Fire Safety Group – Integrated fire safety of existing buildings

1. Fire Safety Group – Integrated fire safety of existing buildings Steve Manchester CEng MIFireEDirector, Fire Safety Group

2. Background to BRE

3. BRE – The Building Research Establishment • UK government agency established in 1921 • Formerly part of Department of Environment • Privatised 1997 • Owned by a Charitable Trust • HQ Location Watford • 650 staff

4. BRE Group • Work mainly in the built environment, but also transport, manufacturing, electronics, agriculture. • Fire and explosion consultancy, research, testing and certification.

5. Facilities

6. BRE Global BRE Global Ltd was formed in 1998 • technical approvals of construction materials and systems to enable CE marking against European Directives and certification of quality management systems. LPCB was acquired by BRE Global in 2000 • formerly owned by UK’s Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Lloyd’s of London • LPCB is a premier global Approvals Body specialising in fire and security systems and services

7. LPCB Testing and Certification • Fire detection and alarm products • Fire suppression products • Fire-resisting construction products • Certification of installers • Certification of companies (ISO, FPC) • Electronic security products • Physical security products

8. Fire Safety Group BRE Fire safety group has fire safety engineers and consultants covering virtually all aspects of fire safety, including: • Active and passive safety systems • Fire safety management, • Risk assessments (fire and explosion) • Fire safety engineering (new build/refurbishment) • Fire dynamics: smoke control, CFD modelling • Human behaviour and evacuation modelling • Inspection of buildings – Passive Fire Protection • Legal support and expert witness • Research: desk based and experimental BRE Global also has a business in standard fire testing and certification of materials, products and installers.

9. Experience with real fires Our fire safety consultancy staff have experience of large-scale real fires through: • Large and small scale experiments • Fire investigations • Fire reconstructions Our clients are from across the Industry and include both public and private sector organisations. Our extensive work with UK Fire Statistics also gives us a unique insight into the behaviour of real fires.

10. Fire Safety Engineering Working with designers and architects and approval authorities on fire strategies for new and refurbished buildings. Key sectors we work in: • Airports • Prisons • Hospitals • Residential/office • Universities/schools Computer modelling • Fire spread • Smoke movement • Evacuation • Interaction with sprinklers • Cost benefit analysis

11. Case study: Private Sector Prisons

12. Overview Numerous projects undertaken since 2013 on five existing prison sites. • Fire damper survey • Passive Fire Protection surveys • Fire Risk Assessments • DSEAR assessments • Fire strategies for each site • In-cell detection • 5 day training course at BRE involving cell fire demos • On-going support as required as part of long-term Framework.

13. Fire dampers Problem: • Difficult (impossible!) to access for servicing and maintenance • Build quality and installation of the dampers was in question; • Client has been advised that the dampers within the roof space are not required by the fire strategy. BRE work: • Site survey of dampers • Review of fire strategy and drawings • Explanation of requirements of regulations, guidance and standards Outcomes: • Construction company called back to provide access hatches to enable maintenance • Installed correctly and in plane of compartment floors. • Dampers were necessary as roof space was designated as a fire compartment for House blocks

14. Fire strategies Problem: • The existing fire strategies for relatively new build sites were not sufficiently detailed to enable effective fire safety management of the prisons. • Was picked up in the Fire Safety Order FRA’s. • Client needed to understand exactly how the various fire safety systems interacted and worked. BRE work: • Review of original fire strategy and drawings • Time on site to understand the buildings, occupants and existing management. • Meetings with Facilities team and safety personnel at each site. Outcomes: • New as-built strategies produced • Some new compartmentation drawings as architect had not supplied all.

15. Cell detection Recent change in approach from original design large fires (1-1.5MW) to early detection and response to smaller kW size fires due to early detection and water mist intervention. Requirement: • From ignition to fire fighting 6 minutes only! • Development of a bespoke fire test to be used regularly in cells to test the detection response times without requiring a major cleaning afterwards. • Quick and easy to undertake by Facilities staff. • Sufficient smoke but not too much!

16. Requirements Current method of testing is based on confirming the design and initial installation works. It is not sufficiently quantifiable, and results in taking significant time to clean the cell before it can be used again. Need to ensure the detectors will respond in the required time to alert staff so they can respond with first aid fire-fighting/evacuation as appropriate. BRE Global requested to develop a more appropriate in-house test for them to use in their prisons on a day to day basis.

17. Scope of work In order to develop a more appropriate test method, BRE Global carried out the following tasks: • Reviewed the current arrangements at the prisons such as the type of detectors being used and their different locations within the ventilation system of the cells. • Reviewed relevant available standards and industry best practice methods on testing smoke detectors. • Undertook a number of fire trials in the BRE Global fire detector test facility. • Undertook a number of in-cell fire detector trials using the proposed new method at three prisons operated by the client.

18. Key learning points • Detectors have to operate < 2mins: this can be challenging for detectors located within vent ducts but can be done. • Important that cell vent ducts and grilles are clear from blockages (general debris and intentional). • Detectors must be in cell or just behind grille. • Further tests being conducted looking at detectors mounted outside cell doors using artificial smoke. • Consideration of wireless detection systems. • Cell fire sizes reduced due to early intervention by water misting – implications for smoke control.

19. Management and Engineering Fire safety is achieved by a holistic approach combining: • good practice fire engineering, • management system control, • operational controls, • sanctions and a multiagency approach to prosecute fire setters. • good communication and dialogue with approval authorities. • PAS 7:2013 Fire risk management system compliance

20. Long term support As part of our Framework agreement we provide fire safety support as required to their sites covering a range of items such as: • Attendance at Custodial fire safety meetings with other operators • Meetings with Fire and Rescue/CPFIG • Ad-hoc items such as internal modifications and changes to rooms, general advice. Main benefits • Quality of advice and reports. • Consistent approach across all their sites in UK.

21. Thank You Steve Manchester CEng MIFireE Director, Fire Safety Group BRE Global, Bucknalls Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX Tel +44 (0) 1923 664944 E steven.manchester@bre.co.uk Wwww.bre.co.uk