4 minute read
Talking Point
WIRELESS WATCH: SUPPORTING PUBLIC SECTOR BUILDINGS WITH TEMPORARY FIRE SAFETY ALTERNATIVES
In the aftermath of the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, interim safety arrangements, such as waking watches, came into place for the hundreds of buildings in the UK laden with the same dangerous cladding. Nearly four years on, residents in these properties are still relying on temporary measures in case a fire breaks out. Adam Jurka, National Sales Manager at wireless solutions firm Ramtech, explains how temporary wireless measures are supporting fire safety.
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Adam Jurka is the UK Sales Manager at Ramtech where he is responsible for leading the national sales arm of the business and developing new project opportunities
As soon as the role that cladding had played in the tragedy at Grenfell Tower became apparent, it was clear something needed to be done about the numerous other buildings across the UK that now posed an evident, imminent fire risk.
Official figures illustrate the scale of the problem – there are about 300 tower blocks over 18m in height with ‘Grenfellstyle’ cladding in England alone, all waiting to be made safe. But this is only the tip of the iceberg as it doesn’t include the Government’s estimated 1700 buildings over 18m that have other systems known to be dangerous – such as timber, high-pressure laminate and polystyrene cladding and insulation systems.
This has meant that the initial interim fire safety arrangements for the temporary, short-term management and mitigation from the risk of fire – intended to be in place only until replacement of the cladding could be carried out – have become the de facto fire regulations for thousands of residents living in the affected buildings.
A waking nightmare
Short-term measures, such as waking watches, are costing local authorities in the public sector huge sums. Camden Council, for example, spent more than £10.2m on waking watches across nine blocks from June 2017 to December 2019. At its most basic, waking watches or fire warden patrols involve a person or team patrolling buildings, then alerting residents to evacuate should they become aware of a fire.
Once the new Building Safety Bill proceeds through parliament, this will create a clear, proportionate framework for the design, construction and management of safer, high-quality homes in the years to come. The onus right now, however, is to better support buildings with dangerous cladding while the funding is secured and the removal is facilitated. Wireless watch
Beyond waking watches, the most commonly-used method of alert is a fire alarm system operating throughout the building.
The debate around fire alarms has taken even greater weight since the latest updates to the National Fire Chiefs Council guidance on simultaneous evacuation, which emphasises the need to consider the installation of common fire alarms where the current, temporary measures are now, or are likely to be, in place for the longer term.
The installation of traditional, wired fire alarm systems have long been a challenge for the supply
chain, but as technology has further advanced, wireless fire alarm systems have become increasingly reliable, adaptable and cost effective.
As this has happened, wireless systems have gradually overcome their initial limitations – such as poor battery life and connectivity issues – to become the most appropriate way of guarding a building in case of fire, with their benefits far outweighing those provided by wired systems.
Alongside being more highly tuned to smoke and heat changes than traditional systems, the ease of installation and the lack of adverse effect on the other fire safety provisions in the building mean that wireless sensors are incredibly reliable in a crisis situation and introduce vital automation to an outdated approach.
The system in the building is, however, just one piece of the puzzle. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has meant that connected devices can be brought together on one virtual platform, allowing systems such as wireless fire alarms to be managed simply and effectively.
This can be especially effective when building managers, such as those working for multiple housing and building blocks in local authorities, need to collate all relevant information in one place and ensure that the lines of communication are swift, clear and effective.
Public sector building owners can install dust-resistant smoke and heat detectors that automatically identify fire risks, which then connect to an automated platform that can instantly raise the alarm to site managers, enabling them to take action, making the blaze more manageable and, in turn, helping to avoid serious damage and preventing potential loss of life.
In any emergency, these systems can make all relevant personnel aware of the situation as soon as possible, as well as using cloud-based data and simple-to-use mobile to issue real-time alerts to those who may be at risk and the people who can act on the hazards as they occur.
A lesson learned?
The Grenfell Tower tragedy cast a harsh light on the fire safety industry, and the repercussions will be felt for many years to come. As the sector navigates its way through this trying time and the long-term solutions are found, public sector buildings managers must continue to prioritise safety, with wireless fire system solutions being one of the valuable temporary measures to explore.
