Fire, Security and Safety

Property owners and managers should be aware of their legal duties regarding asbestos management, and the need for locating and assessing the risks from any asbestos-containing materials in a building.

Specifically relating to managing and working with asbestos is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012).  Regulation 5, requires employers to identify the presence of asbestos, and its type and condition, before any building, maintenance or other work, liable to disturb asbestos, begins. It also sets out the requirement to arrange an asbestos survey if existing information on the presence of asbestos in the premises is incomplete or appears unreliable.

An industry report has predicted the number of connected devices being used worldwide will grow to 20.8billion by 2020*. What opportunities could this present for social housing providers and landlords?
Nick Rutter, Chief Product Officer for FireAngel, explores the latest connected safety solutions and how they are transforming the capabilities of fire safety technologies…

Over the last decade the development of internet of things (IoT) and the notion of a ‘connected home’ has undergone significant developments. Initially starting as a rather fantastical concept, today’s IoT technology is relevant to everyday life, primarily designed to ‘make life easier for the user’.

As the society we live in becomes ever more conscious of safety in the home, there is an increasing requirement for safety equipment to protect against the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and fires, which kill and injure many hundreds of people in UK homes every year. This is particularly true for local authorities and housing associations who, having a duty of care to their tenants, must take all reasonable action to protect them from these dangers.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas produced when burning any fossil fuel such as gas, coal, oil, wood …etc. It is odourless and colourless and so is not easily detectable and no one is immune. It can kill quickly in large concentrations or build up slowly over time with the same result. Initial symptoms such as headaches, nausea and general lethargy can also often be mistaken for other illnesses, even by the medical profession. CO can leak from flues and appliances when they are either not operating correctly or when the flues become blocked or damaged.

SE Controls has become the first company to be approved under the new SDI 19 certification scheme, which has been developed by the Smoke Control Association (SCA) in partnership with IFC Certification and has been introduced to help raise standards across the industry.

Developed to ensure a suitable level of competency is maintained in all aspects of smoke control systems, the scheme also covers a contractor’s ability to provide appropriate levels of service and maintenance following installation and commissioning, in line with a building’s type, size and use.

Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems, part of TPG - The Parkside Group Limited, announce the launch of Comar 7P.i CDE, a Commercial Swing Door with Electronic Locking, that now holds a Secured By Design Licence.  The Comar 7P.i CDE is an electronic lock option for the thermally broken commercial swing door range, which offers access control integration for both single and double leaf door sets. Secured by Design Homes 2016 requires that occupants, of a residential building with 10 or more distinct dwellings, must be able to remotely control the main entrance door from their apartment to allow access to known visitors. 

The Comar 7P.i CDE is ideal for multi-dwelling apartment applications, where the electronic lock suites in with most access control panels and includes panic exit hardware options.  The solution can also be used in all manner of public buildings where occupant safety is required, such as Health, Education and other Public Buildings.

One of East Scotland’s largest independent housing associations, Fife Housing, has teamed up with access control and door entry experts, Videx, to equip 84 flats in and around the Fife area with bespoke access control systems, that have been tailor made to meet the entry requirements of residents.

Working with installer Caledonia Fire and Security, Videx has supplied audio intercom systems to 14 blocks of flats, which each carry key features that make them an ideal access control solution for housing association tenants and their various entry needs. The panels are also fitted with Videx’s standalone offline proximity system, MiAccess, which is perfect as part of a multiple entrance system without the need to cable between devices.

Patlock is a fitted French door lock and visual deterrent that has been designed and developed in the UK to stop would-be intruders.

Figures from UK Crime Stats show that there is a break-in every 15 minutes in the UK, with the weakest point of entry in most homes at the rear of the property, via patio or French doors.

Patlock assists homeowners in securing their property against burglars and the method of forced entry known as lock snapping. This involves breaking the cylinder of a UPVC door, which enables the trespasser to manipulate the lock to open it. When compromised, the cylinder renders all of the other locking points useless.