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Norwich Council to
Spend £2m on Improving
Tower Block Safety
» » NORWICH COUNCIL HAS
confirmed that it will spend £2m on
improving fire safety at the eight tower
blocks in the city.
Last August, Norwich Fire and Rescue
Service (NFRS) undertook inspections
of high rises following the Grenfell
Tower fire, including ‘swiftly’ checking
all residential buildings taller than 18m.
This included nine in Norwich, with all
‘found to be compliant’, and Evening
News 24 reported that ‘more than’ £2m
would be spent on improving ‘the safety of
hundreds of people living’ in the blocks.
Referring back to that survey by
NFRS in association with NPS Group,
the news outlet stated that a ‘string of
recommendations’ was announced for
improving safety in the towers, which
collectively have over 450 flats. None of
the blocks have cladding, and are ‘well
maintained’ with ‘no serious concerns’,
but for ‘extra safety’, local council bosses
say they ‘intend to speed up improvement
work which had been planned, or has
partially been completed’.
This will include replacing 718 front
doors and store doors for a cost of
around £670,000, and work on this is
due to start later in January. Norwich
City Council noted that this work would
‘address almost half the issues identified’,
with letters sent to council tenants and
leaseholders in Normandie Tower,
Winchester Tower, Ashbourne, Burleigh
and Compass Towers and Aylmer, Seaman
and Markham Towers.
Funding for the work will come from a
budget ‘specifically for the council’s tower
blocks’, with the work actually under way
before the Grenfell Tower fire, but after
which ‘had been paused’. The replacement
doors will have fire proof letterboxes,
while £1m will be spent replacing ‘wooden
framed panels in bathrooms with metal
framed fixed panels’, and putting ‘special
sealant around ventilation ducts and
waste pipes’, which will be undertaken in
the next 12 months.
Additional work outlined includes
‘improvements’ to dividing doors in flats,
replacing battery powered smoke alarms
with hardwired ones, and removal of
polystyrene ceiling tiles with the goal of
improving compartmentalisation.
NEW CPD OFFERING FROM THE IAI FOR 2018
» » A RANGE OF NEW CPD (CONTINUING
Professional Development) seminars
has been launched by the Institute of
Architectural Ironmongers (IAI) for 2018.
18 new CPDs are being released
throughout the year.
“Registered Architectural Ironmongers
demonstrate their commitment to
maintaining high levels of technical
knowledge through the IAI CPD
programme. These CPDs will help
Institute members to stay at the top of
their game and ensure they provide their
customers with quality technical advice
and product knowledge.
“The increase to our CPD register will
take our offering up to 60 seminars and
videos available to IAI branches across
the UK, Asia and the Middle East. We
are still in discussion with a number of
trade associations and manufacturers to
extend our CPD portfolio even further
throughout the year.”
Locksmiths may attend two of these
meetings free to see how the Institute
branch meetings can benefit them. They’ll
be able to access a range of technical
advice including the new CPD seminars
as well as getting the latest product
information and the opportunity to network
with other AI industry professionals.
Affiliate IAI membership is ideal for
locksmiths and other trades in the door
hardware supply chain. Members receive
regular e-newsletters on matters affecting
the industry as well as unlimited access to
the branch meetings.
http://www.gai.org.uk/iai/regai
NEW IAI CPDS:
European & American Standards
Comparison – GAI
• Specialist ironmongery (special
needs, dementia care and anti-
ligature products) – GAI
• Marketing for the ironmonger – GAI
• The role of the architect in the
specification of ironmongery – GAI
• Electronic Master keying – Abloy UK
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2018
Sponsored by Lockex 2018 - Security & Fire Safety
• Testing of Product to EN 1906 –
Carlisle Brass
• Ethical Specification and Sourcing –
Carlisle Brass
• Specification of Digital Locks –
Codelocks
• Specification of Copper as an
Anti-Bacterial Product – Copper
Development Association
• Certification, testing and an update
to CEN Standards – Exova Group
• Inspection of Fire Doors – FDIS
• Specifying, installing and maintaining
ironmongery for fire doors – GEZE
• Specifying Architectural Hardware
for Inclusive Design – Hafele UK
• Air Transfer Grills specification –
Lorient Polyproducts
• The Internet of Things – Legrand
• The Silence of the Jambs, Acoustic
Sealing for Doorsets – Norseal
• Secured by Design – Specification –
Secured by Design
• Finger Protection Devices –
Strand Hardware