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Residents encouraged to have their say to improve building safety

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The government is inviting views on a new building safety regime, as it seeks to bring forward new legislation to keep residents safe.

The Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017 resulted in the greatest loss of life in a residential fire in a century. It shattered the lives of many people and shook the trust of countless more in a system that was intended to ensure the most basic human need of having a safe place to live.

Following research into building safety culture across the industry, it became apparent that too many in the building industry were taking short cuts that could endanger residents in the very place they were supposed to feel safest – their own home. That’s why the government commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt, an engineer and former chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive, to review the system and find out how it can be improved.

Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety made it clear that there needs to be a culture change in the industry, underpinned by changing how homes are designed, built, maintained and managed in the future.

Following the review, the government began analysing Dame Judith’s recommendations to understand what needed to be done to overhaul the system. To make sure residents are safe and feel safe in their homes, it became evident that the government needed to take forward all of Dame Judith’s recommendations and go further.

Having your say

In December 2018, the government published its plan to make building regulations stronger and more effective. The plan, Building a Safer Future, committed the government to ensuring that high-rise residential buildings are safe to live in.

The government intends to bring forward new laws to improve building safety. Before doing this, it has launched a consultation (see the quick read) on the details and invites your views over the next 8 weeks.

What the government is doing

The consultation proposes a stronger voice for residents of high-rise buildings to ensure their concerns are never ignored. This includes better information regarding their buildings so that they can participate in decisions about safety, as well as clear and quick routes of escalation for their concerns if things do go wrong.

Clearer accountability for building safety

Dame Judith recommended the creation of a system of ‘dutyholders’, people who will have responsibility for keeping residents of these buildings safe, and making sure building regulations are followed. Dutyholders will be responsible for keeping vital safety information about how the building was designed and built and is managed. This is known as the ‘golden thread’ of information and will be kept electronically for the entire life of a building, from its design to its place as a home for residents. The people responsible for this information will have to make sure it is up to date and that the right people can access it, including residents.

Powers and sanctions

If the people responsible for a building ignore their responsibilities, a new building safety regulator will have the authority to take enforcement action against them. This could include criminal and civil sanctions, like fines or imprisonment.

The building safety regulator will be responsible for overseeing the safety of new and existing buildings. Their strong focus will be on checking that safety is being properly considered and necessary safety measures are put in place when new high rise residential buildings are being designed and built, and that robust safety measures are in place for existing buildings.

The intention is that, as a result, the regulator and people responsible for a building’s safety will be working towards the common goal at the heart of the new regime – the safety of residents.

The government is also consulting on new ways of ensuring that construction products are safe and used properly.

Implementing clearer standards and guidance

For the building safety regulator to work effectively, clearer standards and guidance need to be produced. For construction products and systems standards, the government proposes creating a new standards committee to provide it with impartial advice on the new standards and guidance.

The government has also consulted on a full-scale technical review of the building regulations guidance on fire safety, known as Approved Document B. The intention is to improve accessibility and usability of the guidance by publishing a single, online searchable document of all the approved documents and guide to the building regulations so everyone in the industry is clear on how to use them.

Taking action

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the government committed to reforming the building industry to make sure a tragedy like this does not happen again. The aim is for these building safety reforms to work together to improve safety by creating a culture change in the building industry.

The safety of residents is of the greatest importance and steps are already being taken to strengthen the power residents hold and ensure their views and concerns are listened to by those responsible for managing their buildings. This includes through the Social Housing Green Paper, New Homes Ombudsman and the recent call for evidence on how residents and landlords can work together to keep their building safe, and the Social Landlords Best Practice Group, capturing and sharing effective ways for residents and landlords to work together on building safety.

The government is funding the replacement of unsafe aluminium composite material cladding, like the type used on Grenfell Tower, from high-rise residential homes and has introduced a ban on combustible materials on the external walls of new high-rise buildings.

Residents, building owners, the construction industry and the fire safety sector are all encouraged to make their voices heard by participating in the consultation and helping shape the future of building and fire safety to make sure residents are safe and feel safe in their homes.

The Home Office has also launched a call for evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England. The call for evidence is the first part of a process to ensure that the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose for all buildings it regulates.

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New study shows architects’ fire protection knowledge lacking

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  • Two years after Grenfell 92% of UK architects unable to define key building fire protection terms
  • A third of architects say their current employer doesn’t spend enough on fire protection training
  • Overall, architects believe they are lacking in fully comprehensive fire protection training

Zeroignition, the fire retardant ingredient technology firm, announced findings from its latest study of architects and specifiers. Architects were asked about their understanding of four common terms relating to buildings and fire. Only 8% were able to correctly define these four basic fire protection terms.

The terms were active fire protection (systems which protect structures and people including sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms), passive fire protection (whereby the spread of fire is slowed or contained through the use of fire-resistant walls, floors and doors, amongst others), fire resistance (a set of products that prevent fire spreading to other parts of the structure), and reaction to fire (methods designed to help people escape from fire).

While one in three architects (35%) were unable to correctly define the concept of active fire protection, when asked about fire protection options they’d considered in projects, smoke alarms were named by 38% and sprinklers by 33%.

Just over half (52%) of all architects couldn’t give an accurate definition of passive fire protection, where fire protection is ‘built in’. However, 54% did cite fire doors as a consideration, which is part of the passive approach. Passive technologies such as flame retardant treated materials (e.g. firewall) were considered by over a quarter (29%), plasterboard by 21%, and plywood/OSB by 8%.

58% of architects were unable to explain what ‘reaction to fire’ is and almost three quarters (71%) were unable to define fire resistance.

Fire safety

None of the architects interviewed said they’d had comprehensive fire protection training, most had some training and 8% say they’ve had none.

Ian King, chief operating officer, Zeroignition, says ‘Architects are responsible for designing safe buildings. There’s clearly a lack of understanding as to the fire basics which is worrying to say the least. Architects, their employers and the professional bodies need to invest in ensuring this knowledge is bedded in.’

Architects and interior design firm gpad london has looked at fire safety, commenting on their procedures. Jeremy Wiggins, director from the firm says, ‘Fire kills. It’s part of our duty to make sure we design safe buildings. We had a look at the RIBA fire safety consultation and tweaked our processes. We make it part of our design thinking from day one, involving end users and fire consultants as soon as practical. Beyond this we make sure that each project has a named person for fire safety responsibility.

‘We won’t take chances on this, it’s easy for knowledge to become half remembered if you don’t call on it every day and so we refer to checklists when designing as well as running ongoing CPD sessions focusing on it and new innovations.’

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ROCKWOOL® and Rockpanel® partner in award-winning Midlands development

ROCKWOOL® and Rockpanel® have joined forces in developing a high performance, fire resilient cladding project which has transformed three high-rise residential towers for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Challenge

The Crofts in Smethwick consists of 270 homes within Ashcroft, Birchcroft and Elmcroft houses.

This development is located on a major arterial route into the city of Birmingham within a district that ranked 12th out of 326 in terms of deprivation in a 2010 study of the country. The three tower blocks, originally constructed in the 1960s, were in universally poor condition, showing signs of major wear and tear to the building fabric, windows, roofing and balconies. In the absence of any wall insulation, they were also proving very difficult to heat and especially challenging to keep warm for those tenants living in fuel poverty.

Refurbishment at The Crofts also offered an opportunity for Sandwell Council to rejuvenate not just these high-rise homes but also the wider area as they sought to bring a renewed sense of pride in their surroundings to residents and the local community.

The Solution

This two year, £11 million project for contractor, Keepmoat Regeneration, has involved a dramatic, top-to-bottom renovation of each tower at The Crofts.

Substantial improvements have included flat-to-pitched roof conversions with solar panel installations, new windows and striking new balcony enclosures, redecorated communal areas, asbestos removal and the installation of a highly efficient, aesthetically attractive and non-combustible insulated cladding solution supplied by sister brands, ROCKWOOL® and Rockpanel.

ROCKWOOL’s RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® is the non-combustible dual density insulation board fitted at The Crofts. It offers a robust outer surface and a resilient inner face designed specifically for application to this type of high rise development. Made from stone wool, RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® is A1 fire rated for optimum fire resilience. It also has the benefit of high resistance to wind and rain during construction, which, together with the minimal number of fixings required, makes installation quicker and easier for contractors. At The Crofts, the product has been tightly butt jointed, knitting together to deliver effective thermal insulation at 0.035 W/mK at the same time as it minimises any heat loss that could arise from gaps between insulation boards.

For the exterior cladding the extra fire safe façade board Rockpanel FS-Xtra has been used to provide the attractive aesthetic finish on the project. Applied on top of an aluminium supporting structure and fixed with blind rivets, these Rockpanel ‘FS-Xtra’ boards, in combination with ROCKWOOL’s RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB®, meet the requirements for European fire classA2-s1,d0. The boards also weigh very little compared to other board materials and can be easily worked with on site, with no special tools required. This saves installation time and costs. Installed on this project by Astley Facades, Rockpanel FS-Xtra boards are available in a wide range of different finishes and colours. A mixture of vibrant Rockpanel Colours, such as RAL 3009 and 5011, has been supplied at The Crofts.

The Result

“We’re extremely proud of the work we have been able to do here at The Crofts,” said a spokesperson from Sandwell Council. “These improvements have made a massive impact on both the internal and external appearance of the blocks, as well as the local skyline. And, the much improved insulation offered by the eye-catching cladding will help reduce fuel bills for tenants.”

A huge uplift in energy performance will result from these improvements. In fact, Sandwell Council estimates that, in total, approximately 9,600 tonnes of carbon will be saved every year.

The Crofts has picked up two awards for corporate social responsibility, including a Bronze in the 2015 International Corporate Social Responsibility Awards and a first prize in the Delivering Social Value category at the 2016 National Federation of Builders Awards.

Ultimately, the project has made a significant impact in the local community. These three tower blocks are not merely visibly transformed, they are more energy efficient residences and they are also beacons of hope for tenants and the community of Smethwick.

For more information please visit www.rockwool.co.uk and www.rockpanel.co.uk.
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Is your fire safety training up to date?

Karen Trigg, South East business development manager of Allegion UK, urges businesses to invest time and money into training for staff involved with fire safety. This is to avoid costly, or even deadly, situations.

Keeping your training up-to-date regarding fire safety and fire door hardware comes with a whole host of benefits for your business.

Doing so will mean you will reduce the risk of facing unnecessary fines and a potentially damaged reputation.

Yet, new research from law firm Hugh James revealed that almost one in five Brits (16 percent) work for a company where not a single fire drill has been carried out in the last twelve months.

Even more worrying is that the poll of 2,000 full and part-time employees found that almost half haven’t received workplace training on what to do in the event of a fire.

Clearly, some employers are not taking training as seriously as they should. Of course, employers will have their age-old reasonings – training employees is time consuming and costly.

However, if you neglect fire safety training for employees, history will reveal that you may be treading a dangerous path.

Prevention is better than cure

Following the motto of ‘prevention is better than cure’ is an adage that often rings true.

This is typified by comparethemarket.com’s survey of 2000 people in 2016, showing that 54 percent of people living in the UK don’t know what they need to do in the event of a fire.

That’s over half of the population who would be none the wiser if a fire broke out.

Take Oxford Street’s New Look store in London. The retail premises caught fire back in 2009 and criticism arose in light of its lack of staff training.

One of the customers, Joanne Weaver, spoke of her experience: “Staff within the shop did not seem to have a plan to evacuate people. They went from no cause for alarm, to panic.” Joanne noted that the staff hadn’t indicated there was a problem and no real direction was given in terms of advice or assistance.

The retailer subsequently faced fines amounting to £400,000, a fractured reputation, and a building in ruins.

Of course, it’s only speculation, but had the staff received the appropriate fire safety training, New Look may not have been charged with such a large fine. What’s more, the fire itself could have been tackled earlier resulting in less damage to both the building and the store’s reputation.

Starting with your fire doors

Another key fire safety issue is ensuring that fire safety hardware is in good working order.

Understanding what to check when inspecting fire doors is useful knowledge to retain, helping to prevent a worst case scenario.

What’s more, just as threatening to fire safety is the improper use of fire doors.

Wedging a fire door open, a particularly common offence made by many, may render your fire door obsolete. Fire doors need to remain closed to effectively prevent the spread of fire and smoke. Keeping a fire door open could put your business at risk legally, should it be judged that a person’s life be at risk as a result.

Additionally, keeping your emergency escape routes clear is crucial. Fire doors with a blocked passage are dangerous and uneccessary.

It’s essential practice to make sure staff members understand correct use of all fire doors within your establishment to maintain maximum safety in the event of a fire.

Time to take action

After The Grenfell Tower incident in June 2017, the Care Quality Commission issued a letter identifying some of the main fire issues as:

  • Fire exits and fire doors wedged open
  • Escape routes used as storage areas
  • Low awareness among residents of what to do in emergency situations
  • No evidence of fire drills having been undertaken recently

From this, we can take that training within fire safety and fire door hardware should be a requirement. It’s as simple as that.
Your business should implement basic fire safety training to decrease the likelihood of accidents both in the event of a fire and in the general work environment.

Furthermore, fire doors need to be regularly serviced and maintained in order for your business to stay in compliance with regulations.

Ensure that your hardware is not only installed correctly, but that your staff understand what to check for when inspecting your fire door hardware.

Correctly installed hardware amidst a changing landscape

Training on fire safety hardware doesn’t end in-house. Checking that installers have been correctly trained is key.

Locksmiths installing your hardware also need an acute knowledge on fire safety hardware. Electro-mechanical hardware, intended to be an aid for doors and often installed by locksmiths, can be susceptible to damage and accidents if installed incorrectly.

The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) seeks to establish a licensing scheme to approve locksmiths. MLA ensures regular checks with approved companies, such as vetting, maintenance inspections and locksmith qualifications.

As a result companies which have been “MLA approved” appear more reliable, trustworthy, qualified and professional.

By being accurately trained on the product and its application, and by following appropriate risk assessments, potential hazards can be avoided and controlled.

For more information please visit www.allegion.co.uk.

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Be ‘in the know’ with Kingspan’s Fire Performance CPD

Kingspan Insulated Panels is running a RIBA Approved CPD programme on the Fire Performance of Insulated Panels and Rainscreen Façade Systems through a series of workshops and webinars.

Recent high-profile fires have reinforced the vital importance of understanding and selecting a cladding system with the correct fire performance for your building. Aimed at a wide audience, from architects to contractors, the CPD focuses on the fire testing and real-life fire performance of external envelope systems, helping to develop an understanding of the various systems, the requirements they must meet and the proven behaviours of insulated panels in real fire scenarios.

Over the years, Kingspan Insulated Panels has shown a continued commitment to improving the fire performance of its products. From considering how the products are used in different contexts, to testing the limitations of various routes to compliance, the company recognises its responsibility to provide the industry with clear, accessible information in order to facilitate the building of compliant, safe and functional buildings.

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The accredited CPD article is free of charge and is worth double points to RIBA Chartered Architects, with webinars being delivered every week until the end of the year. Dates and registration details are available at: www.kingspanpanels.co.uk/why-kingspan/fire/fire-safety/. To book a face-to-face CPD in your premises, or to express an interest in a webinar at a future date send an email to fireinfo@kingspanpanels.com

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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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Advanced Protection for London Symphony Orchestra Discovery Project

LSO St Luke’s, home of the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra’s community and education programme, LSO Discovery, is now protected by industry-leading fire panels from Advanced.

LSO St Luke’s is an 18th-century Grade I-listed Hawksmoor church in the London Borough of Islington. The church, which has an unusual obelisk spire, opened in 1773 and was deconsecrated in 1959 due to subsidence. It lay derelict for almost 40 years before being brought back to life in 2003 as the new rehearsal space and education centre for the London Symphony Orchestra.

The upgrade of the fire system was undertaken by the team at Sussex-based Crays Fire, who selected the latest Advanced MxPro 5 panel due to its versatility, reliability and upgradeability, as well as the first-class customer support offered by Advanced.

Paul Woodhams, spokesperson for Crays Fire, commented: “We were responsible for the original installation at LSO St Luke’s during its renovation and, when it came to replacing the panel, we were confident that the MxPro 5 panel would deliver the specific cause and effect programming required for this system, with the flexibility to add further key switches and inputs to the control panel in the future.”

MxPro is the fire industry’s leading multiprotocol fire solution, offering customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network that enjoys free training and support. MxPro panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into multi-loop, high speed, 200 panel networks covering huge areas and thousands of field devices.

Anne Basley, spokesperson for LSO St Luke’s, said: “The safety of our staff, those who perform at LSO St Luke’s and the visitors to the venue was paramount when selecting a fire system and, thanks to the recommendation of Crays Fire, Advanced ticked all the boxes. The church itself is a listed building and it requires the very best protection so we can continue to maintain it and guard against threats such as fire.”

MxPro 5 is Advanced’s highest performance analogue panel. It is EN54 2, 4 & 13 approved and is backward compatible with MxPro 4, offering long-term peace of mind for MxPro customers.

Amanda Hope, Advanced’s UK Business Development Manager, commented: “The installation at LSO St Luke’s show that Advanced panels are not only suitable for larger buildings. We have worked closely with Crays Fire for a number of years and MxPro is now their first choice of panel for all new installations and upgrade projects, as well as being the ideal choice for a historic building like this one.

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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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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