Fire Protection

Timber decking on balconies has been recognised as no longer fit for purpose. We spoke with Richard Izzard, managing director of AliDeck, about a recent fire-safety remediation
project in London where aluminium decking provided a compliant solution.

With the monumental change in building regulations for multi-storey developments over recent years, new-build use of combustible materials such as timber or composite decking on balconies has fallen to zero.

However, there are countless existing buildings across the UK that have already had timber decking installed. Property managers and building owners have increasingly faced the prospect of undertaking fire safety remediation across their portfolio, and progress to a fire-safe future has been a challenge to achieve.

Specifying high-performance intumescent air transfer grilles has just become simpler with Lorient’s new product selector tool. Manufactured to the highest standards, Lorient offers a wide range of fire / fire & smoke rated ATGs for doors, walls, ducts, floors & ceilings.

Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has welcomed the amended Approved Document B of the Building Regulations as a “positive step in the right direction to improve fire safety in new high-rise residential buildings”.  

Published on 1 June 2022, Part B (Fire Safety) offers new improvements to fire safety guidance to ensure tall buildings are made safer in England, as part of a wider package of reforms. A ‘significant’ addition to the document is the mandatory requirement for new residential developments over 18m to incorporate an evacuation alert system, offering new clarity for those involved in the design or construction of residential developments.

British designed and manufactured, Powermatic controlled, concealed door closers are gaining increasing popularity for use on fire doors in high-rise flats, apartments and HMOs.
The door closers carry the UKCA mark and have been independently tested and proved to meet the requirements for one-hour and half-hour fire doors under BS EN 1634-1.
Totally concealed when the door is closed, Powermatic door closers are less susceptible to damage from vandalism or tampering. This gives them a significant advantage over surface mounted door closers when it comes to reliability of the fire door and maintenance costs, making them the right choice for both tenants and social landlords.
Unlike other jamb-mounted devices, Powermatic door closers facilitate a door’s compliance with the accessibility requirements of Approved Document M, are the only Certifire jamb-mounted door closer and do not have to be removed from the door to be adjusted.

Aico are delighted to announce the launch of their very own awards ceremony – the Community Awards.

Designed to recognise excellence within social housing and the local community, the Aico | HomeLINK Community Awards have 11 different categories, all of which are now open to entries, from College Initiative of the Year to the Rising Star Award, the Women in Fire Safety Award to the Best Distributor of the Year, including a Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative award.

Entries close on Thursday 31st March 2022 with finalists announced in early April, ahead of the awards ceremony taking place in May. The inaugural ceremony will be held at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham with host George Clarke, architect, and TV presenter, renowned in the industry. With an evening of celebration, recognition, and entertainment, the Aico | HomeLINK Community Awards will celebrate the achievements of inspirational individuals and organisations working within social housing and the local community; innovating, demonstrating excellence, and putting people first.

Rochester-based balcony components manufacturer AliDeck made an important contribution last year to the national debate on fire safety in high-rise buildings with the publication of the Balcony Fires Report 2017 to 2020.
Collating data from UK Fire and Rescue Services on the prevalence and causes of balcony fires across the country, the report was shocking; at least 873 fires on balconies were recorded nationally across the period, with almost half of them caused by smoking materials such as carelessly discarded cigarettes.

Siderise has launched a suite of new passive fire protection products specifically engineered for masonry facades, making it easy for specifiers and developers to choose the right protection for their buildings.