Fire Safety

With ‘once in a generation’ weather events becoming more frequent and the increase in outdoor space on tall buildings, it’s no wonder that many of the major housing providers are concerned about the potential for unsecured paving to cause damage.

Consequently, there is a growing focus in the construction industry on how to protect vulnerable structures such as balconies and roof terraces from wind uplift to ensure their safety and durability.

So, what can you do to protect against wind uplift and provide safe, secure environments? First, let’s understand the cause. 

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, stringent regulations have been put in place to ensure the safety of outdoor areas, particularly in relation to fire.  

While the requirement for the use of non-combustible components on specified attachments such as balconies is clear and unequivocal, areas that fall in the category of flat roof systems represent a different challenge.

Unlike balconies, the requirements for roof systems leave room for interpretation that can potentially lead to the installation of non-compliant build-ups.  To avoid falling on the wrong side of compliance, specifiers often resort to non-combustible options which can have a negative impact on their budget.

Having been involved for many years in fire rated products, gaining invaluable knowledge and insight into the composite fire door industry, Astraseal could see the requirement for a comprehensive fire safety door package. A start to finish solution backed up by extensive testing to the most onerous standards and certified by industry leading experts.

Kidde Safety Europe, a leading manufacturer of residential fire safety equipment, is proud to announce the launch of its innovative CV9101 Fire Alarm Controller, designed to simplify the regular testing and maintenance of its Cavius family of wireless alarms. This user-friendly controller eliminates the need for physical access to alarms, making fire safety more accessible than ever before.

CHIC, a leading asset management and procurement consortium, is proud to announce the launch of its comprehensive Fire & Building Safety Framework. Designed to meet the evolving needs of its members, this framework provides a robust, compliant route to market for fire safety installations, servicing, maintenance and consultancy services.

Aico, a leader in home safety products based in Shropshire, has launched a new docu-series called "From Component to Ceiling." The series explores the lifecycle of Aico’s products, highlighting innovation, quality commitment, and product serialisations. It provides insights into Aico's operations, distributor relationships, and commitment to safety and reliability standards. The docu-series consists of a trailer and four 8-minute episodes, hosted on a dedicated microsite on the Aico website. A new episode is released each week, with the full version available in the final week: https://www.aico.co.uk/docu-series/

Following on from his seminar presentation at this year’s Fire Safety Event, held in April at Birmingham’s NEC, Dr. Karthick Govarthanam, General Manager for FIREFLY®, explores some of the issues surrounding fire risk in roof voids.