FIRE SAFETY
Fire safety glass can offer ‘holistic solution’
As architects, specifiers, and Estates and Facilities managers work to ensure the safety of hospital staff, patients, and visitors, passive fire protection measures (such as fire-resistant glass) can play a vital role. Faced with balancing functionality, wellbeing, design, and safety, demanding more from your fire safety glass specifications is essential, says Andy Lake, Sales director, UK & Ireland, at Pyroguard – a specialist in the manufacture of such glass.
Within our healthcare buildings, you will find a variety of spaces – from waiting rooms and patient recovery areas to operating theatres and MRI rooms. With each serving a specific function, you can expect to see a range of differing requirements and expectations for the building materials and finishes installed in these settings. As well as meeting the required level of performance and functionality, there has also been a renewed emphasis on design, following research into the positive impact that it can have on both patient wellbeing and shaping patient experiences. This can vary from improved wayfinding – which helps to reduce stress and minimise confusion when navigating a hospital interior, and the use of colour to impact on how we perceive a space, to the careful specification of materials to create a more welcoming and comforting environment, rather than one that is intimidating or overly clinical. Even the type of lighting used can make a difference, contributing to a more positive experience for patients and visitors alike. With this in mind, it is easy to see why glass has risen in popularity as a building material within the healthcare space. As well as opening up spaces and offering a more contemporary look and feel, glass can help to bring in natural daylight and provide visual access to outdoor spaces or gardens for patients and visitors to enjoy.
Hospitals’ unique fire safety challenges Of course, in addition to function and design, safety is a critical consideration – particularly fire safety. Healthcare buildings can present unique challenges from a fire safety perspective; not least due to the size, scale, and complexity of the buildings, with numerous corridors, wings, and departments, but also the logistics of safely evacuating sick patients in the event of a blaze. This is where fire safety glass – commonly installed within multiple applications in these settings – comes in. Compartmentation is a key part of any passive fire
protection strategy, whereby a building is split into a series of fire-safe ‘compartments’. Understandably, the unique challenges of evacuating sick and vulnerable people in the event of a fire make it even more essential that safe escape routes for the able, safe entry routes for the emergency services, and protected compartments for those too ill to evacuate, all form a fundamental part of the design. This can be achieved through the careful specification of varying fire safety glass classifications, ranging from E (which protects against flames and smoke), to EI (which offers the highest level of protection, including heat insulation). In situations
May 2025 Health Estate Journal 65
where creating fire-safe compartments is required to support a hospital’s ‘stay put’ policy, EI fire safety glass is the perfect solution.
Advances in cuttable glass Fire doors are common means of creating these fire- rated compartments. While wired safety glass has historically been the go-to product for these specifications, advancements in the cuttable glass market mean that there are now more modern and clear solutions available, such as Pyroguard Advance, that provide enhanced aesthetics and performance. Of course, it isn’t just doors that facilitate compartmentation, but other surfaces and building features too – including walls, partitions, atriums, and windows. This is where the multifunctionality of laminated fire safety glass, and the technical specialism of industry experts, really come into play. That said, fire safety glass is not a one-size-fits-all solution. With the right technical advice, fire safety glass can offer enhanced performance and multifunctionality beyond its basic fire protection capabilities.
Pyroguard said: “As hospitals transition away from the dimly lit corridors and outdated waiting areas of the past, glass is increasingly used to create brighter, open spaces that are easier to clean and maintain.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
