FIRE SAFETY IN MULTI-RESIDENTIAL HOUSING (Assisted Living & Extra Care) Presented by Roger Standish & Andrew Crooks

Introductions – Fire Safety in Multi-Residential Housing Roger Standish Extra Care Housing Consultant Andrew Crooks Director of Technical & Corporate Affairs

Agenda – Fire Safety in Multi-Residential Housing Fire & Human Behaviour Fire Characteristics Fire Strategy Fire Safety Legislation Detection & Suppression Options Fire Engineered Design Approach Live Project Solutions

Fire & Human Behaviour – How do people react?

Initially Dismissive then Curiosity Peer Pressure influences Pre Programmed or Irrational Behaviour? Fire Fight or Evacuate? Escape Routes & Time? Management Procedures - Domestic and Multi-Residential Differences

Fire & Human Behaviour – How should people react? Domestic Fire Scenario in Multi- Residential Apartments (Extra Care) Raise Alarm (if not automatically done) Call Brigade Leave Building Report to Person at Assembly Point Do Not Collect Personal Belongings Do Not Return to Building until told that it is safe to do so. See also you tube videos – ‘Great White Fire’ & ‘Chicago School Fire’

Fire & Human Behaviour – How do people react? Domestic Fires including Multi-Residential Apartments

Questions - Participation So how long do think you have to react in order to survive a fire? What are the determining factors? You are creating environments where you need to ‘design in controls.’ What do you think the effects of a sprinkler or misting head would have? How else can you provide control?

Fire Characteristics – How Long to React? Domestic Fires including Multi-Residential Apartments

Fire Characteristics – What happens? Components Life Cycle Fires including Multi-Residential Apartments

Fire Safety Strategy – Different Approaches A successful Fire Strategy depends upon  Pro Active Management  Adequate Staffing levels  Resident Dependency assessment  Introduces Concept of Progressive Horizontal Evacuation  Other less traditional approaches are embraced inside the introduction of Approved Document B2

Fire Safety Strategy – Different Approaches  Factors that should be taken into account:  probability of fire occurring  anticipated fire severity  effective fire protection  fire resistance  smoke  consequential danger to people Approved Document B2 – Introduction

Fire Safety Strategy – Different Approaches  prevention  early warning  means of escape provision  smoke control  control of fire growth rate  structural fire protection  containment Approved Document B2 – Suggested Measures  separation between buildings (or parts of buildings)  extinguishment or control  fire service provision  ownership  through legislative control  risk assessment  management

Fire Safety Strategy – Different Approaches  You must ensure a joined up, fully documented approach:  client involvement (responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order).  designer  fire engineer  building control  fire service  Avoid Complexity – embrace simplicity ADB2 – Introduces concept of Fire Engineering techniques to be adopted

Fire Safety Legislation – 3 levels of technical standard Building Regulations Approved Document B (ADB)  Guidance recommendations only.  Prescriptive approach will safely satisfy the regulations.  OK for majority of simple UK buildings.  Not always suited to larger innovative Multi-Residential Assisted Living of Extra Care schemes.  May not deliver a ‘tailored performance based’ solution. Question for audience………..

Fire Safety Legislation – 3 levels of technical standard Building Regulations Approved Document B (ADB)  Guidance recommendations only.  Prescriptive approach will safely satisfy the regulations.  OK for majority of simple UK buildings.  Not always suited to larger innovative Extra Care schemes.  May not deliver a ‘tailored performance based’ solution. Alternative – BS9999 Code of Practice: ‘Fire Safety, Design, Management & Use of Buildings’  Advanced approach – structured, transparent & flexible  Supersedes the old BS5588.  More flexible than ADB – doesn’t replace it.  BS9999 does not cover apartment interiors  Aimed at designers developing simple engineered solutions  Uses well defined routes with greater flexibility than ADB  Useful on larger projects where automatic detection required

Fire Safety Legislation – 3 levels of technical standard BS7974:2001: Fire Safety Engineering  More sophisticated solution than AD(B)  Larger multi-residential buildings.  Framework of sound fire engineering principles.  Rational methodical approach  Can be adopted as a feasibility design/cost appraisal tool.  Basis for selection of appropriate fire protection.  Opportunities for innovative design.  Potential for cost savings through risk assessment.  Provides fire safety and management strategy information.  Early stage dialogue with Building Controls / F. Officers vital.

Fire Safety Design – Feasibility Considerations Feasibility Design Considerations: (whether ADB, BS9999 or Fire Engineered)  Compartmentation.  Horizontal & Vertical Fire Separation.  Escape Travel Distances.  Protected Escape Routes.  Detection Installations.  Detection / Alarm Interfaces  Extent of Fire Protection and Suppression Systems.  Fire Fighting Installation (incl Fire Fighting Lifts for High Rise)

Fire Engineering Approach Management Factor Assessment when developing Fire Strategy and FRA  Plan for Changes in Building Risk Profile  Residents future potential disabilities / dementia etc.  Management Resources & Authority**  Staffing Levels (staff : occupant ratio)  Fire Training  Work Control (repairs to building structure)  Communications procedures**  Maintenance & Testing of Fire Systems  Ongoing Dialogue with Fire & Rescue Service  Contingency Planning **See ‘You Tube’ video – ‘‘Chicago School Fire’

Fire Engineering Principles Fire Engineering Principles:  Fire Initiation.  Fire Spread  Building Structure.  Detection & Activation of Protection Systems.  Fire Service Intervention  Evacuation – Time based exercise.  Probablistic Risk Assessment

Fire Engineering Principles – Progressive Horizontal Evacuation Progressive Horizontal Evacuation:  Each compartment has at least one escape route independent of the route in the adjoining compartment.  One of the following conditions must be met:  Room for all occupants in the adjacent compartment (0.3m 2 per person).  The escape route width is adequate for both adjoining compartments  Ventilation systems serving both compartments should be provided with smoke detector and activated smoke dampers. Doors should have cold smoke seals & close upon activation. Must support the Progressive Horizontal evacuation strategy

Fire Engineering – Smoke Ventilation Systems Smoke Ventilation Systems:  Consider early in design  Concept can profoundly effect the design  Designed to maintain tenability  Allows means of escape from:  Building  To Place of Refuge  Automatic Ventilation Strategy  Smoke Purging

Fire Engineering – Smoke Ventilation Open Plan Layouts Smoke Dispersal to Open Plan Layouts

Fire Engineering – Smoke Ventilation in Atria Smoke Dispersal to Central Atrium with Flats off Galleried Landings

Fire Engineering – Potential Benefits Fire Engineered Solutions ‘Designed In Example’  Automatic smoke ventilation based upon:  individual building design  smoke buoyancy,  Internal ventilation stacking and local wind effects  Control strategy.  Galleries to Atrium with Apartment Access required:  Smoke Control curtains with a zoned control strategy.  Additional Fire Detection to Apartments (with gallery access)  Smoke Control Lobbies within apartments (with gallery access)  Fire suppression (misting head) installation to communal areas (in addition to apartments) allowed certain relaxations.  Dry riser installations for multi rise buildings were dependent upon:  Access for fire fighting appliances  Local water pressures  Fire Hydrant locations

Fire Engineering – Potential Benefits Fire Engineered Design Potential Advantages  Fire suppression to communal areas may allow  Increase in fire escape travel distances  Review of number of fire exit staircases.  Possible elimination / reduction of passive structural fire protection to certain elements.  A tailored solution may allow for higher site densities or closer building proximity on inner city sites (e.g by adoption of a water misting suppression systems)  ‘Designed in’ arrangements for servicing and access of fire detection and suppression systems.  Fire appliance tracks through landscaping pre designed to integrate with landscaping layouts.

Fire Safety Design – Apartments / Flats Individual Apartments & Flats:  Mains detectors normally in hallways (addressable to emergency call system and with emergency battery back up).  Sounder bases to achieve 75dbA at bed head.  Swing free closers to deactivate and ‘fail safe’  Interface with emergency call system and Assistive Technology to assist with future frailty by  Visual alarms – flashing beacons for the hard of hearing.  Vibrating pillows – partially sighted.  Consider a secondary detection system in kitchens to:  Notify false alarms to staff without alerting whole building and  Pick up potential problems at an early stage  Agree the Extra Care building’s specific ‘Cause and Effect’ details with Fire and Building Control officers at an early stage.

Fire Suppression Option – Sprinkler or Misting Systems? Options - Multi Residential, Assisted Living Extra Care  Mandatory in England where >30m high.  Consider Sprinkler or Misting System?  Welsh Assembly supports Misting Systems (Jan 2010).  Misconceptions deter against acceptance.  Mains (subject to pressure) or Tank fed.  BS DD8458 Fixed Fire Protection Systems – Residential & Domestic Water Mist Systems Part 1 CP published in Oct 2010 under consideration for adoption in respect of buildings not exceeding 20m high.  UK Fire Authorities beginning to accept Misting

Fire Suppression Option – Water Misting Options - Multi Residential, Assisted Living Extra Care  Can avoid closed door policies – allows for rescue if managed well  Good for small fire resistant ‘boxes’ (Flats)  Evidence tends to suggest not good for larger spaces – dining rooms, catering kitchens etc.  But is this required to evacuate occupancy at risk?  Larger compartment sizes allowed – value engineered approach:  Staffing levels  Structural Fire Protection  Self-closers not avoided as misting works better with a contained fire.

Fire Suppression Option – Local Water Misting Example Individual Dwelling Option – Simplified Water Misting System Deals with a Fire ‘At Source’.

Fire Suppression – Water Misting System Test Option for Multi Residential, Assisted Living / Extra Care

Building Management Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) Mandatory Obligations - Management  Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005  Building Regulation 38 – Provision of Information (Simple & Complex Buildings) - scheme specific information.  Risk Assessment & Management Planning (RAMS)  Applies to all communal and ancillary areas (not apartments)  Understand ‘cause and effect’ in the event of fire.  Develop / agree the FRA in conjunction with the building specific Fire Strategy carried out during technical design.  Responsible person prepares & reviews FRA (a ‘live document’).  This is particularly relevant where residents become frailer with loss of sensory perception or increasing cognitive impairment.  Buildings where care is provided – refer to DCLG Publications – Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Residential Care

Fire Safety Design – Multi-Residential Housing (Extra Care) Further Information On Line: Housing HLIN Technical Brief No.5 which additionally outlines:  HSG 168 Fire Safety in Construction  Timber framed buildings fire risks  Fire suppression systems  Fire safety ‘cause and effect’ examples  Residents with special needs  jhai limited Fire Services Consultancy:  safety safety

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