Welcome to the RM Risk Management Blog
This is the area for all things RM news related
AXA UK Advises London Businesses to Review Fire Risk Assessments
AXA Commercial, a division of AXA Insurance UK plc, is urging London businesses to reassess their fire risk assessments and employee training following the London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) announcement that, starting in October, it will no longer respond to daytime activations of automatic fire alarms in most non-residential buildings. In the year leading up to March 2024, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) responded to 52,000 false alarms triggered by automatic fire alarms. Starting in October, and as noted by Fire Safety Matters, the LFB will not respond to automatic calls between 7:00 am and 8:30 pm to alleviate the strain on Fire and Rescue Service resources. “The London Fire Brigade’s decision is in line with the stance taken by many other Fire and Rescue Services across the UK,” explained Dougie Barnett, director of customer risk management at AXA Commercial. “It’s crucial […]
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Non-Compliant Passive Fire Installations – A One Off or A Worrying Trend?
Last week, we were engaged by the end client to spot-check the passive fire controls during the refurbishment of a large office complex. Our role was to ensure that the work carried out was consistent with the requirements agreed upon in the fire strategy and relevant standards and that the quality of work satisfied the functional requirements of the Building Regulations. In our report, we highlighted that the project encountered several challenges. We believe unqualified contractors were responsible for installing life safety elements, leading to potential risks for future building occupants. Additionally, a concerning number of inadequately installed passive fire protection elements were identified, which will need to be addressed and cause significant delays, plus additional costs to the project. Sadly, when discussing with the contractors, the workers carrying out the project were […]
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Understanding the Differences Between Active and Passive Fire Protection Systems
Every building needs both active and passive fire protection systems to maximize protection. These two systems work together to stop and contain the threat of a fire. While each system can be effective alone, they offer the best-combined protection. An active fire protection system means some action is being taken. This action can be manual, meaning that a person or people may engage in it, or it may be automatic, activating once fire, smoke, or heat is detected. Active systems are mainly designed to combat the fire and work to help extinguish it directly. An example of an active fire suppression system is what the fire department will use once they arrive. Most buildings also have active systems that can be deployed on-site during a fire. These can include: Smoke detectors, which will activate […]
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What Are The Risks Associated With Asbestos In A Fire?
Asbestos poses a major health risk, causing serious damage to the lungs and respiratory system upon exposure. When damaged by fire, asbestos can present even greater risks. We are examining the risks associated with asbestos and fire to address this issue. One major concern with asbestos and fire is that it was commonly used in building structural components. Materials such as support beam cladding, firebreaks, doors, and ceiling coatings often contain asbestos. While this was beneficial for fire protection due to the strength and heat resistance of asbestos fibres, it also poses significant health risks. The main issue presented by asbestos materials during fires is that the fire destroys the materials containing the asbestos fibres. The breakdown of these materials can lead to a significant release of fibres. Asbestos has a much higher melting point than other construction materials, as shown in the table below. Melting point of fibreglass […]
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Why do you need to provide Fire Doors?
Fire doors are an essential component of your fire safety plan. When used correctly, they can stop fires from spreading throughout a building, enabling people to evacuate safely, providing the fire and rescue service with enough time to arrive, and potentially saving the property. If a fire door is manufactured by a BWF-certified company, with compatible parts, and certified by an accredited third party, it should be able to withstand a fire for 30 minutes or more. Fire doors are specifically designed to withstand fire for up to 30 minutes and, in some circumstances, even longer, depending on the engineering approach taken to a building. They are a legal requirement for flats that open onto communal areas shared with other tenants. This ensures that crucial escape routes are protected if a fire breaks out. They are designed to automatically close behind you in the event of a fire, holding […]
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Are Living Walls a Fire Risk?
Living walls are becoming an increasingly important part of green infrastructure, helping to boost biodiversity in our cities, reduce air pollution, promote well-being, and lay the foundations for a more sustainable future. However, there is a concern about whether they pose a fire risk if not maintained correctly. On June 1, 2022, the government introduced a package of measures to further strengthen and clarify building regulations and fire safety guidance as part of wider reforms to building safety. The update to Approved Document B sets clearer, stronger standards, which in turn sets limits on the combustibility of materials used in the external walls of buildings. The June 2022 update was the culmination of a series of events regarding fire safety compliance requirements for external cladding. Numerous scientific studies confirm that living walls help to clean […]
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What is an Optical Beam Smoke Detector?
The most common type of smoke detector is the optical point detector. It contains an infrared light beam projected across a small sensing chamber inside the device. When smoke enters the sensing chamber through the outer holes in the detector’s body, it affects the infrared beam, triggering the device into alarm. The alarm alerts individuals to a fire. Optical beam smoke detectors work on a similar principle, but instead, the infrared light beam is projected across the open area of a building. This effectively transforms the entire building into the sensing chamber. The optical beam detects smoke along the entire beam path, helping to detect fire early and prevent further damage. How does optical beam detection work? When smoke passes through an invisible infrared beam, the solid particles and liquid droplets in the smoke reflect and scatter the photons […]
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Smoke Vents and the Importance of Regular Maintenance
Smoke ventilation systems are essential in protecting people and property from the harmful effects of a fire, making them an integral part of a building’s fire safety strategy. These systems go by different names, such as smoke control systems or automatic opening vents (AOVs), but their purpose remains the same – to expel smoke, fumes, and heat out of a building in the event of a fire. Given their critical role in fire safety, maintaining these systems correctly is crucial to ensure the safety of a building and its occupants. How do Smoke Vents work? Smoke ventilation systems play a critical role in fire protection for buildings with more than three floors. In such buildings, the primary cause of fatalities during a fire is not the fire itself but smoke, which reduces visibility and makes evacuation challenging for occupants and fire service […]
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Ensuring Safety: The Importance of Fire Stopping Surveys
In today’s fast-paced world, ensuring the safety and well-being of occupants within commercial and residential buildings is paramount. As a leading UK-based health and safety consultancy, we understand the critical role that fire safety plays in protecting lives and property. That’s why we’re proud to offer comprehensive fire stopping surveys to our clients, providing them with peace of mind and confidence in their fire safety measures. Why Fire Stopping Surveys are Important: Fire stopping surveys are a vital component of fire safety management within buildings. They involve a thorough inspection of fire stopping systems, which are designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through concealed spaces such as walls, floors, and ceilings. Over time, these systems can degrade due to factors such as age, improper installation, or building alterations, compromising their effectiveness in the event of a fire. Regular fire stopping surveys help identify deficiencies or damage […]
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A brief overview of Regulation 38
Regulation 38 relates to building work concerning the construction, extension, or change of use of buildings. The person carrying out the work must provide fire safety information to the responsible person no later than the completion date of the work, or the occupation date of the building or extension, whichever comes first. Fire safety information includes details about the building’s design, construction, and the services, fittings, and equipment provided, all of which will help the responsible person operate and maintain the building or extension safely. Other terms, such as relevant building, relevant change of use, and responsible person, are defined in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Regulation 38 aims to ensure that the individual in charge of a building possesses enough information related to fire safety to manage the building effectively. The objective of Regulation 38 is to be fulfilled when the building manager has […]
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