NEWS Major fire at Ocado warehouse
A SERIOUS fire at the retailer’s warehouse in Hampshire, to which 200 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze, has resulted in the company’s share price dropping 6%. BBC News reported on the fire at Ocado’s Andover warehouse, where 70 firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) needed to remain on site for a couple of days afterwards. The company stated that it expected to see a fall in sales growth until operations could be shifted to other warehouses, with this particular site processing more than 30,000 orders each week. The warehouse uses robotics to process orders. Ocado has not given any details about the impact on customers, while operations at the site ‘remain suspended’. It has other warehouses that are unaffected nationwide, but the Andover site accounted for 10% of the company’s capacity. Ocado added that it had ‘comprehensive’ insurance for the site, stock and equipment, as well as for business interruption losses. HFRS added that nearby residents
needed to ‘keep doors and windows shut’, and four of the firefighters were treated for minor smoke inhalation.
Fortunately, no staff were injured, and an Ocado spokesperson stated: 'Once we have had time to assess the damage and prepare a plan to return the CFC (customer fulfilment centre) to operation, we will update further as appropriate’. Later, HFRS confirmed that
the fire incident had ‘come to an end’, with the site ‘handed back to the owners’. It also pointed out that crews from neighbouring fire and rescue services had provided support ‘for what was a challenging and complex
incident’, with HFRS also noting that it had worked alongside its Local Resilience Forum multi agency partners to ‘minimise the disruption to nearby businesses and residents’. Nigel Cooper, group manager
for HFRS, commented: ‘Our teams, and colleagues from Oxfordshire, Dorset & Wiltshire, Royal Berkshire and Hertfordshire have shown commitment and professionalism in dealing with a complex operation in incredibly challenging circumstances.’
FPA accredited to carry out BS 8414 testing
THE FIRE Protection Association (FPA) has been officially accredited by UKAS to carry out BS 8414 testing on the ‘effectiveness of external cladding on buildings’. In a release, the FPA stated that
it was ‘open for business’ with regard to testing cladding systems to the BS 8414 standard, commenting that in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety, cladding testing ‘has now become of paramount importance’, with the UK currently only having ‘few facilities’ in which to conduct the BS 8414 tests. In turn, ‘even when a slot is
available it can take months to receive results’, which contain the ‘vital evidence needed’ for building control approval. With the accreditation now received, the FPA’s
‘easily accessible’ sites at Moreton in Marsh and Blockley in Gloucestershire offer a ‘comprehensive range’ of testing facilities, providing results that ‘often exceed’ legislative guidelines. The FPA has constructed
two test rigs for commercial BS 8414 testing, with that test evaluating the ‘effectiveness against fire’ of external cladding on buildings. The rigs can test systems to Part one (cladding attached to a concrete wall) and Part 2 (cladding attached directly to a steel structure), while a half sized rig can test ‘bespoke’ elements surrounding a cladding test, such as the addition of a window or another type of opening to ‘more closely replicate’ a real life situation. Jonathan O’Neill, managing
director of the FPA, stated: ‘We’re proud to announce that the
14 MARCH 2019
www.frmjournal.com
Fire Protection Association is now accredited by UKAS to carry out BS 8414 testing. We have been instrumental in guiding legislation in the pursuit of thorough cladding testing and use of non-combustible materials, so this accreditation is vital to highlight our expertise. ‘Our experienced laboratory staff
are able to guide our customers through the testing process, while providing independent and impartial results. As we have only just received accreditation,we are able to offer availability for urgent testing requirements at competitive prices, as the Fire Protection Association is a not for profit organisation. We also pride ourselves on fast reporting turnaround times, usually providing the 8414 report within two weeks of testing.’
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