At BusinessWatch, we provide a comprehensive, clear and easy to understand PIP for your site that will provide all the crucial information for the fire safety and rescue services in the event of a fire.
A Premises Information Plate (PIP) is a digitally printed layout of a building, its design and fire safety facilities onto an aluminium panel or plate approximately 60cm x 60cm in size. Premises Information Plates are fixed to the exterior of high-rise buildings, within an accessible and clear location. This enables the fire safety and rescue services to quickly and easily understand the building’s layout and assists them when arriving on the scene in the event of a fire, without needing to enter the building.
Key information included on PIPs include the surrounding road names, the height of the building, the number of floors and the number and location of staircases. A Premises Information Plate will also include information on the number and locations of fire hydrants and dry risers – apparatus used by the fire brigade to access the mains water system. Hose length requirements will also be included, indicating the length needed to reach the furthest points of a building from the fire hydrant or dry riser.
The use of Premises Information Plates enables the fire fighting and emergency services to efficiently understand a high-rise building’s layout, design and critical information when they arrive at the site. They will therefore be presented with all the necessary information before they take action, allowing them to form a well-informed strategy plan and in turn, bring the fire under control more efficiently and effectively than if they weren’t presented with this information.
When a fire is brought under control quickly, it firstly reduces the amount of damage to the building and therefore financial costs to the building or housing provider, but most importantly it reduces the impact on the individuals or residents inhabiting the building, as well as the local community. Most importantly, the use of Premises Information Plates can save lives and significantly reduce mortality rates from fire in high-rise buildings.
Premises Information Plates are currently not a legal requirement. However, there are many discussions surrounding fire safety within high-rise buildings happening and change is underway surrounding new requirements and legislation in response to the Dame Judith Hackitt Review and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.
The Grenfell Tower incident occurred in 2017 and was one of the UK’s most modern disasters surrounding fire safety. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was therefore created to examine all the factors involved and circumstances surrounding and leading up to the fire at the London high-rise tower block. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report recommends that up-to-date Premises Information Plates and boxes are installed on the exterior of high-rise buildings to aid the fire and rescue services.
The Scottish government is a step ahead and has already published a document named ‘Practical Fire Safety Guidance’ stating that PIPs should be installed on all existing high-rise domestic buildings.
It is therefore likely that Premises Information Plates are to become a legal requirement in the near future.
It is likely that property developers and management companies will be responsible for providing Premises Information Plates to current and new high-rise buildings. At BusinessWatch, we provide a totally bespoke service, working closely with you to provide a comprehensive, clear and easy to understand PIP for your site that will provide all the crucial information for the fire safety and rescue services in the event of a fire.
Our team has invaluable experience within the fire safety industry and are up to date with all the latest standards, laws and regulations. We produce high-quality Premises Information Plates that are accurate and bespoke to each site.
We start the design process with one of our experienced fire consultants visiting your site and carrying out a full survey, whereby they’ll collect the information they need to create your plan.
Each plate will clearly show the building layout and design with easy to understand icons and the key details needed by the fire and rescue services. These include:
We will then provide you with a digital copy of your design, as well as a printed version on aluminium or alternative medium, if you require it. Installation is also possible for an additional cost.
If you’re interested in improving the fire safety of your site and want a high-quality Premises Information Plan, get in touch here or call us on 0330 094 7404. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to answer any of your questions and can offer you a free, no-obligation quotation.
Call us on 0330 094 7404 or fill out the form with your details. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
