In my last blog post I wrote about the government’s proposed changes to the Building Regulations as they relate to fire and broadly welcomed them (the main concern is that the very sensible measures proposed for high-rise residential buildings should also be applied to their shorter cousins).

But principles are only as good as the way that they are applied, and in terms of fire protection, and of smoke protection in particular, the devil is certainly in the detail. If these systems are to work properly they have to be designed properly, installed properly and maintained properly. Sadly, this does not always happen. 

In the proposed changes to the building regulations discussed in our previous blog, there are two new roles connected with building safety. One is of the dutyholder, who takes responsibility for the design and construction of the systems that will make the building safe. The other is the accountable person, who is responsible for ensuring that systems are maintained properly.

Steam and humidity are by-products of many industrial production processes. But they can have an extremely negative effect on working conditions.

The Government has produced its consultation document on reforming building regulations relating to fire. This is in the wake of Dame Judith Hackitt’s report, which was a response to the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower.

While many know that they need to keep their smoke control systems maintained, a lot of building owners or operators are not fully aware of the details of what this should entail.

The first question that comes up when discussing a water based cooling system, such as evaporative cooling, is always about its safety and in particular about the control of legionella bacteria. In this article we will explain what you should be looking at if you are considering such a system, illustrating with examples of our approach to ensure that our evaporative cooling systems are safe.

Getting smoke control systems right is essential in a building, since the system should, in the event of a serious fire, save lives.

But it is not simple.

There are two only two types of car park – those that have already been built and those that are yet to be built, but there are many options for both smoke control and smoke clearance in these.

Maintaining the right temperatures and hygienic environments in buildings where food production takes place is of the utmost importance. In bakeries, using the right climate control solution can also affect the quality of the final product greatly.

Whether you are a property manager, facilities manager or building owner, there are strict regulations put in place with regards to smoke control maintenance to ensure that your buildings are safe.

The review from Dame Judith Hackitt concluded that the current legislation regarding fire safety equipment in the UK is not fit for purpose and that it needs to improve. Learning the best that we can from other countries while avoiding their shortcomings would be a good start. 

Ensuring high productivity and staff comfort and safety shouldn’t have to cost you the earth. Why then, is it always difficult to keep energy bills at acceptable levels when temperatures soar in the summer?

What are the responsibilities of the ‘responsible person’ when it comes to smoke control maintenance?  

The Government has produced an important piece of advice that is only three pages long and will tell you all the essentials you need to know. You can read it here. 

Are your climate control systems really still fit for purpose when it comes to enhancing comfort and production levels in the hot summer months?