NEWS Primark fire investigation begins
THE FIRE at Belfast's Primark store is under investigation, with the building’s sprinkler system ‘and whether or not it was activated’ part of a fire service investigation. Irish News reported on the
fire in the listed Bank Buildings, noting that the sprinkler system installed, and ‘whether or not it was activated’, would ‘form part’ of an investigation by Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). Shoppers had concerns that fire exits were ‘blocked with cages of clothes’, while NIFRS’ last full audit of the building was ‘more than five years ago’ on 24 January 2013. NIFRS stated that the premises had been found to have a ‘satisfactory level of fire safety arrangements’, and that it carries out commercial premises inspections to ensure ‘enforcement and adherence’ to fire safety regulations. It confirmed that the building had sprinklers, and a spokeswoman said that the investigation ‘will determine if the sprinkler system was activated and
council is responsible for building control and retail outlet inspections for health and safety compliance, but the council ‘did not answer any questions’ relating to the site. Heritage building conservation
whether this would have had any impact on such an aggressive fire’. The spokeswoman added in
response to claims of blocked fire exits that ‘as part of our fire investigation we will be considering all areas’. Senior firefighter Aidan Jennings said that Primark staff ‘deserved praise’ for having evacuated customers ‘soon after the fire started’, while the news outlet added that the city
FPA to offer BS 8414 testing
THE FIRE Protection Association (FPA) has opened up for commercial use its test rigs for the BS 8414 standard. In a release, the company stated
that in response to the government’s recent announcement ‘restricting the assessment of external wall cladding systems’, its research and experimental test rigs in Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, will be able to conduct full scale tests to the standard ‘with immediate effect’. The Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local Government had sent out a letter in September that required building control bodies ‘to only accept external cladding systems that either contain only insulation products and filler materials of limited combustibility or comply with the performance as currently specified’ in the BS 8414 test. As an organisation, the FPA
said it ‘wholeheartedly welcome[s]’ this move, but added that it
is ‘concerned about the lack of testing capacity in the UK’, as this could ‘result in restricted availability and delay in the approval of building plans’. It cited its research, conducted alongside the Association of British Insurers earlier this year in response to the Grenfell Tower fire, which had ‘highlighted concerns’ with the 8414 test – leading to the review of the standard that is currently being undertaken.
As part of the testing, the FPA had built the two rigs, and the decision to ‘fully open these for commercial use’ was taken as a ‘result of concerns’ about the ‘lack of capacity’ in the market, as well as the hope that ‘this will speed up the UK testing process’. The FPA also constructed a half sized rig ‘used for appraising bespoke features’, such as a window or opening that would ‘more closely replicate a real life situation’. Jonathan O’Neill, managing
director of the FPA, commented: ‘The FPA has recently been instrumental in guiding research in the testing of external cladding systems and the use of non-combustible materials. In order to help facilitate a change, the FPA has created capacity within its testing facilities, and as a not- for profit organisation provides an independent, timely, cost effective service, administered by fire experts.’
www.frmjournal.com OCTOBER 2018 11
charity Ulster Architectural Heritage commented that the fire was ‘catastrophic’, and the ‘latest episode in the ongoing story of the cumulative loss of the heritage assets which are the soul of the city and without which its unique sense of place cannot survive’. The organisation also raised questions about the extent of the fire. It asked: ‘How did a heritage building packed daily with retail customers burn to the ground, unusually from the top down? Was a sprinkler system installed and operational? Are all the main heritage assets in Belfast protected by the sprinklers, fire insurance and current fire certificates required by the city council for the many new buildings currently replacing lost heritage?’
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