FASTSIGNS stresses the importance of fire safety
The company has undertaken new research and projects to help educate the public
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Monday, 20 May 2024 16:10 GMT
New safety regulations were brought in by the UK government following the Grenfell fire
FASTSGNS UK, a B2B franchise which supplies signage and graphics throughout the UK, has stressed the importance of fire safety through two major initiatives.
Most recently FASTSIGNS Manchester has worked with Universal Akhil Partnership (commonly known as UAP), a Bury-based fire-resistant door hardware supplier, to launch a “one-of-a-kind” fire safety training facility aimed at educating fire door maintenance operatives.
The Manchester branch of FASTSIGNS brought the space to life with a range of solutions including vinyl and acrylic plaques, wayfinding signage, vinyl decals, information graphics, and full-coverage wallpaper.
In the wake of the ongoing Grenfell Tower enquiry, UAP has launched a separate arm of its business known as the FDM training facility. The facility has been created to train, educate, and upskill fire door inspectors, installers, and maintainers to meet and exceed UK fire door regulations.
Recently FASTSIGNS UK has launched wider research into the state of fire safety in the UK following the updated regulations released on January 23rd, 2023. The information was obtained via Freedom of Information requests with 18 fire services in England.
The new regulation for England made it a legal requirement for responsible persons of high-rise residential buildings of seven storeys or more to provide local fire and rescue services with appropriate safety information, including up-to-date building and external wall plans.
The research reported a national average of 21% when it came to submitting external wall plans to local fire services.
Additionally, 31% of qualifying high-rises submitted building plans to local fire services. Out of the 18 services compared, Chesire Fire and Rescue Service had the highest percentage of submissions for both criteria with 88% of up-to-date building plans submitted and 88% of up-to-date wall plans submitted.
Nottingham Fire & Rescue Service received only 6% of building plans and 4% of external wall plans for high rises in the area.
The regulation was introduced so that on-site emergency crews and residents could more effectively plan and navigate complex structures thanks to clear signposted instructions.
John Davies, managing director of FASTSIGNS UK, says: “No matter what the industry, health and safety signage is fundamental in minimising risks and supporting people’s wellbeing as well as being crucial in the event of an emergency.
“With certified safety and directional signage, both residents and response teams will be able to clearly navigate high rise buildings when an incident occurs. We work closely with our customers around England so that any buildings which fall under this criteria meet these new requirements.”
The new facility and the services offered by FDM have become even more significant due to this research. The purpose-built 3,000sq ft facility is the first of its kind to be created and is designed in a bespoke flat corridor-style set-up for practical training of fire door assessors.
Commenting on the ongoing partnership, Richard Wedgwood, managing director of FASTSIGNS Manchester, comments: “I think I speak for everyone at FASTSIGNS Manchester when I say we feel privileged to have been involved in such a remarkable and historic project – playing a role in helping to bring to life such an important facility that, we hope, will bring about much change in the wider industry.
“We’ve done our own research into how crucial fire safety is, and that has demonstrated the need for those involved – whether a developer, owner, occupier, or manufacturer – to understand the rules and regulations required in order to keep people safe. We truly believe that FDM will play a fundamental role in educating stakeholders, and we wish the team the very best for this next venture.”
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