Safety and communications
and 45 seconds, which is just over half a minute longer than the misting suppression system. The issue for a traditional bulb sprinkler
system is that it will only operate once a fire has developed and is producing sufficient heat to trigger the sprinkler head. In comparison, watermist systems are activated sooner by detecting smoke from a fire and therefore providing effective suppression earlier in the fire’s development.
Effective and holistic
Effective fire protection systems should be seen as part of a wider, holistic solution that provides improved suppression as well as detection. For example in its report, BRE explains how using technology that provides an early warning and automatically informs the fire and rescue service directly will save valuable seconds for someone at risk of fire, particularly for those considered most vulnerable. While it is encouraging to see that the
recommendations and solutions offered by BRE enforce the principle that housing providers should not rely on traditional fire strategies or technologies as a guarantee of safety for their residents, this is actually something that we have been working to improve at Plumis through our research and development. The Automist Smartscan system can already
be linked to an alarm receiving centre and uses a double knock trigger to minimise false activations. These were raised by the BRE research as an issue that has affected watermist systems. We are also using technology to continually improve the system. Each unit features a ‘black box’ that captures fire incident data which can be used to refine algorithms and improve performance. There are various ways technology can
be used to improve fire safety and offer better protection to vulnerable residents and many of these technologies already exist. Prescriptive codes, as noted by Dame Judith, are restrictive because they are not timely enough to reflect and incorporate the latest technological developments, which can hinder rather than drive innovation. Housing providers need to enhance their safety measures by using the various connected technologies available today and they need to do it now. In many cases, the difference between a relatively harmless incident and a disaster can be a lack of forward thinking and implementation of the latest prevention methods. While appropriate regulations, policies
and procedures should be in place, they need to be adhered to rigidly by keeping the
FOCUS
safety of individuals at the forefront and deploying advanced safety technology, where appropriate, to save even more lives from fire
Yusuf Muhammad is co founder of Plumis. For more information, view page 3
References
1. Fire Safety Bill 2019-21, HM Government (HMG),
https://services.parliament.uk/ Bills/2019-21/
firesafety.html
2. The causes of fire fatalities and serious fire injuries in Scotland and potential solutions to reduce them – Phase 1: IRS Review, BRE,
https://files.bregroup. com/research/Scottish-Fire-Deaths_ BRE-briefing-paper_110296.pdf
3. Detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, April 2017 to March 2018, Home Office, https://assets.
publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/738432/detailed-analysis- fires-attended-fire-rescue-england-1718- hosb1718.pdf
4. ‘How does Automist compare to a BS 9251 fire sprinker?’, Plumis,
https://plumis.co.uk/bs- 9251-fire-sprinkler
www.frmjournal.com MAY 2020 45
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