An innovative internet business directory for firefighters has just been launched for the whole of the UK fire service. brigadenetwork.co.uk has been developed by firefighters, for firefighters, to enable colleagues to contact each other when...

Peter Barker, Consultant with Chiltern International Fire, discusses the impact of the new fire regulations. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 20051 (RRFSO) came into effect on 1st October 2006 and will greatly change the current fire...

The Fire Regulations and the Fire Precautions Act 1971 are the responsibility of the Home Departments and are enforced by the fire authorities. However, for Crown-occupied and Crown-owned premises, enforcement is carried out by Her Majesty's Fire...

Who Should Use This Guide? This guide is for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of factories and warehouses. Details of other guides in the series are listed on the back cover. It tells you what you have to do to comply with fire...

Recently there has been mention in the press and on the internet of self certification schemes for installers and their personnel, with regard to the application of passive fire protection systems such as pipe collars, penetrations seals and...

This guide is for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of offices and shops. It tells you about how you might comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to...

As part of the Government's commitment to reduce death, injury and damage caused by fire, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is reviewing fire safety law; and is making a number of changes which are designed to make the law...

Nearly half of all pubs, bars and restaurants are not aware of changes. Licensees claim they are in the dark about new fire safety regulations which are now in force. Business organisations have attacked the government for failing to promote...

Thousands of hotel guests with hearing disabilities are getting a raw deal and being treated like an underclass reveals a new survey of British hotels, commissioned by Fireco Ltd. Profoundly deaf Clare Chilton, 34, a BBC2 TV presenter on deaf...

A new scheme aimed at reducing the number of fire deaths and injuries among Cumbria's ageing population is being launched later today (Monday 11 September). New figures show that people aged over 60 account for more than three quarters of all...

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) is encouraging all organisations with fire protection systems to ensure they have certificated evidence to prove their systems meet the demands of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) and the...

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Every building must be designed and constructed in such a way that in the event of an outbreak of fire within the building, the unseen spread of fire and smoke within concealed spaces in its structure...

Corporate Responsibility New legislation now promotes that fire safety within organisations is the responsibility of the owner, occupier, manager and or a nominated "responsible" person. What that means in simple terms is that all...

One of the latest standards to emerge from Europe is EN 1363 - a series of fire tests for building products. This will shortly replace the BS 476 range of tests with which many readers will be familiar....

This coming October will introduce a new piece of fire safety legislation which will eventually have a dramatic impact on tradespersons. The October Reform Order is a new piece of regulation that affects all organisations that employ five or more...

We are proud to be sponsoring the Scouts Fire Safety Badge and intend to raise awareness to you and your family with the best approach to prevent fires and what to do if in the unfortunate event a fire breaks out....

Baldwin Boxall's CommuniCare Advance disabled refuge communication system has been installed in one of London's largest universities - London South Bank University. Installed by Trinity Protection Systems, the system comprises twelve networked...

1,500 are badly injured and five killed every year through poor training and induction when starting work Today (August 30) is National Wiseup2work Day and the call from the TUC and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is...

Booklets designed to spark awareness of the new fire safety law have been sent to more than 156,000 organisations across Scotland. The booklet provides guidance to the owners and users of non-domestic premises on their new fire safety...

The European project UPTUN (http://www.uptun.net/) focuses on all aspects of tunnel fire safety, with the aim to develop and promote innovative, sustainable and low-cost measures to limit the probability and consequences of fires in existing...

Douglas Smith Hon FBEng, Chairman of Westminster Advisers, has been presented with the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Affairs News. The Public Affairs News Awards recognises achievements in the industry from in-house practitioners,...

New, existing and future buildings and their environments are increasingly subject to more stringent regulation in regard to accessibility. BRE Scotland is presenting a programme of 5-day courses for architects, designers, surveyors, facilities...

Plans to set up a new national network of control centres for the Fire and Rescue Service which will deliver the best possible service to the public came one step closer today when the first seven locations were named. The control centre network...

On September 19 BRE will launch the International Fire Research Innovation Network (IFRIN)....

Receptionists are charged with a responsibility that may have a lasting impact on the success of an organisation: making a good first impression.These workers are often the first representatives of an organisation a visitor encounters, so they need...

It is a difficult fact to contemplate, but nevertheless a reality, that incorporating a clear strategy for health and safety, including fire safety within the day-to-day running of an organisation is here to stay. The responsibility of people...

Fire doors are probably one of the most important elements in the fire containment strategy of a building design. However, in the use of a building they can be overlooked in terms of correct use and quality control within the context of the fire...

Major fires on constructions sites and refurbished buildings have serious consequences: injury, damage to buildings, delays on site, completion dates not being met and resultant financial losses which are sure to occur. For these reasons the...

Well we have just failed in the World Cup, Wimbledon is over and the summer holiday season is about to begin. Like every year, October will appear in a flash and we will be forced to think about Christmas by the retail sector. But, this October will...

The International Safety Training Centre of Hal Far (ISTC) has just been chosen to be the official representatives for the European Fire Service Colleges' Association on the EU Leonardo Da Vinci Project "Address". Mr. David Ghersci,...

Crane Communications installs Notifier ID2000 for 50 million euro development - 'unrivalled experience' in retail fire safety. Burgess Hill, Sussex, 26 June 2006: Working with Belfast-based fire systems house, Crane Communications Ltd, Notifier...

Chris Johnston Wednesday July 5, 2006 Researchers from three British universities are involved in a project that aims to improve the safety of skyscrapers worldwide by interviewing 1,000 survivors of the World Trade Centre collapse....

A home sprinkler system which aims to protect vulnerable people caught in a fire is to be launched by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Bosses officially unveiled the state-of-the-art equipment at a recent demonstration. They were joined by...

Frequently Asked Questions If you have a question that is not already answered on this page, please email fire.safetyreform@communities.gsi.gov.uk To express your views or put your questions to our editor and readers please post on our forum...

Fire safety law is changing in October 2006. A set of guidance notes will be available in advance of the changes coming into force. The guides will tell you what you have to do to comply with fire safety law, help you to carry out a fire risk...

The safety of your building and its occupants can be greatly enhanced by the installation of an Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm System. Properly used and maintained, the automatic system with its fast response to incipient fire can be a...

One of the most effective systems of detecting a fire in its very early stages is an automatic detection system. These systems are designed with electronic fire detectors that are connected via central alarm stations directly to the fire brigade...

MURDO MACLEOD A NEW fire station in one of Scotland's wettest areas is lying empty and unused because it has no water. Highland fire chiefs are involved in a bitter row with Scottish Water, which has left a £400,000 state-of-the-art fire...

On Monday 22 May Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited BRE at their headquarters in Watford. BRE / LPCB is the leading centre in the UK for approvals, research, testing, training and specialist advice for the environmental, construction,...

E2S, the leading supplier of high output ruggedised warning sounders, and PACSCOM, the UK's leading radio telemetry specialist, have joined forces to supply John Sisk, the family-owned building contractors and civil engineers, with a radio-based...

56 homes set on fire in just 12 months - the cost to taxpayers £280,000 Arsonists are putting lives at risk by torching 56 derelict homes on a city estate in just 12 months at a cost of more than a quarter-of-a-million pounds....

Stop Your Business Becoming an Arson Statistic! The most common cause of fire in shops and retail premises is arson. As a business owner, there is a lot you can do to protect yourself through low cost housekeeping....

Responsibility 1. In any enterprise the owner/manager or a named individual of senior grade must be made responsible for fire safety including protection from arson attack. 2. Think about the ease with which intruders/arsonists could break...

Deliberately started fires pose very significant risks to all types of workplace. A study conducted by the Home Office (Safer communities: towards effective arson control) has suggested that the cost of arson to society as a whole has now reached...

A teenager who killed his younger sister by setting fire to their family home was yesterday sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institution. Daniel Scott, now 18, claimed he had been trying to obtain insurance money so that he could buy...

MEERUT, India (Reuters) - Angry residents of a city in north India demanded action against local officials after a fire at a crowded consumer fair killed at least 51 people. People in Meerut blamed the administration for a lack of safety measures...

HP is recalling almost 15,700 laptop batteries world-wide after reports of the units overheating and burning. The news is the second recall of batteries by the company in the last 6 months. Last year HP recalled 135,000 battery units after a...

Hundreds of passengers on a Sydney to London flight were diverted to Kazakhstan after a fire warning. The British Airways flight spent 12 hours at the regional airport of Uralsk before its passengers were taken from the former Soviet republic to...

Implementation Date 5 December 2005 The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 builds on and extends earlier disability discrimination legislation, principally the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. In this factsheet, the earlier Act is referred to...

A 1000-pupil secondary school has been all but destroyed after fire ripped through its building in the early hours. Fourteen separate fire tenders fought the raging blaze at Penyrheol Comprehensive School, near Swansea, South Wales, at its...

Union leaders have accused the London Underground of "dangerously downgrading" fire safety standards. The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union claimed that Tube bosses had scrapped a fire inspection programme and abolished the post...

By Jim Loney in Miami, Florida, March 24, 2006 One passenger died and 11 were hurt when fire broke out on the passenger decks of a Princess Cruises ship as the vessel carried more than 3800 passengers and crew from the Cayman Islands to...

Since their invention in 1734, fire extinguishers have always played a vital means of first-aid fire fighting. Used in countless settings, the fire extinguisher is one of the most basic safety products in the world. Understanding the specific type...

The Building Regulations 2000 (as amended) apply in England & Wales to the erection, extension and material alteration of a building. Separate legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland....

The fire safety law affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales will be changing in the future. The Government announced on 12 January 2006 that it is giving more time to businesses and enforcers to adequately familiarise themselves...

By Stewart Miles, Senior Consultant, BRE Fire and Security. As part of a research programme for the Buildings Division of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to support and underpin the development of Part B of the Building Regulations...

Watch The Holes In Your System! With the introduction of the new Reform Order the requirement for effective fire safety management of our buildings is clearly stated. This means whenever we have a tradesperson on-site, we must make sure that the...

There could be few more dramatic examples of the dangers of fire than December's blaze at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead. While the Health and Safety Executive continues its investigation into the causes of the inferno, a radical...

BRE has completed a phase of investment in its Reaction To Fire (RTF) testing facilities that further expands its transport based testing and certification business....

People across the UK are being urged to ensure their homes have adequate fire safety devices and to brush up on their general fire safety knowledge. The news comes after Halifax Home Insurance revealed that over five million adults in Britain have...

A woman whose son was killed in an explosion at work is stepping up her campaign to have bosses prosecuted over deaths. Mark Wright, 37, died after a blast caused a fire at a scrap metal dealers last April....

Introduction A considerable effort is being made by many organisations to make its buildings fully accessible to staff and others with disabilities. Periodically, particularly when modifications to premises are being planned, it is necessary to...

Keep it clear! Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in your office working late. Suddenly the fire alarm sounds, you hesitate and then as you begin to move there is a total power failure and you are left with emergency lighting only. Now you...

UK government gives stakeholders more time to prepare The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has put back the coming into force of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, made in June 2005, which will affect all non-domestic premises in...

Despite the proven effectiveness of sprinklers, there are a number of popular misconceptions... Myth "When there is a fire all of the sprinkler heads go off together." - NO! Fact Sprinkler heads are set off individually and...

LPS 2020 - Standard for Innovative Methods of Dwelling Construction Background Modern methods of construction including off-site manufacture (such as panellised or volumetric pod construction) have arrived on the UK construction scene, and...

Of all the disasters and crises that occurred in 2005, Buncefield was the one that really highlighted the role of business continuity management. By Lyndon Bird, FBCI, Technical Services Director, the Business Continuity Institute....

Money from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund in Liverpool is helping Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service install sprinklers in the homes of vulnerable residents. Liverpool Community Fire Safety team has now fitted two full sprinkler systems with the...

Certain types of new and converted buildings will require to have sprinkler systems fitted under plans outlined today by Deputy Communities Minister Mary Mulligan. Subject to forthcoming consultation, high rise blocks of flats, residential care...

The National Trust is custodian of more than 250 historic properties attracting over 50 million visitors a year. In consequence, such a vast national heritage imposes immense responsibilities for both public safety and the protection and...

Sir Neville Sims, newly appointed chairman of the BRE Trust, has announced formation of a strategic research and development partnership between United Kingdom universities and the Building Research Establishment which aims to strengthen the U.K.'s...

Means of Escape encourage small business owners to carry out their Fire Safety Risk Assessment at the beginning of 2006. Use this model by Merseyside Fire Brigade! It doesnt have to be difficult!...

Introduction The purpose of this article is to allow you to understand the basics of means of escape. There are many considerations not covered here in the planning of a means of escape, but it will give you some interesting insight into how...

LPCB acknowledges the crucial role fire doors play in protecting the building and this article focuses on the importance of fire doorsets, shutters and active smoke/fire barriers. Later we discuss the importance of good installation, service and...

It is a difficult fact to contemplate, but nevertheless a reality, that incorporating a clear strategy for health and safety, including fire safety within the day-to-day running of an organisation is here to stay....

New fire safety legislation due to come into effect in England and Wales in April 2006 will directly impact on employers and virtually all of those responsible for non-domestic premises ? owners, occupiers and managers, etc....

By Julie Armstrong Cumbria's fire and rescue service is one of three to take forward PFI schemes supporting the building of new community fire stations, including two in Carlisle. The news was announced yesterday by fire minister Jim...

By Rebecca Torr Firemen from around the world will discuss the latest technologies and developments in the field at a five-day conference to be held in Bahrain next year....

After Buncefield, the Sunday Herald highlights vulnerability of fuel sites By Neil Mackay, Investigations Editor Armed with nothing but maps and blueprints, a team of Sunday Herald journalists last week walked around large swathes of...