Review of the latest developments around fire safety

It’s almost 25 years since the Fire Resistant Glazing Group (FRGG) joined the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) in a merger designed to amplify the sector’s message to Government, that fire resistant glazing was vital to contain and prevent the spread of fire and smoke in buildings.

Today, the GGF FRGG maintains the same messages and is committed to the development and advancement of best practice in the manufacturing, testing, specification, application and installation of fire-resistant glazed systems.

The FRGG operates at many different levels to convey the messages. From presentations at exhibitions such as FIREX International through to technical groups and roundtables with Government on changes to regulations.

In 2017, the Grenfell fire tragedy saw the issue of fire safety heightened in the media like never before in modern times. The Government inquiry and review followed by the subsequent Hackitt Report placed all building materials under the spotlight.

Immediately after Grenfell, the GGF offered Government the expertise of the FRGG, which includes the leading manufacturers, intumescent suppliers, certifications and test bodies, fire resistant glazing installers and consultants. Their collective knowledge was offered to help with the inquiry and to help shape the fire safety element of Building Regulations.

Steve Bond, Chairman of the FRGG, comments: “The GGF Fire Resistant Glazing Group was and still is, constantly working on maintaining and raising fire safety standards as well as raising the profile of fire resistant glazing systems and their importance to fire safety in buildings.”

The most recent area of fire safety the GGF has been working on is the product testing of glass balconies, barriers and balustrades. This issue emerged when the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) amended Building Regulations (SI 1230) with respect to the ban of combustible materials in the external wall of buildings. This extended to specified attachments on relevant buildings. Regulation 7(2) requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1 except for components exempted in Regulation 7(3). Glass in window and doors are exempted, but glass balconies, barrier and balustrades at present need to comply with the regulation to be able to be used on relevant buildings.

The GGF set up a Joint Trade Association industry working party to discuss the technicalities of this issue and submitted a comprehensive response to the Government consultation on the matter. It also formed an internal working group which has also submitted a considered response to the “Review of the ban on the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings including attachments’.

Ben Wallace, GGF Senior Technical Officer, commented on the work the GGF has carried out on this important consultation: “The GGF has fully responded to the Government consultation through the GGF’s Approved Document B Working Party and by submitting all supporting evidence. We will await further information to keep our members and the wider industry updated and are fully expecting a further review of Approved Document B in the near future.”

The Fire Safety Bill 2019-2021 is still going through the parliamentary process. The Bill will amend the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and provide greater clarity on the duties of the Responsible Person or duty-holder for multi-occupied, residential buildings.

When the Bill was first announced (in March 2020), Minister for Security, James Brokenshire said; “We remain committed to implementing the recommendations made following phase one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the government has already made major reforms to building safety. The bill will help bring about meaningful change to improving building safety.”

The bill will provide a foundation for secondary legislation to take forward recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase one report, which stated that building owners and managers of high-rise and multi-occupied residential buildings should be responsible for a number of areas including:

• Regular inspections of lifts and the reporting of results to the local fire and rescue services
• Ensuring evacuation plans are reviewed and regularly updated and personal evacuation plans are in place for residents whose ability to evacuate may be compromised
• Ensuring fire safety instructions are provided to residents in a form that they can reasonably be expected to understand
• Ensuring individual flat entrance doors, where the external walls of the building have unsafe cladding, comply with current standards

The bill will also give the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government the powers to amend the list of qualifying premises that fall within the scope of the Fire Safety Order by way of secondary legislation, enabling the government to respond quickly to developments in the design and construction of buildings.

The draft Bill has gone through two readings and a Committee Debate in June in the House of Commons and is now at the report stage to prepare to go through three further readings and consideration of amendments before attaining Royal Assent and becoming the law. The dates for the further readings and enactment in law have yet to be set, though it is anticipated to be towards the end of 2020 through to spring 2021.

So where does this leave glass and glazing and the GGF FRGG?

Steve Bond adds, “Our involvement with various Government departments, local authorities, key influencers and other related trade bodies is long-standing and continuous. We have also been working with FENSA on the development of a new competent person scheme for the installation of fire resistant doors and associated glazing. When it comes to fire resistant glazing it is important that the fire resistant glass is installed as a tested or certified system. This includes competent installation.  Performance can be negatively affected by poor installation. Getting the installation right is vital for the whole systems to work effectively. In addition, the FRGG is also working with GGF Training on the development of fire resistant training courses for installers.”

With Government lobbying, technical updates, education and training and raising the profile of the importance of fire resistant glazing to make buildings safer, the FRGG is certainly one of the most active Groups within the GGF infrastructure.

Steve Bond summarises: “The subject of fire-resistance within construction has been a highly focused topic for many years. As the leading voice of the industry, the GGF with the FRGG has to be at the heart of demonstrating not only the use and function of fire resistant glazing systems, but also why it should always be at the forefront of the minds of those responsible for fire safety in buildings.”