Fire safety is a hugely important aspect in both new construction and refurbishment of buildings.
As part of our commitment to remaining at the forefront of fire safety, we organise comprehensive in-house training programmes across the business and work with key associations to ensure we stay up to date with the latest regulations, standards and industry developments.
Many of these training programmes include completing exams, to ensure competency in all aspects of passive fire protection. This also enables us to explore how we can expand our fire solutions to better meet our clients’ needs.
We are FIRAS certified
We have been a FIRAS certified installation contractor for passive fire protection systems for over five years.
The FIRAS scheme promotes good practice in the installation and maintenance of passive and active fire protection systems.
As a certificated company, we are required to:
- Pass an internal quality audit, covering traceability from enquiry through to handover.
- Employ on a permanent, or contract basis, competent Supervisors and Technicians, who can demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of passive fire protection.
- Undergo live project inspections from the list of recorded projects on the FIRAS database, to ensure ongoing compliance. Our most recent site audit was at 105 Sumner Street.
- Have internal audits of the companies’ relevant procedures and documentation.
This certification provides evidence of our competence to install our fire rated systems safely and in-line with all relevant building regulations and test certification.
We are members of the FPA and ASFP
We are a platinum member of the Fire Protection Association (FPA), which helps ensure that we receive continuous updates, insight and training into fire legislation changes, to provide the best advice to our clients.
We have recently become a member of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), the UK’s leading trade association for the passive fire protection sector. Their objective is to encourage, develop and give guidance on standards in passive fire protection to manufacturers, contractors, and certification bodies.
Being a member of the ASFP provides our staff with access to safety resources, training, and professional development. This helps ensure we provide the best guidance and skills when it comes to tendering, designing, or installing fire protection systems.
Later this year we are also hoping to gain our certificate in Passive Fire Protection from the Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE).
We are expanding and adapting our fire solutions
Compartmentation in buildings is commonly created using drywall systems – flexible supporting constructions. These systems are widely tested by manufacturers and are a cost-effective method of compartmentalising a building.
However, drywall systems are not generally tested specifically as a supporting construction for fire resistant glazing systems which, when using the European testing standards, are more often tested in rigid supporting constructions (concrete or high-density blockwork).
Where glazing systems have been tested with some form of flexible supporting construction, the evidence is generally very limited with a very narrow field of application, which is often not fully understood by those designing and installing those systems.
Following our own series of targeted fire tests, we are really pleased to share that our OAG Fire systems are now supported by a fully evidenced field of application assessment from Warrington Fire. This means that we are able to continue to install our fire rated systems into drywall construction through test-based certification.
This additional fire evidence is required following the release of the latest Passive Fire Protection Forum (PFPF) ‘Guide to Undertaking Assessments based on Fire Test Evidence’, to which all the recognised authorities subscribe (including Warrington Fire, IFC, BRE, etc.).
While it was possible to previously fix into flexible drywall construction without direct supporting test evidence, this is no longer the case and any glazing system not installed into rigid supporting construction, must be installed according to a certified tested solution.
To find out how we can assist with your glazed fire rated applications, please feel free to contact us.