Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 248, LWF began to discuss gaseous systems and the relevant applications. In part 249, we continue by talking about the specific agents used in gaseous fire suppression systems. Up to the early 1990s, fixed firefighting systems would most likely contain one of the following gases; carbon dioxide, halon 1211 or halon 1301. Halon 1301 was particularly popular for u ..read more

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 179, LWF talked about high-risk task areas and open plan and undefined areas of a building in the context of emergency lighting. In part 180, we discuss the illumination of exit signs. Fire exit signs in a building must be visible to the building occupants, even if the mains power fails. Exit signs should therefore be illuminated, either internally or externally from a remote source. In ..read more

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 247, LWF looked at foam systems and how they work in practice. In part 248, we will begin to discuss gaseous systems and the relevant applications. Gaseous fire extinguishing systems are when inert gases and chemicals are released into an area to extinguish a fire. They are normally used for the protection of specific areas, rather than installed into an entire ..read more

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 178, LWF looked at the principal documents covering emergency lighting in the UK, before discussing additional escape lighting. In part 179, we will talk about high-risk task areas and open plan and undefined areas of a building in the context of emergency lighting. Any area within a building, where a high-risk task is undertaken should be allocated emergency lighting. For instance, an ..read more

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 246, LWF discussed water mist systems and the various legislation and guidance documents covering them. In part 247, we will look at foam systems. A foam fire suppression system is one in which the foam is a fire extinguishing agent, capable of extinguishing flammable or combustible liquid by cooling and separating the ignition source from the surface. The foam ..read more

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 177, LWF talked about the siting of essential escape lighting. In part 178, we will look at the principal documents covering emergency lighting in the UK, before beginning to discuss additional escape lighting. The main documents which cover the need for emergency lighting in different types of premises in the UK are: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England and Wales) Fire ..read more

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 244, LWF discussed water spray systems, in particular medium-velocity spray systems. In part 245, we begin to look at water mist systems. A standard sprinkler system with conventional sprinkler heads or water spray nozzles produces droplets of a relatively large size to provide momentum capable of penetrating the plume of hot gases rising from the fire. A system ..read more

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 175, LWF began to discuss emergency lighting, particularly in relation to escape routes and essential escape from a building on fire. In part 176, we continue to discuss emergency lighting. A loss of lighting in a sudden and unexpected manner can result in triggering other situations which may be dangerous or even life-threatening. Where this may be the case, an assessment should be car ..read more

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 243, LWF looked at the types of sprinkler systems known as drencher systems and water spray systems. In part 244, we continue discussing water spray systems, in particular medium-velocity spray systems. A medium-velocity spray system is used for fire risks involving water-miscible flammable liquids, or low-flashpoint non-water-miscible liquids. The spray heads o ..read more

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 174, LWF talked about fire alarm design for tall buildings. In part 175, we begin to discuss emergency lighting, particularly in relation to escape routes and essential escape from a building on fire. To ensure the safe evacuation of building occupants in case of a fire, it is important that all escape routes be adequately lit. Each and every area that is a part of the building’s normal ..read more