Latest innovations and products in the Fire, Security and Safety sections of the construction industry.

Fire resistant glass specialist Promat UK completes major new factory programme

Promat UK, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of fire, thermal and acoustic insulation solutions, has completed its multi-million pound development programme to create a new headquarters and manufacturing plant in Lancashire.

The 66,000 sq. ft. facility – The Innovation Centre – at Heywood near Manchester gives Promat UK a state of the art platform to grow its business and respond to the growing demand for high performance insulation and reliable passive fire protection in all markets, including the door, window and industrial sectors. The completion of the move comes as Promat UK announces that it has also now achieved its transition to the 2015 updates to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, the two key internationally recognised quality and environmental management standards.

The site manufactures a wide range of products from the company’s portfolio, which includes glass brands such as PYROCET®, PYROSEC® and SMOKESTREAM®, along with its complete glazing solution SYSTEMGLAS®, which is rapidly growing in popularity in the market due to its unique a 360 degree ‘wheel of assurance’ for architects and clients. Promat UK’s insulation products including DALFRATEX® – used in glass manufacturing and heavy industry processing – are also produced at the new plant.

The two-year Heywood development programme, which has doubled Promat UK’s production space and increased staff numbers by 20%, has seen the company relocate its HQ from its original home in Bracknell, and integrate its made-to-order workshop and specialist solutions operations that were previously located at Bromborough on the Wirral. The new factory serves clients in all industry sectors across the UK, with four new purpose-built CNC machines ensuring that bespoke products are precision manufactured to the highest quality standards.

The new factory is also designed with sustainability at its core, with a comprehensive extraction system ensuring that production dust is collected to be re-used in other fire protection products. The plant is also evolving to be a zero landfill waste operation by 2020.

Ian Cowley, General Manager at Promat UK says: “The completion of our relocation programme and creation of this superb new facility cements our place at the forefront of the UK fire protection market. We are delighted that so many of our team have relocated with us to ensure we maintain the highest level of technical expertise and consistency in points of contact for clients.
“It’s an exciting time for the business and the realisation of our goal to establish an industrial hub in the North West of England, where there is a great talent pool in manufacturing and excellent supporting networks.”

Part of international building product manufacturing group the Etex Group, Promat UK has been producing fire, thermal and acoustic protection solutions for more than 30 years. In addition to its range of fire resistant glass, which offers both integrity and insulation (EI) and integrity only (E) solutions, the company manufactures market leading high performance solutions which are used in numerous hi-tech, engineering and industrial sectors. These range from Formula One racing, train rolling stock and aircraft manufacture, to offshore wind turbines, the nuclear industry and white goods.

Find out more at www.promat-glass.co.uk.
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The smarter fire door solution

Dorgard SmartSound™ is a wireless solution for legally holding open fire doors, automatically closing them when the fire alarm sounds. Brand new SmartSound technology means the door units are not triggered by common background noises such as vacuum cleaners, a common problem with other fire door retainers.

Closed fire doors can make access through a building difficult. This is a particular problem in schools, hospitals and care homes where heavy fire doors might be difficult for people to open, and where staff need to move swiftly in an emergency. Heavy fire doors can also be an issue in hotels for guests with luggage and staff with trays.

Most fire door retainers are activated by the sound of the fire alarm. They are listening for a certain decibel level over a certain amount of time and if another noise meets this criteria, the fire door retainer will react. This means that they can be accidentally triggered by everyday sounds.

Vacuum cleaners are a common source of false activations for fire door retainers, and in public buildings, care homes or social housing where cleanliness is a high priority, this can be a real problem.

Dorgard SmartSound has the best listening technology on the market and already knows the sound of your alarm without the need for any programming. Its advanced technology means it will not be triggered by the sound of the vacuum cleaner.

With Dorgard SmartSound, access through a building is improved and people are kept safe in the event of fire. A closed fire door stops the spread of fire and smoke, giving time for people to evacuate or for the fire service to arrive and extinguish the fire.

Dorgard SmartSound has a three-year battery life and three-year warranty, so you can just fit and forget. Keep fire doors open safely, while still complying with fire regulations, with Dorgard SmartSound.

For more information visit fireco.uk/dgss.
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Aico website now with virtual tour facility

Aico Ltd., the market leader in residential Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms in the UK, has introduced a new 360° tour feature to its website www.aico.co.uk. The tours enable visitors to take a virtual walk around Aico’s Centre of Excellence and one of its Mobile Training & Demo Units.

With over 2000 visitors having crossed the threshold since it opened in 2015, the Centre of Excellence at Aico’s head office in Oswestry, Shropshire can now be viewed online at the Centre of Excellence page on Aico’s website thanks to the new 360° tour feature. ‘Virtual’ visitors can journey through the two storey, state of the art Centre, stopping to look at the range of rooms and facilities available. These include a workshop with a smoke chamber for hands on training, a mock bungalow highlighting common fire and CO risks throughout a property and various conference and meeting facilities equipped with the latest audio visual technology.

The Mobile Training & Demo Unit page on the Aico website provides a similar experience but within one of Aico’s new Units. These fully fitted vehicles feature information boards on all Aico technologies, such as RadioLINK+ and AudioLINK, and alarm ranges, with fully functional product attached. Both online tours also feature icons that you can click on to reveal interesting facts throughout the building.

The Mobile Training & Demo Units and Centre of Excellence have been created to enable Aico to deliver detailed product and alarm technology information, as well as its CPD accredited Expert Installer training.

In addition to the new 360° tours, Aico’s responsive website hosts a wealth of information and extensive selection of support tools and information including a new range of ‘how to’ videos and live chat facility. The home page provides instant clear links to the most visited pages and links to four key areas – Products, Support, Expert Installer and a Where to Buy feature.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico is the market leader in residential Fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations. With more mains powered domestic smoke alarms installed in the UK’s social housing than any other manufacturer, Aico is tried, tested and trusted.

For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 01691 664100 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
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Guernsey Fire & Rescue recommends Aico fire & CO alarms across the island

Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service is fitting Aico Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms into islanders’ homes as part of a campaign run by the Service to ensure homes and businesses are made safe.

Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service conducts a risk assessment of every property before deciding which alarms to fit, also taking into account the occupiers. “Those considered most at risk, including the young and the elderly, may require extra protection so we will fit additional alarms in those properties” states Martin Lucas, Head of Fire Safety at Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service. “We have been running a free Smoke Alarm programme for eight years – thanks to sponsorship from prominent island companies – but decided to swap to Aico following issues with the alarms we had been fitting.

“This year we are really pleased to be able to include CO Alarms for the very first time. These will primarily be allocated to people over 65, who are known to be most at risk from CO poisoning. We’ve already seen a huge uptake of CO Alarms in the short time we have been offering them.”

A wide range of Aico alarms and accessories are now being offered free of charge by the Service including ten year Optical Smoke Alarms, CO Alarms and Alarm Kits for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing.

Aico’s RadioLINK wireless alarm interconnection technology was a feature of particular interest as Martin explains: “RadioLINK uses RF signals so we don’t have to cause any disruption to property when fitting alarms and interconnecting them together. It’s exceptionally good and is a tested and proven technology.”

AudioLINK data extraction technology on the CO Alarms is another feature that Martin considers to have added value and is encouraging landlords on the island to make good use of it. AudioLINK allows for invaluable real time data to be extracted directly from the Alarm using Aico’s free AudioLINK App which converts the data into an easy to read Alarm Status Report. It’s ideal for landlords as it can be used as part of the annual Gas Safety Checks (CP12) and property checks prior to changing over to new tenants. Landlords are also being encouraged to read Aico’s Landlord’s Guide to Smoke & CO Alarms, which has been published on the Guernsey government website.

“This is one of the many aspects we like about Aico” comments Martin. “Their products work really well and there is an ongoing development programme. We are excited about future developments.”

Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service is also keen to promote good practice when it comes to alarm installation, having hosted a large Aico Expert Installer session which trained over 50 people from the Service, electricians and electrical wholesalers. “We have never been able to bring so many people together to discuss fire safety before” states Martin. “The training day covered the full specification of Aico products and also installation and specification advice. It was so successful that we ran a further one purely for local Building Control inspectors. We would never have been able to do this without Aico. Their support has been fantastic – above and beyond anything we have experienced. I can honestly say we have never had this level of island support before.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico is the market leader in residential fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations. With more mains powered domestic smoke alarms installed in the UK’s social housing than any other manufacturer, Aico is tried, tested and trusted.

For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 01691 664100 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
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Victaulic fire protection mobile truck hits the road

Victaulic announces its new fire protection mobile truck tour of the UK. The truck hits the road this summer and will be traveling across the country throughout the year, stopping at handy locations to showcase Victaulic’s innovative grooved piping system solutions.

The truck is designed to help engineers, contractors and building owners discover first- hand proven solutions that are relevant to their projects and to address industry challenges. Seeing really is believing, and Victaulic is committed to helping its customers experience its products before making any purchases.

From effective pre-planning, product selection, system design to prefabrication and on-site installation, the truck addresses each element of a project. Through an interactive blend of hands-on experience, demonstrations, product displays and discussions, visitors will learn how Victaulic’s products and services can boost efficiency, drive growth and impact their bottom line.

Visitors will be able to discover an entire range of LPCB approved products from Victaulic’s recently redesigned FireLock NXT™ devices and butterfly- and check valves to the recently launched FireLock Installation-Ready™ Fittings and VicFlex™ System.

“Our UK fire protection touring truck is a great opportunity for clients and potential customers to explore the comprehensive range of Victaulic solutions in one place and discover the advantages they deliver,” said Alex Dick, Fire Protection Manager UK and Ireland at Victaulic. “Visitors can see actual examples of real live installations, view and have a go at installing Victaulic’s latest innovations. Local representatives will be on hand to demonstrate, answer questions, and give out information to help customers make the very best use of what Victaulic has to offer.”

Those wanting information on truck stops or wishing to book a visit should call Victaulic on 01438 310690 or visit www.victaulic.com.
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Advanced appoints new Head of Sales

Global fire systems leader Advanced has appointed Etienne Ricoux as its new Head of Sales.

Previously Advanced’s Regional Sales Manager for Europe, Etienne will now oversee sales across all of Advanced’s territories outside North America.

Commenting on the appointment, Advanced’s Managing Director Ray Hope said: “I’m delighted to announce Etienne’s appointment. We interviewed some very strong candidates both internally and externally, but Etienne’s experience and success in export across different fire sectors, as well as other high value industries, was one of the deciding factors.”

Etienne added: “I’m delighted and very proud to become Head of Sales. Advanced is a great company with a superb team that is driving growth across international markets. Our strategy is well defined and I look forward to developing existing and new regional partnerships.”

For more information please visit uk.advancedco.com.
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Kee Safety gates comply with BSI Standard

Kee Safety, a leading global supplier of safety railing systems, has adjusted the design of its Kee Gate range to satisfy the requirements of BS EN ISO 14122-3:2016 Safety of Machinery – Permanent means of access to machinery – Part 3: Stairs, Stepladders and guard-rails. The new Kee Gate range retains the key elements of the existing safety gates, but has been modified to meet the BSI Standard.

Released in 2016, the revised standard defines the requirements for safe access to machines. It applies to both stationary and mobile machinery where a fixed means of access is necessary. The standard specifies that when the height of a fall could exceed 500mm, a guardrail should be installed, and the chosen system needs to meet several dimensional requirements. It also notes that a self-closing gate should be used.

The revised standard states that the gap between both railings and the floor must not exceed 500mm. To remain compliant with this standard, Kee Safety has had to modify the design of its safety gates.

The Kee Gate design now features a larger D bend, which closes the gap between the bottom rail of the gate and floor, whilst still allowing full width adjustability along with a new mid rail which closes the gap between the top of the gate and the mid rail. The new gate is 668mm high, its mid rail is positioned 467mm from the top rail and a lower bottom rail is positioned 433mm from the floor. These modifications ensure that the Kee Gate range is compliant with the revised BSI standard.

Designed to work both internally and externally, on ladder and stair access points, roof hatches, walkways and roof tops, Kee Gate, ensures maintenance, inspection and warehouse staff can fulfil their job, follow best practices and comply with current safety standards, without putting their safety at risk. Kee Gate safety gates are spring loaded so can automatically close behind the user, providing an added level of security and overcoming the potential for human error. This type of system is the preferred solution to chains, bars or sliding tubes, as these traditional forms of protection can lead to a hazardous void, when used incorrectly.

The Kee Gate range is available in galvanised steel and if required can be powder coated in safety yellow. It is available with standard ‘U’ bolts for fixing to uprights of 33.7, 42.4 and 48.3 mm diameter, enabling the gate to be fixed quickly to existing support structures, posts or stringers. An additional fixing pack is provided which allows the gate to be fixed to square, flat or angle uprights. Kee Gate is 1 metre wide and is designed to be trimmed on-site, saving companies the time and money it takes to fabricate their own gates.

As well as being compliant to BS EN ISO 14122-3:2016, Kee Gate also complies with the requirements of EN 13374 Class A, and is CE marked to EN 1090. The system has undergone extensive testing to ensure total reliability of the gates. These include salt spray testing to ASTM B117-11 Neutral solutions over 200 hours to assess the coating’s corrosion resistance, life cycle testing to BS 6375-2:2009 Clause 6.5 – Opening and closing of Gate through 90 degrees 50,000 cycles and Abuse Testing where 9 x 25kg weights were suspended from the gate to test what happens if pressure is applied. This ensures durability, superior corrosion resistance and defence against signs of wear.

For more information, visit www.keesafety.co.uk.
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Council upgrades all sheltered housing with Aico Multi-Sensor alarms

Sheffield City Council has completed a programme to upgrade its fire safety throughout its 1,134 sheltered housing properties using Aico’s Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm for an enhanced level of safety; this will enable residents to live safely in their homes for many years to come, even should their health or mobility deteriorate. An additional 261 properties within three tower blocks will also benefit from this premium fire alarm, following a fire risk assessment and advice from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

A long standing Aico customer, Sheffield City Council is committed to providing tenants with a high level of fire safety. This latest move to a single alarm specification – the advanced Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm – not only provides greater safety but also enables the Council to standardise its fire detection systems across its entire sheltered property portfolio, making it easier to manage and reducing the chance of renewal using the wrong type of detector.

Aico’s Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm contains two sensor types, optical and heat, to constantly monitor smoke and heat levels, sending and receiving information via its intelligent detection software. This sensor information alters the alarm’s sensitivity and trigger points, automatically providing the best response to all fire types and reduces potential false alarms.

Steve Batty, Electrical Team Manager, at Sheffield City Council, explains the decision to standardise on the Multi-Sensor “The choice of detector depended on, amongst other things: the speed of response needed to provide adequate warning, the nature of the perceived fire hazards, the suitability for the environment and the need to minimise false alarms. Being a Multi-Sensor it allows for better coverage where there is more than one type of fire risk i.e. a broader spectrum of fire detection.”

“As these properties are now monitored, nuisance tripping needed to be reduced and the dust compensation feature of this model reassured us that this could be achieved over the lifespan of the unit.” The Multi-Sensor has a unique self-monitoring dust compensation mechanism incorporated into its software that monitors minute changes in dust levels, recalibrating the alarm trigger point as required. This reduces the number of false alarms and maintenance costs.

The Multi-Sensors are officially being installed to Category LD2 (medium protection) but with alarms also in the bedrooms; which in most properties actually equates to the higher LD1 category. This level of protection was carefully chosen by Sheffield City Council for their sheltered properties, and consideration was given to the guidance within the Local Government Association’s “Fire Safety in Purpose-Built Flats” publication.

This same publication, published following the Lakanal House fire, recommended two way verbal communication between residents and the monitoring station and/or warden call system prior to summoning the fire brigade. As a result, Sheffield City Council has also installed Aico’s Ei414 Fire/CO Alarm Interface, which provides a dedicated connection between Aico Alarms and Warden Call systems. The Ei414 is also used by the Council as an interface with the sprinkler system in a sheltered tower block. “Connection of the sprinkler flow switch into the Ei414 enables us to monitor both sprinklers and smoke detection activations in individual flats, dealing with activations effectively and reducing response times for the fire brigade.”

In addition, Aico’s Ei450 Alarm Control Switch is being installed for residents’ convenience. The Ei450 is wall mounted and allows residents not only to test all alarms on the system, but also silence them and locate the trigger alarm from a safe, accessible location.

All elements within the fire safety system are being interconnected wirelessly using Aico RadioLINK+ RF technology “to mitigate disturbance for residents wherever possible.”

But it’s not all about product, as Steve comments: “As part of Sheffield City Council’s initiative to improve fire safety to residents and properties, we have been working closely with Aico as well as South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to invest in fire safety. The service we receive from Paul Cartwright (Aico Regional Specification Manager) has always been excellent. He is continuously available to advise, gives frank and trustworthy advice which is much appreciated within the industry.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico is the market leader in residential fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations.

For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 01691 664100 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
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MSA Safety’s V-TEC™ self-retracting lifeline is first to use dampener technology for additional safety

MSA Safety is launching its new V-TEC™ self-retracting lifeline (SRL). It is the first in the market to include an inbuilt retraction dampener which allows the user to release the cable safely via controlled retraction; this prevents potential injury to the user and damage to the main body of the unit. It also offers safe operation and a reduction in costs and downtime.

Part of the innovative and easy-to-use V-Series of safety harnesses and SRLs, in addition to the inbuilt dampener, the V-TEC also benefits from patented radial energy absorbing technology which ensures control over any force exerted on it. Together, the radial energy absorber and dampener translate the latest technology into ease of use, inspection and maintenance.

Its construction is based on an award-winning design first used in the MSA Personal Fall Limiter. A clear outer casing allows instant inspection and peace of mind, while the radial energy absorber requires no calibration or adjustment before use. A convenient carrying handle is fitted for easy transport.

“The V-TEC carves out new territory in SRL design and shows the kind of engineering innovation and user-friendly features the world has come to expect from MSA Safety fall protection,” says Alastair Hogg Director for Fall Protection Sales and Business Development, International, “our team at the Fall Protection Centre of Excellence in Devizes, Wiltshire, deserves much credit for keeping us ahead of the field.”

He adds: “The V-TEC SRL and other V-Series products have been designed for use with our Latchways® engineered lifelines to bring customers the highest specification of fall protection on the market.”

The V-TEC SRL is made using stainless steel and engineered plastics for great durability and, when necessary, its cable, energy absorber and retraction dampener can all be quickly replaced on site. A choice of galvanised or stainless cables, is available to meet the needs of different situations.

MSA Safety’s new V-TEC 6m self-retracting lifeline is now available from registered suppliers. Other lengths will be launched later this year.

For further information please contact your local MSA affiliate or visit MSAsafety.com.
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Greece’s Biggest Mobile Operator Chooses Advanced Protection

An industry-leading intelligent fire system from Advanced is now protecting one of the most prominent buildings in Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki.

Founded in 1998, Cosmote is the largest mobile network operator in Greece, and the company’s complex in the centre of Thessaloniki houses its offices and data centre for the whole of northern Greece. The five-storey building has two basement levels, and all seven floors are now protected by an Advanced Axis EN fire system.

Dimitris Ioannidis, spokesperson for Zarifopoulous Security and Control Services, the company that installed the system, commented: “We have used Advanced systems on many of our installations as they are renowned for their performance, quality and ease of use. For the Cosmote Central building we needed a system that met completely with the client’s requirements, and the Advanced panel features ticked all the boxes.”

The contract for the installation was awarded to the team at Zarifopoulous, a long-term Advanced partner, who specified Axis EN panels and associated components, covering five detection loops and over 700 peripheral devices, including 620 smoke detectors.

Etienne Ricoux, Export Sales Manager for Europe, North West Africa and Latin America, said: “Advanced products enjoy a reputation for real quality, performance and ease-of-use and we protect all of manner of sites all around the world. Cosmote is the largest mobile provider in Greece and we’re proud to have an Axis EN system protecting the staff at the Thessaloniki office.”

Axis EN is Advanced’s highest performance analogue panel range, combining 1-8 loop, networkable fire panels with a complete range of wired and wireless loop devices and powerful peripherals. Axis EN is part of Advanced’s Axis range of fire systems which holds global approvals including EN54, UL864 and AS1670. It is designed to go anywhere where high quality, reliable and easy to use fire detection and control is required.

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The legendary performance, quality and ease-of-use of its products sees Advanced specified in locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multi-protocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging and false alarm management systems.

More details can be found on the website at www.advancedco.com.
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