fig leaves

The newsletter of the Fire Information Group UK (FIG UK)

www.figuk.org.uk

No. 54
March 2017

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 22 March 2017
• 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

London Fire Brigade (LFB) reissues hoverboard blaze warning following child death in US

15 March 2017

LFB are reissuing their hoverboard fire warning after a girl died in a blaze, which began before 2000 on Friday 10 March 2017 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA and is thought to be the first death in the US as a result from a blaze caused by the battery operated toy.

The blaze, which began before 2000 on Friday 10 March 2017 in Harrisburg. The girl’s father and a teenage boy were both treated for smoke inhalation and released shortly thereafter, and two other girls who had been in the house remain in critical condition according to CNN.

Major safety concerns have been raised about the batteries, plugs, cables and chargers within some of the hoverboards on sale. Since October 2015 the Brigade have attended eight fires caused by hoverboards.

‘Could be unsafe and pose a fire risk’

Charlie Pugsley, Head of Fire Investigation at the Brigade, said:

“Hoverboards might be the ‘must-have’ present but we have serious concerns that some products on sale which are non compliant, could be unsafe and pose a fire risk.

“We’d recommend using the National Trading Standards product safety checklist and keeping an eye on the Electrical Safety First’s recall list.

“If you already own a hoverboard or are going to buy one as a present never leave it charging unattended and do not charge it overnight.

“It’s also important to ensure your home is fitted with a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is to have those linked together.

“This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home.”

In October 2015, two men were lucky to escape alive from a fire at a house in Morden that started while a hoverboard was on charge. The men escaped via a first floor window after being alerted to the blaze by a ‘banging’ noise and were lucky to have not have suffered serious injury.

Event: IOSH 2017

20–21 November 2017, ICC, Birmingham

Advance notice for 2017 – New venue, new date

Save the date and help IOSH shape the future.

Register your interest in attending, speaking and sponsoring IOSH 2017.

Fire Research and Statistics Users Group (FRSUG) website

FIG UK Members may be interested in the various presentations, statistics and other sources of statistics which are available in website www.frsug.org

Call for ban on Sky Lanterns

Farming union NFU Scotland has called on Scottish councils to put a sky lantern ban in place. Across the UK, there have been many reports of fires started by lanterns and allegations of harm to the health of livestock when lanterns have landed in farmers’ fields and been eaten. There is a further risk to stock when grass is cut and ensiled for winter feed, and the wire is chopped up and subsequently contained in hay or silage.

Following lobbying which has taken place since October 2016, seven local authorities have now banned the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on their land.

However, the union says there is still much work to do, as 17 councils have yet to take action.

Ahead of bonfire night last year, the union wrote to all of Scotland’s councillors of those local authorities which did not have bans in place, to call on them to help protect farms, crofts and the countryside.

www.nfus.org.uk/news

Event: Boat Safety Fire Safety Week

29 May – 4 June 2017

The aim of Boat Fire Safety Week is to raise awareness of how boaters on both coastal and inland waterways can prevent fire and CO incidents and how to plan to react if an incident occurs.

Fire and rescue authorities can support this by engaging with boaters to promote the safety messages published in the Fire Kills/BSS Fire Safety on Boats and the BSS/CoGDEM Carbon Monoxide Safety on Boats leaflets – both freely available from the BSS website www.boatsafetyscheme.org

Recent Book – Great Fire of London: cold case investigation

This book has been authored by the Worshipful Company of Firefighters to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of the 1666 Great Fire of London.

Entitled “Great Fire of London: cold case investigation”.

Copies can be obtained from the Worshipful Company of Firefighters – see http://shop.firefighterscompany.org

Event: The Future of Blue-Light Services

Tuesday, 18 July 2017, Central London

Assessing the Policing and Crime Act and Embedding Collaboration in Every Area

Over recent years we have witnessed a significant shift in the risks and demands facing our emergency services. In the decade leading up to 2013, incidents requiring the attendance of fire and rescue services dropped 40% whilst police recorded crime underwent a similarly marked decline. Ambulance services conversely find themselves under unprecedented strain, with the Department of Health response time target of reaching 75% of category A calls within 8 minutes being missed every month since January 2014. Indeed, in March 2016 only 66.5% of category A calls were reached within this time.

In response to the growing pressures on blue-light services, collaboration between each of the services has been increasingly encouraged in order to alleviate pressures on individual departments. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 identifies collaboration as a priority for blue-light Services mainly by allowing Police and Crime Commissioners to take control of Fire and Rescue Authorities. Collaboration is an integral part of producing strong blue-light services but there have been doubts as to whether amalgamating different sectors will be beneficial to the service. With many PCCs such as South Yorkshire and Surrey already considering joining both departments, this symposium will offer an opportunity to consider the potential impact this may have on blue-light services.

Moreover, it is clear that emergency services still face critical challenges undertaking the transformation demanded by Government, and in continuing to ensure public safety and health. Average response times to both dwelling and building fires increased in 2015/16, whilst we have seen an increase in fire deaths over the last year. Equally, recent terrorist attacks in Europe have sharpened the public’s focus upon the police forces’ ability to deal with a similar incident in the UK.

In light of these recent political developments, this symposium provides a timely opportunity for local authorities, ambulance trusts, police organisations and fire and rescue services to discuss how they can respond to these statutory changes and work together in the interests of improving effectiveness, efficiency and public safety.

The event will also provide all relevant partners with the opportunity to consider the implications of the UK’s decision to leave the EU upon the delivery of blue-light services.

Delegates will:

• Evaluate the implications of the Policing and Crime Bill upon emergency services in England
• Consider how blue light services can be better integrated to improve interoperability and efficiency
• Explore how barriers to collaboration can be overcome and joint service delivery maximised
• Determine ways in which innovative technologies can be seamlessly embedded to improve responsiveness across blue light services
• Analyse new and emerging threats to public safety and health and how emergency services can work together to address them
• Understand new funding changes and consider its potential impact on emergency services strategies
• Gain insights from existing successful collaborative projects between the services at the local level
• Have the opportunity to hear from and network with leading experts from across all emergency services departments

NB An offer a 20% early registration discount off the standard delegate rates (subject to type of organisation and terms and conditions) for bookings received by the 19th May 2017.

https://www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/event.php/?eventUID=HG18-PPE

New British Standards

BS EN 14986:2017

Design of fans working in potentially explosive atmospheres
January 2017

BS EN 1839:2017

Determination of the explosion limits and the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) for flammable gases and vapours
January 2017

BS EN 54-13:2017

Fire detection and fire alarm systems. Compatibility and connectability assessment of system components
February 2017

https://knowledge.bsigroup.com

New Book: Fire Investigator – Principles and Practice to NFPA 921 and 1033

Produced by International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI); International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2017 (Fourth Edition), 450 pages

ISBN 9781284098228

www.jblearning.com/catalog/9781284098228/

Diary of Events

28 April 2017 – International Workers’ Memorial Day
Worldwide
This year’s International Workers Memorial Day will focus on inequalities in occupational health and the role unions play in narrowing the inequalities gap. The TUC says this theme for the world’s largest health and safety campaign, held on 28 April each year, will allow unions to raise discrimination based on gender, race, origins and class, which have all been linked to higher rates of occupational disease and injury. It also allows unions to emphasis the unacceptable risks facing workers in the ‘gig’ economy, where the combination of poor conditions and job fear can amplify risks.

10-12 May 2017 – Hazards 27
Birmingham, UK
Contact: ICheme | Tel: +44 (0)1788 534442 | hazards27@icheme.org | https://www.icheme.org/career/events

22-24 May 2017 – Managing Chemical Exposures at Workplaces
Helsinki area, Finland
Contact: NIVA, Arinatie 3A, FI-00370, Helsinki, Finland | Email: info@niva.org | https://niva.org/courses

23-24 May 2017 – Comprehensive Explosion Science
London, United Kingdom
Contact: IChemE, Courses Department | Tel: +44 (0)1788 534431 | Email: courses@icheme.org | https://www.icheme.org/career/training

20-22 June 2017 – Facilities Show 2017
Excel, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK
Contact: http://events.ubm.com/event/3703/facilities-show-2017

20-22 June 2017 – FIREX International 2017
Excel, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK
Contact: http://events.ubm.com/event/3702/firex-international-2017

20-22 June 2017 – IFSEC 2017
Excel, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK
Contact: IFSEC | http://events.ubm.com/event/3700/ifsec-international-2017

20-22 June 2017 – Safety and Health Expo 2017
Excel, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK
Contact: http://events.ubm.com/event/3699/safety--health-expo

20-22 June 2017 – Service Management Expo 2017
Excel, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK
Contact: http://events.ubm.com/event/3704/service-management-expo-2017

27-29 June 2017 – 7th China (Guangzhou) International Fire Safety Exhibition
Poly World Trade Center Expo Hall, No. 1000, Xingang East Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510335 China
Contact: Guangdong Council for the Promotion of International Trade | Tel: +86 2085640459 | http://www.cfe.cn.com

28-29 June 2017 – 2 Day Expert Hazard Awareness Course
Spadeadam, Cumbria, UK
Contact: DNVGL | www.dnvgl.com/training/expert-hazard-awareness-training-2-days--9723

3-6 September 2017 – XXI World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2017
Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Contact: http://www.safety2017singapore.com

7 September 2017 – ASFE 2017: Applications of Structural Fire Engineering
Manchester, UK
Contact: MACE Secretary | Email: ASFE2017@manchester.ac.uk | www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/our-research/seminars/asfe

10-12 September 2017 – CONFAB 2017: Structural Safety under Fire and Blast Loading
London, UK
Contact: CONFAB 2017 | www.fireandblast.co.uk

18 October 2017 – FIG UK “Mind the Gap Seminar 2017”
Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London
Contact: www.figuk.org.uk/conferences/2017

See also www.oshworld.com/diary for dates for many other seminars, conferences and training courses

Abbreviated Summary of the FIG UK Meeting held on Wednesday 22 March 2017
at the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, 169 Union Street, London

Present:

Sheila Pantry OBE	Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd
Sally Walsh	Burgoyne Management Ltd
Nick Fry	International Fire Consultants (IFC)
Paula McCrudden	Hawkins
David Washer	Boat Safety Scheme (BSS)
Penny Morgan
Enda Rooney	University of Greenwich, Fire and Safety Office
Matthew Sinclair	Swiftclean Building Services

Apologies:

David Lane	Lane, Jefferies & Associates Ltd
Marian Bodian	Building Research Establishment (BRE)
Julie Farrugia	West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
Caroline Windle	Fire Protection Association (FPA)
Alyson Warner	DCLG
Peter Mansi	Fire Investigations (UK) LLP
Adair Lewis	Adair Lewis Fire Safety Management

1. Welcome

Sheila welcomed everyone and especially the two new members present Enda Rooney, University of Greenwich, Fire and Safety Office and Matthew Sinclair, Swiftclean Building Services.

Sheila thanked Andy Mobbs of London Fire Brigade for arranging for the meeting to take place at LFB Headquarters.

2. Apologies

See above list.

4. Minutes of the last meeting

Held on 8 September 2016 at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London and also the Abbreviated Minutes with the Newsletter were accepted.

3. Accounts 2017 and Membership Fee for 2017

FIG UK Accounts at 12 March 2017 (end of financial year is 12 August 2017) were circulated to Members by Sally Walsh – FIG UK Treasurer and Membership officer at the meeting.

Thanks to Sally for this updated Accounts information.

It was agreed that the 2017 Membership fee should remain at £20.00 per member.

2018 membership fee will be discussed at the September 2017 FIG UK meeting.

4. Membership – new recruits

ACTIONS:

Agreed that all Members would continue to endeavour to encourage others to join FIG UK. Details of aims and objectives are list on www.figuk.org.uk

Sally had set up a FIG UK Facebook and also a FIG UK LinkedIn and reported back to the meeting.

She will also add new 2017 FIG UK Seminar details.

5. FIG UK Seminar

FIG UK Seminar to be held on 18 October 2017 at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London

1. The draft Seminar programme was accepted. Since then the programme has been completed – with one speaker to be finally confirmed. All details – the programme, speakers, subject topics and contact/booking details below. The Seminar details have been added to the FIG UK website see www.figuk.org.uk/conferences/2017

   FIG UK Seminar

   “Mind the Gap in Fire Information: Update 2017”

   Wednesday 18 October 2017 starting at 13.15

   Location: Senate Room, Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London

   This seminar is kindly sponsored by Lane, Jefferies & Associates Ltd and Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd

   12.30 – 13.15	Registration
   13.15 – 13.25	Introduction by Chair Sheila Pantry OBE Updating “Mind the Gap in Fire Information” Setting the scene – FIG UK and fire information worldwide
   13.25 – 13.55	Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell BRE Global Fire Research and new trends also where to keep up to date in information
   13.55 – 14.25	Gary Nicholls, Swiftclean Building Services Kitchen Extract Systems and Fire Safety Management also where to keep up to date in information
   14.25 – 14.55	Stewart Kidd, Loss Prevention Consultancy Law of unintended consequences also where to keep up to date in information
   14.55 – 15.15	Break
   15.15 – 15.45	Electrical Safety First ESF major work, fires and product recalls, drones, e-cigarettes and also where to keep up to date in information
   15.45 – 16.15	Charlie Pugsley Head of Fire Investigations, London Fire Brigade (LFB) New trends, new materials used in buildings, high rise buildings and fires and also where to keep up to date in information
   16.15 – 16.45	Professor Ed Galea, University of Greenwich Fire Safety Engineering Group Recent research projects and also where to keep up to date in information To be confirmed
   16.45 – 17.00	Q&A Summing up – Chairman
   17.00 – 18.00	Networking & Complimentary Refreshments in The Imperial Hotel 1st Floor Bar

   Seminar Delegate Rates

   £30 – FIG UK members

   £40 – IFE members

   £50 – Other delegates

   To book a place or for any further information, contact:

   Sheila Pantry OBE Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com | www.sheilapantry.com

   As well as the announcement details above a banner advert has been put on various pages of the FIG UK web site and have been added onto a number of other websites main pages.

2. Sheila asked all FIG UK Members to promote the Seminar to their own list of contacts and perhaps add on their own organisations’ websites.

   Sheila will send out details to the following:

   All FRSUG Members and corresponding Members – about 70 contacts;

   Delegates who had attended the last 2 seminars:

   Contacts at IOSH including the Fire Group Chairman

   IFPO

   Entering details on FIG UK website and also OSHWORLD Diary www.oshworld.com/diary

   Sending to various Fire and Health and Safety journals

   Sending also to various University contacts who teach fire sciences.

3. The Seminar delegate fees agreed as follows:

   £30 – FIG UK members

   £40 – IFE members

   £50 – Other delegates

6. FIG UK Members Directory

All members are asked to check that their entry in the FIG UK Directory is up to date and send any alterations to Sheila please. See www.figuk.org.uk/directory.html

Sheila reminds All Members to send in any News to her at any time so that she can add to the continual stream of information regularly sent to FIG UK Members.

7. Round Table Discussion

Sally Walsh, Burgoynes reported

That she attended the Electrical Safety First Parliamentary Reception, 4 pm – 6 pm, 22 November 2016, Dining Room A, House of Commons, London, UK.
Her colleague Katherine Scoot attended the Electrical Safety First Electrical Product Safety Conference on 27th October 2016 at Church House, Westminster.

Paula McCrudden, Hawkins reported

that she is currently carrying out external audits in various Hawkins offices. Plus a new round of library visits. She is also still looking for any recalls for white goods and will send any new information to FIG UK. Hawkins now has 8 offices in the UK, and offices in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Matthew Saunders, Swiftclean reported

that Swiftclean is carrying out training courses for London Fire Brigade and also for Local Authorities.

Enda Rooney, University of Greenwich, Fire and Safety Office reported

that the University of Greenwich has a lot of Heritage buildings across the campus therefore fire prevention including surveillance out of hours was paramount.

Dave Washer, Boat Safety Scheme reported

that a Boat Safety Week is to be held 29 May – 4 June 2017 see www.boatsafetyscheme.org

The Fire Kills campaign is again working with the BSS to help raise awareness of fire/CO safety on boats and in the boating community.

The aim of Boat Fire Safety Week is to raise awareness of how boaters on both coastal and inland waterways can prevent fire and CO incidents and how to plan to react if an incident occurs Fire and rescue authorities can support this by engaging with boaters to promote the safety messages published in the Fire Kills/BSS Fire Safety on Boats and the BSS/CoGDEM Carbon Monoxide Safety on Boats leaflets – both freely available from the BSS website

Penny Morgan reported

that she was no longer engaged in the job looking at the small collection from 1947 of Historical Data from the Fire Research Station. She drew attention to previous fire research work in the UK such as that done by the BRE and the many reports that were written.

Nick Fry, International Fire Consultants Ltd (IFC Ltd) reported

International Fire Consultants Ltd., are currently engaged in a drive to encourage more during construction fire safety inspections. This is to ensure that the fire safety facilities provided, by the building contractor on hand over, provides suitably installed, and where applicable suitable programmed, passive and active fire safety systems. This drive is in response to many, often severe, problems being identified in buildings (e.g. hospitals, schools, blocks of flats etc.) many of which contain sleeping risk.

Regarding passive fire safety provisions, IFC are specially emphasising the need for attention to be focused on the suitability of penetration sealing systems plus the correct installation of fire resistant boarding systems.

Penetration sealing systems

Typical problems include inadequately designed, installed and/or damaged, if any, penetration sealing systems and/or inadequate support of services passing via soft penetration sealing systems to one or both sides of the compartment wall/partition in which they are installed.

Fire resisting boarding systems, including pattresses

Typical problems include inadequate screw fixings or screws installed too close to board edges (causing the edge, in the proximity of the screw/s, to break away effectively leave no fixing/s remaining). During fire exposure, boards and/or pattresses are expected to shrink on fire exposure side, causing affected board edges to distort thus allowing fire gasses to pass which is likely to cause compartmentation failure before the relevant design fire resistant period has been reached.

IFC recommends adequate during construction checking of compartmentation, including penetration sealing systems, by competent persons who have a full understanding of the fire safety strategy and especially the minimum agreed fire performance for each element of compartmentation.

Active fire safety provisions

Concerning active fire safety provisions, IFC regularly witnessed the inaccurate programming of both inputs and outputs, and in many cases a lack of input and/or output equipment, of active fire safety systems. Inaccurate provision and subsequent programming is likely to undermine the fire safety strategy for the premises during fire emergencies. Active fire safety provisions should be provided and programmed in accordance with the, fire safety strategy harmonised, cause and effect matrix.

IFC recommends adequate, during construction, live checking of active fire safety systems by competent persons who have a full understanding of the fire safety strategy as well as the cause and effect matrix.

Recommended action for FIG UK to obtain and file data on at least the following topics:

IFC also recommends that FIG UK should consider accumulating data, as far as possible, on the following topics due to the perceived need for accurate data during this time of massive change (the UK and elsewhere is undergoing) for future statistical analysis:

• Fire deaths and serious injuries due to fire – fire deaths listed as on the rise ¹. Is this a blip or the beginning of one or more trend/s?
• Changes affecting the criteria used for deciding adequate escape widths – e.g. aging population and increased obesity ²
• Collapse, and or partial collapse, of buildings utilising lightweight structural steel frames and/or elements ³

¹ FBU, Firefighter, Feb/March 17, Page 4

² IFE IFP Journal, Feb 17, ISSN 2050-8638, Page 29

³ IFE IFP Journal, Feb 17, ISSN 2050-8638, Page 31

ACTION

Discussions took place in the meeting and ALL members are encouraged to report in any information to be shared within FIG UK.

Sheila Pantry, Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd reported the following items:

1. Fire Research and Statistics User Group

   Sheila is a long time member of the Fire Research and Statistics User Group (FRSUG) and runs and hosts their website which contains many links to fire statistics and related sources plus minutes and other news items.

   FIG UK members are reminded that they have free access to www.frsug.org for all minutes, presentations, statistics, links and updates. There are many interesting presentations which FIG UK Members may be interested in.

   Sheila also runs and hosts the FIG UK website www.figuk.org.uk. There are cross links to/from FRSUG and FIG UK websites.

   Kirsty Bosley Chair FRSUG since 2011 stepped down from the role and the new Chair is Andy Mobbs of London Fire Brigade.

2. 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 last year. 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 translated into English pages! Making workplaces safer and healthier is NOT NEW!

   ACTION: Members are requested to check it out and if they can contribute by providing fire related documents or references – please send to sp@sheilapantry.com

3. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

   2017 is RoSPA’s Centenary year and the organisation is celebrating its many achievements. See www.rospa.com

4. OSH UPDATE + FIRE electronic service

   This long established electronic service (well into the second decade) is a special collection of OSH and fire legislation, guidance and advice and much more! If you need information on new developments, innovations, ways of working, latest research and training?

   Daily you will need to quickly gain access to legislation, guidance and advice that is constantly being up-to-date and relevant. Your first port of call is to an aggregation of 26 databases collected together in an electronic service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE that currently contains over 1,137,891 records including over 103,000 full text documents from worldwide sources! It is constantly update and arguably – especially at the subscription price the best collective source of information in the world. There are over half a million fire and fire related records in OSH UPDATE + FIRE.

   The databases and contents are from worldwide class organisations such as the US NIOSH, the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and many more similar organisations.

   OSH UPDATE + FIRE is easily searchable by keywords, titles, journal names, standard number, authors, organisations, and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics including all aspects of fire and related fire topics, workplace health and safety and much more.

   Arguably the largest electronic collection in the world in these very wide subject areas from worldwide sources. Used worldwide by:

   • Fire fighters
   • Management in a wide range of industries and governmental departments
   • Lecturers, trainers and students in universities colleges
   • Inspectors, Consultants, Professionals
   • Information services and libraries
   • OSH and FIRE EXPERTS including Fire and Research Services

   So help is at hand for those working in health, safety and fire and fire related industries that need quality information. These are brought together in an easy to use web service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com that is constantly updated.

   For a 15 DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

5. New Topic of interest – Robots including drones and firefighting

   Sheila asks if anyone has any information of the use of robots and drones in fire fighting to please send her details to sp@sheilapantry.com

News from Electrical Safety First

Electrical Safety First Parliamentary Reception was held at 4 pm – 6 pm, 22 November 2016, Dining Room A, House of Commons, London, UK.

This event follows on from Electrical Safety First Electrical Product Safety Conference on 27th October 2016 at Church House, Westminster.

The focus of ESF Reception was on Tackling Counterfeit Electrical Goods which is during the Fire Kills campaign Electrical Fire Safety Week and the fact it is in the run up to what is known as Black Friday the peak day for large offers on electronic goods via High Street stores and online. This is part of ESF work on the Digital Economy Bill currently starting its progress through Parliament.

ESF is aiming to spread the message to the government, and MPs, via the media and social media to ensure their constituents are protected from buying counterfeit electrical goods. The event was sponsored by Carolyn Harris MP and ESF was pleased that she was joined by the Home Office Minister for Policing and the Fire Service, Brandon Lewis MP.

Robert Jervis-Gibbons, Public Affairs Manager (UK & EU), Electrical Safety First, 45 Great Guildford Street, London, SE1 0ES | Office: 0203 463 5131 | Mobile: 079700 91373 | Email: Robert.Jervis-Gibbons@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

A.O.B.

Westminster Attack

As the meeting ended we were made aware by a LFB Staff Member of the actions in the Westminster area where a terrorist attacker killed three people when he drove his car into pedestrians walking along Westminster Bridge and then killed PC Keith Palmer outside the Houses of Parliament, before being shot dead by police. 50 more people were injured during the attack.

FIG UK Members were shocked and their sad thoughts were with the victims, their families and all the members of our Police Services, Fire and Rescue Services, Medical and Ambulance Services who daily strive to look after us all as we go about our daily work. We are grateful for their work.

Meeting closed at 4.15 pm.

Dates of next meetings

Next FIG UK meeting will be held on Wednesday, 6 September 2017 at 1 pm starting with lunch. Location to be announced.

FIG UK Mind the Gap Seminar 2017 – 1.15 pm, 18 October 2017 – at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London see details www.figuk.org.uk/conferences/2017