Fire Safety & Security
Valuable Lessons in Fire and Life Safety Design
Under guidance from the Architects Registration Board , architectural students are set for a change in curriculum . Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explores this decision and why industry collaboration is central to improving fire safety education and paving the way to a safer future .
In an evolving construction industry , the approach to building design is ever shifting . Yet , as the complexity of projects intensifies , safety and sustainability remain fundamental areas of focus , and according to architects , have been the most common of issues [ 1 ] presented to them over this past five-year period .
In response , the Architects Registration Board ( ARB ) [ 2 ] - as the professional regulator responsible for setting the standards for architect registration - in late 2021 , posed significant changes [ 1 ] to architectural training and educational guidelines . The new guidance , published by the ARB and sanctioned by the reformed Building Safety Bill [ 3 ] , is considered a way of modernizing the teachings of architectural schools and will address the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector by introducing revised module guidelines on ‘ Fire and Life Safety ’ and ‘ Sustainability ’.
Under the new ‘ Fire and Life Safety ’ guidelines , the expanding architecture curriculum will examine :
• The science of fire , smoke generation and spread
• Design principles to minimise the risk of smoke and fire
• Means of escape in case of fire and the appropriate access to buildings and facilities for emergency services
• The significance of product specification to fire safety and performance as part of a construction system
• Protecting building users from hazards during use and maintenance
Fire safety is paramount to a building ’ s success but is a complex subject with a variety of layers , as is defined by these modules . However , following the call for the revised curriculum , both future and present professionals must collectively recognise its importance , and through better education and collaboration , aim to deliver a fire safe infrastructure , with higher levels of quality and building performance .
Better by design
Between the reformed Building Safety Bill [ 3 ] and the Fire Safety Act 2021 [ 4 ] , fire safety has been a subject of increased scrutiny over the past few years . Evidently , occupant safety must always remain the top priority throughout any construction project , regardless of its size or scope . Fire and life safety design plays an integral role in this , not only as a compliance obligation but as a practice that can improve project output .
As a result , and as outlined by the ARB , every architect must be educated on the basics of fire safety and its role in building design , keeping in mind the latest codes , regulations and hardware required for a project . One area to consider under the revised curriculum ’ s ‘ means of escape ’ is the required number of fire door exits per room and per floor . Fire doors are often the first line of defense against fire and thus are meticulously tested to British Standards BS 476 : Part 22 [ 5 ] or BS EN 1634-1 [ 6 ] to certify their resistance to fire for a minimum of 30 minutes ( FD30 ) or 60 minutes ( FD60 ).
As a project moves through to specification , decision makers must also identify the required door hardware - which are designed to facilitate the compartmentation of smoke and fire and so must comply with UK Construction Products Regulations [ 7 ] . Specification is critical when a project ’ s materials are being considered and can be the difference in a building failing to meet
its functional and necessary safety standards . Inadequately specified door furniture can result in blueprints and specifications changing at a later stage of the project to comply with the correct standards , adding preventable time and costs to development . By understanding the role of fire safety from the earliest stage , and in this case , the functional aspects of fire doors and their hardware , professionals can deliver better projects with enhanced safety and performance .
Project collaboration
The onus to deliver fire safe buildings doesn ’ t lie solely with architects , however . Although architects are the only professional body that has a statutory obligation to partake in Continuing Professional Development ( CPD ), industry wide education is crucial if we are to maintain the necessary standards associated with fire safety . Fire safety is an expansive subject that touches many areas of a building ’ s lifecycle , from the design stage right through to maintenance , and the ARB ’ s newly formed curriculum serves as a reminder to all professionals on what they must remain educated on .
Sources : [ 1 ] https :// arb . org . uk / architect-information / guidance-notes / arb-safety-sustainability-guidelines-architects / [ 2 ] https :// arb . org . uk
[ 3 ] https :// www . gov . uk / government / collections / building-safety-bill [ 4 ] https :// www . legislation . gov . uk / ukpga / 2021 / 24 / introduction / enacted
54 SEPTEMBER 2022 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM