprinkler tank water had been tested and found evidence of the presence of E-coli and Coliforms. resolution

The BAFSA Tank manufacturers/maintenance members list on the BAFSA website would find list suitably qualified companies to advise and resolve the problem.

Sprinkler supplied from domestic water main.

Could the sprinkler system be supplied from the same connection as our domestic supply? resolution

BS 9251 Figure A.1 Elements of a typical mains-fed sprinkler system illustrates the pipework arrangement for a common mains fed sprinkler system.

Definition of High Rise system.

Does a high building (more than 150m) have to be classified as high rise.

The LPC Rules TB 224.4.2 state that concrete tanks must be designed and constructed to BS EN 1992-3 2006 (this replaces the old BS8007 standard).

Sprinklers in electrical rooms.

Is it allowed to sprinkler protect electrical rooms. resolution

5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of the Building regulations or what specifies permitted exceptions. It mentions that these exceptions are allowed where other fire extinguishing systems are installed e.g. gas, powder and water spray.

UK Manufactured sprinkler components.

The intention is to use as much UK manufactured sprinkler equipment as possible. Where can this information be found?

Do sprinkler supports always had to be fixed to ‘structural’ members of the building. resolution

BS EN 12845 Para. 17.2 defines the requirements of sprinkler pipe support fixings.

Necessity for sprinklers in retail unit.

Are sprinklers required by building control in a new retail shop unit? resolution

Approved Document B defines which types of retail units have to be sprinkler protected.

Protection of paint spray booths.

Does a paint spray booth need sprinklered protection? resolution

NFPA 13 Para. 22.4 offers advice as to how this type of area should be protected.

Sprinkler deflector location.

What are the requirements for the location of sprinkler deflectors below roof/ceiling? resolution

BS EN 12845 Para. 12.4.2 defines the preferred locations of sprinkler deflectors in relation to ceilings/roofs.

resolution

Sprinkler manufacturers members list on the BAFSA website would identify manufacturers who could advise on where their equipment was manufactured.

ba f sa .o r g .u k | 33

Coming Soon ...

Sprinkler Design Courses BAFSA will be delivering Sprinkler System Design Courses for experienced engineers across the UK. Courses available will be: Basic Intermediate FHC Inspectors

The courses will prepare participants for LPC exams and reviews.

Interested in reserving a place on a course?

Please contact BAFSA ce@bafsa.org.uk, providing details of number of places & which course

bafsa.org.uk