Fire Safety Flashcards
How do fires start?
For combustion to happen there must be
- Oxygen
- Heat
- Fuel
This makes a chemical reaction and often referred to as a ‘fire triangle’
How might a fire start in a building?
- Cooking
- Electrical /lighting equipment
- Smoking
- Arson
How do fires spread through buildings?
Fire can spread through direct flame contact, radiation, or convection.
Spreading may also be aggravated by building design elements such as voids or ductwork.
Convection
- Fire naturally rises due to heat
- The fire becomes trapped when it hits the ceiling.
- Heat then travels horizontally, spreading the fire across the entire space.
- Combustible elements will quickly ignite within 3-4 seconds (flashover).
Direct flame contact
- Spread of fire through direct contact between materials.
- Some materials are better conductors of heat than others such as metals.
- Combustible elements come into contact with the beams can ignite, and fire can spread from there.
Radiation
- Radiation transfers heat via electromagnetic waves in the air.
- Heat transmits in every direction until it reaches an object which absorbs it.
What is the purpose of compartmentation?
Sub-dividing a building into compartments with fire-resisting construction to restrict the spread of fire.
This can be:
- Fire cavity barriers in ceilings and floor voids (prevent spread of smoke).
- Fire rated partitions
- Fire rated doors
What means of warning are you aware of?
- Fire Detection Systems (smoke /heat alarms).
- Fire Warnings such as Sounders.
What different types of fire detection systems are you aware of?
LD1: Maximum Detection
- All escape routes.
- All areas excluding toilets, bathrooms, shower rooms where there is a negligible source of ignition.
LD2: Additional Protection
- Escape routes.
- High risk rooms (kitchens /living rooms).
LD3: Minimum Protection
- Escape routes only (hallway /landing).
What is the difference between passive and active protection?
Active Protection: Detecting, stopping and escaping the fire.
- Fixed assets such as smoke detections and sprinkler systems
Passive Protection: Containing fire to prevent spread.
- Fire doors.
- Fire rated partitions.
- Cavity barriers.
What facilities are required for the fire service?
- Adequate street and building access points
- Sufficient water supplies
- Suitable places for equipment
- Easy building layout navigation, and floor and room identification.
Part B of the Building Regulations 2010 states:
- Provide reasonable facilities to assist firefighters in the protection of life.
- Provision made to enable fire appliances to gain access to the building.
What was the purpose of the Hackit Report?
- Review of Building Regulations & Fire Safety.
- Current system was not fit for purpose.
- Race to the Bottom’ approach (lowest cost over quality and safety).
- Cultural change needed to ensure buildings are safe now and in the future.
What fire safety regulations were reformed following the Hackitt Report?
Fire Safety Act made amended the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety order to create the Fire Safety Regulations including provisions for a Responsible Person.
The Building Act was amended to include Part 2a Duty Holders and Competence.
What is the Building Safety Act?
- Introduced following the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy.
- The legislation is intended to improve the design, construction and management of all buildings with a more set of stringent requirements for High Risk Residential Buildings.
- Gives residents more rights, powers, and protections to be safe and feel safe.
Does the Building Safety Act apply to all buildings?
Yes, although there is a more stringent regime for higher risk residential buildings that are at least 18 metres or seven storeys high.
Note: Does not include hotels or care homes as these are usually manned.
What is the Golden Thread of information?
- Digital thread of information detailing how a building was designed, built, managed and operated.
- To understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future.
What is the Gate Way regime? (Building Safety Act)
This regime comprises a series of “hard stops” that a construction project will need to pass through in order to proceed to construction, completion and then occupation.
Can you explain to me the different Gateways in the Building Safety Act?
Gateway One: Planning
- To ensure that fire safety matters are incorporated at the planning stage.
- Fire statement setting out fire safety considerations to be submitted.
Gateway Two: Building Regulations
- Prior to construction work beginning.
- The Building Safety Regulator replaces the current building control stage.
- Construction cannot begin until the Building Safety Regulator is satisfied that the design meets the requirements of the building regulations.
Gateway Three: Completion
- Building Safety Regulator assesses whether the work has been carried out in accordance with the building regulations.
- Once satisfied the building will be registered with the Building Safety Regulator and occupation of the building allowed to commence.
- Proposed 12-week period for the HSE to approve the application for a Completion Certificate and it will be an offense for the building to be occupied without this certificate.
What are the new roles within the Building Safety Act?
Building Safety Regulator, Accountable Person & Principal Accountable Person.
Building Safety Regulator
- Government named the HSE to oversee the safety and standards.
- Regulate all buildings over 18m or 7 storeys in height (contains at least 2-dwellings).
- HSE is responsible for maintaining the golden thread of information.
Accountable Person
- The organisation or person(s) who owns or has responsibility for higher risk buildings.
- Required to register their buildings with the BSR (criminal offence if not).
Principal Accountable Person
- If there is just one accountable person for a building, then they are the principal accountable person.
- When there are multiple accountable persons, then whoever owns or has a legal obligation to repair the structure and exterior of the building is the principal accountable person.
What is classed as a high-risk residential building?
A build of at least 18 metres in height or has at least 7 storeys.
Contain 2 or more dwellings
What would you do if your client asked for fire safety advise?
This would fall outside of my level of expertise and I would advise the client to seek advise from a fire safety engineer to undertake a fire risk assessment.
What is ACM (Fire Safety)?
Aluminium Composite Material
What updates are you aware of in Part B?
Part B was last updated in 2022 this included:
- The ban on combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings, introduced in 2018, now apply to hotels, hostels and boarding houses.
- Secure information boxes on blocks of flats over 11m in height.
- Evacuation alert systems in blocks of flats over 18m in height.
2020 amends:
- Mandatory sprinkler systems
- Wayfinding signage in all new high-rise blocks of flats over 11 metres tall.
What is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO)
- Provides a framework for regulating fire safety in all non-domestic premises.
- Requirements for a Fire Risk Assessment
- Main piece of legislation governing fire safety in buildings in England and Wales.
- The FSO applies to all non-domestic dwellings (workplaces etc.)
- Includes common parts of buildings containing 2 or more domestic premises.
- Adequate fire safety procedures in place – Fire Risk Assessment.
- FRA – requirement that they must be competent to do so.
What is the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022,
- Improve the fire safety of blocks of flats.
- Introduce new duties under the Fire Safety Order for building owners or managers (responsible persons).
Sets out the information that the RP must provide to local fire and rescue services.
- Requirements for the Responsible Person of buildings over 18 metres, or 7 storeys in height, to provide information on the design and materials of external walls and floor/building plans.
What is the Fire Safety Act 2021?
- The Act clarifies the scope of the fire safety order - that responsible persons (RPs) for multi-occupied residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire.
- Updated the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 to place legal obligations on responsible persons.
- The act requires Responsible Persons of multi-occupied residential buildings to update their fire risk assessment to include an assessment of the building’s structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors.
Fire Safety: What is an EWS Form?
The EWS process, and resulting form, is a set way for a building owner to confirm that an external wall system on residential buildings has been assessed for safety by a suitable expert, in line with government guidance.
