Fire, Security and Safety
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In light of new changes to the housing health and safety regulations regarding cladding which have arisen amid the Grenfell Tower investigations, Housing Association magazine editor Victoria Galligan spoke to Dr Nigel Glen – Chief Executive Office of the Association of Residential Managing Agents. For months the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has been warning landlords of at-risk properties to get on and remove dangerous cladding. In early December Mr Brokenshire announced a change to the housing health and safety regulations, to force the landlords to make good these works with no apparent financial risk to the leaseholders. |
Dr. Barbara Lane's recent report raised numerous questions about the overall management of the smoke control installation at Grenfell.
The Recording Rooms, one of Birmingham University’s newest student accommodation blocks, is using an integrated smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system from SE Controls to provide smoke free escape routes for more than 250 students.
- Read more about A sound solution from SE Controls
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Smoke Control Systems, as with other active fire safety installations, are rarely designed for whole building fires like Grenfell where fire spreads uncontrollably throughout the complete structure.
- Read more about Lessons from Grenfell
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Property owners and managers should be aware of their legal duties regarding asbestos management, and the need for locating and assessing the risks from any asbestos-containing materials in a building.
Specifically relating to managing and working with asbestos is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). Regulation 5, requires employers to identify the presence of asbestos, and its type and condition, before any building, maintenance or other work, liable to disturb asbestos, begins. It also sets out the requirement to arrange an asbestos survey if existing information on the presence of asbestos in the premises is incomplete or appears unreliable.
- Read more about Find asbestos - a hidden killer
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An industry report has predicted the number of connected devices being used worldwide will grow to 20.8billion by 2020*. What opportunities could this present for social housing providers and landlords?
Nick Rutter, Chief Product Officer for FireAngel, explores the latest connected safety solutions and how they are transforming the capabilities of fire safety technologies…
Over the last decade the development of internet of things (IoT) and the notion of a ‘connected home’ has undergone significant developments. Initially starting as a rather fantastical concept, today’s IoT technology is relevant to everyday life, primarily designed to ‘make life easier for the user’.
As the society we live in becomes ever more conscious of safety in the home, there is an increasing requirement for safety equipment to protect against the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and fires, which kill and injure many hundreds of people in UK homes every year. This is particularly true for local authorities and housing associations who, having a duty of care to their tenants, must take all reasonable action to protect them from these dangers.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas produced when burning any fossil fuel such as gas, coal, oil, wood …etc. It is odourless and colourless and so is not easily detectable and no one is immune. It can kill quickly in large concentrations or build up slowly over time with the same result. Initial symptoms such as headaches, nausea and general lethargy can also often be mistaken for other illnesses, even by the medical profession. CO can leak from flues and appliances when they are either not operating correctly or when the flues become blocked or damaged.