1. Apartment Owners Network Fire Safety in Existing Apartment Blocks
18th July 2017

2. Introduction Kevin Hollingsworth BSc (Hons) MSCSI MRICS Cert CII
Chartered Building Surveyor/Chartered Project Management
Director of Omega Surveying Services Currently 3 Surveyors and 1 support staff
Member of SCSI; Largest professional body for Construction, Land and Property Surveyors nationwide with over 4,000 members

3. Contents Review of the Historic Compliance Regime
Current Compliance Regime
Problems commonly found
Proposed solution to government

4. Historic Certificates of Compliance (Self Certification)
The problem currently evident throughout the country is directly related to the inadequacy of the former regulatory system. The Building Control Act 1990, which came into effect in 1992,
This replaced the previous Bye law regulations which operated in eight urban areas of the country.
The Building Control Regulations 1991 implemented a system that relied heavily on self compliance by owners, designers and builders with limited independent oversight by inadequately resourced local authority building control staff.
The conveyancing process often required a certificate (opinion) of compliance with the certification based often on a visual inspection.

5. Historic Certificates of Compliance (Self Certification)
Apply for Statutory Approvals
(Planning Permission / Fire Safety Certificate / Disability Access Certificate)
No further involvement from Local Authority
Builder builds the building
Little or no professional supervision
(conditions of engagement)
Certificate of Compliance issues based on “Visual Inspection” by the Architect/Engineer/Surveyor

6. FIRE SAFETY CERTIFICATE

7. FIRE SAFETY CERTIFICATE

8. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE AT COMPLETON OF WORKS

9. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE AT COMPLETON OF WORKS

10. Building Control Amendment Regulations
Apply for Statutory Approvals
(Planning Permission/Fire Certificate/Disability Access Certificate)
New role call “Assigned Certifier” to manage process
Responsible for ensuring all certificate from Designers and Contractors are collected
Lodges design information and completed certs to the local authority

11. New Building Control Amendment Regulations

12. 60 Minute Fire Resistance Around Each Property

13. Penetrations through the walls – Floors/Ceilings

14. Penetrations through the walls – Floors/Ceilings

15. Penetrations through the walls – Floors/Ceilings

16. Penetrations through the walls – Floors/Ceilings

17. Exposed and Unprotected Steel

18. Exposed and Unprotected Steel

19. Exposed and Unprotected Steel

20. Breaches in Floors

21. Breaches in Floors

22. Breaches in Floors

23. Breaches in Floors

24. Breaches in Floors

25. Gap to Floor Slab

26. Gap to Floor Slab

27. Gap to Floor Slab

28. Services Entry into Apartment

29. Services Entry into Apartment

30. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

31. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

32. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

33. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

34. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

35. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

36. Protected Corridor – Time to Escape (30mins)

37. Transfer of Smoke in Cavities
Requirement to prevent transfer of smoke through cavity wall
Option A:
Installation of cavity barriers at all 60min floor and wall locations
Option B
Closing of cavity at all options (Windows and Vents)
Approved Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) will state which strategy/option was to be undertaken

38. Cavity Barriers

39. Option A - Cavity Barriers

40. Option A - Cavity Barriers

41. Option A - Cavity Barriers

42. Option A - Disruptive Works

43. Option B – Close all Openings to Cavities

44. Option B – Close all Openings to Cavities

45. Option B – Close all Openings to Cavities

46. Option B – Close all Openings to Cavities

47. Option B – Close all Openings to Cavities

48. Penetrations through the walls - Boiler

49. Penetrations through the walls - Ducting

50. Breaches in Service Shafts

51. Breaches in Service Shafts

52. Basements

53. Separation of Duplex Units

54. Separation of Duplex Units

55. Fire Alarm
Approved Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) will state which standard of Fire Alarm is required. Always to be in compliance with IS3218 (1989 or 2013)
Generally:
Smoke Detection in common area
Smoke detection in service shafts
Smoke detection in apartments (varying)
To achieve 75 db at the bedhead

56. Emergency Lighting to Common Areas
Always to be in compliance with IS3217 (1989 or 2013) Generally: Lighting to provide 1 lux throughout Emergency directional signage at all changes of direction

57. Implications of doing nothing
Without adequate fire stopping in place fire could spread easily from apartment to apartment throughout the development.
Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Act, 1981 & 2003 States: -
“It shall be the duty of every person having control over premises to which this section applies to – (d) ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of persons on the premises in the event of an outbreak of fire whether such outbreak has occurred or not.”

58. Recommendations to Government
Submitted in March 2017
Receipt Acknowledged in March 2017
No further response

59. Recommendations to Government
High level study of at risk buildings
Set up an emergency fund to deal with most serious and urgent defects
Set up a long term long facility for building owners to enable them to repair all of the their issues.
Establish a working group to refine the details of the above recommendations
Establish the CIRI register of competent contractors on a statutory footing to protect consumers in the future against recurring defects.

60. Thank you
Q&A