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Grenfell must renew focus on health, safety and wellbeing

Commenting on the formal opening of the Grenfell Tower inquiry today, CIH director for Northern Ireland Nicola McCrudden said: “The tragedy of Grenfell Tower has rightfully created a renewed focus on housing and health, and ensuring that these awful events never happen again. The victims and everyone affected by this tragedy are owed this, and more.”

Ms McCrudden said “We need a UK-wide discussion about the value and the future of social housing.

“For every person who fears for their safety after the tragedy, there are many more who cannot secure a home or who are struggling to keep their home.

“Fundamentally, everyone deserves to live in a safe home. Everyone should be able to close their front door and know that they are out of harm’s way.”

Ms McCrudden was speaking ahead of the CIH annual conference on health and housing today in Belfast. She said ensuring that people were safe and secure in their homes went far beyond physical housing standards as highlighted by Grenfell.

“We have an ageing population that wants to stay in their homes and communities. We need to adapt existing homes to meet their needs and ensure their wellbeing. We also need robust planning for more housing options for older people.

“Housing with care options can help people to regain independence and skills to care for themselves, including when they are discharged from hospital.

“Delays in discharging patients is one of the factors that prevents hospital beds being freed up, and increases pressure on A&E departments.

“Every waiting-list target in health is being missed in Northern Ireland. Housing can play a central role in relieving pressures on our health service, reducing demand for costly health and social care interventions.”

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Grenfell fire increases demand for building works

A survey carried out by US recruitment firm Manpower has found that of more than 2,000 UK employers confidence among public sector firms had improved radically in the last three months, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Participating British businesses were asked how they viewed the jobs market and whether they had plans in the pipeline their workforce over the next 12 months. Those in the UK construction trade reported a net employment outlook of +11% for the final quarter of 2017.

That represents the strongest outlook of any UK sector and a 6% increase on the third quarter.

The Grenfell Tower fire in June spread through cladding on the building which subsequently failed safety tests, claiming at least 80 lives.

Many other public housing projects — predominantly high-rise buildings — have since failed safety tests due to unsafe cladding.

James Hick, managing director for Manpower Group Solutions, said expansion in the UK construction trade was driven by those bids to improve public housing.

Hick commented “Construction hiring often slows in the winter months, but the UK is set to buck the trend this year — our data suggests this could be the strongest fourth quarter for hiring since 2005.

“Some of this work is the urgent testing and repair that is being carried out up and down the country on much of Britain’s public housing stock.

“The state of housing in the country is under the microscope like never before and the need for both building and remedial work have caused demand in the construction industry to shoot up.

“The tough reality lurking beneath all these positive indicators is that these hiring intentions may not come to fruition because of difficulties attracting and retaining skilled employees.”

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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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The true cost of building fires

Building fires occur at an alarmingly high frequency and have an impact that goes way beyond that of the owners and its immediate occupiers. The fire safety guidance of the Building Regulations (provided by Approved Document B – ADB) is based on a consideration of life safety impacts. However, the true impact of a fire is much more than life safety as a fire has economic, social and environmental implications. So why is property protection not given greater consideration?

In the last month or so we have seen fires at Weybridge Community Hospital, Smoby Toys in Bradford and Camden Market and none more devastating that Grenfell Tower. The buildings are a mix of 70’s high rise residential, industrial warehousing, modern health and a historic market. Whilst they appear to have little in common they do share a number of similarities in that none of them had sprinkler systems and all of them have implications that will affect many, many people.

Grenfell Tower has rightly occupied the headlines due to tragic loss of life and its repercussions continue to make headlines. Whilst there is general consensus that regulations need to be urgently reviewed there are a number of other issues that need to be addressed. The issue of rehousing the survivors of Grenfell Tower highlighted the issue of continuity. Trying to find homes for the families has been an extremely difficult task. It is similar for the retailers at Camden Market, North Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group and Smoby Toys. They all have businesses to run that have now been left with no premises.

This loss of premises is not just a construction issue it is also an economic issue. To put it into perspective, Home Office figures have shown that in the last three years, there have been 22,800 fires in industrial and commercial premises. If you take into account research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), which states fires in warehouses (which account for 15% of industrial and commercial building stock) result in a direct financial loss to business of £230 million per year a bigger picture starts to emerge.

These warehouse fires create a loss of £190 million per year in GDP through lost productivity and supply chain impacts. They also lose the treasury £32 million in tax receipts and are the responsible for 1,000 job losses. And remember this is just warehouse fires. Imagine what the figure is when we consider fires in industrial buildings, health, leisure and workplaces.

One solution to address the issue of property protection is the incorporation of automatic sprinkler systems. Having sprinklers fitted protects businesses in the long run. They safeguard against potentially disastrous losses and also aid with life safety. By preventing large fires, sprinklers also protect the environment by avoiding CO2 emissions, reducing excess water use by the fire brigade and eliminating water supply contamination. Above all, they maintain business continuity. In the event of a fire, many businesses with sprinkler systems find they are back up and running in a matter of hours.

We are still feeling the knock on effects of the recent spate of fires in the UK. Hopefully with a review of ADB and an extension of the locus to include more of a focus on property protection and due consideration towards sprinklers, we can start to reduce this and provide businesses with the protection they need and deserve.

For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org

By Iain Cox, Chairman of the BSA

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Construction company fined following life changing injuries for untrained worker

A construction company has been fined after a worker suffered life changing injuries after falling from scaffolding.

Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of R J Scaffolding (Bristol) Limited was in an induced coma for two weeks after falling more than six metres from the scaffolding. The worker suffered several serious injuries including losing the sight in his right eye and five fractures to the skull.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 2 June 2016 found the employee was untrained, the supervisor was unfamiliar with the current expected safety techniques and the appropriate equipment had not been provided to the worker to conduct this work safely.

R J Scaffolding (Bristol) Limited of Central Business Park, Hengrove, Bristol pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £26,000.00 and ordered to pay costs of £1657.76.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Ian Whittles said “We want all workers to go home healthy and safe. Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure safe methods of working are used and to inform, instruct and train their workers in their use.

“If industry recognised safe systems of erecting scaffold had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

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Latest large-scale government fire safety test result published

The latest in the government’s series of fire safety tests of cladding and insulation combinations has been completed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

These large scale tests will allow experts to better understand how different types of cladding panels behave with different types of insulation in a fire. The results of the first 5 tests have already been published.

This additional test was of a wall cladding system consisting of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding with a fire retardant polyethylene filler (category 2 in screening tests) with phenolic foam insulation.

The government’s expert panel advises that the results show that the combination of materials used in the test does not meet current Building Regulations guidance.

Initial screening tests have identified 22 buildings over 18 metres tall in England known to have a combination of ACM with a fire retardant polyethylene filler with phenolic foam insulation. Cladding samples from each of these buildings had already failed earlier combustibility tests conducted by BRE and their owners were sent government advice detailing the immediate interim safety measures that needed to be completed. Appropriate measures have been put in place for all 22 of these buildings.

Government has also provided these building owners with additional detailed advice setting out the actions they need to take to ensure the safety of residents going forward. Government is working closely with these building owners to ensure this advice is being followed.

The series of large-scale tests initially included 6 combinations of cladding systems. On 8 August 2017, the government announced that on the advice of the expert panel it would undertake a further large-scale test of ACM with fire retardant polyethylene filler (category 2 in screening tests) with phenolic foam insulation. This is to further build the evidence available for experts and building owners so they can make informed safety decisions.

Results of the final large-scale test (ACM with a limited combustibility filler with mineral wool insulation) – and consolidated advice to landlords based on all the 7 tests – will be published shortly.

The government announced an independent review of building regulations and fire safety on 28 July 2017. This forward looking review will examine the regulatory system around the design, construction and on-going management of buildings in relation to fire safety as well as related compliance and enforcement issues.

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Theresa May confirms there will be an inquiry into Grenfell Tower fire

Prime Minister Theresa May visited the scene this morning and witnessed the overwhelming devastation for herself. With many questions arising as to why the cladding allowed the fire to spread from the bottom of the tower to the top in just 15 minutes, she said that community around the Grenfell Tower are right to demand answers.

Confirming that an official enquiry will take place, she said “We need to ensure that this tragedy is fully investigated. People deserve answers. The inquiry will give them.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that tragically 17 people are now known to have died in the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower. Sadly this figure is likely to rise, and my thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected.

“Today the fire has been brought under control and the fire brigade and our other emergency services are continuing to work heroically. The operation is now shifting from the search and rescue phase to the recovery phase.

“Under these circumstances the full scale of the tragedy is becoming clear and there are pressing questions, which demand urgent answers.

This news follows the earlier announcement that fire checks will be carried out on all revamped blocks in the country.

Listen to the audio from Theresa May’s interview on the subject below:

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Gradus ensures student safety at the London School Of Economics

Gradus is contributing to safety for students at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Situated in Houghton Street, Central London and originally constructed in the 1920’s, the Main Building of the London School of Economics and Political Science has recently undergone a restoration project to the North Eastern side of the building, which saw the installation of a brand new staircase.

ASXT11 stair edgings from Gradus were specified for the project to ensure the safety of the staircase, while maintaining a clean and contemporary aesthetic. XT stair edgings comprise an aluminium channel with a slip-resistant insert that extends around the leading edge of the profile to increase underfoot contact with the slip-resistant element of the stair edging. Selected with Glacier standard interior inserts, the stair edgings define the step edge by providing a suitable colour contrast with the floor covering, in line with BS 8300:2009+A1:2010 and Approved Document M of The Building Regulations 2010.

Gabija Bingelyte, Project Manager for the London School of Economics refurbishment said: “Thousands of people pass through the campus each year and, as such, the university needs to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for students, staff and visitors.

“As the market leader with 50 years’ experience in the industry, it was an easy choice to specify Gradus for the project. We chose market-leading XT stair edgings, as they complement the contemporary staircase whilst also providing a superior level of safety.”

Anthony Roberts, Product Manager for Gradus, added: “The XT range offers the ultimate solution for protection against the risk of slips, trips and falls, which are one of the main causes of injuries on stairs.

All of Gradus’ XT stair edgings are available to download as BIM objects. Gradus’ BIM objects provide up-to-date, accurate data about products providing you with the relevant technical information to build into your projects.

For further information on Gradus’ full range of XT stair edgings, or for any other queries, please call 01625 428922 or visit www.gradus.com.
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High quality building design is key to meeting noise challenges in London

In conjunction with International Noise Awareness Day this week, manufacturer ROCKWOOL UK published a report on the impact of noise in London. Entitled, ‘Good Growth, Quiet Buildings: Exploring the impact of noise in a growing city and solutions in the built environment’, the report draws together information on health impacts, costs and government policy and highlights how growth in high density living coupled with the move towards a 24-hour economy means that London will continue to face challenges in achieving good growth and a good night’s sleep.

Key points:

  • Trends such as urbanisation, high density living and the 24-hour economy result in more noise – London has more noise complaints than anywhere else in the UK
  • 48% of people across the UK say their home life is spoilt by noise, whilst 41% of Londoners cite noise as a main reason for leaving the city
  • Noise is costing the UK £7-10 billion a year due to ill health consequences, loss of amenity and loss of productivity
  • Good design can and should create buildings that support health and well-being

Noise is already the number one complaint in hotels in London, whilst it’s also one of the main reasons given by Londoners for moving out of the city – with 41% citing it as a reason for leaving. Meanwhile, a World Health Organization (WHO) study found that at least 1 million healthy life years are lost every year in Western Europe as result of exposure to environmental noise. That makes noise the second largest environmental cause of ill health after air pollution, with the social cost of environmental noise placed at £7-10bn a year in the UK alone.

So, despite the pressure to rapidly deliver many more homes, hotels and commercial premises in London, noise mitigation must not be forgotten. Research also shows that quiet sells. For example, Premier Inn’s sound conscious hotel in Leicester Square is one of the best-performing hotels in London, with occupancy rates of 95%.

Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK, Rory Moss, said “Building in noise considerations from the outset of a project is the most straightforward and cost effective route to achieving quiet buildings. By considering noise as an integral part of the design process, alongside factors such as aesthetics, lighting and layout, materials can be carefully selected to meet real life performance needs. With so many developments in the pipeline for London, now is the time to ensure we’re building to support our health and well-being. ”

Good Growth, Quiet Buildings: Exploring the impact of noise in a growing city and solutions in the built environment is available to download via the ROCKWOOL website. Visit www.rockwool.co.uk/about-us/news/noise-report for more information.
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North Wales RSL standardises on Aico Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm for safer homes

Cartrefi Conwy, a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) in Conwy, North Wales has announced its decision to fit Aico’s mains powered Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm, Ei2110e as standard across its entire housing stock.

Having achieved the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, Cartrefi Conwy is one of North Wales’ foremost providers of affordable, high quality homes. It places the safety of its tenants at the highest priority and has a commendable 100% coverage of mains powered alarms across its 3,800 properties. A long standing Aico customer of over ten years, Cartrefi Conwy had been using Aico Ei160RC alarms, but has upgraded the specification to the premium Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm, Ei2110e.

The Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm, Ei2110e 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.

This was a key factor for Cartrefi Conwy as Property Services Manager Wayne Bannister explains: “Due to the combination of smoke and heat working in tandem we expect there to be fewer false alarms. They also offer reassurance to our tenants that they have a device that is cutting edge technology that will keep them safer in their homes.”

Cartrefi Conwy will be installing the Ei2110e to a minimum category of LD3, which requires alarms in all circulation spaces that form part of the escape routes from the premises. For its sheltered flats, it will increase the coverage to category LD2 which sees the addition of alarms in all rooms that present a high risk of fire to occupants. The alarms will be fitted during planned installation programmes and also reactively as required. In addition, they will be fitted as standard in Cartrefi Conwy’s new build development programme.

A feature rich device, the Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm, Ei2110e comes with sophisticated data extraction technology in the form of AudioLINK for single alarm data and RadioLINK+ for whole system data. “AudioLINK is definitely a technology we will be utilising especially where we have an incident” comments Wayne. AudioLINK enables real time data to be extracted from each alarm using its sounder directly to a smartphone or tablet via a free App to create an Alarm Status Report. The Report displays useful information about the alarm, such as battery life, alarm sensors status, number of times tested and removed; and any alarm activations, with details of when it occurred – all in a simple easy to read format.

RadioLINK+ technology will also be used to wirelessly interconnect Aico’s Ei450 Alarm Controller in all sheltered housing schemes and in properties where Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms are present; and the Ei414 Fire/CO Alarm Interface which is installed in properties that are covered by a warden call scheme and have different detection types i.e. smoke, heats CO.

“Cartrefi Conwy use RadioLINK extensively and find it to be a huge cost benefit to us with reducing wiring costs” states Wayne. “The tenants have less or no decoration and the installation process is far less intrusive.”

Wayne is appreciative not only of the technology and sophisticated features of Aico’s alarms and accessories, but also of the customer service: “The service is excellent. Steve Trafford [Aico Regional Specification Manager] is always available to advise and calls in regularly providing me with updates. I’ve always been impressed with the customer focus of Aico and the user-friendliness of their products. I have made a point of standardising Cartrefi Conwy’s domestic fire detection to be solely Aico”.

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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