the association for specialist fire protection - asfp 15/1. firex 2005 18 june wb.pdf · an...

An Association for Specialist Fire Protection CPD Event

Developing your knowledge of Passive Fire Protection

18th June 2015

In association with

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection

Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism

http://www.firex.co.uk/page.cfm?LinkType=PowerBar__&LinkTarget=http://www.firex.co.uk/Content/Welcome

10.30-10.40 Recognising your responsibility!

Wilf Butcher, CEO for the Association for Specialist Fire Protection

10.40-11.00 Compartmentation, fire stopping installation and maintenance

Alastair Brockett, Engineer, Hilti (Gt. Britain) Ltd

11.00-11.20 ‘Fire Safety Management’ - The Clients Perspective

Aidan O’Connor, HSE Estate Manager, Fire Safety, Health Services

Executive, Ireland

11.20-11.40 The specialist fire contractors perspective – a case study

Gareth Dean, Director, Sharpfibre Limited

11.40-12.00 Refreshment Break and networking



12.00-12.20 Understanding ‘Best Practice’ in passive fire protection? Niall Rowan, Technical Officer of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection 12.20-12.40 ‘Up-skilling’ in passive fire protection, why is this now essential? Wilf Butcher, CEO of the Association For Specialist Fire Protection 12.40-13.00 Where to source impartial advice on passive fire protection? Tony Corcoran, Membership Officer, of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection



Fire and Your Legal Liability

Wilf Butcher, CEO

Association for Specialist Fire Protection




The Reality of Fire

2000 years ago life was simple

King Herod (74BC-4AD) introduced a law which stated that:

‘Should a man construct a building which falls down and kills another then this man should be slain ’.


Life is a little more complicated today!

So just how important are passive fire protection measures in today’s

building design!

Other than fire fighters few of us have had to face the reality of fire and smoke spread!

The Reality of Fire


The Reality of Fire

So just how important are passive fire protection measures in today’s building design!


The answer of course is quite clear, it’s essential!

The Reality of Fire


The answer starts with the specification

The Reality of Fire


Fire damaged buildings can always be rebuilt

Their priceless content however will be lost forever

Statistically 40% of businesses will be out of business within 12-18 months following a major fire

The Reality of Fire


The Reality of Fire

Is designing for or building in an appropriate fire solution simply a

matter of determining what is suitable and sufficient?


The Reality of Fire



Or is the route to construction a little more complex!


The Reality of Fire



Or is the route to construction a little more complex!

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Statutory guidance documents

• Statutory guidance documents

• England & Wales – Approved Document B 2006 • Scotland – Technical Handbook B 2010 • Northern Ireland – Technical Booklet E 2005 • Republic of Ireland – Technical Guidance Document B 2006

• Other codes of practice • BS 9999: Fire safety in the design management and use of buildings • BS 9991: for residential buildings • BS 7974: Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design

of buildings • Department of education BB 100 Design for fire safety in schools • Health Technical Memorandum 05 – 01, 05 – 02A, 05 – 02B, 05 – 03


The Building Regulations

• Lists the requirements for fire resistance of compartment walls and floors, including any steel passing through the compartment wall/floor.

• Section 10.2 – ‘If a fire separating element is to be effective, every joint or imperfection of fit, or opening to allow services to pass through the element, should be adequately protected by sealing or fire-stopping so that the fire resistance of the element is not impaired’

• Section 10.17 – ‘ In addition to other requirements for fire-stopping, all

joints between fire separating elements should be fire stopped, and

all openings for pipes,ducts, conduits or cables to pass through any part of a fire separating element should be

– Kept as few in number as possible

– Kept as small as possible

– Fire stopped [which in case of a pipe or duct, should allow thermal movement]

Approved Document B: 2006



This can be the reality!

Technical Guidance Document B: 2006



3rd Party Installation Certification

ADB 0.20

‘.... provide a means of ensuring that installations have been conducted by knowledgeable contractors to appropriate standards, thereby increasing reliability of the anticipated performance in fire’

The England and Wales Building Regulations also state:



3rd Party Certification is not

mandatory!



“building work shall be carried out with adequate and proper materials which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used”

Regulation 7

But is it all not just common sense?



I think I have made my point!

Building Regulation 38



Within the Building Regulations there is an expectation that the duties of Building Regulation 38 (previously known as Regulation 16b) will be reliably carried out and the building user/owner will be fully informed of the fire protection provisions in the building he now occupies

‘Regulation 38 requires that, where building work involves the erection or extension of a relevant building, fire safety information shall be given to the responsible person at the completion of the project or when the building or extension is first occupied’

Appendix G

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005


Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005



RRO(FS)O Article 17 – Maintenance

83. The responsible person must ensure, where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons, that the fire precautions are maintained in good working order (see also article 38, about protection of fire-fighters).

This includes any facilities which have been provided under Building Regulations, the Housing Act 2004 or other legislation such as local Acts; and including any enactment repealed or revoked by the Order.

Risk assessments, as required by article 9, should include references to maintenance.


The responsibility is yours

FIRE AND YOUR LEGAL LIABILITY

If you are involved in provision of fire protection, at any level, then you share liability for its usefulness and its operation when it’s needed in fire, and that liability will still be there in the event of a court case.




If it is your responsibility to specify the materials and/or appoint the installation contractor, it is also your responsibility to ensure that they can prove competency for the fire protection materials used, or the works to be carried out. It’s no longer simply a duty of care or voluntary – it’s a legal obligation.

Are you competent?




If it is your responsibility to manage or install passive fire protection products, materials or systems, it is also your responsibility to ensure that they are ‘fit for purpose’ i.e. that the manufacturer’s fire test and certification evidence fully covers the intended use.




It is also your responsibility to ensure that the installer can demonstrate appropriate competency in the installation of the passive fire protection products, materials and systems used. It’s no longer simply a duty of care or voluntary – it’s a legal obligation



It is your responsibility to ensure that any installation of, or repair to, passive fire protection is undertaken by those with sufficient competency



14.10 Monitoring

The frequency of monitoring activity will be dictated by the building’s risk profile. Buildings with hazardous contents, high occupancy levels or high rates of change are examples of a higher risk category. The period between monitoring activities should not, of course, be allowed to exceed any Statutory or Health and Safety Executive guidance minimum. It is important to ensure that all activities within the building that might affect the PFP are monitored and responded to where necessary.





Which is why it is essential you ensure that the people or company you employ to carry out the

work can PROVE that they are competent



Because you should not assume that competency in one discipline will automatically be reflected in another

Make a start with the two ASFP documents


Fire is a holistic issue

Ensuring Best Practice for Passive Fire Protection in Buildings

ASFP Guide to Inspecting Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors

Find out more on at the ASFP Zone (Stand D179)

The simple fact is that passive fire protection works!


A building is for life!


The simple fact is that passive fire protection works!

A building is for life!


A concluding thought!


To Sum Up

What conclusions can we draw from this short presentation?

When it comes to fire protection, there’s nothing wrong with thinking outside of the box.

Provided you understand the consequences of getting it wrong!

Questions

www.asfp.org.uk

http://www.asfp.org.uk/

the association for specialist fire protection - asfp 15/1. firex 2005 18 june wb.pdf · an...

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