NEWS Fire extinguisher standard updated
THE STANDARD, BS 5306-3: 2017, has seen an update published including portable fire extinguishers, replacing the 2009 version. This update covers ‘fire
extinguishing installation and
equipment on premises’, as well as the ‘commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers’, and this new version also includes a code of practice. The update was published on
31 October, with the Fire Industry Association (FIA) stating at the time that it ‘has been working on a guidance document which lists all of the changes’, that will be available soon
Industry ball raises money for charity
THE FIRE Industry Charity Ball took place on Friday 29 September at The Oxfordshire Golf Club and Spa. Held in the evening by the Fire
Protection Association alongside the Worshipful Company of Firefighters, the ball was said by the latter to have been ‘perfectly positioned in the rolling hills of the Chilterns also having been home to prestigious events on the European Tour’. This evening was also stated
to have been a ‘fantastic opportunity to meet old friends’. Entertainment at the event was provided by Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, which went
through a selection of songs from Broadway, while rock band Johnny and the Zephyrs later took to the floor, where guests danced to a selection of rock and roll hits. An auction was held for a genuine Beatles picture taken during a quickly gathered
photoshoot by photographer Tommy Hanley (father of Liveryman Tony Hanley), which raised £580 for the Charitable Trust. You can view images from the ball at
www.flickr.com/ photos/137189734@N02/ sets/72157686747109840
FIA survey highlights Grenfell impact on industry
THE FIRE Industry Association (FIA) survey of the market explored how the Grenfell Tower fire and the uncertainty of the Brexit negotiations have had an effect on the fire industry nationwide. Its survey, which looks at market
conditions, is conducted every six months and aims to provide a ‘snapshot of the current trends within’ the market, alongside ‘emerging and continuing issues’, with the last six months seeing ‘a lot of events that have had a big impact on the industry as a whole’. These include both the Grenfell Tower fire and the ‘effects’ of ‘no deal’ in the Brexit negotiations, with both having ‘affected businesses in the fire industry’. Ian Moore, CEO of the FIA,
stated in his introduction to the report that ‘nobody knows how Brexit will affect us’, and uncertainty may have caused ‘a degree of reticence in investing in growth and instead focusing on consolidating businesses’ current position.
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and the percentage of quotes taken up, presumably post Grenfell. The demand for fire risk assessments has also risen dramatically’. Another respondent noted
The one exception to this is UK manufacturing who are seeing strong growth based on exchange rates working to their benefit’. Beyond this, the major theme
is Grenfell Tower, the FIA calling it ‘one of the largest tragedies in UK history’, and which the report showed had created a ‘spike in enquiries […] probably due to an increase of interest in protecting buildings and people from fires’. One respondent said there had
been a ‘definite increase in the number of quotes being requested
DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
www.frmjournal.com
that ‘people [are] starting to take fire safety more seriously post Grenfell. Interest in our HMO related products is up’, though the report also found that ‘whilst there does seem to be an increase in enquiries, there are still some concerns being raised about competence of those working within fire protection’. One other respondent stated that there had been ‘more focus on competency [and] third party accreditation since Grenfell’. The organisation noted that
third party certification is a ‘criterion’ for membership, and that it ‘helps to set a benchmark of quality for suppliers within the fire sector’, concluding that ‘for those with certification, this interest’ from what it called ‘potential clients’ will be ‘very welcome’
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