The London Fire Brigade (LFB) recently advised a London Assembly committee that there are now over 900 blocks – with the figure steadily rising – of flats with a waking watch in place. The cost to fund these patrols is set to dramatically exceed the £30m government fund that has been allocated.
But is a waking watch the best solution to protect residents living in properties that feature potentially unsafe cladding? Employing personnel to stay on site overnight and man fire exits within the building to ensure the safe egress and speedy evacuation of the premises, is reliant on identifying and employing competent individuals and is therefore vulnerable to the scope for human error. In addition, the crippling costs associated with this exercise could result in other safety priorities being compromised due to a serious lack of funding.
Clear Safety – the safety and compliance specialist – has identified a cost-effective temporary wireless-based fire-alarm system to address the problem. Their solution not only delivers a safer environment for the residents with less reliance on human intervention, it also represents a highly cost-effective alternative, saving a London housing association client around £3 million in waking watch costs over one year.
And the temporary arrangement can also be converted to a permanent fire alarm system at a later date if required – providing further cost benefits.
Enhanced safety and proven adherence to the required compliance protocols, whilst still successfully reducing costs, will result in a win-win for both residents and landlord.
For more information, please contact Clear Safety on telephone 01303 684001 or email info@clearsafety.co.uk
