Learning from incidents IFE AGM and Conference 2014 Intelligent Engineering Reducing Risk 25 th and 26 th June 2014 Stratford on Avon Martin Shipp Technical Development Director, Fire Safety BRE Part of the BRE Trust
The fire knowledge pool Research Near misses Fire investigation Knowledge Fire statistics Risk assessment findings Guides and codes Education, training Enforcers Practice The Responsible The Person/ Responsible fire risk assessor Person Research Designers Fire Engineers Community Fire safety fire education safety
Where does our understanding and practice come from? What we know now: how we do things now No Does it work? Yes Why alter it? There is a better way to do it
Where does our understanding and practice come from? Too much property lost No Damage to the environment or heritage Safety measures cost too much! What we know now: how we do things now Too many lives lost Does it work? Causing too much business interruption Something we just didn t notice, or forgot! Yes Why alter it?
The knowledge helix 3 rd party 3 rd Certification party or recommendations certification What we know What we know now What we do now Test Test standard or standard guidance Test development How good are we at this? Where do the reports go? Research An accident An investigation Report of findings Coroner s report
Penhallow Hotel fire 18 August 2007
Applying the lessons: BS 9999:2008 BS 9999 gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management and use of buildings to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around buildings Is applicable to the design of new buildings, and to alterations, extensions and changes of use of an existing building. Provides guidance on the ongoing management of fire safety in a building throughout the entire life cycle of the building. Provides guidance for designers to ensure that the overall design of a building assists and enhances the management of fire safety.
Comparison DD 9999: 2005 9.3.5.6 Continuity of compartment construction 9.3.5.6.2 Protected shafts Spaces that connect compartments, such as stairways and service shafts, should be protected to restrict fire and smoke spread between the compartments. Any walls or floors bounding a protected shaft are deemed to be compartment walls or floors. Any external wall to a protected shaft does not need to be a compartment wall, but some fire resistance might be needed (see 9.3.5.6.3). A section of roof over a protected shaft does not need to be a compartment floor. BS 9999: 2008 32.5.6.2 Protected shafts 32.5.6.2.1 General Spaces that connect compartments, such as stairways and service shafts, should be protected to restrict fire and smoke spread between the compartments. Any walls or floors bounding a protected shaft are deemed to be compartment walls or floors. Any external wall to a protected shaft does not need to be a compartment wall, but some fire resistance might be needed (see 32.5.6.2.2). A section of roof over a protected shaft does not need to be a compartment floor.
Comparison DD 9999: 2005 9.3.5.6.3 Protected stairways A stair linking one compartment to another should be in a protected shaft. A stair between two or more storeys in the same compartment should be a protected stairway, if the entrances to it at each level are to be treated as storey exits. Where a protected stairway projects beyond, or is recessed from, or is an internal angle of, the adjoining external wall of the building, then the distance between any unprotected area in the external enclosures to the building and any unprotected area in the enclosure to the stairway, should be at least 1.8 m (see 9.6.4). The enclosure of a protected stairway should have a fire resistance of not less than 30 min when tested in accordance with BS 476-21 or BS 476-22, or the European equivalents BS EN 1363, BS EN 1364 or BS EN 1365. The enclosure of a protected shaft containing a stairway should meet the relevant compartment standard or the standard for fire-fighting shafts (see BS 5588-5). BS 9999: 2008 32.5.6.3 Protected stairways A stair linking one compartment to another should be in a protected shaft. A stair between two or more storeys in the same compartment should be a protected stairway, if the entrances to it at each level are to be treated as storey exits. Where a protected stairway projects beyond, or is recessed from, or is an internal angle of, the adjoining external wall of the building, then the distance between any unprotected area in the external enclosures to the building and any unprotected area in the enclosure to the stairway, should be at least 1.8 m (see 36.4). The enclosure of a protected stairway should have a fire resistance of not less than 30 min when tested in accordance with BS 476-21 or BS 476-22, or the European equivalents BS EN 1363, BS EN 1364 or BS EN 1365. The fire resistance performance of the enclosure of a protected shaft containing a stairway should be the same as the fire resistance performance of the compartment.
BS 9999: 2008 32.5.6.2.2 Fully enclosed or partially enclosed courtyard spaces Some fully enclosed or partially enclosed vertical courtyard spaces or voids, such as light-wells or external facing walls of a single building (e.g. recesses), may also incorporate vertical or horizontal compartment boundaries. A fire in one compartment which breaks out into the void (e.g. from a window or other non-fire resisting element) can therefore spread fire across or over the vertical or horizontal compartment boundaries, where facing or adjoining re-entrant walls are close to each other. Any fully enclosed or partially enclosed vertical courtyard spaces with facing walls within 5 m of each other and where vertical or horizontal compartmentation is bounded by the space, should be treated as protected shafts unless the building is sprinkler-protected throughout. Any fully enclosed or partially enclosed vertical courtyard spaces with adjoining re-entrant walls where vertical or horizontal compartmentation lines within 5 m of each other are bounded by the space, should be treated as protected shafts unless the building is sprinkler-protected throughout. NOTE For more complex geometries refer to BR 187 [36] or CIBSE Guide E [37].
Atherstone-on-Stour Four Operational Bulletins issued by Warwickshire FRS via CFOA following experimental work: Limitations and effectiveness of gas cooling Insulating properties of non-combustible sandwich panels Sudden and rapid fire development Hanging cable hazards from surface mounted conduit and trunking
Knowledge dissemination So how are the lessons that are from, or derive from, fire investigations disseminated (in the UK)?
How do communicate findings? Several groups, fora and associations which discuss issues regarding fire investigation and fire safety Is the information reaching the stakeholders?
Clients Design Architects, designers, fire safety engineers, specifiers, insurers Fire Investigation membership bodies Construction Prime contractor, service engineers, supervisors, construction, manufacturers, demolition Users: owners The Responsible Person, fire safety managers, fire risk assessors occupiers, occupants, facility managers, safety officers, security staff, maintenance engineers Regulators, approvers and enforcers: Govt., BCOs, AIs, FSOs, HSE, EHOs Incident/ post-incident: Fire fighters, FRS investigators, Police, CSIs, forensic scientists, insurance investigators, lawyers FSF FI WS APF IFE FI SIG CFOA SSG IAAI (UK AFI)
Clients Design Architects, designers, fire safety engineers, specifiers, insurers Construction Prime contractor, service engineers, supervisors, construction, manufacturers, demolition Users: owners The Responsible Person, fire safety managers, fire risk assessors occupiers, occupants, facility managers, safety officers, security staff, maintenance engineers Regulators, approvers and enforcers: Govt., BCOs, AIs, FSOs, HSE, EHOs Incident/ post-incident: Fire fighters, FRS investigators, Police, CSIs, forensic scientists, insurance investigators, lawyers Other bodies Forensic FSF FI Regulator WS Skills for Justice APF ENFIP ENFSI FI WG IFE NFPA FI SIG Universities CFOA SSG IAAI (UK AFI)
Knowledge dissemination So how are the lessons that are from, or derive from, fire investigations disseminated? Stakeholder organisations Journal articles and e-newsletters Word of mouth Research reports Inquiry reports, Coroner s reports Conferences (like this), seminars and CPD events Standards and guidance Web-based knowledge exchanges
Emerging issues Highly-insulated buildings Accommodation in sheds and garages Hoarding Mobility scooters PVs Biomass boilers Recycling depots CE marking E-cigarettes Lithium-ion batteries
Hoarding
CE Marking
PV systems With the permission of Bodo Wolters
Conclusions Findings from fire investigations are needed to support and refresh our existing knowledge base and ongoing research work, provide an essential link to events in the "real world"; ensure the maximum confidence in our understanding of fire, fire safety, and in guidance. Findings from actual fire incidents are needed to underpin all aspects of fire safety: it is important that we maintain and develop the dialogue between fire investigators, fire scientists, fire engineers, fire risk assessors and fire safety officers.
Conclusions Need to ensure that Fire and Rescue Authorities make a business case for fire investigation and give it appropriate importance. Need to provide an independent centre for all agencies and organisation to interact. There is a need for a fast clearing house for generic findings. Can the IFE provide this? Need for IFE to engage with other relevant bodies, in particular CFOA and FSF. Routine and systematic feedback is essential to underpin, and constantly improve, fire safety.
Fire Investigation Do FRSs have to justify fire investigation? Make a business case? fire investigation will have to compete for limited resources by presenting its own business case that reminds everyone of its value and importance It is important that people who operate at a strategic level recognise the valuable contribution of fire investigation in reducing community, employee and corporate risk, and therefore continue to invest in its future. Brian Tregunna A case for investigation FP/FEJ September 2007
Thank you Martin Shipp Technical Development Director, Fire Safety BRE Global Limited, Bucknalls Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX, UK T: +44 (0) 1923 664960 F: +44 (0) 1923 664910 E: shippm@bre.co.uk W: www.bre.co.uk/fire