Fire safety design support

The building industry is undergoing major regulatory reforms in the wake of the Grenfell Fire disaster with new licencing requirements for building control bodies and the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for high rise buildings. Fire safety is paramount and should be the first consideration at concept stages through to building occupation and maintenance thereafter. A fire safety strategy is a key report in any building’s safety documentation. This will allow the ‘responsible person’ to plan, manage and co-ordinate the appropriate fire safety precautions to minimise the risk of fire and keep the occupants safe. It also helps the fire risk assessor to establish any differences in the way the building is used, or how it has been adapted, compared to what is stated in the fire strategy which could impact upon life safety.

What is a fire strategy?

A fire strategy is a technical document that sets the basis for fire safety control measures from the design of a building. It is not a fire safety plan, or an evacuation plan/procedure. It is required to demonstrate compliance with Building Regulations, covering:

  • Fire detection and alarm systems
  • Means of Escape
  • Internal fire spread (linings and structure)
  • External fire spread
  • Accessibility and facilities provided for the fire service.

Typically, a fire strategy will be produced early on in the design stage of a building, in conjunction with architectural plans to gain regulatory approvals. The document will also provide details of permitted occupancy levels, travel distances, stair widths, compartmentation, and firefighting requirements.

The requirement for a fire strategy is not only applicable to new builds; they are also required for existing buildings. These are often known as ‘retrospective fire strategies’. As mentioned above, a fire strategy document forms the foundation on which the fire risk assessment is based.

Who should create a fire strategy?

Fire strategies should only be produced by qualified and competent fire engineers. Fire engineers must have advanced knowledge in the control and prevention of fire spread, and an in-depth understanding of building materials and equipment for both passive and active fire protection.

Details about our highly qualified and experienced Technical Team, and their accreditations can be found here

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Have you been asked for a third party review or survey?

Third party reviews (also called peer reviews) are often required in construction projects. This is because they can support submission paperwork under the building regulations, or help you understand and evaluate a submission that a third party has presented to you.

Marshall Fire’s team of fire engineering and surveying experts can offer third party fire system reviews for fire protection plans and specifications for strict compliance with UK codes and standards.

This review will also identify the key drivers for the design approach – be this legislation, life safety or asset protection and insurance – and will deliver an evaluation about the suitability of the design to provide stakeholder confidence.

There are different reasons why you may need a third party review of your fire systems. One could be because – as a regulator or other verifier – you need an expert assessment on understanding the intricate details of a submission document or system design. Often, the best and most appropriate way to do this is to hire an expert. You can contact one of Marshall Fire’s experts directly or email us info@marshallfire.co.uk.

Another reason could be because – as a project owner, architect or designer – you may have been presented with a third party fire system report, design or installation from a supplier and you would like it third party reviewed for complying with design codes and achieving the desired performance for the project. This could be in terms of life safety, asset protection (insurance) or operational continuity.

Why Marshall Fire for your third party review?

Our team of fire safety engineers have a wealth of experience working on a variety of large and small projects across the UK and internationally. This experience includes developing detailed cause and effect protocols interfacing fire detection and other active fire safety systems to achieve complex multi-layered protection and using various detection and suppression systems.

Fire Safety System Design Advice

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Fire safety design can sometimes be seen as a constraint to innovative building design, but it can also inspire creativity and new approaches. Many now utilise fire safety engineering rather than rely on approved guidance documents. This approach can enable architects to achieve innovative cost-effective designs while meeting the functional requirements of the Building Regulations.

Considering fire safety implications of new builds, construction or refurbishment projects at the concept design stage is crucial and our experts can provide advice in achieving your design aspirations by applying the following:

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Fire modelling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 
  • Risk assessments/analyses
  • Fire protection measures – active and passive
  • Structural fire precautions
  • Materials performance
  • Fire detection and suppression systems
  • Heat transfer to the structure
  • Smoke and heat ventilation systems

For some buildings, Fire Strategy is an afterthought and only addressed after design is complete. As such, some of your objectives can fail to be achieved because retrofitting a Fire Strategy can have adverse impacts on design and costs.

We have worked on several buildings where compliance with codes of practice cannot be achieved. In such instances our fire engineers provide a range of options for you to consider. While maintaining compliance with building regs. Our engineers always work closely with building control as part of this process.

Fire Safety Strategy Report

A Fire Safety Strategy Report conveys essential information relevant to the height and complexity of a building in order to achieve compliance with Schedule 1, Part B of the Building Regulations. The fire safety report is a working document that should be reviewed and updated as the building evolves, in accordance with the golden thread principles, to ensure that duty holders (accountable persons) can identify, understand, manage and mitigate fire safety concerns through the building’s life-cycle.

Marshall Fire can help you to incorporate the latest fire safety design principles into you building projects without impacting adversely on the function or appearance of the building. Please get in touch to find out more.

We're ready to support your project.

info@marshallfire.co.uk

01279 297369