of this and refrain from the additional costs of adding potentially life-saving fire protection in their home lifts,” commented Maxine. With a lounge fire in a typical house potentially reaching flashover in under 30 seconds, engulfing the room with intense flame and fatal smoke, ensuring there is the required fire protection in place for domestic lift installations can be crucial for saving lives. In the event that it may help save a life, the through floor lifts specialists shared their installation expertise regarding home lifts and fire safety. The company explained that for the installation of any through floor lift – whether the lift car is enclosed or unenclosed, with no liftway, or a liftway involved – there are two areas of primary concern. The first is guaranteeing that the horizontal fire separation which existed prior to an adaption is adequately replaced and the second is that the structure around the lift is effectively protected in the event of a fire. Greg Gnyp, Engineering Director of Terry Lifts is an expert in European and UK Lift Standards and is also the lead engineer in the Terry Lifts fire test programme. He commented: “It is imperative that any specified product and product installation must demonstrate full compliance with the Machinery Directive,
Building Regulations and BS5900:2012, all of which have been written with the safety of the building occupiers and emergency services in mind.” Greg added: “Furthermore, as every site will differ it is imperative that the local Building Control Officer has conducted a site visit to ensure Terry Lifts’ Vivendi lift structural alterations and fire protections are to standard.” With almost 600 deaths and 18,000 injuries occurring from house fires every year, ensuring correctly installed and compliant home lifts for some of society’s “Unfortunately, some suppliers most vulnerable people is essential for take advantage of this and manufacturers and refrain from the additional installers. The website for the costs of adding potentially lifecompany is www. saving fire protection.” terrylifts.co.uk
MOBILITY SCOOTERS AND RESIDENT SAFETY: THE DILEMMA FOR HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS For housing associations across the country, there has been a significant and on-going issue regarding their occupants’ mobility scooters and their fire safety. Many housing associations are struggling to find a means of supporting residents’ needs to use mobility scooters to remain independent whilst also keeping their accommodations safe. Sarah Lander, Tenancy Services Manager at South Essex Homes, explained: “While scooters provide a lifeline for many, they have also posed a problem for us for many years. “The sale of scooters is unregulated and often residents buy a scooter without any training or guidance and store them in unsafe places, such as stairways, which present a fire risk.”
Residents purchasing scooters may not consider how appropriate the device may be for their living environment, struggling to find the space to safely store the device. It is in these circumstances that the importance of retailers’ properly assessing a customer’s needs and environment really come into play. A recent report of fire safety issues in a sheltered housing scheme in Devon has also highlighted the issue surrounding mobility scooters in blocks of flats. According to the report, residents were concerned for the safety of those with limited mobility in the event of a fire due to continuous lift failures. The housing association however claims that some of the breakdowns have
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