Fire Safety Within the Built Environment
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The Association for Specialist Fire Protection Fire and Your Legal Liability Competency and fire safety within the built environment Wilf Butcher, CEO Association for Specialist Fire Protection Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Association for Specialist Fire Protection Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The ASFP - A brief background history When Originally known as the Association of Structural Fire Protection Contractors and Manufacturers (ASFPCM), the association was formed in 1975 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The ASFP - A brief background history Why In recognition of a need to bring together passive fire protection (PFP) manufacturers, contractors and testing/certification bodies to encourage, develop and give guidance on essential standards in PFP. Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The ASFP - A brief background history In 1996 the Association changed its name to the Association for Specialist Fire Protection To better reflect the diversity of the work then being undertaken in the fields of fire stopping, fire resisting ducting, fire dampers, fire resisting partitions and other elements used for compartmentation Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The ASFP - A brief background history In 1996 the Association changed its name to the Association for Specialist Fire Protection The Association is responsible for and/or has had a significant input into the vast majority of guidance and standards that exist today across the whole spectrum of the PFP sector. Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The ASFP - A brief background history In 2010 the Association formed the Association for Specialist Fire Protection - Ireland To specifically support those responsible for legislation, specification, inspection and installation of passive fire protection throughout Ireland Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism Who is the Association made up of? Today the ASFP and ASFP Ireland are further broadening our membership and remit to reflect and respond to the significant changes and challenges that are taking place at many levels within the PFP sector Manufacturers Contractors Testing and certification bodies and many other associate members Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism 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 ’. Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire 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! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire So just how important are passive fire protection measures in today’s building design! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire The answer of course is quite clear, it’s essential! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Common Conceptions……. • Wood Burns • Structural steel does not collapse in a fire • Concrete is fireproof • Holes are a general maintenance issue • There is always time! ………Or are they Misconceptions Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Fire in Tall Buildings - Are they a special case? Polat Tower Fire, Istanbul July 2012 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Fire in Tall Buildings - Are they a special case? Torre Windsor Madrid 2005 Built in 1970’s No slab edge firestops Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Fire in Tall Buildings - Are they a special case? Fire started 21st floor Spread to all 30 above ground floors Burning droplets Basement floors were not affected, proving that the deficiency was in the slab edge fire protection, not fire stopping around services Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire The answer starts with the specification Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism 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 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Is designing for or building in an appropriate fire solution simply a matter of determining what is suitable and sufficient? Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Is designing for or building in an appropriate fire solution simply a matter of determining what is suitable and sufficient? Or is the route to construction a little more complex! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Reality of Fire Is designing for or building in an appropriate fire solution simply a matter of determining what is suitable and sufficient? Or is the route to construction a little more complex! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism 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 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations Approved Document B: 2006 • 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] Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations Technical Guidance Document B: 2006 This can be the reality! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations The England and Wales Building Regulations also state: 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’ Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations 3rd Party Certification is not mandatory! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations Regulation 7 “building work shall be carried out with adequate and proper materials which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used” But is it all not just common sense? Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations I think I have made my point! Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations 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 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Pioneering fire protection through innovation and professionalism The Building Regulations RRO(FS)O Article 17 – Maintenance 83. The responsible person must ensure, where necessary in order to safeguard