BAFSA - Ground breaking project hailed a success
Over the past month a ground-breaking project has been successfully implemented in Sheffield.
47 residents in a 38-year-old high-rise residential block are now amongst the safest in the UK when it comes to fire protection.
In 2011 the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association, after considerable discussion with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Homes and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, took the bold decision to fund a retrofit installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system in Callow Mount, Sheffield without the need to disrupt the lives of the residents or require anyone to be decanted during the installation work
Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet member for Homes and Regeneration, Cllr Harry Harpham, said: “As well as helping to protect local people from fire, this project will provide meaningful evidence to local authorities throughout the UK of the potential to economically install fire sprinklers in high-rise properties.”
This unique project addresses head on the comment made by the UK’s Chief Fire & Rescue Adviser in a report[1] to the Secretary of State For Communities & Local Government on issues arising from the 2009 Lakanal House fire in which he stated that: “There is significant evidence of the effectiveness of fire suppression systems in controlling fire and fire spread in buildings. It has been a requirement since 2006 that all new residential buildings over 30m in height must be fitted with a fire suppression system, therefore if a building such as Lakanal House were built against today’s standards a fire suppression system would be required”.
It is not considered practical or economically viable to make a requirement for the retrospective fitting of fire suppression systems to all current high-rise residential buildings”.
The project was therefore intended to show that it is both practical, economically viable and cost-effective to retrofit automatic fire suppression systems in occupied blocks. With the project finished in less than half the time originally anticipated and well within the budget allowed, all of the flats and the communal areas are now protected by automatic fire sprinklers. A satisfied Project Manager, Steve Seaber said “This project has proceeded very smoothly and has been completed ahead of schedule. This has been in part due to the efficiency of the installation team and the level of support received from residents and in particular the Sheffield Homes staff responsible for tenant liaison”.
During the project President of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) Peter Holland joined South Yorkshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Jamie Courtney, in visiting the Callow Mount flats in Gleadless. Sheffield. Mr Holland, who is also Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire Fire & Rescue, said: “This is an extremely impressive and cost-effective project. Flats such as these are already fire safe but this development will no doubt further improve residents’ safety in the unlikely event of a fire.
What is also so impressive is that the people living here are able to remain in their flats throughout the installation process, causing them minimum disruption. I hope that we can now promote this fantastic project throughout the UK”.
Since the fire at Lakanal House flats in Camberwell in 2009, where six people died the Chief Fire Officers Association has campaigned for the greater use of sprinkler systems to help save lives.
South Yorkshire’s CFO Jamie Courtney added: “We are delighted to be involved in such a ground-breaking and innovative project which improves both residents’ safety, and the safety of firefighters who would be called on to tackle a fire. We now need to engage with fire and rescue services across the UK in the hope that this project is repeated elsewhere.”
In the UK there are around 4,000 to 5,000 multi-storey residential housing blocks that are similar in age and construction to Lakanal House. None of these blocks are currently sprinkler protected. There is clear potential for further tragic events similar to that in Camberwell and through this project BAFSA aims to increase pressure on legislators and local government (who ultimately own or manage most of these blocks) in order to convince them that sprinklers can protect those who live in these buildings.
BAFSA members are funding the installation at Callow Mount through financial donations, provision of components and labour in kind. Support has also been received from the International Fire Sprinkler Association to help promote the lessons learnt during the project.
Peter Armstrong, Chairman of BAFSA said: “The project will provide the opportunity to demonstrate the practicability and cost effectiveness of using sprinklers to safely protect people from fire in high rise tower blocks”.
BAFSA is confident that the Callow Mount project has proven that:
•It is possible to retrofit sprinklers into an occupied social housing without decanting tenants or serious disruption to their lives
•The cost of the sprinklers per block/per flat will compare very favourably with other fire protection measures which might otherwise be required to provide acceptable levels of fire safety for older blocks - especially for blocks like Lakanal House which only have a single staircase
•Sprinklers are fully accepted by the tenants/occupants
•BS9251 can be used for such installations.
•The work can be undertaken in short order.
•Evidence of the potential to reduce the cost of having to rehouse tenants and undertake major refurbishment etc following a fire will be proven
It will also identify the true cost of installation and whole life costs
Reporting and analysis of the project is now underway along with comprehensive video evidence of the success of this project.
In January a full report will be published and include practical guidance for other local authorities and private and social landlords to use when considering the safety potential and economic benefits of retrofitting fire sprinklers in their high-rise accommodation.
For more information please visit -http://www.bafsa.org.uk/
Related article -BAFSA - Taking the Initiative
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