Safelincs

Hi Tom Their main concern was that the CO patches did not have an audible alarm. So, if the patch detects any dangerous concentration of CO the people in the building would still be exposed to carbon monoxide, as they are very unlikely to check the colour of the patch turning from brown to black at that moment. Many deaths occur when people are sleeping or dozing, so there is no way these patches could help to prevent those deaths in these situations. The patches also only lasted 6 months, so that people seeing a discolourisation would be unsure if this was due to CO or age. What did not help either was the fact that in a test none of the patches detected concentrations of 50ppm and even at 350ppm not every model changed colour! Harry

Hi Garry You are of course right, the rungs or their standoffs will push against the window. I have tried a few of the ladders in a similar situation myself and the rungs did not cause the glass of the windows to break. If you are very concerned about this you could choose a semi-rigid fire escape ladder where the ladder does not sway as much and the rungs will not press against the window. Harry

Hi You might have an older model with alkaline backup batteries which must be replaced regularly (eg once a year). Open the alarm cover and replace the battery. If the alarm continues bleeping your mains power might be interrupted. If the green light is off, you have no mains power and the smoke alarm now consumes the backup battery. Check your fuses, circuit breakers and wiring. If the green light is on, however, try to reset the alarm by pressing the test button for more than 10 seconds to reset the alarm. If nothing else helps, replace the smoke alarm (All smoke alarms should be repalced after ten years!) How to remove a Ei151 alarm Replacement alarms for Ei151 Harry

Hi Tom The badges were a while ago taken from the shelves of supermarkets etc after the UK's main CO alarm manufacturer reviewed the badges together with the supermarkets. Harry

Hi There is also the possibility that fumes come from a neighbouring property into the building. We had a CO detector in one of our kids' bedrooms located on the second floor of a semi-detached house. There was no fuel burning appliance on either the first or second floor in our house. Nevertheless, the CO detector picked up a significant CO reading (it was a digital CO detector). We found out that the carbon monoxide was coming from our neighbour's leaking chimney stack which allowed CO into the loftspace and down the loft hatch into our child's bedroom! Did you have any open fire? These also create carbon monoxide. And yes, the CO alarm could be at the end of its life. They only last between 5 and 7 years. I am not aware of any manufacturers who can produce longer lasting CO sensors. Harry

Hi Mobi The Safelincs extinguishers were manufactured in the UK by FPS in Bristol. FPS have now discontinued manufacture in the UK. So we had to identify a premium range of extinguishers and negotiate a ten year warranty. Since we have been supplying Gloria extinguishers for ten years, we have always known their excellent track record. Now we are slowly transferring our premium range to the Gloria extinguishers with ten year warranty. We will not change the branding of the units, as we think that the Gloria brand is one of the most respected in the industry. The 10 year warranty extinguishers are always shown on the right hand side of the extinguisher sections. Harry

Hi Nosage I heard something similar. Although, I have no details. Several large supermarkets are having the Fireworld extinguishers installed by servicing companies. As there is no skill required for the visual inspection, the servicing companies in question add the visual inspection to the yearly visit of unrelated engineers (eg lighting, PAT testing etc). We also offer some larger customers a combined servicing package (emergency lighting, fire alarms panels, PAT testing and the Fireworld visual inspection). It works for some customers who really don't want to get involved, although their cost savings are not as high as if they would use their own staff to visual inspect once a year. Harry

Hi Garry The refurb of the extinguishers costs currently £40 + VAT and this price includes the collection, refurbishment and return shipment. There will not be an extinguisher engineer visit after refurb. So its just a case of re-hanging yourself. Harry

You might be interested in the Fireworld extinguishers which are suitable for outdoor use, corrosion free, designed for self-maintenance and the foam with antifreeze version goes down to -100 Harry

Hi Extinguishers should never be just discarded. The Fireworld extinguishers can be 100% recycled if returned to Britannia. More importantly, Fireworld extinguishers can now be refilled by Britannia or Safelincs after ten years and are then guaranteed for a further ten years! At this refurb the extinguisher is stripped down, the extinguishing agent is replaced and the outer protective cylinder replaced. All other components are re-used. Harry

Hi Len I will explain the savings that we display in our advertising: Based on our regular Safelincs pricing the costs for traditional 9kg powder extinguisher over ten years are as follows (all prices shown ex VAT). Please note that the Safelincs extinguisher servicing charges come with a price guarantee and are lower than the prices offered by most servicing companies!: Purchase of ordinary 9k powder extinguisher (43A 233B C) : £33.08 Installation and Commissioning: £9.36 Call-out for Installation (includes free site-survey): £22.98 10 site visits (call-out), each £22.98: total £229.80 Re-fill after year 5: £37.50 9 extinguisher services, each £7.66: total £68.94 Total:£470.60 The only charge due for an equivalent 6kg Fireworld powder extinguisher (43A 183 C) over ten years is £99.00 (includes delivery, installation, commissioning, training, certification). Creating a total saving of £371.60 over ten years That actually is a lot more than the saving we advertise! One could point out that I have compared a 6kg version Fireworld against a 9kg traditional extinguisher based on the fact that the Fireworld achieve the same A rating. However, even assuming that you want to install 1.5 Fireworld extinguishers per one 9kg traditional fire extinguishers, the savings are still well over £300 If you have any more questions, please let me know Harry

Hi Charles You are of course referring to the Britannia P50 service-free extinguishers. It is really important to explain what the extinguishers do and what not: They: - are guaranteed for ten years - do not require re-filling after five years - do not require any yearly maintenance by a service engineer - do not corrode However: - They must still be visually inspected by the owners on a regular base like all extinguishers (to check that they are in position, not damaged and that the gauges are in the green) - They must be yearly visually inspected by the owner or a representative and the findings recorded. There is a simple 3 step inspection to ensure that the extinguisher is in perfect condition. In our prices we have included the cost for a site survey, the installation, the training and the certification by our BAFE certified engineers. This is the last time that you will require an engineer during the ten years of extinguisher life. Most insurances have approved the P50 extinguishers already. We nevertheless recommend that customers send a form we have created to their insurance to notify them of the changed extinguisher maintenance regime. Our engineers hand this form to the customer with the certification paperwork. Harry

Hi Haroulla It is quite cost efficient to buy the door and frame together. Just measure the size of the wall opening once the old frame is removed and enter dimensions into http://www.safelincs.co.uk/Fire-Doors-with-30-minutes-protection-FD30/?doorWithFrame=CONFIGURE%20A%20DOOR%20WITH%20A%20FRAME&door_id=&prev_door=&this_depth=&door_width=&door_height=&frame_opt=&door_leaf_size=&lstproducts=&lstoptions=&xSec=236&uniqueID=&cust_depth=&step=2 Harry

Hi Adriana I would expect something like a BS5839 part 6 grade D, LD2 system, meaning interlinked, mains powered smoke alarms in escape route areas plus an interlinked mains-powered heat alarm in each of your kitchens. Most likely you would also be required non-interlinked smoke alarm in each flat. I guess your main problem is that your smoke alarm in the kitchen goes off too often and causes false alarms. The problem here is mainly the sensor type installed. You need a heat alarm or even a multisensor alarm combining features of a heat and an optical alarm to offer best protection against false alarms. The best solution would be to just replace the alarms in your kitchens Harry

Hi Adriana Could you please let me know more about the building and occupants and I will try to make some suggestions Kind Regards Harry

If the house was built before 1991, the LACoRS guide applies (Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing) . See page 38 for a case study. According to the guide your building should have mains powered smoke alarms with interlink along the escape route and in the cellar (if there is one). If the house was built after 1991, the Building Regs appliy which state a similar protection level. Maintenance is the landlord's responsibility although he/she can discharge the responsibility to agents etc, although in this case this process is clearly failing. Harry

Hi Actually, at room temperature carbon monoxide weighs about the same as air and therefore distributes evenly. The only areas you need to avoid are areas of strong circulation (above and below windows and radiators) and areas of 'dead' circulation (above wardrobes, in the corners of a room). I would recommend you install it at face height so you can see the notifications of your CO detector and can easily change batteries. Harry

If there is some borrowed lighting (light falling into the staircase from the outside) and the staircase is reasonably straightforward, the landlord might not be required to install emergency lighting in a building with 2-3 floors. It depends also from the number of people working in the premises. There is a relevant fire risk assessment guide for offices, which could help clarify. You could ask your landlord to see his fire risk assessment and the findings in it with regards to the escape route, although the risk assessment will, in theory at least, reflect his own view of the fire risks. If there is no agreement you could ask your local fire brigade to advise or make a request.

Hi John You can use air transfer grilles in fire doors http://www.safelincs...ansfer-Grilles/ Harry

Hi Tom I think the problem is in this case that people have to flee INTO a building from the outside. This makes secure panic hardware much more difficult. Any ideas? Kind Regards Harry

However, like with a car service, you need to be careful not to be taken advantage of. Too many service companies (and garages) promise a low service charge and then rip you off on O-rings, washers and pins (or break fluid, new break pads...). It is actually quite easy to work with a fixed service charge (we do). Yes, there are fluctuations in the real cost to the service company, but most of the items are very low cost. Harry

The Ei140 series replaces the Ei130 series

Hi The owner or operator of the independent living scheme is responsible to carry out a fire risk assessment. This responsibility might have been delegated to you. The fire brigade can give advice but ultimately, you or another responsible person has to ensure the adherence to the Regulatory Reform Order and the guides derived from it. If you feel that you need external advice, you have to consider employing a fire risk assessor who will be able to give written guidance and recommendations. You will need to work out if the mobility scooters are obstructing the escape route to cause a risk to people escaping the building in the case of a fire. The width required depends from the number of people having to escape from a building. You need to take into account whether the people escaping are able to walk unaided, whether they need wheelchairs and if there is a risk that the mobility scooters could be left in or pushed into the escape route itself rather than being parked correctly. I hope this helps Harry

Hi Locking fire exits while the village hall is in use is entirely unacceptable. However, the fire exits should be protected against un-authorised use from the outside. Panic bars with locking bolts allow safe exit without allowing entry from the outside. Harry

Hi Richard Just some more notes in addition to what Tom said. Whilst the fire doors might feel intrusive, they could be essential to stop the spread of fire from your flat into the communal area. So they are related to the communal area. It is interesting that, although the conversion of your building was carried out 1997, the Building Regulations 1991 might not have been adhered to, otherwise the demands of the current fire risk assessment guides should already have been met! This might be an interesting discussion in case the freeholder wants to pass on the costs for the upgrade. The LACoRS guide Tom mentioned above states that although the Regulatory Reform Order (speak the fire risk assessment guides) is for communal areas, only, in practice the assessment will need to take the entire premises into account. Harry