Pro Installer March 2019 - Issue 72 | Page 17

MARCH 2019 | 17 Skills Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk FIRE RESISTANT GLAZING TRAINING? BOOK NOW! As part of the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) “Train- ing the Industry” programme, all specialist glaziers and installers who work with fire resistant glazing systems are encouraged to book their places with the first course taking place on 27 Febru- ary at the GGF Accredited Training Centre in Southwark, London. This Fire Resistant Glazing Training course covers the the- oretical knowledge required to work alongside practical expe- rience. The course will provide glaziers with the highest quality knowledge and information on fire safety covering both products and installations. The course is also aimed to empower successful candidates with the knowledge to explain to others on site the importance of the correct selection and installation of fire resistant glazing. Adrian Blaydon, GGF Techni- cal Officer and Secretary of the GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Group (FRGG) is leading the course and urged all companies responsible for the specification and installa- tion fire resistant glazing to attend the course. “This course is designed to give installers not only an appreciation of the function and importance of fire-resistant glazing but also the practical knowledge to properly apply and install fire-resistant glazing.” The course contents will cover: • The behaviour of glass in fire • What is fire resistance? • Types of fire-resistant glass • Regulations and Responsibil- ities • Importance of the glazed system • Evidence of performance • Product stamps • Information available At the end of the course, all at- tendees will be given a certificate of attendance for their own and/or their companies’ records. it should go without ‘ saying that it is Fire Resistant Glazing Training Course dates in 2019 27 February 30 April 12 June 18 September Venues: GGF Accredited Training Centre, Southwark, London essential for installers to know how critical fire safety is To book your place, visit: https://www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/ggf-accredited-fire- resistant-glazing-training- tickets-55914036388 Adrian summarised, “Following the tragedy of Grenfell Tower, it should go without saying that it is essential for installers to know how critical fire safety is, from our research we know that poor installation can lead to catastroph- ic failures, so ensuring installers are aware of best practice is key. If you feel you or your colleagues’ knowledge of fire resistant glazing is lacking, then I would advise that you book on the course as soon as possible.” Find out more information: https://www.ggf.org.uk/ training/fire-resistant- glazing-training/ ’ Download the GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Best Practice Guide: https://www.ggf.org.uk/ publications/fire-resistant- glazing-publications/ FIRECO COLUMN WHAT IS COMPARTMENTATION? To prevent a fire from spreading, different sections of a building must be constructed as fire-resistant compartments. This means they will resist fire for a specified period of time (usually 30 minutes). If a fire is contained in a compartment, it won’t spread to other parts of the building. People can evacuate safely and firefighters can extinguish the fire. Fire doors One of the most important ways to keep a building safe is through the use of fire doors. Fire doors are specially made to resist fire for a certain amount of time and keep the fire contained within that com- Installations partment. However, fire doors need to be regularly checked and maintained to ensure they will work effectively. In addition, fire doors can only compart- mentalise a fire, if they are kept closed. Whilst carrying out a job, it is key to make sure you are aware of holes and gaps in the walls from installing piping and wiring through a building. When you drill holes through a building to run cables and those holes aren’t filled in, you severely com- promise any fire safety plans in place. If a fire starts, it will spread through any gaps, igniting anything flammable in its path. It takes seconds for a fire to spread through a hole that is the size of a pen nib. Once a fire has the opportunity to spread, it can take over the whole building which makes an escape virtual- ly impossible. www.fireco.uk