Fire Safety Design

The Fire Safety Inspection programme is a series of inspections covering construction from commencement of the superstructure to the final handover of the finished building. The progress of construction is monitored in line with the specified design and fire strategy requirements. Where requested, Ashton Fire can also review or witness the commissioning and/or the cause and effect of fire safety systems within the building.

The inspection programme forms part of the process throughout construction and complements expectations of Gateway Three. Including pre-start and on-going advice, ensuring that the expectations of the fire strategy are applied, and pre-handover Fire Safety Assessment are conducted.

The programme can be applied to any building to provide additional independent assurance that the completed building is in accordance with the design and any variations are captured and verified allowing accurate updates to the as-built fire strategy.

By working closely with the client’s technical and construction teams, we can advise on best practice and are well placed to identify potential issues at an early stage, minimising the need for remedial work.  Through regular inspection, reporting and review we are able to provide additional confidence that the as-built building is consistent with the fire strategy.

The Fire Safety Inspection programme can also facilitate the provision of EWS1 form(s) or a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls, including specified attachments, where required.

The External Wall Inspection programme is a series of inspections during the construction of the external walls of a building, monitoring the progress of construction in line with the specified design and fire strategy requirements.

Through applying our expert knowledge of external walls and façades construction, associated materials alongside the interrogation of product fire test information aligned to requirements and fire safety guidance to the Building Regulations, we are able to identify potential issues at an early stage, minimising the need for remedial work. Further, working closely with the client’s technical and construction teams we can advise on best practice and provide assurance that the external walls have been constructed in accordance with the agreed design and fire strategy.

The External Wall Inspection programme can also facilitate the provision EWS1 form(s) or a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls, including specified attachments, where required.

Our services include the production of fire safety strategies for on-site works during construction, including continued support throughout the construction process. A construction fire safety strategy will specifically consider fire safety for the site, identifying measures which will limit the risk of fire during the various phases of work:

• assisting with reducing the likelihood of fire.
• improving the level of safety of both employees and the general public.
• preventing fire spread to adjacent buildings and providing suitable firefighting access and water supplies.
• it will also consider protection measures required to protect residents of occupied areas of a building during the construction works.

The strategy will provide fire safety guidance and form a basis for the Principal Contractor in meeting their legal obligations for fire safety throughout construction. Through following best practice guidance, benefits in property protection and brand perception are also realised by reducing the likelihood and consequence of construction site fires.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), the Principal Contractor is obliged to plan, manage, and coordinate the health and safety of a construction project. This includes liaising with the client and Principal Designer, preparing the construction phase plan, organising cooperation between contractors and coordinating their work.

This can be a significant challenge where fire safety risks are continually present and ever-changing throughout construction, particularly for complex projects such large, high-rise buildings and timber buildings.

Following guidance recommendations (e.g. ‘HSG168 – Fire Safety in Construction’ and the ‘Joint Code of Practice for Fire Prevention on Construction Sites’) is not always practical or appropriate due to the type, scale or requirements of a project. For example, a tall single stair building will be well protected by robust fire safety systems when completed, however these systems will typically not be available until the late construction stages. A code compliant solution, of additional temporary stairs, is not always possible or practical for solving this issue through all stages of construction. Alternative risk reduction measures are therefore required to ensure fire risks are kept as low as reasonably practicable.

With significant experience on complex construction projects, our expertise includes assessing the potential on-site fire safety risks in all phases of construction and employing a pragmatic approach to each project.

We hold ourselves to high standards as highlighted by our certification as a ConstructionOnline Gold member and our ISO 9001 certification. We also hold certification for ISO 14001 and BAFE SP205.

As part of this service, we also offer site fire risk assessments to periodically review the site with regards to the construction fire safety strategy and best practice guidance.

We provide construction phase fire risk assessment support throughout construction as recommended within the Health and Safety Executive publication HSG168 – ‘Fire Safety in Construction’ and the ‘Joint Code of Practice for Fire Prevention on Construction Sites’. The Principal Contractor must take appropriate on-site fire precautions to ensure the safety of their employees and other relevant persons (e.g., visitors and general public). It is a requirement that the fire risk assessment is reviewed by the responsible person periodically so that it is up to date.

Construction projects are continually changing and naturally prompt regular reviews, particularly at key stages of the construction programme, e.g., when the building façade is enclosed and there is a step-change in fire risk.

We offer expert support in carrying out site fire risk assessments, reviewing on-site fire safety arrangements and implementation of the construction phase fire plan, assisting the Principal Contractor in meeting their obligations and to provide confidence that the appropriate fire precautions are being implemented during construction.

We are BAFE SP205 accredited and certified as a ConstructionOnline Gold member, highlighting the high level of competency and experience of our risk assessors as well as the dedication and quality throughout the team.

A construction phase fire risk assessment forms part of the ongoing monitoring of a construction sites condition and use in relation to fire safety related issues either direct or indirect which may cover structural as well as procedural fire safety issues, equipment and material usage, associated hazards and risks, occupancies of varying types and general management and maintenance.

The intention of the construction phase fire risk assessment is to review the site by taking an organised and methodical look at the site as a whole as well as the building under construction and looking at the likelihood of a fire starting, the potential causes and the harm that could come from it and looking at ways to mitigate the risk. The assessment will highlight good fire safety practice together with any deficiencies and record them in an action plan so as to provide the Responsible Person or Duty Holder with a suitable and sufficient document to aid in the management of their site compliance as well as maintaining the highest site fire safety standards.

To assist Responsible and Accountable Persons with fire safety and building safety practices, our preoccupancy fire safety assessment process will provide assurance and reporting so as to form part of the required Building Regulations ‘Regulation 38’ information pack and will also contribute to the buildings golden thread of information covering design through build completion and the ongoing lifecycle of a building’s occupation.

Preoccupation fire safety assessments are carried out if the end user wants to establish that the construction stage of the building has been completed, the necessary fire safety design measures have been incorporated, prior to handover and subsequent occupation. This information is usually communicated in the findings of a preoccupation fire safety assessment.

Note – It is important that a preoccupation fire safety assessment is not confused with a legally required fire risk assessment; the former is undertaken to help ensure a smooth transition from the design and construction phase to the operational phase of new or refurbished premises. However, both are similar in content, with the in-use elements of management and maintenance of the building not being able to be assessed.

Regulation 38 pack review

Fire Safety Information

For building work involving the erection or extension of a relevant building (i.e. a building to which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies, or will apply), or the relevant change of use of a building, fire safety information should be given to the responsible person at one of the following times (whichever is earlier):

• When the project is complete.
• When the building or extension is first occupied.

Fire safety information is the information relating to the design and construction of the building or extension, and the services, fittings and equipment provided in or in connection with the building or extension which will assist the responsible person to operate and maintain the building or extension with reasonable safety.

Ashton Fire can support you with reviewing the completeness of fire safety related information for the project that the contractor is obligated to hand to the end client, by way of:

1. Collation of information and desktop review – A thorough review to ensure that the person responsible for the building has sufficient information relating to fire safety to enable them to manage the building effectively.

2. A report referencing the information received and comments on its suitability for the Regulation 38 pack.