Timber
Compliance is crucial to fire safety mitigation
Martin Milner, Technical Consultant at the Structural Timber Association (STA) discusses the construction phase fire risk and the resources available to architects and specifiers when it comes to regulatory compliance.
In recent years, the implementation of tighter regulations have significantly improved health and safety across the UK construction sites and instilled a more progressive culture of compliance across the industry.
For example, today, it would be unthinkable to enter a building site without wearing a hardhat, high visibility vest and steel capped boots. However, as the industry continually strives to improve its image and perceived professionalism, the value of practical training and guidance on issues such as fire risk safety must not be underestimated or ignored.
The construction phase fire risk is a serious issue for all construction sites. With the potential for accidental fire and even arson, fire can pose a risk not only to the construction site and its workers but also nearby property and members of the public.
Furthermore, non-compliance with fire risk regulations can negatively impact on a project’s bottom line. A recent court case involving the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) resulted in a fine for an architects practice for not following the relevant guidance available. This highlights the need for all construction professionals to be informed on the risks of fire, and their own legal responsibility in the process of mitigating these risks.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) place the onus and responsibility for fire safety and mitigation with the person who specifies the building material. In a traditional tender process, this is usually the project architect, and where the design is contracted out, this can be either the project architect or design and build manager, dependent on the detail within the project contract.
Accordingly, trade associations can play a major role in aiding architects and specifiers when it comes to regulatory compliance. By using the STA’s ‘16 Steps to fire safety’ document or watching the, CITB funded, ‘Designers Guide to Structural Timber Frame fire safety during construction’ video, the responsible person can ascertain the risks to be aware of and how they can be mitigated. When used alongside the STA members’ mandatory Site Safe guidance - which is accepted and recognised by the HSE, Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) and insurance companies - construction sites can ensure they have assessed the onsite fire risks thoroughly.
This relates to CDM 2015 regulations 9, 11 and 29, as well as HSG 168, surrounding using the principles of prevention, as far as reasonably practical, to remove/reduce the fire risk in choice of build materials, the risk to members of the public as well as to buildings outside of the site boundary.
When considering fire mitigation within the planning stage of the construction process, the construction material of each building needs to be considered and categorised in order to produce the most accurate safe distance requirements.
The STA ‘Design guide to separating distances during construction’ considers the different structural timber build methods and the safe distances required between each building. The guide uses an easy to read table format to provide the safe separation distance for the building, with distances calculated using the building material, the storey height of the building and the size of the emitter face. Using the guide, a four-
STRUCTURAL TIMBER ASSOCIATION (STA)
B & K Structures, Banyan Road, Wenlock Road, Hackney - Cross laminated timber residential development for Regal Homes
storey building with a 15m-emitter face (a building greater than 600m2
) would
require the following separation distances dependent on the specific building material chosen: Standard timber building system - 18.5m
Reduced fire spread material - 12.75m Fire spread resistant material - 7.00m
In certain
circumstances, when if for example, the project involves construction against an existing building or where the
recommended safety distances can’t be applied, it is best practice to seek the advice of the structural timber provider, a fire engineer or contact the STA technical advice line.
Kingspan Timber Solutions’ residential project for Barratt Developments - the first site in the government’s Carbon Challenge Initiative.
Based on statistics from 2009 to 2015 in England, the number of fires in dwellings under construction has decreased by 38 per cent. Simultaneously, structural timber frame market share has grown significantly, now holding a 27.4% market share. However, this is not the time for complacency or self-congratulation, the industry must continue to strive to improve all aspects of health and safety across UK building sites and as such the STA guidance supports the industry achieve fire risk mitigated forms of construction.
To watch the, CITB funded, STA’s ‘Designers Guide to Structural Timber Frame fire safety during construction’ video, visit http://www.
structuraltimber.co.uk/information-centre/video-vault
TEL: 01259 272140 23
WWW.STRUCTURALTIMBER.CO.UK
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