One year on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the importance of reliable fire safety systems has never been clearer.
In the time since the fire there have been 221 tenders published for fire safety work – a 56 per cent increase on the previous year. Much of this has been driven by housing associations and local governments looking to ensure that their residents will remain safe in the event of a fire, following recommendations from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the National Fire Chiefs Council among others.
The benefits of effective fire protection systems were made clear on the first anniversary of the tragedy, when a fire broke out in a Lewisham tower block. Although around 150 people evacuated the building upon being alerted, the fire was effectively suppressed by a PTSG-installed sprinkler system, allowing the London fire brigade to bring the fire under control.
Domestic sprinkler systems are highly effective, and there have been no multiple fire deaths in the UK as a result of a fire in a dwelling with a working sprinkler system. RIBA recently recommended that fire suppression systems are installed in all new and converted residential buildings, and PTSG’s Fire Solutions team has undertaken many contracts in this vein across the UK.
The Group’s Fire Solutions division also offers dry and wet riser installation, testing and maintenance, as well as fire alarm, fire extinguisher and emergency lighting testing and maintenance. This wide-ranging fire protection package has seen the company partnering with several local governments and housing associations to devise the most effective fire safety solutions for hundreds of domestic and commercial properties throughout the country.
