In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that some of the UK building stock is below standard. The level of documentation now being reviewed by enforcement bodies during inspections or investigations, should anything go wrong, has increased, and evolved. The fire safety industry now has a focus on fire strategy documents which form an essential part of the ‘Golden Thread’ in creating a safe and viable built environment. This will allow the ‘responsible person’ to plan, manage and coordinate the duty of care required to ensure fire safety precautions, in order 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:
- Means of fire detection
- Warning and 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 and is required as part of a building control submission. The document will also provide details of occupancy levels permitted within the building, against the provision of horizontal and vertical means of escape and levels of compartmentation.
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 an essential basis on which to conduct the fire risk assessment and it is important to note that a fire risk assessment cannot deviate from the fire strategy.
Who should create a fire strategy?
Fire strategies should be produced by a suitably qualified and competent professional with demonstrable experience or a qualified fire engineer with relevant experience. Fire engineers must have advanced knowledge in the control and spread of fire and the associated products of combustion. An in-depth understanding of building materials and equipment for both passive and active fire protection, property protection and the environmental impact of fire. Further details can be found on The Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) website. Details about our Technical Team and their accreditations can be found here.
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 achieve stakeholder requirements.
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. 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 phenomena and suppression systems.
Fire Safety System Design Advice
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 functional-based codes. This approach can enable architects to achieve innovative cost-effective designs while meeting fire safety design needs.
Considering fire safety implications of new builds, construction or refurbishment projects at the concept design stage is crucial and our experts can provide advice and expertise at all stages;
- Regulations compliance
- Fire modelling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and risk assessments
- Fire protection measures – active and passive – and structural fire precautions
- Materials performance
- Fire detection and suppression
- Heat transfer to the structure
- Smoke movement and toxicity, and smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems
Fire Safety Strategy Report
A Fire Safety Strategy Report assesses ways to prevent internal and external fire spread to be compliant with Building Regulations. This can be achieved by adjusting the size of buildings and openings, the distance between buildings and the use of non-combustible materials. The report therefore includes calculations to justify an architect’s design in areas such as smoke control and specification for materials.
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 practise cannot be achieved. In such instances our fire engineers provide a range of options for you to consider. Whilst maintaining compliance with building regs. Our engineers always work closely with building control as part of this process.
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.