The Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) was established in 2010 and is an alliance of fire safety professionals working to protect UK plc against fire. The BSA aims to highlight the true cost of fire and increase the number of business premises that have automatic fire sprinklers fitted. The BSA is driving a culture change so that sprinklers are understood and accepted as the norm for UK business buildings.
The BSA’s founding members are the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, the European and National Fire Sprinkler Networks, the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association, commercial insurer, FM Global, and the Fire Protection Association.
Feature Synopses 2021
1. Why is this a regulatory success?
When you consider that a building that is built to meet regulations can still burn down, why is this building classed a regulatory success? This feature provides insight into regulations and guidance and why we need to understand that building regulations are the minimum, as compliance with current UK Building Regulations is not meant to achieve property resilience to fire.
2. Best in Europe vs worst in Europe
In England post-Grenfell, the sprinkler threshold has been lowered from 30 metres to b11 metres in new-build residential buildings, which has put us at the top of the European league table in terms of fire regulation. But when you compare this to fire safety guidance in warehouses, the UK lags far behind our European neighbours, propping up the bottom of the table with sprinklers only required in warehouses above 20,000m2 under current guidance. This feature looks at the importance of
business resilience and why nearly seven out of 10 businesses are unaware that current building regulations guidance in the UK does not consider elements that protect the property against the devastating effects of fire.
3. One rule for one, one for the other
A fire that tore through the Cube high-rise student accommodation in 2019 is a stark reminder that our new 11-metre sprinkler threshold for high-rise residential buildings does not apply to student accommodation. The requirement also does not apply to care homes. Xxx of the BSA looks at the arbitrary nature of our building regulations and makes the case for sprinklers to be considered as a viable option across the built environment.
4. Unsprinklered buildings: do we clearly understand the impact of fire?
Fire regulations are designed with life safety in mind and not property protection. People need to understand this and also realise that in the event of a fire, the fire and rescue service will have to focus on getting everyone out of the building, not saving the building. This feature looks at the wide ranging impact of fire and asks the question as to why we are building unsprinklered buildings?
5. The lifecycle costs of fire
When you commission a building, a number of decisions need to be made. You need to consider fire protection as part of this and what outcome you want in the event of fire: fire contained and extinguished; fire contained to one area which will be a loss; loss of the building. A developer may value a building in one way and an end user may value it another way. The decisions you make at this stage will impact the building throughout its lifecycle, which is why everyone needs to understand
what the results will be in the event of fire. This feature looks at the decision-making process and the lifecycle costs of fire.
6. The knock-on effect of fire
From a Budgens supermarket fire impacting a local community, to a string of Derbyshire school fires disrupting the education of children and the loss of jobs due to fires in a Daventry warehouse and a Wakefield bakery, this feature looks at the knock-on effect and the many damaging aspects of fire. We also ask the question who really bears the cost?
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Media contact
Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, International Fire Buyer
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@firebuyer.com
