The ASFP is saddened to hear of the passing of the Fire Protection Association (FPA) MD Jon O’Neill. Jon was and continued to be one of the original advocates of improving fire safety standards within design, construction and occupation. He was single minded in creating an environment that endeavoured lower the frequency of major fire events and associated casualty numbers. He continued to lobby those in positions of power and influence with a view to shining a little on the inadequacies that existed in our sector right up until very recently; for that, we know the construction industry and wider stakeholders are grateful.

The ASFP team and members wish to pass on their condolences to Jon’s family, the FPA team and members, and all those that knew Jon in the many spheres he occupied. Your drive and dedication will be missed Jon.

ASFP to offer three new member benefits in conjunction with BSI

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has signed a series of agreements with the British Standards Institution (BSI), the national standards body of the UK. Under the agreements, the ASFP is able to offer British standards for sale at discounted rates to members, free standards to SME members and free onboarding to the BSI’s new Identify Scheme.

The new benefits include:

1. ASFP will offer BS, BS EN and ISO standards to members at discounted rates (up to 30% off), providing them with access to all the standards they need at an affordable price. The standards can be purchased via the Association’s online shop as either hard copies or as pdf downloads.
2. As part of a Government scheme to support SMEs (small to medium size enterprises), the Association will offer a range of up to 100 passive fire-related standards free of charge to qualifying ASFP members. The range available reflects those of most interest to the passive fire protection community, as well as helping member companies with their company quality assurance by offering BS EN ISO 17025 and BS EN ISO 9001 quality management standards.
3. ASFP members can also receive free on-boarding to the BSI Identify Scheme, which aims to bring transparency and product traceability throughout the built environment supply chain. This new BSI service harnesses Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology to deliver a unique, constant, and interoperable identifier, called a BSI UPIN, which can be assigned to products. It helps UK manufacturers to directly manage information about their products in the supply chain, providing a persistent record of each product throughout its life cycle, from manufacture, specification, procurement, installation, to de-commissioning or reuse. 

These new services form part of the ASFP Hub, which offers a wide range of discounts, free support and advice to all ASFP members. There is a huge range of benefits to be found, catering to member companies and their employees, These benefits range from free affiliate membership of Make UK, to membership discounts from CHAS and Barbour ABI.

ASFP CEO Steve Davies declared: “The ASFP offers a wide range of training, technical and support services for members which form our core membership offering. These additional benefits aim to provide an enhancement to our services, making ASFP membership yet more rewarding and resulting in significant savings for members.

“Our new agreements with BSI ensure that ASFP member companies of all sizes can access all BS, BS EN and ISO standards at an affordable price, while ASFP SME member companies can obtain access to essential fire safety standards free of charge. This initiative, along with the BSI Identify Scheme offering, aims to help educate our members and further improve the quality of the passive fire protection products and services they can offer. This will further enhance recognition of the professionalism and competence of ASFP members throughout the construction industry.”

For further information on ASFP member benefits, including our BSI standards offering visit HERE

London Build

Dates: 16th & 17th November 2022

Venue: Olympia London – Grand Hall

The UK’s leading construction show returns to Olympia London’s Grand Hall on November 16th & 17th!

Secure your FREE TICKET:

www.londonbuildexpo.com/ASFP-2022

London Build offers a totally unique experience over the two days, featuring:

• 35,000+ registered visitors from contractors, architects, civil engineers, developers, local councils, house builders/associations and construction professionals
• 500+ inspiring speakers across 8 conference stages including Future of Construction, BIM & Digital, Fire Safety, Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion and more
• 200+ hours of CPD training and education
• The UK’s biggest Festival of Construction with DJs, musicians, live performances, celebrity guests, entertainment and competitions
• Meet the Buyers with Procurement Teams exhibiting from Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Mace Dragados, BAM UK, Costain, SMP Alliance and more
• Architect’s Hub with project displays and 3D models of upcoming projects from leading architects across the UK
• The latest insights and updates on major upcoming construction projects and opportunities across the UK
• Exclusive networking events co-hosted with Urbano Build, London Constructing Excellence Club, Forum for the Built Environment, The CIOB, Building People, Let’s Build, Building Equality and many more
• The UK’s largest networking events for Women in Construction and Diversity in Construction
• An inclusive Ambassador Programme supporting Women in Construction, Diversity in Construction and Mental Health in Construction
• 350+ exhibitors showcasing the latest services, products and innovations transforming the industry

The move is intended to enable ASFP members to clearly demonstrate their skills, competence and professionalism by achieving Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) Level 2 or 3 qualifications in Passive Fire Protection. These requirements exceed the current competency expectations of the construction and passive fire protection industries.

The ASFP has seen a significant increase in interest in its training courses. In 2021 alone, 80 individuals have undertaken the classroom-based ASFP Level 3 Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection. A further 95 delegates have taken the Level 3 course, and 85 the Level 2 course, via the ASFP’s e-learning platform. In addition, more than 1,600 individuals have completed the ASFP’s Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection.

The ASFP Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection courses offer a foundation in fire safety and fire science, as well as units on different forms of passive fire protection. The courses and the IFE Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications were developed in partnership by the ASFP and the IFE to provide recognition of individuals who have attained the essential knowledge and understanding to work efficiently and safely in passive fire protection roles.

The Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications are the only passive fire protection qualifications in the UK and Ireland recognised by regulator Ofqual. Furthermore, those who obtain the IFE Level 3 Certificate are eligible to apply to join the IFE at Technician grade enabling them to gain professional recognition in the global fire sector and use the post nominal TIFireE.

The ASFP Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection provides a basic overview of passive fire protection covering key elements of design, installation and inspection. Delivered in 13 video modules, it is intended to provide a first step for those considering a career in the passive fire protection industry.  On successful completion of an online test, candidates are awarded 3 hours CPD.

For further information on the ASFP and passive fire protection training and technical advice, visit www.asfp.org.uk.

We are delighted to let you know of the publication of the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).

The Code has been published alongside manufacturer preparation information and Code guidance to drive higher standards in the presentation of construction product information in the manufacturing industry. Registration for manufacturer verification will open towards the end of 2021 and organisation’s can register their interest now to receive updates.

Management of the published Code and its verification has been formally handed over from the Construction Products Association to Construction Product Information Ltd (CPI Ltd) – a not-for-profit organisation with independent governance and management being set-up to administer the CCPI.

This is a major component of the government’s actions towards meeting Dame Judith Hackitts 53 recommendations from “Building a Safer Future”.

Last week, HSE published the attached document introducing the principles of what they want to see in a safety case, TCOM N328.

The document suggests a number of things that building owners and building safety managers should be thinking about now, in advance of the new regulations coming out.

Click HERE to read the full document.

The latest CPA & Barbour ABI Regional Construction Hotspots in Great Britain 2021 Report has been released.

A forward-looking analysis of construction activity by region and sector, highlighting key hot & cold spots of activity in each region.

To read more please click here

The ASFP welcomes the establishment of a new Building Safety Regulator, tasked with holding those who do not properly manage safety risks to account and with improving building standards. The new Regulator will have the power to issue compliance notices and stop notices during the design and construction phase, with failure to comply with such notices becoming a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The Bill defines higher risk buildings as those that are at least 18m in height or with at least 7 storeys, but gives the Secretary of State the power to change this definition in light of research or on advice from the Building Safety Regulator. Since the use of height alone is a crude tool for determining the level of risk, the ASFP welcomes this ability to change the definition and hopes the scope will be broadened to include more buildings in due course.

The Bill also introduces a new Gateway regime to help ensure that building safety risks are considered at each stage of the construction process. These Gateways will be established at: the planning stage; prior to construction; and at building completion. It also requires a ‘golden thread’ of information to be maintained throughout the life of the building and for the appointment of an Accountable Person and a Building Safety Manager for each building within scope.

In a welcome move, the Bill requires landlords to take reasonable steps to ascertain whether any funding is available for the cost of cladding remediation and if so, they must make a claim and reduce service charges accordingly. It also seeks to extend the period within which legal action can be taken against a person or corporate body that carried out work from the current six years to 15 years.

While any assistance for leaseholders is welcome, the ASFP believes the support does not go far enough, particularly since the funding offered does not cover other identified fire safety failures, such as problems with fire doors and other compartmentation measures such as fire stopping.

The Bill also creates the concept of a “safety critical product” and gives the Secretary of State the power to make regulations to place safety critical products on a statutory list. It introduces the concept of a national regulator for construction products within the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

However, the definition of what will constitute a safety critical product will be contained in secondary legislation, resulting in yet more delay. A further concern for the ASFP is the lack of regulation regarding installers of safety critical products / systems. While the Bill suggests a future requirement for a competence-based scheme, the ASFP is calling for mandatory third party certification of installers of passive fire protection products.

Commenting on the Bill, ASFP Technical and Regulatory Affairs Officer Niall Rowan stated:

“While the Bill introduces a range of welcome measures which should eventually lead to significant improvements in building safety, we have yet to see the detail and key definitions which will be introduced in the secondary legislation. We are concerned that scope of buildings to which the legislation will apply remains too narrow and at the lack of available funding to rectify fire safety system failings in existing buildings.

“Furthermore, while we expect the products and systems manufactured and installed by ASFP members to be defined as ‘Safety Critical’, we have a number of concerns with regards to the application of the legislation to the installation, testing and market surveillance of these products.”

For further information on the ASFP and passive fire protection advice, visit www.asfp.org.uk

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has released three new Advisory Notes which offer guidance on the fire protection of structural steel, addressing specific concerns identified by industry.

Advisory Note 19: ASFP Position on the Use of Critical Steel Temperatures above 650°C updates a previous edition released in July 2020. It highlights that it is vital to ensure that the appropriate limiting temperature is used in the specification of a reactive coating. Use of an elevated temperature (above 650°C) without the appropriate engineering checks could potentially leave a structure under-protected in a fire situation.

This reinforces the best practice guidance contained within Advisory Note 12: Best Practice Guide for Specifying reactive coatings for structural steel fire protection, published jointly by the ASFP and the British Coatings Federation, which advises that if a limiting temperature of above 650°C is specified, then a second opinion must be sought from a structural engineer with appropriate fire design and engineering experience.

ASFP Advisory Note 23: ASFP Position on Secondary Steelwork provides advice on the protection of secondary steelwork, offering a useful flowchart to assist in determining whether protection is necessary and how best to provide it in different scenarios. The document defines what is deemed to be primary and secondary steelwork. It advises that steel bracing members required to provide stability to the structure at the fire limit state should have adequate fire resistance unless alternative load paths can be identified.

The Note recommends that Project Design Teams and / or Structural Engineers review all available advisory documents regarding the need for the provision of fire protection for secondary steelwork, stating that this is not the responsibility of the fire protection installers or manufacturers of fire protection systems. It states that the Steelwork Designer should be consulted to identify Primary Bracing versus Secondary Elements highlighting that, where doubt exists, the assumption should be that the bracing is a Primary member and full protection provided. Where fire protection to secondary bracing members is necessary, the protection thickness should be based on the section factor of the member or a value of 200 m^-1, whichever is the smaller value.

Where the actual section factor is less than 200m^-1, then the corresponding limiting steel temperature should be in accordance with the Column default temperature for Eurocode or British Standard designs as per ASFP guidance in Tables 16-18. Where the actual section factor is greater than 200m^-1, a section factor of 200m^-1 should be used  and a limiting steel temperature of 500°C. For all Secondary Element members, the protection thickness should also be based upon the appropriate Column data set (I section or Hollow section). The document provides guidance on scenarios where it might not be necessary to apply fire protection to Bracing members.

Advisory Note 24 ASFP Position Paper on the use of Yellow Book Critical Temperatures for the UK (or equivalent) Market offers a range of proposals aimed at updating certain tables in the fifth edition of the ASFP’s Yellow Book: Fire protection for structural steel in buildings.

The 5th Edition of the Yellow book was published to enable adoption of new European testing and Assessment methods – alongside amendments to the pre-existing UK test and assessment methods.

In 2014, the ASFP introduced three new tables (Tables 16-18) of default temperatures in the Yellow Book, covering both the historical BS 5950 and newer Eurocode design scenarios. These tables were accompanied by a flow chart to help specifiers chose the correct table. However, these were considered over complicated, and have now been reviewed to offer clearer and easier to understand guidance.

Advisory Note 24 introduces the proposed revisions. It highlights the importance of understanding and using the correct Codes and Occupancy (Building Category) in the design process as these can have a significant effect on the Critical Temperature of a steel frame; and consequently on the required thickness of Intumescent coating. It states that if the use of the building is not known, whether using BS 5950 or Eurocode, use of the Storage Category should be adopted.

All ASFP guidance documents are available for free download from the Publications area of the ASFP website: www.asfp.org.uk.

On the positive side, we have the Fire Safety Act which brings flat front doors and external walls into the scope of Fire Risk Assessments under the Fire Safety Order. Whilst long overdue, many risk assessors did cover flat front fire doors with varying degrees of success, but the enshrinement in legislation and the proposed frequency of fire door checks can only be welcomed. The inclusion of external walls was not really a big issue until we started cladding buildings, effectively making their reaction to fire performance much worse. This was something that was first significantly highlighted after the Lakanal House fire which killed six in 2009 but which was not adequately acted upon by the government at the time, despite warnings.

We also have the Building Safety Bill which is working its way through parliament. There is much to commend within the bill, including the setting up of a new regulator and especially the three gateway stages which stop further progress unless certain conditions are met. Gateway 2 (permission to build) should stop or significantly reduce the use of Design & Build type contracts that give rise to poorly designed buildings, which are difficult to install adequate passive fire protection into. The inclusion of specific duty holders will concentrate minds and prevent much of the buck passing and assumption that it was the responsibility of others, which is a depressingly common feature of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry testimonies.

On the debit side, bringing external walls into the scope of Fire Risk Assessments brings the problems of lack of skilled assessors and associated knowledge to able to do what is a difficult and complicated job sometimes at height. Methods are being developed to deal with this, but the draft PAS 9980 on evaluation of external walls is still a work in progress, and still has a lot of comments to be reviewed. The definition of ‘buildings in scope’ which relies on height must be broadened into total risk; height is important, but not the only arbiter.

Then there is the cladding crisis. Pushing the Fire Safety Bill through without the amendment to prevent leaseholders from having to pick up the costs of remediation will leave a generation of people whose dreams of property ownership may be shattered with huge bills and much facing bankruptcy for something that was not their fault. The grapevine suggests the delays to the Building Safety Bill are to allow a more acceptable solution to be worked out. Let’s hope so.

Finally, in considering the fire safety of the built environment, it’s not just cladding… ASFP were paid by the equivalent of MHCLG to do a report on passive fire protection of some representative large public buildings in conjunction with BRE and Warringtonfire. The report concluded that there were widespread deficiencies of fire protection not usually visible caused by poor design, the use of unskilled labour, and corner-cutting to assuage the ‘cost is all that matters’ ethos of the construction industry. The report concluded that there might well be a catastrophic fire associated with these issues if not addressed The report was dated 2003… So, let nobody say deep-seated fire safety problems were not known about. They were and concerns were raised, but in a climate of falling overall fire deaths, they fell on deaf ears.

It’s so important to ensure that proper passive fire safety measures are built into buildings. They are the bedrock of fire safety, not just today as we mark the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell fire, but for always.