Fire, Security and Safety

Ferrier Point, a 23 storey residential tower block in Newham, East London, became the focus of national attention during the cladding crisis after investigations revealed that its exterior was fitted with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, the same hazardous type implicated in the rapid fire spread at Grenfell Tower. In response, Newham Council undertook a full recladding programme, and by 2019 the building had been completely stripped of its ACM façade and upgraded with VitraDual® - an A1, noncombustible precoated aluminium rainscreen cladding system from Valcan. 

Kidde Safety Europe has introduced a new Fire and CO Alarm Control Switch that enables remote testing and silencing of interconnected Kidde FIREX hardwired alarms, providing a practical solution for properties where alarms are installed in locations that are difficult to access or require regular inspection.

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce reflects on the rise of the super-regulator, Gateway 2 and the golden thread.

Amid seismic regulatory change, one thing is clear: for local authorities and housing associations delivering social housing, the era of doing things by habit or assumption has passed.

As the manufacturing and supply partner for windows, doors and fire doors working directly with councils and housing providers, at Shelforce we believe this new landscape demands sharper clarity, stronger traceability and a supply chain that can genuinely deliver to the new standard.

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, shares how efficiency, value, and social purpose combine in Shelforce’s fire door manufacturing journey, delivering fully compliant fire doors that won’t break budgets.

Whenever we’re behind the wheel of our car ready for a long journey, the first thing we do is put the sat nav on. Not necessarily because we don’t know the way, but because we want the best way. I want the quickest, most efficient, most cost-effective route from A to B. That’s exactly how we approach fire door manufacturing at Shelforce.

The Grenfell Inquiry transformed the fire safety landscape with the subsequent publication of the amended Approved Document B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations, the introduction of the Building Safety Act, and the Building Safety Regulator. Shaun Scott, Applications Engineer at Advanced, explains how social housing landlords are facing increased scrutiny and how Evacuation Alert Systems are a route to both compliance and Best Practice.

Nowhere faces more scrutiny on fire safety compliance than the social housing sector. On 26 June 2025, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published its latest quarterly survey assessing fire safety in social housing blocks over 11 metres. The report reaffirmed the immense pressure on social housing landlords to submit robust remediation data, not only to the RSH but also to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 

In the evolving landscape of UK housing, certainty about the origin and quality of construction materials has become paramount. This renewed focus is primarily driven by stricter safety regimes, including the Building Safety Act, which places greater scrutiny on product performance, particularly for buildings with higher risk. However, the principles extend to all projects, ensuring long-term durability and simplifying future maintenance.

Lorient, a leading manufacturer of high-performance sealing systems for fire safety, is delighted to announce the launch of its latest RIBA-approved CPD, created in collaboration with Douglas Masterson, Technical & Training Director at the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI). Entitled “The Design & Specification of Intumescent Air Transfer Grilles”, the CPD provides in-depth technical insights into this vital component of fire safety.