WOBO recognises the impact fire and fire safety has on society and the news items are provided to enhance awareness and understanding
Fire IoT comes of age!
Join us on 15 October at 10:30am to explore how the latest advances in fire detection, alarm and ‘IoT’ technology can combine to better detect real fires, reduce false alarms and assist in the commissioning, servicing and day-to-day management of fire alarm systems.
Register your place – fire-iot-comes-of-age/register
Results of detailed VADs study issued by Building Research Establishment
THE BUILDING Research Establishment (BRE) has just published the results of its research on the effectiveness of Visual Alarm Devices (VADs). Sponsored by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and its members, this comprehensive study explores five critical factors influencing VAD performance, in turn offering essential insights for updating fire safety standards
The research delves into five key factors that influence the effectiveness of VADs: the effects of wall surfaces, direct or indirect presentation to individuals, red and white VAD colours, background light levels and pulse durations.
Building Safety Wiki seeks to boost awareness of new fire regime
THE BUILDING Safety Wiki – itself a comprehensive online centre of building safety-focused information that’s free to access – has been launched in order to help promote increased awareness of fire and life safety-related issues in the planning, commissioning, design, construction, surveying, maintenance and management of buildings in the UK
The Building Safety Wiki offers regular news updates, guidance, factual articles and expert insights on fire and building safety authored by a wide range of authoritative sources.
Set live online in advance of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report and recommendations, the Building Safety Wiki aims to help share vital knowledge and information regarding the new building safety regime pertaining in the UK, including the Building Safety Act 2022 and related fire safety legislation.
Product Safety and Metrology Bill targets fire risk in emerging technologies
THE NEW Labour Government has signposted the Product Safety and Metrology Bill, itself a landmark piece of legislation aimed at enhancing the nation’s regulatory framework. Importantly, there’s a specific focus on the fire risks associated with modern technology.
One of the key aspects of the Product Safety and Metrology Bill is its focus on addressing fire risks linked to technologies such as e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries. The London Fire Brigade reported a 78% increase in e-bike fires in 2023 compared to the previous year, which perfectly underscores the urgency of these measures.
The Government Bill outlines comprehensive steps to support growth and protect consumers by clarifying responsibilities within the supply chain, especially so for online marketplaces. This is crucial for better consumer protection against fire risks.
In order to ensure effective regulation of high-risk products, the Product Safety and Metrology Bill proposes updates to compliance and enforcement measures. It aims to tackle non-compliance and enhance data sharing between regulators and market surveillance authorities. These updates are essential for managing the challenges posed by modern digital borders.
Ofcom fines BT £17.5 million for 999 call-handling failures
OFCOM HAS fined BT £17.5 million for being ill-prepared to respond to a catastrophic failure of its emergency call-handling service last summer. BT connects 999 and 112 calls in the UK and provides relay services for deaf and speech-impaired individuals.
On Sunday 25 June last year, BT experienced a network fault that affected its ability to connect calls to the Emergency Services (including the Fire and Rescue Services) between 06.24 and 16.56. During the incident, nearly 14,000 call attempts – from 12,392 different callers – were unsuccessful.
Trio of landlords fail to meet Regulator of Social Housing’s fire standards
THE REGULATOR of Social Housing has published regulatory judgements for three social housing landlords – namely Bristol City Council, Guildford Borough Council and Octavia Housing – where each has failed to meet the new consumer standards, which were introduced on 1 April this year as part of a series of changes to the regulator’s role and intended to drive landlords to deliver long-term improvements for tenants.
Built environment experts highlight collaboration as key to competency
CROSS-SECTOR collaboration is going to be vital in shaping a more dynamic, skilled and adaptable construction and built environment workforce. This was the prime conclusion reached by experts who attended ‘Collaborative Futures: Competence, Capability and Capacity’, a conference hosted by the University College of Estate Management in central London on 17 July
The event brought together representatives from the Construction Industry Council, the Construction Leadership Council, the Technical Apprenticeships Consortium and the Supply Chain Sustainability School with built environment employers, professional bodies, regulators, training providers, educational institutions and Government officials all present. The aim was to share innovative strategies and Best Practice for educating and upskilling the sector’s workforce to ensure competence, increase capacity and enhance capability.
National Resilience Centre of Excellence opened on Merseyside
National Resilience Centre of Excellence opened on Merseyside 3 July 2024
THE UK’s “most technologically advanced Emergency Services Training Centre” has been opened by Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson DBE. The National Resilience Centre of Excellence forms part of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s new Training and Development Academy, which is located in Aintree within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on Merseyside.
The Centre of Excellence will be used to co-ordinate the national response from Fire and Rescue Services to large-scale events by equipping firefighters with the training and skills they need to respond to these types of incidents whenever and wherever they occur.
Facilities at the site include immersive and realistic training zones such as a six-storey high-rise building, a row of terraced houses, a motorway setting, specialist vehicle garages, a High-Volume Pump training area, a rubble pile for Search and Rescue-focused training and a suite of practical training classrooms.