Danger of hot works during building renovation highlighted
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Danger of hot works during building renovation highlighted
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The dangers of fires caused by hot works such as welding and grinding was highlighted recently in a fire at a school in Derbyshire, UK. Fires caused by hot works on construction or renovation sites are of course not new. There are however ways to potentially prevent such a fire incident, that can quickly become out of control. Tragically, the fire destroyed the Harrington Junior School in Long Eaton in late May, although fortunately there were no serious injuries.
“This fire really highlights the dangers of hot works,” comments John Newbury, Product Innovation Director at Ramtech, whose headquarters are based only a few miles away from the school. “It’s so sad that this situation led to the destruction of an entire school when there are ways of early detection that could have made the fire more manageable. Timing is crucial in these types of fires.”
Group manager Dean Gazzard, the Officer in command during the school fire, commented to the media that: “Workers carrying out the refurbishment of the school did everything they could to contain the fire and prevent its spread before the arrival of firefighters…”. It is clear from this statement that the on-site workers tried to stop the fire once it had started, however the sooner a potential fire is detected the more chance there is to stop it spreading.
That is where a system such as Ramtech’s WES system can help. Ramtech’s WES wireless fire and emergency alert system includes automatic heat detection. Typically mounted on a ceiling or stand, the heat detector units trigger automatically when abnormal heat levels are detected, giving an early warning of potential fires. In addition, the system also includes a dust resistant smoke detector, a unique feature of the WES solution. The dust resistant smoke detector differentiates between dust and smoke which would ordinarily lead to many false alarms if using a standard smoke detector in a construction environment. These automatic detectors can be supported by manual call points, which once pushed can give a warning of potential emergencies early.
WES systems have been used on many renovation projects in the UK, such as at the University of Bristol and Great Scotland Yard in London. “WES has been specifically designed to be easy to install and move around, so it’s ideal for renovation projects as the units can be relocated simply – they are wireless so don’t need any complex installation and they are ready to go very quickly. In fact, you can have a fully functioning, paired system in under 15 minutes,” says John Newbury.
Commenting after the school fire, Kumu Kumar, Head of Risk Engineering at insurance firm Zurich, said: “As the recent blaze that destroyed Harrington Junior School in Long Eaton highlights, hot work remains a constant threat, and more action is needed to tackle the problem. Although the construction industry has well-established safeguards in place, hot work fires are continuing to break out with alarming regularity.”
Zurich takes the situation so seriously that they have published guides into hot works safety. In their own data, Zurich claim that 15% of all fires in commercial and industrial properties are caused by hot works, so this is clear evidence that the risk is high, especially during construction when hot works such are welding and grinding are commonplace. The sad reality of this is that devices such as the WES system, thermal imaging and training can help to dramatically reduce the potentially risk of fire from hot works – which could save lives and save potentially millions of pounds. For more information on Ramtech and WES system, call +44 (0)115 957 8282.
Wireless vs. Wired Fire Alarm Systems on Construction Sites
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Wireless vs. Wired Fire Alarm Systems on Construction Sites
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Consider the dynamic security needs of a construction site. Structures come and go, leaving open and exposed areas that are vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and arson. Fire risk is heightened due to hot work, heaters, and other sources of ignition in close proximity to an accumulation of highly combustible materials and solvents. And to make the problem even worse, the typical building protection systems such as sprinklers, smoke and fire sensors, and fire walls are not in place until the end phases of construction.
No Power Source? No Problem!
Construction sites need to have security measures in place from the moment ground is first broken up to and including the final phase of building. It may not be until toward the end stages that the site is fully outfitted with regular, reliable electricity. WES3 eliminates the need for a hardwired power source and there is no wired panel required as with most other similar systems. Each unit is powered by a battery with a three-year life under normal use to secure your job site during all phases of construction whether electricity is available or not.
Mount the Units Anywhere!
Each WES3 unit can be mounted anywhere at all: work trailers, utility poles, walls, roofs, towers, skids, and wherever else they might be needed. Some safety managers have gotten creative with placement, choosing to erect temporary poles, frames, or other places to hang the units. With this fully customisable system, you can set out the units in the configuration that best meets the needs of your site. This allows total compliance with your existing fire plan. Cover all vulnerable areas including stairways, elevator shafts, docks, and more.
Goodbye Messy Cables!
Construction sites are already home to an enormous amount of wires and cables running everywhere to power lights, tools, and other necessary items. It can be a tripping hazard. The last thing you want to do is add more wires with a fire system. WES3 units create a network that communicates with the use of secure radio frequencies. With an unlimited number of units able to be used per site, you can add more and more units as the build progresses. Repeater units ensure the signal gets a boost on especially large sites. An emergency signal can be triggered automatically or manually from anywhere. And it’s all possible without wires or cables.
Setup is Easy!
WES3 is so simple to install, many users report that they are able to deploy the system themselves in a matter of minutes. Ramtech and your local supplier will provide you with simple installation manuals, and are available with technical support both onsite and via phone.
Use it Again and Again!
Many fire systems require a steep investment that only pays back one time. You can have specialists take days to install the sensors and monitoring equipment only to see the whole system become obsolete the moment the project is over. The WES3 system, however, is completely reusable. When the job is finished, easily take the units down and transport them to the next jobsite. No extra fees for installers. No extra equipment to purchase. No wires to remove.
Protecting people and property on your construction site is vital, and doesn’t have to be an extra challenge and headache added to the project. Regardless of the size, scope, or location of your jobsite, you can save time and money by implementing the WES3 wireless fire alarm for construction sites and more. Call for a consultation today!
Turner Protects Workers in U.S. Navy Building with WES3
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Turner Protects Workers in U.S. Navy Building with WES3
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In a short, two-minute YouTube video uploaded by the Wall Street Journal in 2014, a worker is seen barely escaping unharmed from a fire in a wood-framed apartment building under construction in Houston, Texas. He stands on the edge of a fifth-floor balcony, frantically waving his arms, in desperate hope for a rescue. The harrowing video ends with the worker jumping safely to the ladder of a fire truck mere moments before the blazing roof collapses behind him. Kevin McDermott never forgot that nearly tragic tale. “He jumped from a porch to the one below just as the firefighters were trying to set up and get over there,” he recalls. “If they had an alarm in the building and smoke detectors to sense the fire, it would have given him time to evacuate.” Until recently such technology did not exist for this particular application. Now, he recommends the WES3 Fire and Emergency Alarm System from Ramtech.
Fire safety and risk mitigation are second nature to McDermott, project safety manager for Turner Construction, a U.S.-based company that completes more than 1,500 projects a year internationally to the tune of $12 billion, according to its website. He recently celebrated his two-year anniversary with Turner but is no stranger to construction, having been a safety manager and superintendent for other large companies over the years. McDermott’s list of credentials is long and impressive: he holds three distinct certifications from the Bureau of Certified Safety Professionals as well as being an OSHA Certified Instructor, and also serves as current president of the Washington Metro Area Construction Safety Association, to name a few. His career began as a Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman with the Navy and he has worked on several federal projects to date. One such project is Hopper Hall, the new Cyber Building currently being erected on the Naval Academy grounds in Annapolis, Maryland. It started in October of 2016 and is slated to be completed and operational for the 2020-21 school year. Turner’s first experience using the WES3 system was on a project in New York, but this project would mark the first time McDermott had the opportunity to deploy it.The building is named after Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, known as the “mother of computing” for her contributions to the field of computer science back in a time when neither computers nor women in science were commonplace. The project and its name are both noteworthy because this will not only be the first building named after a woman at any of the nation’s three major service academies, but it will most likely be the last major structure to break ground in the Naval Yard.
Protecting the people, equipment, and structures on construction sites such as these is not only vitally important; it also poses a unique set of challenges. As a result, The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that more than 6,000 fires occur each year on construction and major renovation sites, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of property damage and multiple lives lost. These are figures that, with proper protocols in place according to those set forth in NFPA 241: Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations, have every reason to decrease.
That’s typically not the case, however. While the standard calls for an appropriate fire safety program to be in place and fully operational for the entire duration of the project, maintaining adequate fire safety protection during each and every phase through to completion is rarely the norm. Implementing a fire safety plan on a construction site is a logistical complication when you factor in the constantly changing evacuation routes, slow response times for workers out of earshot of alerts, and adding round-the-clock fire watch to the payroll. Increased education efforts on the NFPA 241 standard are necessary to help alleviate the problem of improper implementation, according to the NFPA. But that only addresses part of the issue. The other part? Lack of effective, adaptable equipment that can hold up to the task.
All too familiar with this gap in the market, it only took one presentation with Ramtech for McDermott to know he wanted this system in place. Calling it “new and innovative,” he pushed for his supervisors to seriously consider the purchase for the Hopper Hall site. He executed two fire evacuation drills to prove his point. “When you have a six-story building like this and you’re using an air horn, you’re not very effective at getting people to hear that,” McDermott says. It typically takes several people several trips through the building to alert everyone – and by then it can be too late. Consequently, the first fire drill saw a meagre 120 people evacuate the site within eight minutes. After installation of the WES3 system, the second fire drill resulted in all 240 workers getting out the building in less than six minutes. Another part of McDermott’s test was the fact that the drywall was hung and precast was up on the outside by the time the second drill took place, but the workers inside confirmed that the system was very loud and the strobe lights visible throughout the building. He found the customizable options for the sounds and lights to be useful, but settled on the factory preset sound because it seemed to project the best.
One of his other favorite features of the WES3 system is mobile phone notifications: McDermott says, “I can be somewhere else and get notified on my phone when an alarm goes off in the building.” WES’ smart smoke sensors also rank high on the list of reasons for McDermott’s recommendation: “Smoke is going to have a much smaller particle size to it than dust. And the system is able to differentiate between the two.” This prevents a lot of false alarms on a jobsite where airborne dust can be a potential problem. Because the system provides 24/7 monitoring of the site, the need for a person to stand guard as fire watch each night is eliminated even when its necessary to heat the building for drying and curing overnight. This can save money and satisfies regulations in some local jurisdictions.
Another strong selling point for McDermott was the ease of set up and relocation, which he handled himself with support from the local WES3 distributor, Space Age Electronics, as well as a representative from Ramtech who came to visit the site. “It was very easy to set up the system,” he recalls. “The instruction manual was very helpful.” After mounting the units to boards they can be hung anywhere, including bare studs or drywall. “My carpenters and drywall guys will take it down off of the wall, put the drywall up, and then hang it back up.” He adds, “I’ve got a couple extra units that I can move to unusual areas. Like right now, I have one up on the roof. I’ve got work going on in the elevator machine rooms – my HVAC guys are up there installing fans.” A base unit, in a trailer fairly far away from the structure under construction, alerts the management team of emergencies as well. Even with the distance, he reports that they had no trouble receiving the wireless signal and responding to the alarm.
Lastly, McDermott points out the ability to program in location codes to cut down on response time. He says, “If there were someone up on a top floor that was injured and they pressed a button to call for help, on the base station it tells me what floor and what area of the building the individual is in by the code that I set up.” With three stairwells, one in each corner of the triangular building, it was important to him to be able to program the system to recognize specific locations. “It’s a very high-visibility military project,” McDermott says. “We have senior leadership from NAVFAC on site. Everyone so far has been extremely impressed with the capabilities it has.” Thinking back to our YouTube video where, in the space of just two short minutes a man almost lost his life, it’s clear to see exactly how critical every second is when it comes to any kind of fire. WES3 provides solutions in every phase of construction to protect both workers and property.
UK holiday parks to reopen – keep things under control!
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UK holiday parks to reopen – keep things under control!
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It has been a long time coming, but April 12th 2021 signifies the reopening of ‘holiday campsites’ following the UK government’s gradual lifting of lockdown rules. This is undoubtedly great news for the whole industry and our park operator customers in the holiday park sector.
Whilst this news gives a much-needed financial boost to parks and the ‘staycation’ industry as a whole, it also means that parks are more than likely to go from being very quiet to very busy, very quickly – possibly even extending the season due to foreign holidays still appearing to be some way off.
This is where WiSE from Ramtech can help operators stay in control in what is likely to be a complicated time whilst operations get back to full strength. WiSE is a wireless monitoring solution specifically created for holiday parks with more permanent accommodation, such as lodges. So what can WiSE offer?
Let us start with the ‘C’ word – Covid. It is very much still around and this makes cleaning park-wide more important and challenging than ever. The ‘Cleaner Complete’ solution is part of the WiSE cloud platform dashboard that includes staff and task management, as well as real-time data analytics. Cleaning of accommodation can be closely monitored so park management can tell what has been cleaned and what has not via staff tagging in / tagging out, meaning information is recorded immediately.
Additionally, WiSE offers peace of mind by increasing security on site. Wireless alarms can be located inside individual properties that mean 24/7 security monitoring is in place – especially useful when parks are busy and opportunistic thieves may be present.
WiSE also offers other features such as equipment monitoring. Breakdown of equipment on site could cost a park a substantial amount in time and money. This can be helped by WiSE equipment monitoring where failures can be highlighted quickly around the clock, so action can be taken to minimise disruption. Visit our WiSE – Park Owners section for more information and get your park ready for the influx of new customers.
Scaling new heights for charity
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Scaling new heights for charity
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A 19-strong team from Ramtech will be attempting the challenging national 3 Peaks Challenge to raise funds for some deserving causes – and to give all those involved a massive personal challenge!
The famous Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales. The Ramtech team will be aiming to do all three ‘back to back’ within (hopefully) a single 24-hour period, with darkness being a real challenge!
The total walking distance is 23 miles and the total ascent is 10,052ft – twice the ascent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, over a similar total walking distance. The three mountains the team will be hiking up – in order – include:
- Ben Nevis, in Scotland (1,345m)
- Scafell Pike, in England (978m)
- Snowdon, in Wales (1,085m)
The five charities the team will be raising funds for include MacMillan, Marie Curie, the Teenage Cancer Trust, Forever Stars and Stonebridge City Farm. All do incredible work in their fields, from a community inner-city farm to terminal illness nursing care. Some of the team have really personal connections and stories related to some of these charities and we will be sharing some of these running up to the event.
Keep an eye out on our social media channels to learn more, we’ll be putting a series of interesting content up, from training updates to unusual facts! Look out for updates across our Ramtech, WES and WiSE social media accounts on LinkedIn and Twitter. To find our more or make a donation, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/ramtech
Ramtech Moves to its New Castle
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Ramtech Moves to its New Castle
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Following a period of sustained growth, Ramtech Electronics have moved into new offices for 2019 – and the move coincides with the company being chosen to provide some of it latest technology to the prestigious Nottingham Castle refurbishment.
Since the company formed in Nottingham back in 1990, Ramtech Electronics has become a leader in its field. With customers in over 20 countries and an expanding range of unique wireless-based solutions for a range of industrial applications and sectors, the company is now set for a period of rapid growth.
The historical success has allowed the company to reinvest into its future, which has included moving into custom refurbished offices in the Castle Marina area of Nottingham. “We have always been a Nottingham business and our investment in our own offices reflects our commitment to staying within the region and establishing our own Castle at Castle Marina,” reported Andy Hicks, Ramtech’s Managing Director.
“We stripped out the interior of the building so we could create an inspiring environment for all our staff – from accounts and logistics to research and development – that encourages creativity. It’s now a fantastic space for innovation and aligns with our company values, such as ‘Commitment’ and ‘Continuous Improvement, which has been core to our expansion.”
The company is also keen to encourage new talent into the business, a point central to future success according to Andy Hicks. “We find that the East Midlands has so much to offer in terms of talented, skilled individuals for all sides of the business. The reputation the region has for its technological expertise helps too. Historically we have always had strong links to local Universities and Colleges – we have some fantastic apprentices here too and we’re always looking for talent at all levels.”
The move has coincided with Ramtech Electronics’ wireless ‘WES’ fire and medical alert system being chosen by G F Tomlinson, who are the main contractors on the Nottingham Castle refurbishment, to help ensure the Castle and its grounds are safeguarded in the event of a fire or medical emergency. “Our WES units have been used on the likes of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt and the Leadenhall Building in London, but we are very proud to be connected with the Nottingham Castle Project – it’s the icon of the city and we’re very happy as a Nottingham business to have been chosen to support the safety of the site during its renovation”, comments Andy Hicks.
2019 will see the launch of the company’s latest range of leisure IoT products for UK holiday parks and the continued expansion of the fire and personal safety range, in addition to strengthening the workforce and developing further supplier relationships.
"Castle Marina gives our employees and customers alike better access to public transport and strong road links. We use many local suppliers, so it’s more convenient for them too."
New Year. New Look. Same Great Values
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New Year. New Look. Same Great Values
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You may not have recognised us with our brand-new makeover – but the fact is, we’re turning 30 this year and we wanted to make a change to celebrate our three decades of being innovative market leaders within wireless technology!
Over our years in the business, we’ve gone from strength to strength and have expanded exponentially since our inception to serve in over 20 countries, introducing platforms such as WES, WiSE and REACT – platforms that exist solely to empower our customers to safeguard and save lives, protect their assets and gain insight into their businesses.
We thought a brand refresh was the perfect way to honour our hard work, what we’ve achieved and, hopefully, what we’ve helped you achieve – so we’ve made a new start for a new decade, while continuing to serve the industry we love.
John Newbury, our Product Innovation and Marketing Director here at Ramtech has given a brief insight into what’s coming up over the next few years:
“We have state-of-the-art products in development that will improve safety, security, operational efficiency and provide data insight to our customers – as a team, we’re really excited about the years ahead.”
So, don’t be alarmed by our new look – everything that has made Ramtech, well … Ramtech over the years, remains the same. Our core values, our ethos and our commitment to providing the very best to our customers are as strong as ever.
New Funding Address Waking Watch Issues
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New Funding Address Waking Watch Issues
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Adam Jurka from Ramtech looks at how the new £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund provides hope to thousands of residents in high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding.
In December 2020 the government announced a £30m fund to help leaseholders living in blocks with dangerous cladding and facing excessive ‘waking watch’ bills. Known as the Waking Watch Relief Fund, it will go towards installing fire alarms in high-rise buildings with dangerous cladding, so removing the financial burden on leaseholders and eliminating the issues associated with waking watch patrols.
There remains a question of who is responsible for remediation costs in the thousands of buildings with dangerous cladding that, according to ARMA’s own figures provide home to around 500,000 people. . Whilst this is being sorted out, leaseholders should be encouraged by news of the new fund. It means that they now have a means of avoiding costly and problematic interim measures that had caused them untold misery.
At its most basic, waking watch or fire warden patrols involve a person or persons, depending on the size of the building, seeing the fire and then alerting residents to evacuate. For large projects it may require a waking watch person on each floor, which for a building of four or more storeys can soon add up to a significant amount. The cost of doing this – borne by the building owner and / or residents – can be as high as £500,000 a year per building. The Waking Watch Relief Fund sets out a way forward to resolve this issue.
It is not just a simple funding solution that supports the continuation of waking watch, either, because it specifically encourages the use of a technology-based alternatives, such as a fire alarm system. Not only are these more cost effective, but they are more reliable and don’t create issues during the lockdown with social distancing.
The December announcement was for a £30 million fund to help toward moving away from waking watch, as part of a further move to support thousands of residents in high-rise buildings. The new Waking Watch Relief Fund, which is now open, will pay for the installation of fire alarm systems in high-rise buildings with dangerous Grenfell type cladding, removing or reducing the need for costly interim safety measures.
Many in the industry had been calling for action in this area for a long time. There are justified concerns from residents about having a succession of ‘waking watch’ guards in the building, too, especially at a time when they are required to maintain social distancing. We should also give a thought to residents in lockdown who are living in buildings with unsafe cladding. It certainly can’t be easy for them, aware that they are of the increased fire risk, whilst guards who have to self-isolate can make around-the-clock staffing difficult.
The Waking Watch Relief Fund signposts what the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have been saying in recent guidance; that building owners should move to install common fire alarm systems as quickly as possible to reduce or remove dependence on waking watches. Announcement of the fund should therefore reassure members worried that they may have faced high costs for interim safety measures by providing financial support and delivering a better, long term fire safety system in their buildings.
NFCC recently released its third edition ‘Guidance to support a temporary change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in purpose-built blocks of flats’. It states that building owners should move to install common fire alarms as quickly as possible to reduce or remove the dependence on waking watches. This is the clear expectation for buildings where remediation cannot be undertaken in the ‘short term’. Again, they view this approach, in almost all circumstances, should reduce the financial burden on residents where they are funding the waking watches. Others have also supported this guidance, with calls for affected buildings to move over to safer and more permanent interim measures such as sprinklers and fire alarms.
The government highlights the fact that some have already installed fire alarm systems due to the significant savings they offer, with leaseholders in those buildings, who on average were paying £137 per month for a waking watch, expected to collectively save over £3 million per month.
Endorsement in the same report comes from National Fire Chiefs Council Chair, Roy Wilsher, who said: “It has been our firm and long held expectation that building owners should move to install common fire alarms as quickly as possible and this funding is a positive step.”
There are several eligibility criteria for Waking Watch Relief Fund and this includes the building being in the private sector, over 18 metres in height and having an unsafe cladding system. There must also be a waking watch in place where these costs have been passed on to leaseholders. Social sector buildings where the Registered Provider can evidence that waking watch costs have been passed to leaseholders and the costs of installing an alarm will fall on leaseholders will also be eligible.
The fund will cover the cost of alarms installed on or after 17 December 2020. High rise buildings with other fire safety defects such as compartmentation issues will be ineligible for funding although in these situations self-funding of wireless fire alarms, which can be rented or bought, may still make financial sense. The £30m fund will benefit leaseholders who may have faced high costs for interim safety measures by providing financial support and delivering a better, long term fire safety system in their buildings. It will cover the upfront capital costs of installing an alarm system. The common fire alarm system should generally be designed in accordance with the recommendations of BS 5839-1 for a Category L5 system, which is referred to in the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) revised guidance on simultaneous evacuation.
Announcement of the waking watch fund also confirmed that there is a 6-month extension to 30th June for building owners to complete their applications to the £1 billion Building Safety Fund. The fund supports the remediation of unsafe non-ACM cladding system on residential buildings 18 metres and over in both the private and social housing sectors.
The Government’s new Waking Watch Relief Fund represents an important step forward in helping residents of buildings with dangerous cladding. Those that take up the funding will find that it will pay for the installation of fire alarm systems, removing or reducing the need for costly interim measures, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds.
The new funding is therefore encouraging news for leaseholders because it addresses the ongoing costs of waking watches. It also aligns with what the National Fire Chiefs Council have been calling for; that leaseholders should adopt more reliable fire detection services such as alarm systems. The National Fire Chiefs Council have been clear in recent guidance that building owners should move to install common fire alarm systems as quickly as possible to reduce or remove dependence on waking watches.
In terms of ongoing remediation, Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, says that the government continues to prioritise the removal of unsafe ACM cladding even throughout the pandemic. The expectation is that around 95% of remediation work will have been completed or be underway by the end of this year.
On the other side of the equation, the number of buildings relying on fire wardens continues to rise as more work is done to uncover potential fire safety risks in the built environment. The scale of the issue is concerning, which is why more are choosing a wireless fire alarm system, which is easy to set up and available to rent or buy. The benefit of this type of system is that it makes residents feel safe in their home, aware that they are of the limitations of fire wardens or waking watch. With remediation still likely to be taking place next year, that is an important consideration for buildings owners and landlords who face many months of uncertainty, waiting for a way forward on remediation.
Has Grenfell Ground to a Halt
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Has Grenfell Ground to a Halt
A technology-based approach
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Here Adam Jurka, National Sales Manager at Ramtech Electronics, looks at why buildings with dangerous cladding should follow NFCC guidance and move over to safer and more permanent interim measures to protect residents from fire.
It is now three years since the devastating fire at Grenfell. Soon afterwards it emerged that many other buildings around the UK had similar dangerous cladding. A way forward was identified; implement interim fire safety arrangements for the temporary, short term management and mitigation from the risk of fire, until replacement of the cladding could be carried out.
The question therefore is why, after three years, are residents still relying on these ‘temporary, short term’ measures, such as waking watch to alert them of a fire. It hasn’t helped that the government has adopted a ‘hands-off’ approach to remediations by insisting that the work is responsibility of building owners.
The fact there is still confusion about who should pay for remediation works hasn’t helped. A consequence of this is that building owners who implemented waking watches – an expensive system that is prone to human error – as a short-term solution are finding that they are still having to rely on them. The fact that some waking watches have been in place for three years shows just how protracted this affair has become.
Official figures illustrate the scale of the problem with 300 tower blocks over 18m in England alone, all with ‘Grenfell-style’ cladding and still waiting to be made safe. This is only the tip of the iceberg because it doesn’t include the government’s estimated 1700 buildings over 18m that have systems known to be dangerous including, some timber, high-pressure laminate and polystyrene cladding and insulation systems. Then there is an estimated 100,000 buildings between 11m and 18m across the UK that may have dangerous cladding materials on the outside. There’s certainly a case that the Building Safety Fund should cover all buildings with dangerous cladding, regardless of height.
However, at current levels of progress, remediation work will take decades. Would you, as one of the 500,000 residents living in these dangerous buildings, be happy relying on waking watch for the foreseeable future, knowing that the EWS (External Wall System) is a serious fire risk? Even last week, over 1,000 residents at a six-block housing and student accommodation development in West London were evacuated from the buildings over fears about fire risks.
Waking watches are far from ideal because they rely on the person seeing the fire in a very large building with multiple floors. Others with dangerous cladding are protected only by security guards who are expected to patrol 24 hours a day, alerting residents should a fire break out. The cost of doing this – borne by the building owner and / or residents – can be as high as £250,000 a year per building. Then there is the issue of how long it takes a waking watch person to alert an entire block of residents, when we know that fire in buildings with dangerous cladding can spread in minutes. They are usually required to do this using an airhorn, which is hardly an efficient method in a multi-occupancy building. Plus, whilst the fire is spreading, guards are required to hold their finger on an airhorn to alert and evacuate a building full of people. Do they put themselves at risk whilst carrying this out?
NFCC has recently released their third edition ‘Guidance to support a temporary change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in purpose-built blocks of flats’. They clearly state that building owners should move to install common fire alarms as quickly as possible to reduce or remove the dependence on waking watches. This is the clear expectation for buildings where remediation cannot be undertaken in the ‘short term’. This approach should, in almost all circumstances, reduce the financial burden on residents where they are funding the waking watches. Others have also supported this guidance, with Inside Housing calling for affected buildings to move over to safer and more permanent interim measures such as sprinklers and fire alarms.
That is why, in this paper, we support the guidance from NFCC calling for all buildings with dangerous cladding to have a technology-based fire alarm that is capable of simultaneously alerting the whole building.
A major benefit of wireless fire alarm systems is that they can be rapidly deployed to create a ‘common’ fire alarm system in any size of building. Significantly, being wireless avoids having to drill holes through walls for cabling, so maintaining integrity of the fire compartments. The NFCC has identified holes or apertures as a potential issue; “common alarm systems installed in the premises must not have any adverse effect on the other fire safety provisions in the building. For example, the installation of a wired system must not create a route for fire and smoke to spread in fire rated walls which were previously imperforate’’.
A wireless fire alarm system allows the signal to pass through all commonly used materials in a building, whilst avoiding having to drill holes through walls. If just one of the heat / smoke detectors in a wireless system is activated, it sounds an alarm via multiple interconnected call points in all areas of the building allowing ‘simultaneous evacuation’ of residents. It does not rely on manual intervention, or a waking watch person seeing the fire. Systems such as our WES3 are fully wireless, so no cabling or mains power is needed – and they have a three-year battery life, so little or no maintenance is required, whilst automatic detection reduces human error. When specifying a wireless fire alarm system, it should be compliant to EN 54 and scalable to any size building utilising flooded mesh radio technology. They are tamper proof, available for hire or sale, and can be despatched on next day delivery.
Innovation in internet connectivity, apps and the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data in live stream have extended the functionality of wireless fire alarm systems. For instance, REACT cloud system can remotely communicate alerts raised by the alarm system in real-time to relevant personnel such as property managers who are based off site via an app installed on their smart phone or tablet device. Alerts raised can be supported with site specific plans to highlight the incident’s precise location. Users can then record actions on their device, which are automatically uploaded to the cloud for feedback to relevant group members.
One thing that is clear from the Grenfell tragedy is that owners of multi-occupancy buildings are legally responsible for fire safety. There are justified concerns from residents about having a succession of ‘waking watch’ guards in the building especially at a time when they are required to maintain social distancing. We should give a thought to residents in lockdown who are living in buildings with unsafe cladding. It certainly can’t be easy for them, aware that they are of the increased fire risk, whilst guards who have to self-isolate can make around-the-clock staffing difficult.
That is the reason why we are joining the growing number of organisations that support NFCC’s call for ‘common fire alarms or sprinklers’ because it avoids the need for ‘waking watch’ and all the issues associated with it.
With protracted negotiations on where the money for remediations will come from, now is the time to follow the guidance set out by NFCC and others on effective interim measures that better protect residents. In terms of performance, cost and ease of installation, EN54-compliant wireless fire alarms offer a very effective way forward and have already been used on a number of buildings with dangerous cladding.
Hello, North America!
NEWS
Hello, North America!
Ramtech is making great strides to expand across the globe.
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In 1990, the Ramtech story began with humble beginnings. From a small team of just a handful of people, we have grown and expanded over the last 30 years into a wireless technology specialist that exports products to almost 30 countries across the world, with an increased specialism in IoT (Internet of Things).
We’re excited to announce that we’ve expanded Ramtech even further with the launch of Ramtech North America to better serve our partners and customers in the USA and Canada. This is part of our strategy to strengthen Ramtech’s position as the leading global provider of wireless communication solutions to the construction and industrial sectors, in addition to supporting the continued growth of our business across North America.
“We’re thrilled to announce this expansion and excited about the opportunities it brings our North American partners and customers,” said John Tyrer, Sales Director, Ramtech North America. “We have state-of-the-art products that will improve safety, security, operational efficiency and provide data insight to our customers – as a team, we’re really excited about the years ahead.”
Over the last few years WES has gained momentum on construction sites across the United States, with high-profile applications such as San Francisco International Airport, various Amazon distribution centers and a Naval building in Annapolis, Maryland. WES3, Ramtech’s wireless evacuation and emergency system, is specified as the security system of choice for these and many other large-scale construction projects.
Construction sites are especially vulnerable to fire, theft, and accidents, but because of their ever-changing and growing landscape they are also challenging to protect. Ramtech solves this problem with wireless WES3 units connected through REACT, a cloud-based monitoring platform/app that provides 24/7 monitoring of the site and accurate and real-time information on incidents.