Challenges of fire protection

Fire protection is increasingly hitting the headlines. Barry Bell outlines the main fire safety risks and examines the importance of detection technologies in the sector.

In your opinion, what are the main challenges regarding fire safety in the Middle East region? How does your solution work to tackle these challenges?

Barry Bell. Obtaining uniformity in design regulations is certainly a major challenge. For the time being, our goal is to support the design process by assisting architects and engineers that are engaged here from all over the world in the application of international codes and standards generally applied here and the specific requirements of local authorities. Another important challenge is sustaining a buildings fire protection features, both passive and active, throughout the lifetime of the building.

To meet this challenge, we form part of a team of approved fire engineering consultants that are charged with the annual inspection of buildings, enforcing remedial action wherever necessary. Such actions ensure that a building remains safe for continuous occupation and particularly safe with regards to the specific operations and activities that are being conducted within the building. This inspection regime applies to residential, commercial and industrial buildings and facilities.

As buildings get taller and more innovative in design the fire safety issues become more complicated. What unique challenges do high-rise buildings present?

BB. Life safety is a major challenge in high-rise buildings anywhere. Even when code compliance in the design of passive and active fire protection is achieved, escape and rescue from high-rise buildings remains a unique challenge to both occupants and emergency services. We, like other specialists that operate in this region, are assisting the fire departments and regulatory bodies in the development of unique strategies that will enhance the safety of occupants residing in high-rise buildings and at the same time provide protection for emergency services that fight fires and conduct rescue operations. Of course, unique means adaptation of principles that are already established in other countries that have the advantage of longer experience. Adaptation is important because the strategies have to be harmonised with the regions cultural, social and logistical capabilities.

The Middle East region is famed for its mega projects. How are the latest technologies helping to protect such developments from fire safety risks?

BB. Mega projects, such as large shopping malls and public assembly venues, obviously result in extraordinarily high occupant loads within these facilities. This acknowledged, the local authorities do pay great attention to public safety. In general, there are tight controls on the materials and equipment used on new projects, and some of the best technologies available are in demand here.

The only issue that I see is the sustainability of performance of complex technologies after project completion. This will be covered to some extent by the mandatory annual fire safety inspections, which also focus on the standard of maintenance being provided and current functionality of life safety and fire protection systems. What we don't influence at the moment is the education of maintenance providers. Without manufacturers support, we cannot ensure that maintenance engineers or technicians actually have the expertise necessary to provide sophisticated maintenance for complex technologies. Local authorities do however have examination procedures in place for the approval of maintenance company employees that service standard systems such as fire detection, alarm systems and water-based fire suppression systems.

We would like to encourage more enforcement of certification by manufacturers, ensuring that maintenance staff have adequate training, up-to-date technical documentation and software tools that allow correct preventative maintenance, testing and technical support for their specific systems. Not to mention a guarantee of original replacement parts for a period of at least 10 years.

Fire standards and regulations are definitely improving the approach to fire protection in the region. What are your views on standards and regulations in place? Do you think they go far enough? 

BB. Because the base standards applied are predominantly of US or UK origin, the standards are more than adequate if applied correctly. Because of the culture, climate and other unique differences between the Middle East and other parts of the world, the region has also created some unique standards of its own that fill the gaps where provisions within current international codes are deemed unsuitable for application here.

Barry Bell is the Senior Engineering Consultant and Managing Director for the Middle East at Wagner Fire Safety.