Fire Strategy Reports – Getting Fire Safety Right from the Start
When a building is being converted, refurbished or brought back into use, fire safety can quickly become one of the more complicated parts of the project.
This is particularly true with existing buildings. The layout may have evolved over many years, the original construction may be difficult to establish, and the proposed use can be very different from what the building was originally designed for. Add residential accommodation above commercial premises, a listed building, a single escape stair or an unusual layout, and standard guidance may not provide all of the answers.
This is where a fire strategy can make a real difference.
A fire strategy sets out how fire safety will work across the building as a whole. It considers the people who will use the premises, how they will escape, how quickly a fire is likely to be detected, how fire and smoke will be contained, and how the Fire and Rescue Service can safely access the building and respond to an incident.
Depending on the project, this can include escape distances and exit capacity, fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, compartmentation, fire doors, smoke control, firefighting facilities and the fireresistance requirements of the building.
The important part is making sure these measures work together.
Getting involved early
One of the most common problems we see is fire safety being considered after much of the design has already been decided.
By that stage, walls may have been positioned, doors specified and escape routes established. If a significant fire safety issue is then identified, resolving it can mean changing drawings, altering specifications or carrying out additional work on site.
Early involvement gives the design team more options.
Sometimes the answer is straightforward. In other cases, particularly with existing or historic buildings, there may need to be a balance between the recommendations contained within standard guidance and what can reasonably be achieved within the building.
That does not mean reducing the standard of fire safety. It means understanding the risk, considering the building as a complete system and developing a solution that is appropriate for the circumstances.
Existing buildings rarely start with a blank sheet
Working with an existing building is very different from designing a new one.
Older buildings can contain hidden voids, alterations from different periods, uncertain wall and floor construction, historic doors and escape routes that would never be designed in the same way today.
There can also be practical considerations. A listed or historic building may contain features that should be retained. A mixed-use development may need residential and commercial areas to remain adequately separated while sharing parts of the same structure. A conversion may introduce sleeping accommodation into a building that was previously used entirely during the daytime.
These are the projects where a clear fire strategy becomes particularly valuable.
Rather than looking at each issue in isolation, the strategy establishes how the different fire safety measures support one another and records the reasoning behind the proposed approach.
A useful document throughout the project
A good fire strategy should be understandable by more than the person who wrote it.
Architects, contractors, fire alarm designers, fire door specialists and other members of the project team may all need to refer to it. It can provide a clear technical basis for discussions with approving authorities and the Fire and Rescue Service, while helping to keep everyone working towards the same fire safety objectives.
It also creates an important record for the building once the project is complete.
At DMB Fire Safety, we work on fire strategies for projects ranging from residential and commercial conversions through to industrial premises, healthcare environments and historic buildings.
The best results usually come when fire safety is considered early enough to influence the design, rather than having to find a solution once everything else has already been decided.
DMB Fire Safety
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https:// dmbfiresafety. co. uk david @ dmbfiresafety. co. uk