No compromise for Category 3 Control fire performance cables
As our buildings become ever more complex, the importance of using only approved products which meet the latest regulations for fire safety cannot be emphasised enough. In this special report, Stuart Dover,…
Greener future brings new fire safety challenges
The evidence that climate change is real and at times devastating is being played out on our news channels almost every day. The phrase ‘hundred-year event’ is almost becoming common usage with…
The future of fire safety
Recognising both existing failings in the sector and a rapidly changing world, it seems that fire safety will have to evolve. But new drivers and requirements could see a very different type…
XXL fire engine on rails in Rotterdam
The non-fire triangle: how a return to principles can improve fire safety
The reporting of the proceedings of the Grenfell Inquiry, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, only reinforces the conclusions reached by Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: fire…
The role of an expert witness
The consequences of fire can impact on a project or within the wider built environment at any time. In fact, the longest part of the life cycle of a building (design, construction,…
As we rebuild trust in the post-Grenfell area, experts are more important than ever
On the morning of 14 June 2017, the fire industry and the construction sector were changed forever by the events at Grenfell Tower, and their repercussions are still being felt today. Public…
Whole-system approach critical to product assurance
The new construction product regulator established within the Office for Product Safety and Standards certainly faces a complex and expanding task as it seeks to address systemic failings identified by the Hackitt…
Pork shoulders, fake motorways and ramping up the drama: my days reconstructing rescues for TV
Years of working with emergency-service crews on the BBC series 999 gave Tiggi Trethowan a unique insight into the world that many firefighters deal with day in, day out. Now living in…
Jewish George Cross hero receives remembrance plaque
Harry Ehrengott was born into a poor Soho immigrant Jewish family in Poland Street on 20 August 1910. His parents, Solomon and Bella, were tailors and Harry’s first language was Yiddish. Changing…
Pandemic PPE
GBA: Unified Industrial Fire Service without management, autonomy in the port of Amsterdam
The sea-port area of Amsterdam ranks fourth in terms of economic significance in north-western Europe. Cruise shipping, tank storage, waste recycling, Seveso industry and renewable energy are just a few economic hotspots.…
FireQual aims to play a major part to deliver individual qualifications for the fire and safety sector
The newly established Awarding Body arrives at the perfect time to support recommendations made in both the report led by Dame Judith Hackitt and the subsequent ‘Setting the Bar’ document recently published.…
The Beirut explosion: an inconvenient truth for the industry and authorities
The devastating explosion in the Beirut harbour area was a dramatic wake-up call for the industry and (port) authorities worldwide. The cataclysmic event strongly proves the need for proactive risk management regarding…
Just brew-ti-ful: firefighting entrepreneurs serve up 20,000 cups of coffee to Covid-19 key workers
Two firefighter entrepreneurs handed out over 20,000 cups of coffee to frontline key workers during the peak of the coronavirus in the UK and are now gearing up for a second spike…
FireTreks – the final chapter
FireTreks has not only provided 10 months of pure adventure but a new outlook on the future of fire-safety design. The journey finished earlier than expected; on my final day in the…
Amplified role of SCBA to maximise firefighters’ safety and well-being
These days the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) is a key piece of personal protection equipment that firefighters across the world take into a fire. Since the beginning, the primary focus and function…
The role of operational guidance in fire and rescue service improvement
In this welcome update from the National Fire Chiefs Council, we look at how fire and rescue services benefit from the continued evolution of National Operational Guidance, the influence of HMICFRS inspections…