Ot: Or not. tower fire...

[michael adams]

Presumably it mitigates the risk of people not realising in time that their block of flats has caught fire.

What else did you have in mind ?

michael adams

...

[tabbypurr]

How likely is a fire marshal to spot a fire before 1000 or so residents? If your answer is that they will, please describe how. Or wake up.

NT

[michael adams]

The residents may all be asleep at the time. Hence the significance of the phrase "round the clock" fire wardens.

Which is exactly what the residents will do, when alerted by the fire warden.

Stone me, even Rod Speed isn't as dense as you are.

You don't happen to live in a corrugated iron hut as well, by any chance do you ?

michael adams

...

[tabbypurr]

I note you didn't answer the question of how the fire marshal is going to spot this fire.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd say the idea would be to evacuate the building in event of a fire.

[Adam Aglionby]

Specification, getting what you asked for rather than what you expected ,gu ess is going to play out in Camden soon with rumblings of `urgent legal advice`

Class 0 seems to be purely aimed at testing resistance to radiant heat, alu minium foil protects the core like a turkey in the oven, what it seems to b e have aimed at testing is things like intumescent paint coatings.

Test wasn`t suffuicent but everyone, architects , specifiers, contractors c an point to Class 0 Reynobond PE rating, fact that DIN test gives it same f lammability rating as wood diosen`t come into it, cladding material to meet Class O of building regs, tick.

Might get a bit sticky with manufacturers recommendation to use FR grade on structures above 18m.

Polythene wrapped in alloy seems like a disposal problem as well, thats a l ot of shiny lined landfill.

Regretably the concern is what other standards are substandard.

Australian one is odd in that contractors are trying to walk away and there are a lot of buildings with known PE core cladding , even some under const ruction including some hospitals.

Watched construction of hospital wing here last couple of years, concrete f rame, what looked like almost foot think mineral wool blocks with render fi nsh to outside.High insulation, actual fire resistant construction.

Where and what happended to Insurance Companies driving safety in interest of cost reduction?

[tabbypurr]

[Andy Burns]

BBA does various tests on samples of Reynobond, proclaims it passes EN 13501-1:2001, BS 476-6:1989 and BS 476-7:1997 and therefore it "may be regarded as having a Class 0 surface".

Then they go on say that even using a different colour could affect the performance, and you must do your own tests of a wall incorporating the cladding, and that by issuing a certificate they do not accept any responsibility, blah, blah, standard disclaimer.

So what's the point of a BBA cert?

[Martin Brown]

The snag is that in the real world the sheets have finite dimensions and their weaknesses are *at the edges* and especially *at the corners*.

Moderate scale mockups were shown burning on the news last night.

4 minutes in. This looks like a major government c*ck up - our UK regulations on this are rubbish. PM evades answering the question was it legal to use this crap in the UK for high rise buildings - Yes or No?

Fire safety committee letter coming to light doesn't help their case.

Lets burn loads of elfin safety red tape - what can possibly go wrong?

[Richard]

Ask the previous governments going back to the 70s while you're about it.

Similar to Izal - but to cover, not wipe.

Doesn't matter how much is done, people are people. Engineering them out is the only solution.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Keep it simple can often be best. Sad really so many don't understand this concept.

[mechanic]

They could ensure the firedoors are closed and the alarms work.

[mechanic]

Great link, thanks. The PM was in a bit of a bind; the 'legal' question will be settled by the enquiry, but the 'is it safe' question is always a judgment, no absolute guarantee of safety in all circs. Yes the advice in regulations and from the manufacturer are in question, but ultimately the buck stops with the contractor.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Any rules and regs stifle enterprise. Mantra is if you can make something and someone buys it, end of story. Just as with some of our largest businesses like banks. Allow them to sell anything to anyone. Then when they f**k up, bail them out with taxpayer's quids and blame the Labour government for not regulating them.

[dennis]

Wasn't it more a case of the Labour government relaxing the rules?

[tabbypurr]

A left winger's failed attempt to understand the right I see. A lot of rule s & regs stifle enterprise, but some are beneficial and many are necessary or important for other reasons than enterprise. No-one that I know thinks a world of no rules would be a step forward. But there sure are a lot that w e could benefit from pruning.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've yet to hear any right winger speak up for any form of H&S legislation.

[tabbypurr]

and this is your response to me speaking up for H&S legislation. Mmkay. PS right wing govts have been passing h&s legislation for a long long time.

NT