A burning issue

Mark Harris, building technology director, Kingspan Insulation, explains the importance of fire safety regulations in commercial building design

Fire safety is set to become crucial for all those involved in the design, construction and operation of commercial buildings.

The incorporation of fire safety into commercial buildings sounds obvious. However, only now has it become the priority for both specifiers and contractors.

Specifiers tend to focus first on function, style and aesthetics, while contractors prioritise price, quality and availability.
With the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order though, this is set to change. The fire and rescue service has historically been responsible for assessing the building fabric and issuing fire certificates.

But this is no longer the case now that the new Order has come into effect.

From the beginning of October last year, it became the responsibility of the building occupier or the building owner to undertake a fire risk assessment focusing on 'safety in case of fire' for all relevant persons.

This represents the biggest single reform of fire safety legislation in more than 30 years and it should simplify the law for thousands of businesses while placing a greater focus on fire prevention.

Anyone commissioning a new commercial building is sure to put the onus firmly at the feet of the construction team to minimise the inherent fire risk.

Clearly those involved in the construction of the building, as well as its design, have a key role to play in delivering a facility that makes a fire risk assessment as simple as possible.

The new preventative strategy makes a lot of sense. Independent fire investigations show that many major fires could have been prevented if fire safety – in terms of both active and passive fire prevention – had been included as an inherent design feature and the human element of building management taken out of the equation as far as possible.

Holistic fire safety design and management should involve a detailed review of every aspect of fire safety including the internal and external structure of the building.

But what are the key factors for building contractors and design teams to consider?
Most importantly, fire performance must be near the top of requirement list for all products and materials specified for use in any new-build or refurbishment project.

Insurance risk will become an even more important aspect for the design, construction and management of commercial buildings.

For new buildings, this means systems used for the building fabric should have Loss Protection Certification Board (LPCB) or Factory Mutual (FM) approval alongside compliance with the relevant building regulations.

The LPCB organisation is part of BRE (Building Research Establishment) Certification and is responsible for certifying fire safety products. FM Global is a worldwide insurer that has its own rigorous fire test standard.

Build quality and fire safety management of the facility are closely related. Knowledge of different types of materials, their true design characteristics and whether they are used on the internal or the external envelope is vital in assessing fire risk.
Composite or insulated panels are a case in point. Also known as sandwich panels, these metal cladding panels with an insulated core are widely used in a variety of commercial buildings from large industrial units and out-of-town retail parks to offices, schools and hospitals.

However, while such panels may look similar from the outside, different systems have very different fire performance characteristics, which are quantified by their fire certification from LPCB or FM.

Compliance with LPCB or FM standards is now prerequisite for the safe design and operation of commercial buildings.
Insurance industry tests and real fire case studies have shown that the fire performance of panels with an Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) core, typically used as internal enclosures in food factories, is totally different from those using Polyurethane (PUR) or Polyisocyanurate (PIR).

Nowadays, panels with an EPS core are rarely, if ever, used in external cladding, while those systems with a PIR core have LPCB approval to LPS 1181. Requirements and tests for wall- and ceiling-lining products and composite cladding products mean such external panel systems can be classed as 'non-combustible building.'

The concept of 'non-combustible building' is a definition from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which classes systems according to their potential to propagate a fire.

Systems classed as 'non-combustible building' will not make a significant contribution to a fire.

With responsibility for fire prevention passing from the fire service to the building occupier or owner, those responsible for commissioning large industrial warehouses will need to look again at the Building Regulations – or ask their construction team to do so.

The recent consultation on proposed amendments to Approved Document B (ADB) – due to come into effect in April 2007 – proposes mandatory installation of sprinkler systems in large warehouses.

Developers, building owners and some in the construction industry are likely to oppose this move, simply on the basis of cost.

Insurers, on the other hand, point out that the fire risk is inherently increased in large, uncompartmentalised buildings without sprinklers, which usually contain highly flammable consumer products stored on wooden or plastic pallets in high bay racking.

Life for building owners and construction professionals is set to be eventful over the following months, with much to take on board as they get to grips with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order and as the proposed new ADB takes shape.
While the debate over the mandatory use of sprinklers will be lively, most are agreed that with the shift in emphasis to designing fire prevention into commercial buildings, there will be long-term benefits for businesses the length and breadth of the country.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space.

Its remit includes offices and shops; premises that provide care; community halls; the common areas of houses in multiple occupation; pubs; clubs and restaurants; schools; tents and marquees; hotels and hostels; factories; and warehouses.
It excludes purely domestic premises occupied by a single family group.

The responsible person is required to:
Carry out or nominate someone to carry out a fire risk assessment identifying the risks and hazards;
Consider who may be especially at risk;
Eliminate or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical;
Provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk;
Take additional measures to ensure fire safety where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored;
Create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, document their findings; and
Review the findings as necessary.