11 - Fire Safety

Question 1

What did you learn form your fire cpd ?

Answer 1

The updates to approved document B

Question 2

you mention update to approved doc b, can you expand on what they are ?

Answer 2

Sprinkler form 30m to 11m
Wayfinding signage for building over 11m
amendment toi the boundary definitions

Question 3

Can you expand on the Grenfell enquiry ? Who is running this ? What is the outcome ?

Answer 3

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a British public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people and destroyed Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. It was ordered by Prime Minister

Question 4

What fir courses have you ran ?

Answer 4

GWO Fire Awareness

Question 5

What material are used for fire protection ?

Answer 5

Concrete, non combustible material, paints,

Question 6

Can you expand on what the RFO 2005 is ?

Answer 6

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 was introduced in October 2006 and is a statutory instrument applicable in England and Wales. The Order places the responsibility on individuals within an organisation to carry out risk assessments to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire.

Fire and rescue authorities and other bodies (‘enforcing authorities’) have a duty to enforce fire safety in non-domestic premise.

This must be managed by the responsible person.

Failing can lead to advice, enforcement notice and fines/prosecution.

Question 7

you mention Grenfell, can you expand on this please ?

Answer 7

It spread rapidly up the building’s exterior, bringing fire and smoke to all the residential floors. This was due to the building’s cladding, the external insulation and the air gap between which enabled the stack effect. The fire burned for about 60 hours before finally being extinguished.

Question 8

What are the latest updates to approved document b ?

Answer 8

Sprinkler form 30m to 11m
Wayfinding signage for building over 11m
amendment to the boundary definitions

Question 9

How may a fire start in a building ?

Answer 9

Cooking Equipment. When a pot or pan overheats or splatters greases, it can take seconds to cause a fire. ...
 Heating Equipment. ...
 Careless Smoking. ...
 Electrical Equipment. ...
 Candles. ...
 Children Playing with Fire. ...
 Inadequate Wiring

Question 10

How are structures protected ?

Answer 10

Encasing structural members
Fire detection
compartmentalisation

Question 11

What are the methods of safe escape ?

Answer 11

Early protection
early warning
protected escape routes
fire escapes etc

Question 12

What systems can be installed to protect the occupiers and the building ?

Answer 12

Early detection,

Question 13

What is an A! material (Fire Safety) ?

Answer 13

What is fire classification A1?
A1 products are classified as non-combustible. A2 products are classified as limited combustibility, and B to F are classified as combustible in ascending order.

Question 14

What is the Fire Safety Bill 2021 ?

Answer 14

The Bill, first introduced in March 2020 and became law in April 2021, becoming the Fire Safety Act 2021.

This will make changes to the existing RR(FS)O 2005 including :

inclusion of the building structure, external walls and any common parts. all doors between domestic premises and common parts.

The ‘Responsible Person’ is the person who control of the premises which may include building owners, leaseholders or managers.

Question 15

What are the latest changes to approved document B?

Answer 15

Sprinkler form 30m to 11m
Wayfinding signage for building over 11m
amendment to the boundary definitions

Question 16

Can you tell me what an “A1” material is?

Answer 16

Class F - product has not been tested or failed to meet ay of the other levels
Class E - Product that have a significant contribution to fire but resist a small flame for a short term
Class D -Those with a contribution to fire, but greater resistance to flame
Class C - Products that eet more stringent requirements than class D with limited contribution to fire
Class B - Highly resistant materials always followed by addition classification for smoke and burning droplets
A2 - If construction products produce no contribution to fire
A1 - Materials that cannot contribute to a fire at any stage, including fully developed fire

Question 17

Explain the combustion triangle.

Answer 17

The fire triangle, or combustion triangle, is the three components needed to ignite and sustain a fire. The three ingredients of a fire triangle are; heat, fuel and oxygen.

Question 18

List some of the different types of fire extinguisher available and what each may be used for.

Answer 18

Water - Class A fires (solid combustibles such as wood, paper and textiles). Some water extinguishers are safe on electrical equipment if di-electrically tested. Otherwise caution is required near electrical equipment, as ordinary water is a conductor.
AFFF foam - Class A and B (flammable liquids). Safe on electrical equipment if di-electrically tested.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) - Class B and electrical equipment
ABC powder - Class A, B, C (flammable gases) and electrical equipment
De-Ionised Water mist - Class A, B, C and electrical equipment
Wet chemical - Class F (deep fat) fires, sometimes class A

Question 19

Explain the different types of fire alarm system available.

Answer 19

Ionization - Ionization fire alarms are best for detecting flaming fires. Inside of the alarm is a tiny bit of radioactive material (don’t be alarmed – pun intended) that sits between two electronically charged plates. This causes a constant current of ionized air between the two plates. When smoke enters between the ionized current, it interrupts the current and sets the alarm off. These alarm systems are better for detecting fast, flaming fires.

Photoelectric - These types of alarms are better for detecting smoldering fires. The smoke that is produced by a slow flaming, smoldering fire is much different than a raging flame fire. A photoelectric fire alarm uses a beam of light that is sent into a chamber away from a light sensor. When smoke enters the chamber, it reflects the light towards the sensor, and triggers the alarm to sound.

Combination - Combination alarms feature both ionization and photoelectric fire detecting technologies. There are arguments for having combination alarms in your home, or having both ionization, and photoelectric alarms in your home to maximize your home protection, as combination alarms aren’t as great as one detection method or the other, compared to the single units.

Question 20

Explain your understanding of the term “travel distance”.

Answer 20

The travel distance should be measured from the farthest point in a room to the door leading to a protected stairway or, if there is no protected stairway, to the final exit of the building. Government guidelines state that, if there is only one escape route, the travel distance should not be more than 18 metres.

Question 21

When is a fire risk assessment a legal requirement?

Answer 21

If there are 5 regular occupants or more the fire risk assessment must be in writing. If your block of flats or business premises normally has over 4 residents at once, then you are legally required for your fire risk assessment to be documented.

Question 22

Explain when you would use an L type fire alarm system and when a P type system would be more suitable

Answer 22

Category L - Systems are automatic fire detection systems intended for the protection of life
L1 systems are installed throughout all areas of a building, to offer the earliest possible warning of a fire to allow the longest possible time for escape.
L2 systems are installed in defined parts of a building. The system should meet the requirements of a category L3 system, with the additional objective of
providing early warning of fire in specified areas.
L3 systems are designed to give a warning of fire at the early stage to enable all occupants, other than those in the room where the fire originated to escape
safely, before the escape routes become impassable due to the presence of fire, smoke or toxic gases.
L4 systems are installed within escape routes consisting of circulation areas and spaces, e.g. corridors and stairways, to enhance the safety of the
occupants by providing early warning of smoke.
L5 systems protect areas; the location of detectors is designed to satisfy a specific fire safety objective not covered by any of the previous systems.

Category P systems are automatic fire detection systems intended for the protection of property subdivided into two categories.
P1 systems are installed throughout all areas of the building, to offer the earliest possible warning of a fire in order to minimise the time between the ignition
of the fire and the arrival of the fire fighters.
P2 systems are installed only in defined parts of a building, in order to provide early warning of a fire in high fire hazard areas or areas in which the risk to property or business continuity from fire is high.

Question 23

Explain the principles of fire compartmentation using a purpose-built block of flats as an example.

Answer 23

Fire compartmentation is the sub-division of a building into smaller sections or units in order to withstand and limit damage/growth from a fire situation by preventing the spread of smoke and fire, with the use of fire resisting construction.

Question 24

Explain why fire stopping is important and give me some examples of where it is likely to be required.

Answer 24

The are required to limited the spread of fire by the design
Fire collars

Question 25

Explain the difference between passive and active fire safety features and give me an example of each type?

Answer 25

Passive fire protection is a vital component of any fire safety strategy. It is built into the structure of a building to safeguard people’s lives and limit the financial impact of damage to buildings and their contents.

Active fire protection is about detecting, stopping and escaping fire. Whereas passive fire protection means containing the fire and preventing it from spreading further.

Question 26

List the key features you would expect to find on a fire door.

Answer 26

Fully closes. If the fire door is fitted with a self-closing device, open the door fully, let it go and allow it to close. ...
 Check your gaps. The gap between the door leaf and the door frame should be between 2mm and 4mm. ...
 Door frame.
 Seals.
 Hinges.
 Door closer.
 Hold open devices.
 Damage-free.

Question 27

What would you expect to find on a new fire door to enable it to be identified and ensure traceability?

Answer 27

Fire door label - unique id, certification no, company details,

Question 28

What are the main types of fire alarms in buildings ?

Answer 28

M - Manual fire alarm system
P1-2 - Property protection automated fire alarm system
L1-4 - Life protection automated fire alarm system

Question 29

Who or what is the Building Safety Regulator ?

Answer 29

The BSR (part of the HSE) is a derivative of the Building saftey bill / act introducing a additional body to manage the residential high rise buildings over 18m in height.

3 gateways for BSR input, design building and occupation.

Question 30

What is the building safety bill ?

Answer 30

Building Safety Regulator - A new arm of the HSE that will introduce 3 gateways. This will also take over the submission and review for building control in relation to fire safety.

Gateways - design, construction and completion. the output of this is a ‘Building Assurance Certificate’

An ‘ Accountable Person’ should be defined in relation to the building as is responsible for the building safety upon occupation. They can appoint a building safety manager.

Golden thread of information - which is a live document with accurate and up to date information of the building data around fire safety.

Aimed at high rise buildings. 7 or more stories or 18 metres.