fig leaves
The newsletter of the Fire Information Group UK (FIG UK)
No. 49
September 2014
Edited by Sheila Pantry, OBE
Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd
www.sheilapantry.com
This Newsletter contains:
- News from around the World
- Diary of Events
- Summary of the FIG UK Meeting held on 10 September 2014
- Dates of Next Meetings
FIG UK website www.figuk.org.uk … please help to promote FIG UK whenever you can … Make a link from your website!
News items from around the World
New forms of building materials
At last week’s FIG UK meeting we discussed new forms of building materials and fire. This may be of further interest and discussion!
Print my house! By Tim Adler
See Business Reporter, August 2014, page 9: http://www.lyonsdown.co.uk/publications/2014/SC.pdf
In future our houses may be printed from plastic not built out of brick predicts Amsterdam-based architecture firm DUS Architects.
Buildings could be squeezed layer-by-layer out of industrial 3D printers, enabling architects to build whatever they want. DUS argues that with 3D printing, there is no waste, reduced transportation costs and houses could be melted down and recycled. It could revolutionise the way we build our cities.
The technology could offer affordable housing to replace slums or in disaster areas. DUS is already building an experimental 3D house on a small canal-side plot in the north of the city.
The firm will spend the next three years extruding the traditional-looking Dutch canal house, layer-by-layer, as a demonstration of what 3D printing technology could achieve. President Obama was shown the technology when he visited Amsterdam in March. Yet the project is also being used to test how 3D designs can be crowd-shaped and modified via the internet.
Of course, Britain has used pre-fabricated building before: after the Second World War, the UK tried to meet the housing shortage by building nearly 160,000 “prefab” homes. These were made out of cheaper materials such as tin and asbestos and the then cutting-edge precast concrete.
Although we sneer at prefab bungalows now, for a post-war England used to an outside lavatory and tin bath, prefabs had bathrooms inside, while kitchens featured such luxuries as a built-in oven, refrigerator and constant hot water – things we take for granted today.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council commissioned Dalziel to build a prototype house in 2012. The finished building was so impressive that five other councils have now commissioned pilot schemes.
Prices per square foot vary from site to site. However, Dalziel says that his prefabricated housing costs as little as £170 per square foot compared to £300 per square foot for the latest luxury high-rise.
In Germany, the pre-constructed or “modular” Huf Haus is achingly modern and desirable. These flat-pack dwellings arrive by truck and can be erected in as little as a week. Huf Haus points out that precision-made parts means a much higher degree of finish, without any of the mud and improvisation that you get onsite.
The striking buildings are becoming increasingly popular in Britain too. UK building experts say that it would cost around £300 per square foot to build a comparable house onsite, compared to the £220 Huf Haus charges. More than 200 Huf Haus have been built in the UK, including a development in Dulwich, London. They are also built to a zero-carbon standard. “The beauty of a pre-manufactured product is a fixed price, whereas there are lots of unknowns with bricks-and-mortar,” says Huf Haus
University of Nottingham laboratory fire
Fire investigators say it is too soon to know the cause of a blaze that destroyed a new multimillion-pound university laboratory building that was still under construction. The University of Nottingham laboratory was largely made of wood and was designed to be carbon neutral.
Paul Greatrix, the university’s registrar, said the irony of it burning down had not been lost.
But he said the university would “no doubt recover” from the fire, which started on Friday evening, 12 September 2014.
More than 60 firefighters attended the blaze but nobody was injured during the incident.
The £15 million project had been partly funded by a £12 million grant from drug company GlaxoSmithKline. Specialist fire teams from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) are working with the police to establish the cause of the fire.
NFRS deputy chief fire officer Wayne Bowcock said: “It’s terrible that the University of Nottingham and the wider education community have lost what was set to be an iconic building but we must also recognise the hard work that went into preventing this incident from being much worse. At the height of the fire, 12 of our crews worked tirelessly at the scene of this incident and those firefighters were brought to the scene from stations all around the county and included two crews from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.”
University of Nottingham registrar Dr Paul Greatrix added: “Thankfully, there have been no casualties as this is a building that was still under construction. Our number one priority is to ensure that the fire does not spread to other buildings in the vicinity and we are grateful to the fire teams on site who have worked extremely hard to contain the blaze.”
Video of the fire: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-29211556
Fee for Intervention is effective and should stay, says report
A scheme designed to shift the cost of regulating workplace health and safety from the public purse to businesses who break the law has proven effective and should stay, an independent report has concluded.
The report recognised that inspectors at the Health and Safety Executive have implemented “Fee for Intervention” consistently and fairly since it started in October 2012, and found no evidence to suggest that enforcement policy decisions had been influenced in any way by its introduction.
The independent panel which conducted the review was chaired by Alan Harding, professor of public policy at Liverpool University. Other participants were representatives of the GMB trade union, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Department for Work and Pensions.
According to the report’s authors, the professional approach adopted by HSE’s inspectors has ensured any challenges raised by the scheme during its first 18 months were minimised. The evidence suggests the concerns voiced about FFI have not manifested themselves to any significant or serious extent and that “generally inspectors and dutyholders continue to work together in improving health and safety management”.
Judith Hackitt, Chair of HSE, said:
“Both HSE and the Government believe it is right that those who fail to meet their legal health and safety obligations should pay our costs, and acceptance of this principle is growing. This review gives us confidence that FFI is working effectively and should be retained. We will continue to monitor the performance of Fee for Intervention to ensure it remains consistent and fair.”
The report, published by HSE today, along with associated research papers, concludes that “it [FFI] has proven effective in achieving the overarching policy aim of shifting the cost of health and safety regulation from the public purse to those businesses who break health and safety laws.”
It also concludes that:
- Fears that FFI would be used to generate revenue have proven to be unfounded.
- While not popular with some inspectors and dutyholders, it has been embedded effectively and applied consistently.
- There is no viable alternative that can achieve the same aims.
The report can be found on HSE’s website: www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention
Tragic fire at Manchester (UK) Dogs home
On 12 September 2014 a fire has ripped through a dog rescue centre in Manchester killing at least 53 animals. More than 150 dogs have been rescued from the fire, which broke out at Manchester Dogs’ Home in Harpurhey. The evacuated dogs have been transported to the Home’s sister site in Cheshire. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson. A statement from Manchester Dogs’ Home said: “The staff and trustees of Manchester Dogs’ Home would like to express their enormous gratitude for the huge support received from the public following the devastating fire on site during the night. While the charity now needs to assess the situation and determine next steps, Manchester Dogs’ Home would like to commend its staff, many of whom witnessed atrocious sights.” The Manchester Evening News created a JustGiving page to collect donations for the charity in the wake of the incident and within 12 hours it has raised more than £380,000.
FIG UK Member’s Thesis
Fire Investigation Road Maps and Decision Trees to Assist Fire Causation Identification and Improve Arson Prosecutions: Thesis by Dr Peter Mansi
London South Bank University, 2012
Available via EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service) at the British Library: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.606324
Diary of Events
In addition to events listed in the minutes the following may also be of interest…
23-26 September 2014 – Security Essen 2014
Essen, Germany
Contact: www.security-essen.de
24-26 September 2014 – SIPS / SibSecurity: Siberia International Protection and Security Exhibition
IEC Novosibirsk Expocentre, Novosibirsk, Russia
Contact: http://www.sips-siberia.ru/en-GB
29 September - 3 October 2014 – Safety Promotion – from theory to best practical solutions
Radisson Blu Saga Hotel, Reykjavik, Iceland
Contact: Annika Bärlund, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland | annika.barlund@ttl.fi | https://niva.org/courses
30 September - 3 October 2014 – Workingonsafety.net 2014 – 7th Working on Safety Conference (WOS2014)
Glasgow, Scotland
Contact: IOSH | Email: events@iosh.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0)116 257 3378 | http://www.wos2014.net/
9-10 October 2014 – Moving towards 2020: Priorities for occupational safety and health research for the years 2013-20
FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, Rue Ernest Blérot 1, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
Contact: https://osha.europa.eu/en/seminars/moving-towards-2020-priorities-for-occupational-safety-and-health-research-for-the-years-2013-20-1
13-17 October 2014 – Ergonomics: 5 day course
HSL, Buxton, UK
Contact: Training Unit, HSL, Buxton, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1298 218806 | Email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk | www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/ergonomics
15 October 2014 – Pushing ‘Health’ up the Workplace Agenda: British Safety Council
America Square Conference Centre, 1 America Square, 17 Crosswall, London EC3N 2LB, UK
Contact: British Safety Council | Tel: +44 (0)20 3510 7414 | Email: events@britsafe.org | https://www.britsafe.org/events
20-21 October 2014 – RPE Essentials: 2 day course
HSL, Buxton, UK
Contact: Training Unit, HSL, Buxton, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1298 218806 | Email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk | www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/rpe-fit-test---introduction.aspx
22-23 October 2014 – HSL Human Reliability Assessment using the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART)
Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Contact: Training Unit, HSL, Buxton, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1298 218806 | Email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk | www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/human-reliability-assessment-using-the-human-error-assessment-and-reduction-technique-(heart)---(training-in-aberdeen)
22-23 October 2014 – 14th International Water Mist Conference
Istanbul, Turkey
Contact: www.iwma.net
22-25 October 2014 – Caspian International Protection, Security and Rescue 2014
Baku, Azerbaijan
Contact: CIPS | Tel: +44 (0) 207 596 5079 | www.cips.iteca.az/2014
3-4 November 2014 – Human Factors in Accident and Incident Investigations: 2 day course
HSL, Buxton, UK
Contact: Training Unit, HSL, Buxton, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1298 218806 | Email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk | https://www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/human-factors-in-accident-and-incident-investigations
24-25 February 2015 – Managing Work-Related Stress at an Organisational and Individual Level
HSL, Buxton, UK
Contact: Training Unit, HSL, Buxton, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1298 218806 | Email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk | https://www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses
More events available on www.oshworld.com/diary
Summary of the FIG UK Meeting held on 10 September 2014
Minutes of the FIG UK Meeting on Wednesday, 10 September 2014 held at Bureau Veritas, Units F & G Friars Court, 18-19 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0RB
Sheila Pantry OBE |
Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd |
Sally Walsh |
Burgoyne Management Ltd |
Julie Farrugia |
West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service |
Nigel Herring |
Bureau Veritas UK Ltd |
John Galvin |
Fire Investigations (UK) LLP |
Paula McCrudden |
Hawkins and Associates |
Penny Morgan |
|
Nick Fry |
International Fire Consultants (IFC) |
Ian Jerome |
London Metropolitan University |
Peter Mansi |
Fire Investigations (UK) LLP |
Richard Hall |
Firebreak Wales |
Marian Bodian |
Building Research Establishment (BRE) |
Jane Thurgood |
Fire Protection Association (FPA) |
Carol Jeffcock |
Fire Service College |
Owain Thompson |
Kent Fire and Rescue Service |
David Wales |
Kent Fire and Rescue Service |
Jane Sunley |
Building Services Research and Information Association – BSRIA |
1. Welcome
Sheila welcomed everyone and thanked Nigel for hosting the meeting at Bureau Veritas.
2. Introductions
Everyone then introduced themselves to John Galvin who was deputising for Peter Mansi, busy with duties as the President of the International IAAI
3. Apologies
See above
4. Minutes of the last meeting
Held on 12 March 2014 at Burgoyne Management Ltd, Half Moon Court, Bartholomew Close, London and also the Abbreviated Minutes with the Newsletter. These were accepted.
5. Matters arising not covered in the Agenda
Product recalls databases / web sites: Following the suggestion that it would be useful to have a list of known Product Recall databases / websites listed on the FIG UK website – this was done earlier in the year. Members had been requested to send any known databases/websites to Sheila to add to the FIG UK website. LFEPA is no longer collecting them as Nick Carey has moved to Hawkins. John Galvin noted that FI (UK) has managed to acquire the database of Fire Investigations carried out in London over the past 13 years and has three willing volunteers checking for information on recalls. The UK Association of Fire Investigators website www.uk-afi.org/product-recall – this has been added to the FIG UK website under Links.
Sheila noted that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents also has a useful recall website and the link has now been added to the FIG UK website www.rospa.com/homesafety/adviceandinformation/product
Nigel made a plea for a website that the public can access, Trading Standards only deal with current recalls and have no archive but this has been added to the FIG UK website https://www.tradingstandards.uk/consumers/product-recalls-and-safety-notices
FIG UK needs to foster a systematised approach. Topics discussed included grease in extract ducts with reference to the Heathrow Burger King fire. John said that the FI (UK) conference next year will be on Fake Goods – recalls have an obvious role in this area for example USB chargers, if fake can be drawing all sorts of levels of current.
6. Mind the Gap Seminar held on 11 June 2014 at the Imperial Hotel, London
This event was almost wholly supported by sponsors FPA, IFC, Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, Burgoynes and Professional Rescue; the small shortfall was made up from member subscriptions.
Feedback has been good; attendees enjoyed the speakers and their topics, also the fact that it was free of charge and had CPD awards. Several delegates have already asked about some event for next year. Sheila pointed out that as not all her list of possible sponsors had been approached funding a third event should be possible. Nigel had not found it as punchy as the first event while Sheila expressed concerns about those people who had booked but did not turn up for this free of charge, CPD award event and also did not send any message cancelling their place.
All the speakers’ excellent presentations (except one) are on FIG UK website see www.figuk.org.uk/conferences/2014
Future event
Discussion moved onto a possible future theme and ranged from the possible impact of losing the Scottish input into fire fighting and fire safety to grouping of all three emergency services to save money in areas such as control. Attendance at fires by retained crews is gradually falling off as employers unwilling to release their staff at various intervals which will have implications for attendance times as (possibly) centralised controls try to find enough crews. Concerns were also voiced about the implication of privatisation of training not so much is privately done which has further implications for Fire Prevention and Investigation. Thus the gap to be discussed would be in the provision of service particularly as there has been such a drop in fire incidents.
A more practical topic such as the behaviour of lightweight and new types of materials in residential constructions and the increased fire risk during such constructions would be popular and useful.
Another suggestion was to report on recent research theses. The meeting agreed to dwell on the possibilities for a half-day event and to discuss them at the March 2015 meeting. This would allow three months to plan and raise sponsorship.
7. Accounts
FIG UK Accounts at 12 August 2014 were circulated by Sally Walsh – FIG UK Treasurer and Membership officer at the meeting. Also sent to all members by email on 9 September 2014.
It was AGREED to keep subscriptions to £20 for 2015.
8. Membership and New Recruits
Whilst membership from information/FRS/FI sectors work well, we need to think of new areas recognising that while staffing levels in the sector are low, attendance is unlikely to be high. Sheila is a member of the RoSPA Group and information is garnered either from a briefing in person or by a short report on topics from various individuals or organisations are sent in.
All members are asked to check that their entry in the FIG UK Directory is up to date. See www.figuk.org.uk/directory.html
9. Round Table Discussion (Includes emailed comments/news)
Sheila reported on information received from the following:
Marian Bodian, BRE Global reports
New BRE fire publications:
- BRE Digest 533
Fire risk in high-rise and super high-rise buildings: Prevention and mitigation (DG 533)
David Charters, Roisin Cullinan and Emma Warren (2014) - External fire spread: building separation and boundary distances (BR 187 2nd edition)
Date 2014 |
Title |
Venue |
29 Sep - 3 Oct |
BRE BTEC Professional Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment |
BRE Watford |
2 Oct |
Fire Door Inspection |
BRE Watford |
8 Oct |
Timber Fire Door – Installation, Repair & Maintenance |
BRE Scotland |
14 Oct |
Metal Fire Door – Installation, Repair & Maintenance |
BRE Watford |
4 Nov |
Level 1 Fire Investigation – First Responder Training |
BRE Watford |
12 Nov |
Roller Shutter – Installation, Repair & Maintenance |
BRE Watford |
18 Nov |
Fire Door Inspection |
BRE Scotland |
19 Nov |
Metal Fire Door – Installation, Repair & Maintenance |
BRE Scotland |
BRE will be holding Resilience14, on 26-27 November in Olympia London.
An exhibition and seminar programme, to showcase products and solutions and learn from the latest research helping to make the built environment more resilient to the impacts of severe weather. www.bre.co.uk/eventdetails.jsp?id=7946
Jane Thurgood, Fire Protection Association reports:
New websites
New FPA and RISCAuthority just launched. RISCAuthority documents will now be available to download without the necessity to login. New FRM site already launched in June, but articles will be locked down to non-members this week.
10-11 November 2014 Fire Sector Summit 2014
Sopwell House, Hertfordshire
Delegate places now booking and programme announced. See website http://www.thefpa.co.uk/firesectorsummit/ for details.
Conference chair is John Pienaar. Speakers include Roy Wilsher, Peter Caplehorn (RIBA), Peter Holland, Lyn Brown (Shadow Fire Minister), Penny Mordaunt (Fire Minister), Matt Wrack (FBU), Chris Hanks. Workshops on BIM and Regulation 38; Recycling and waste fires; Primary Authority scheme; Certification; restoring confidence in fire detection and alarm systems; FRS consolidation vs collaboration (looking at Scottish approach).
FPA Corporate and Gold members get 1 free conference pass. All FPA members get access to the member networking event on Monday 10 November 2014.
Publications – Autumn sale
Has started. DVDs at 50% discount and Training Information Packs at 25%.
Fire Investigation courses
FPA and IFIC will be running Level 5 Certificate in Fire Investigation courses at the FPA Laboratory from this autumn.
Fire Laboratory
Fire laboratory is extremely busy now. Post-loss investigation, 25 year sprinkler head testing and research all taking place.
David Wales, Kent Fire & Rescue Service reports: As mentioned at the last FRSUG meeting I am also working with Nottingham Trent University on a research guide for fire services and academic institutions. We are requesting case studies of previous or current partnerships/research between fire services and universities. If any colleagues at FIG UK are aware of, or have been involved in any, and would like them included in the guide (hard copy or online) please ask them to contact me. www.lifebid.co.uk
Nigel Herring, Bureau Veritas is involved with fires in wind turbines as they have relative expertise in these events. He noted that this is the first time he believes it is a worldwide problem.
Nick Fry, IFC reported that their company is setting up Third Party Accreditation Schemes, similar to FRA schemes which has brought the industry up in customer expectation. The scheme depends on Annual Renewal e.g. one customer is now at Risk level 2 and will be given further training as only listed as Risk Level 1 at present. Scheme depends on site checks. He notes that the take up is slow.
Paula McCrudden, Hawkins and Associates has started an audit on how and what information is held in the Hawkins Offices, including London and Reigate, to standardise how the information is held and used. She is using the library catalogue or the organisation’s intranet for everything relevant. She has learned a lot from this exercise which is headed up by her line manager.
Sheila expressed concerns about the lack of understanding by individuals and organisations on the need for up-to-date, validation and authoritative information. She has written books on this see www.sheilapantry.com/books
Her latest article on these concerns will be published shortly in British Safety Council’s Safety Management.
Julie Farrugia, WMFRS collects available information ad hoc in her organisation but has been dismayed by how out of date some of it is e.g. editions can be 2 or 3 versions old. As she mentioned in March 2014 meeting that her department is being more-or-less closed with no Library at HQ any more.
West Midlands and UCLAN are working together for some PhD students and using her information sources rather than depending on UCLAN and she keeps an eye on publication lists. IFE exams are increasingly popular but less approachable. Nick Fry endorses this perception as the approach is now more corporate and the IFE website is hard to navigate.
John Galvin, IAAI reported that their website was revamped last year.
Sally Walsh, Burgoynes has not a lot to report having just finished her big database job. Presently she is concentrating on refining and adding new material to the database. Elizabeth has started this by looking at relevant e-books. Sally is aware that the fire press is publishing more material e.g. Penwell producing new editions and highlighting implications – she is also checking on the IMO listings.
Sheila added that the average cost per 8-page article is in US $40 region. Nick confirmed that IFC tends to take the classic journals which are mostly chemistry based.
John Galvin, FI (UK) reported that as part of setting the standards for fire investigation they are transferring to professional bodies with an increase in their accreditation in various areas. They have met with the Forensic Regulator because of concerns on professional competences. The structure being set up reflects that of NEBOSH using CPD/training and maintenance of competence.
The Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists has a Bulletin Board with a recalls database as mentioned above. Accreditation compared with the system of training assesses educational expertise or technical knowledge. A Certified Fire Investigator can practice full time for 4 years and 5 if only part time, and then every three years assessed after further technical training and examination – this is not a tick box exercise. FI (UK) exploring the use of detailed reports on an individual’s experience. The discussions with the Forensic Regulator have to go through particular stages. The new IAAI parent branch uses www.CFITrainer.net online training courses using e-learning – running 2-4 hours to get a CPD credit. This is cost effective training providing short courses with lots of good facets and covers overlaps with safety issues for example. Members get thrice yearly newsletters containing individual experiences and a means of sharing information. Newsletters also go to Journal editors. CFIs may have two membership levels.
Sheila Pantry reported various activities:
On International World Day on Safety and Health – 28 April 2014 the website History of Occupational Safety and Health www.historyofosh.org.uk which she and her company has developed with RoSPA’s National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC) was launched. The website does included fire and fire related information sources and covers reviews/legislation/links to full texts/standard specifications/memorial sites and the developments from the 1802 Factory Act. It lists many full text books, reports, legislation – the earliest full text book listed is De Re Metallica – hazards of working with metals which was published in 1556! You can digitally turn over the pages!
OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com electric collection of 26 databases on all aspects of fire, health and safety at work is enlarging daily and currently contains 1,118,060 records including over 90,300 full text documents covering legislation, reports, research reports, journal articles, codes of practice, advice and guidance etc. Perhaps bigger in content than most information centres. Used by organisations, government information centres, fire and rescue services, universities and specialists worldwide. User friendly subscriptions available. Also the opportunity to have a 15 day free of charge with no obligations trial is offered www.sheilapantry.com/interest
Sheila is a member of the Fire Research and Statistics User Group (FRSUG) and runs the website which contains many links to fire statistics and related sources plus minutes and other news items see website www.frsug.org
She has written an article for British Safety Council’s Safety Management celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It is entitled Information and the wonders of technology see https://sm.britsafe.org/information-and-wonders-technology
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) www.fia.uk.com seeks to maintain professional standing in the UK fire safety industry. It is a not-for-profit trade association.
Meeting closed at 4.00 pm.
Dates of next Meetings
Please Note change of date… Pre-Christmas lunch/meeting Wednesday, 3 December 2014. Venue will be sorted.
FIG meeting Wednesday, 18 March 2015 venue to be announced.