CROSS UK, an essential platform for collaborative reporting on fire and structural safety issues, has drawn attention to concerning incidents within care homes across the UK. These incidents point to a worrying lack of competence among maintenance staff, particularly in areas crucial for fire safety, such as fire door maintenance and the role of fire risk assessors.
Recent data from the Home Office's Incident Recording System (IRS) sheds light on fire and rescue operations throughout 2023. Spanning the last decade, these figures delve into response times, fatalities, and casualties. For the year concluding in December 2023, there were 269 fire-related deaths stemming from 250 fatal fires, a slight uptick from the preceding year's 257 fatalities in 238 fatal fires.
This technical bulletin delves into the repercussions of painting fire detection and fire alarm system cables, shedding light on its potential effects on cable integrity, fire resistance, and other hazards that may arise during a fire incident. While water-based paints pose less risk compared to oil-based ones, they still pose a threat to fire resistance and may release harmful gases.
The Fire Safety Event is dedicated to supporting industry professionals and organisations in improving and maintaining the highest standards in fire safety management. The 2024 Fire Safety Event will be at the NEC in Birmingham over Tuesday 30th April to Thursday 2nd May. Representatives from SS Systems will be in attendance and available for face to face meetings and discussions.
Recent data from NHS Digital unveils a troubling uptick in fire incidents documented by NHS trusts, with 1,372 fires logged in the 2022/23 timeframe. This reflects a notable spike of over 18% from the preceding year, equating to nearly four fires occurring daily across NHS premises.
The Safe Spaces initiative, introduced by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) last year to enhance the safety of retail environments for individuals in need of assistance, is expanding its scope to include private security organisations and individuals.
The Facade Special Interest Group, a collaboration between the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), has issued guidance on 'Proportionality and Risk in Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls (FRAEWs)' aligned with PAS 9980. This comprehensive document delves into crucial considerations surrounding risk acceptability and the proportional nature of remedial actions, in accordance with PAS 9980 recommendations.
The Co-op has raised an alarm over the soaring levels of crime, stating that incidents of retail crime have reached unprecedented heights, with a staggering 35% surge year on year. The retailer disclosed that over 175,000 incidents were documented in the initial half of the year, averaging nearly 1,000 incidents daily.
In a shocking development, two Directors of a West Bromwich based company, have been sentenced to prison for endangering residents' lives due to flagrant violations of fire safety regulations. This revelation, brought to light by the West Midlands Fire Service, underscores the severe repercussions of disregarding fire safety protocols.
The expanding market for electric bikes, scooters, and mopeds presents a positive trend in reducing carbon emissions, as studies indicate their low carbon footprint. However, this growth also brings attention to the electrical safety risks associated with electric two-wheelers.
