Increasingly frequent hot summers in the United Kingdom and fewer fire and rescue service resources are beginning to have an impact we couldn’t imagine a couple of decades ago. For those of us who work in the world of regulatory…
Soot, char and ash: more toxic than you think
When you think of charred wood, ash or soot, you might think that they are little more than harmless by-products of incomplete combustion. Afterall, haven’t people cooked their food and kept warm by burning wood in their stoves and fireplaces…
Wildfires – a time for change
Increasingly frequent hot summers in the United Kingdom and fewer fire and rescue service resources are beginning to have an impact we couldn’t imagine a couple of decades ago. For those of us who work in the world of regulatory…
Watermist at its turning point
Things have progressed well for watermist: there is a growing market for eco-friendly, sustainable products and the European Standard has now been published. Also, the list of applications has been getting longer and a research project could become a real…
Fire Departments stand down on the PFAS front
In Wisconsin, the Kenosha Fire Department stopped using a firefighting foam that contained PFAS chemicals known to contaminate ground water.1 The decision had been made in the fall of 2019. These types of foams are usually used in fighting fuel…
What’s needed to make our structures more fire resilient?
By 2050, the world’s population is set to grow to almost 10 billion and 68% are set to live in cities. With most locations already heavily populated, the additional housing, hospitals, schools, shops and infrastructure required will mean that ever…
Starting the year strong with GESA’s Equipment Exchange
We all know that Emergency Services departments and communities across the Global South struggle to get the equipment they need. Budgets are tight, procurements can be slow and inefficient, and the process for getting donated equipment can take years. At…
Fire-safety decisions affect the entire lifecycle of a building
Commissioning is an important part of a building’s fit-out and is where decisions related to its functions, fittings and performance all have to be made. Matters related to fire are also a critical consideration with the fire protection part of…
The advantages of a whole-systems approach to fire detection and alarm systems certification
Initially, I would like to look at what the latest EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 standard is and how it differs from previous versions of this standard. EN 54-13 was first published in 2005 and has since been adapted with a number of…
Protecting oil and gas in the Middle East
Fire is the greatest single threat to safety that oil refineries and plants face. It is therefore essential that quick-acting and reliable fire-suppression systems are in place to protect these personnel and assets. Fire-suppression systems are designed to extinguish fires…
Governments should tackle fire safety as a step to tackling climate change
It knows no geographical, socio-economic or political boundaries. It also has an immeasurable human impact, and affects the environment and global economy, but there are inconsistencies with how countries approach and manage fire risk, and this could have a major…
Embedding sustainable development goals in the DNA of Fire and Rescue Services
Fire & Rescue Services (FRS) organizations deliver complex services including fire-risk prevention, mitigation and incident response covering residential areas, buildings, industrial facilities, public infrastructure and natural resources such as forests and grassland. The purpose of a firefighting service is to…
How Safespill’s true respect for fire led to a holistic approach to environmentally safe fire protection
‘Most companies don’t like to talk about their failures, but you can’t develop new technology without them because failures are an important part of the process,’ said Tristan Mackintosh, founder and chief executive officer of Safespill. ‘Failures are windows of…
Essential fire protection for tall buildings
The UAE boasts some of the most architecturally advanced cities in the world, with Dubai alone boasting 20 of the world’s tallest 100 towers. These inspirational structures have prompted engineering breakthroughs that have changed construction forever, allowing buildings to reach…
The role of an expert witness
The consequences of fire can impact on a project or within the wider built environment at any time. In fact, the longest part of the lifecycle of a building (design, construction, in-use and demolition/reconstruction) is the in-use phase. Fire-safety issues…
Firefighter fatalities: Some positive signs from NFPA
NFPA recently released its annual “U.S. Firefighter Fatalities in the United States” report, which showed fewer than 50 U.S. firefighter fatalities while on duty in 2019, reflecting the lowest number of deaths reported since NFPA began conducting this study in…
The Beirut explosion; an inconvenient truth for the industry and authorities
The devastating explosion in the Beirut harbour area was a dramatic wake-up call for the industry and (port) authorities worldwide. The cataclysmic event strongly proves the need for proactive risk management regarding large-scale storage of ammonium nitrate and other extremely…