article Save more than daylight this autumn Since 1916, Britain has been changing the clocks twice a year in order to save an hour of daylight. Love it or hate it, daylight saving has struck again. With this, <strong>MMC</strong> Magazine urges readers to think about an important way to move fire safety forward in your homes and buildings, as we have done with the hands of the clock. With the days growing darker and winter setting in, a few candles scattered round the room can lend a warm glow to an evening. But with candle fires resulting in around 350 casualties each year, we would like you to take extra care with candles this winter - nearly 40% of all fires started by candles result in a death or injury. With the days growing darker and winter setting in, a few candles scattered round the room can lend a warm glow to an evening. But with candle fires resulting in around 350 casualties each year, we would like you to take extra care with candles this winter - nearly 40% of all fires started by candles result in a death or injury. There were 558,963 incidents attended by the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) last year. Of these incidents, around 161,770 were fires. These fires resulted in 261 fatalities and 7,081 non-fatal casualties. To put that into context - for every million people in England, there were 4.7 firerelated fatalities. Smokers’ materials (such as cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco) were the source of ignition in 36% of fire-related fatalities in accidental dwelling fires. Cooking appliances were the source of ignition in 49% of accidental dwelling fires and 50% of nonfatal casualties in accidental dwelling fires in and was by far the largest ignition category. Fires where a smoke alarm was not present accounted for 27% (8,100) of all dwelling fires and 36% (77) of all dwelling fire fatalities. According to the studies, mains powered smoke alarms continue to have a lower “failure rate” than battery powered alarms. 21% of mains powered smoke alarms and 39% of battery powered smoke alarms failed to operate in dwelling fires. Sounding the alarm Research suggests that you are at least four times more likely to die if you don’t have a smoke alarm. All building owners need to be aware of the fire risks within their properties and are required by law to protect their tenants from them. As any fire department will advise you, in a fire emergency, a few seconds could save lives. A fire detection system is designed to sense smoke, excessive heat or fire and provide an alert for tenants. The Fire Safety Advice Centre sets out the British Standards Specification for installing fire safety systems within a property. These standards include the BS 5839- 1:2013+A2:2008 and the BAFE Fire Detection and Alarm Systems Scheme No. SP203. 12 <strong>MMC</strong> Nov 2018 <strong>M10</strong> Landlords must ensure that all systems that they install, meet these specifications and that each system is installed correctly. It’s also important to remember that smoke alarms don’t last forever. The power might work, but the detection mechanism deteriorates with time. So whether they are battery operated or wired to the mains, to work at their best they should be replaced every ten years. Where fires start • Kitchen - 50% of accidental fires are caused by cooking appliances. (Room risks likely to be present: Gas cooker, boiler, Flue, Electrical equipment) • Living room - 7% of fires are caused by smokers’ materials. 36% of fires are caused by misused or faulty equipment. (Room risks likely to be present: Electrical equipment, space heaters, soft furnishings, open or gas fire) • Bedroom -25% of all dwelling fires are caused by textiles, upholstery and furnishings. (Room risks likely to be present: Soft furnishings, electrical equipment, candles, indirect carbon monoxide risk) • Loft - There are 11 chimney fires daily in the UK; that’s 4015 a year. (Room risks likely to be present: Chimneys, downlights, PV – Solar panel inverter, insulation, electrical wiring) • Hallway – Between 7pm and 8pm is the most frequent time for fire incidents within a property. (Room risks likely to be present: Although less likely to be the location of a fire source, this vital escape route could be blocked due to smoke entry from a fire in a nearby room) Placement is key Placement of a fire alarm system will vary depending on the type of alarm required and the layout of the property. Typical smoke alarms need to be installed in a centralised area of a passageway and should also be installed in the head of stairways on the top storey. Multi-storey structures should have a smoke alarm installed on each level. The alarm should be placed at a safe distance from lights, ceiling fans or air conditioning vents because the cooler air and flow could prevent proper detection of fire, heat or smoke. Proper installation of fire alarm systems is important so that the detectors will operate effectively and the audible and lighted alerts can easily warn occupants in case of a fire. Not only should the fire alarm systems be installed and working properly, but building owners should also provide training for occupants where possible to make sure they understand how critical the alarms are in an emergency. Testing Fire Alarm systems should be checked on a regular basis, either by setting off a call point or setting off the sounders, and making sure that the system is tested by a competent person. Then, depending on the size of the system, a full service should be carried out from between once a year up to four times a year. The frequency should depend on the size and the complexity of your fire alarm system. Sprinklers save lives Six centuries ago a well-known artist invented the first known sprinkler system. Leonardo da Vinci’s creation worked rather too well - when a comedy of catering errors in his patron’s kitchen culminated in a fire. The sprinkler system did its job but washed away all the food. Skip on a couple of centuries or so when German-born British apothecary Ambrose Godfrey created the first successful automated sprinkler system using gunpowder to release a tank of extinguishing fluid. The world’s first modern recognisable system was put into the Theatre Royal in London’s Drury Lane a hundred years later, patented in 1812 by William Congreve and, for over a century now, sprinkler installations have been successfully protecting people’s lives and buildings, and improving business continuity. Technology has, of course, moved on since Da Vinci’s kitchen nightmare. Modern sprinkler systems are efficient, reliable and cost-effective, a virtual firefighter in every room 24/7. Every year hundreds of people die in fires and many more suffer injuries, many of which could be avoided if sprinklers were installed, yet still only 2% of the UK’s council tower blocks have full sprinkler systems and less than a third of the 260 schools built since 2014 under the Government’s School Building Programme have sprinklers. In summary Often the most deadly fires are small fires that quietly smoulder and smoke while people are asleep or in a different room. Without the early warning of a smoke alarm, people can be overcome with smoke before the fire is discovered. Please fit at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your property and regularly check them. The quicker firefighters are alerted, the quicker they can help save lives and prevent fires from spreading. Protect your people this November and if you see fire, get out, stay out and dial 999.
candle fires result in around 350 casualties each year, we would like you to take extra care with candles this winter - nearly 40% of all fires started by candles result in a death or injury. <strong>MMC</strong> Nov 2018 <strong>M10</strong> 13
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