In modern buildings there may be literally dozens of different types of audible warning specified; fire alarm systems, emergency exit alarms, lifts/elevators, intrusion alarm systems, and each can have their own audible warning device. In industrial settings there may also be audible warning devices on...
Managing how smoke and fresh air can travel within, and be extracted out of, a building is vital and programming of smoke control systems has long presented a notorious challenge to the fire industry until now with Advanced’ new solution DynamixSmoke. The control of smoke and...
Even a drill hole the size of a pencil that hasn’t been adequately fire stopped can allow rapid spread of smoke in minutes. Here, Keith Wells, Managing Director of Quelfire, explains why effective fire stopping is essential to maintain the integrity of fire compartments. It is...
Emergency response is abound with risk, we can see this, we know this and our ultimate goal is to avoid risk. Opting for lesser solutions to training will only increase risk and should be proactively avoided writes Ashley Price, Vice President of the Fire Science...
In heavy industry, there are continual issues owners and operators face in ensuring consistent plant safety. Some of the key challenges presented to the staff are prevention and control, fire and explosion and corrosion in pipework and structures. Carl Hunter BA (Dunelm) Hons, CEO &...
There are many hazardous environments which pose particularly high risks in terms of fire safety explains Kelvin Miller, Sales Director of Patol. Amongst the most hazardous are those which involve the storage of highly flammable substances, including refineries, petrochemical, gas processing, terminal and offshore facilities....
The question that international Health & Safety expert, Toby Hayward poses, in this article, is how fire safety is dealt with in high hazard projects and industries. To do this he covers some lessons learned as well as some approaches many will be familiar with....
Within the fire & life safety sector we are all familiar with the terms hazard and risk. When we refer to hazards and risk in relation to occupational health and safety common definitions include ‘A hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health...
A report prepared by the 15-strong Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) predicts a slow down for 2019 of 20,000 barrels per day less in the global growth of oil demand. At first glance that would suggest that the oil and gas industry’s traditional heavy...
A major fire in a hospital or healthcare facility is horrific and there has been too many global incidents resulting in loss of life in recent years. Having worked in the fire industry for over 30 years and had responsibility for licensing, registering, auditing and...
In this article Steve North, Founder, and Rescue Director of International Road Rescue and Trauma Consultancy (IRRTC) looks at modern vehicles and the technology that is built in to them to protect the occupants. Commonly known in the vehicle and rescue industry as New Vehicle...
In recent years, the issue of cleaning and maintaining firefighter PPE has moved firmly into the spotlight, with the emergence of a possible link between contaminated kit and long-term health. Roger Startin, Joint Managing Director of Bristol Uniforms, looks at the importance of keeping PPE...
Ideally, clean room solutions integrate all the building systems for regulating, controlling and monitoring the space thus minimising risks, increasing efficiency and ensuring compliance to regulations. FME asked Siemens Building Technologies to explain the processes in more detail. For sensitive, valuable goods, the clean room is...
The clean rooms that I am used to dealing with are in an industrial environment and staffed by the white-clad, respirator wearing professionals that are synonymous with this area write FME’s very own international Health & Safety expert Toby Hayward. However, when researching this feature,...
Creating new businesses and industries to replace their traditional economic reliance upon oil and gas production, has become a central theme in the growth policies of several MENA Countries in recent years. None more so than in Saudi Arabia, where two huge projects will be providing...
Even in major cities across the world it can take as long as 15-20 minutes for an emergency response to arrive at the scene of an accident from the time of call and, in rural or remote areas, much longer. Here Neil Pedersen of the...
As a fresh-faced cadet, FME’s international Health & Safety Expert Toby Hayward was told by his first instructor at South Shields Training College “You are the fire brigade – you can forget calling us!” He recalls it was a sobering thought! The reality in deep sea...
Aaron Johnson, International Fire Strategist and jill cotton, a web-technology specialist and communications director at InspectionReportsOnline.net (IROL) examine the concept of web-based reporting technologies and its benefits, issues, concerns and the implementation of these systems. There’s no doubt the activities put in place by our fire...
We effectively manage risk in our lives on a daily basis; whether it’s putting a car seat belt on or choosing a safe place to cross the road. But when it comes to entering a building, we put some of that responsibility into someone else’s...
Two successful large-scale ESFR sprinkler pre tests and four successful large-scale ESFR sprinkler verification tests show that sprinkler protection of the AutoStore storage system is viable even in facilities with very high ceiling heights. The autostore storage system is developed by the Norwegian company Autstore A/S...
The recent fire on board the ultra large container vessel, Maersk Honam, in the Arabian Sea sent a few shockwaves around the boardrooms of the rapidly expanding logistics businesses in the gulf region. Losing 7,500 40ft containers will have disrupted an industry that has started to...
The storage and warehousing of goods and materials has developed over time along with the evolution of mankind. Peter Stephenson, Assistant Director, BuroHappold examines the fire safety challenges associated with automated storage facilities. Automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS or AS/RS) commonly consist of a variety...
Part 1 – Post Fire Damage Decontamination PETER STEPHENSON, Associate Director, BuroHappold Engineering As professionals in the fire industry we can influence fire safety in the built environment in many ways including building design, product specification & performance, system commissioning & testing, management systems &...
What do data centres, clean rooms, manufacturing centres and hospitals have in common? They are critical facilities, where the financial and operational repercussions of equipment-related damages and downtime can be devastating and they all present their own challenges in terms of fire suppression, with the...
This article explores the challenge of effectively marking evacuation routes, particularly vertical escape routes in high-rise buildings. Those responsible for fire safety management face many challenges while developing the emergency plans for the buildings they take under their responsibility to ensure the safety of the building’s...
Forming a vital role in the fire strategy for a building, the fire door will provide and maintain an effective fire separating function between the building compartments, minimising the fire spread within the room of origin and restricting the passage of smoke in the event...
Even the shortest period of downtime can damage the reputation of a data centre or enterprise, resulting in the loss of customer trust and subsequent business. Alan Elder, Fellow Engineer, Tyco Systems examines a research study on the impact of sound on computer hard disk...
Whether fighting petrochemical fires, or undertaking technical rescue operations in confined spaces, having the right PPE for the job in hand is crucial for firefighters across the region. Gone are the days of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to PPE. Instead, PPE must be tailored to suit...
As the preparations for Expo 2020 continue to gain momentum the remarkable achievements in the transportation sector across the region still amaze, writes Peter Stephenson, Associate Director Buro Happold Engineering. With multiple infrastructure projects improving the connectivity across the region and future projects coming on-line, it...
Paul Duffy, technical support manager at global fire systems business Advanced, discusses what makes the fire panel business key for specifiers and engineers from today’s basics to the future of the industry. The humble fire panel is usually the only electronic system that must be installed...
Having developed specialist skills, experience and knowledge gained from working in difficult and potentially dangerous confined spaces, Senior Consultant with MRS Training & Rescue (formerly known as Mines Rescue Service), Captain Michael Lloyd, RD**, MNM, FNI., shares experiences and observations with FME readers. Over 100 years...
In the short term suppliers of fire safety equipment to the mining and ore processing industries in the Middle East could see their markets grow. Analysts are forecasting a huge expansion in the extraction of underground resources in Iran and Saudi Arabia over the next five...
21st century firefighter helmets are a blend of centuries old practical styling and modern materials and technologies. European fire helmets have moved further away from the classic look which is still favoured in the USA but, around the world, manufacturers strive to produce headgear which...
Search & Rescue is a misnomer when relating it to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle as, in reality, it can currently only perform the Search role - not the Rescue nor Recovery – yet. So really its Search & Rescue mission should be described as Search and...
Design fires have great influences on the fire safety concepts and safety measures, and are the basis for any assessment and calculation in tunnel fire safety design. However, the costs of full scale carriage fire tests are large and the number is typically limited. Ying...
We all know how vital it is that electrical cables meet the correct criteria for all construction projects. Now Jonathan Rawlinson, Technical Manager of Prysmian UK takes a look at the importance of reducing the risk in building design with fire resistant cable fixings. Lives and...
Offshore platform managers are now engaged in radical cost-cutting exercises, but even the most insignificant shortcut on procedures can result in disaster. When it comes to fire safety, full functionality is non-negotiable writes Simon Rooks, Operations Director oil and gas, Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions. The...
The humble warehouse has gone through many changes in the past 20 years; some obvious and others more subtle, yet more profound, in terms of the risk to a business operation. It is perhaps time that as fire professionals we stop to take another look...
A report produced in November 2016 by a group of fire resistant glazing experts looks at the current state of play in the way glass is used in fire-sensitive areas of buildings and questions whether the current regulations are fit for purpose. A major trend in...
To ensure a successful fire safety regime is implemented within a shopping mall it is vital to develop a sound understanding of the key elements that provide the basis to develop and implement a successful fire strategy. Regular contributor to FME and Associate Director of...
It is essential that a public address system delivers announcements which can be comfortably heard by all people with normal hearing in all parts of the area which it is intended to cover. alison cousins, of Baldwin Boxall explores how clarity and quality of sound...
Do you know the protection level of the buildings within your response area? Do you know which structures present the greatest risk of fire incident or safety to life? Are your tenants, employees and customers really safe, or are they truly at risk, with just...
Ray McCormack, Lieutenant Ladder 28 with the New York Fire Department has attended several high rise fires and spoken about his experiences at the HROC High Rise Operations Conference. Here Ray shares his thoughts with FME readers regarding fighting balcony fires in high rise buildings. Balcony...
BuroHappold Engineering has been involved in major rail and aviation projects in the region including KAFD and Olaya Metro stations in Riyadh KSA in which evacuation modelling has helped develop fluid, functional designs. Sophie Washington is a BuroHappold Senior Fire Engineer based in Dubai where...
Attempts by America’s NASA Space agency to design and use fireproof craft have not always proved to be successful. Nearly 50 years ago in February 1967 three astronauts were killed when a cabin fire broke out during a launch rehearsal for the Apollo 1 rocket....
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” The above quote is attributed to Henry Ford who, as most readers will know, became quite successful in the motor industry during the 20th century. He knew a thing or two about bringing people...
Due to many associated risks, safe evacuation from offshore installations has been of significant concern between stakeholders and emergency professionals. Evacuation from offshore installation may become necessary due to various reasons such as a gas leak, fire and explosion, blow out, structural failure, adverse weather conditions such...
Healthcare, food, microelectronics: how smart a cleanroom is equipped and managed is key to a product’s time-to-market. Meticulously designed cleanroom-related contingency and fire safety plans are critical to protecting staff and to avoiding any kind of disruption in the production process. In particular, the ability...
In the past decades, research on tunnel fire has mainly focused on design fires and smoke control in longitudinally ventilated tunnels. There is a clear lack of research on detailed ceiling jet characteristics in tunnel fires. This investigation, conducted by Ying Zhen Li and Haukur...
Flame detectors use optical sensors to detect flames due to fire and are key components of a fire detection system in for example, the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. A variety of sensor technologies are available. In this article Dr. Daniel Waldron, Research Engineer with...