Heritage and historical buildings are architectural works of art that often stand as prime tourist spots. These aged buildings provide a glimpse into the past for all to enjoy and marvel at, however, due to their age, they are often associated with higher risks of fire. In this article, we explore everything to do with implementing fire safety in heritage and historical buildings.
Implementing fire safety measures into heritage and historical buildings encompasses more than just the installation of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Sufficient fire safety measures entail a comprehensive approach to fire prevention, safety and response. It calls for robust fire risk assessments, suitable prevention, detection and suppression systems as well as sufficient measurements in place in the event of an emergency. To successfully introduce these measures a number of key players should be involved such as stakeholders, engineers, architects and fire safety professionals.
Due to their age, the materials used to construct these heritage and historical buildings as well as their intricate designs, heightens the risks of a fire developing. This proposes a unique challenge to fire safety as a result of their age and design structure.
Unlike most modern buildings, these age-old buildings may have been constructed with materials that lack fire resistance and are in fact highly flammable. Furthermore, the often intricate designs seen in these buildings bring with them a number of challenges for introducing fire detection and suppression systems. Despite this, it is critical to have adequate fire safety measures in place to preserve these sorts of buildings given their rich history and importance.
To implement comprehensive fire safety and prevention measures in heritage and historical buildings, there are a number of steps that need to take place.
Utilise professional fire safety services to ensure buildings are completely covered. Teams such as ours at BusinessWatch, have a wealth of experience and expertise in this industry meaning before any decisions are made, a comprehensive plan is put together, looking at building structure and systems to devise a unique plan for fire safety measures.
A thorough risk assessment is a critical step in implementing a successful fire safety plan. These assessments will identify any potential hazards or vulnerabilities in the building. From this, the fire safety plan is developed to introduce mitigation strategies as well as emergency response plans. This step is even more important as its relevance is outlined as a requirement in the law via The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, 2005.
Fire safety training is a further crucial step in keeping heritage and historical buildings safe from the risks of fires. It is important that all staff, and any potential occupants, have up-to-date training on fire safety protocols, evacuation plans and the proper use of fire protection equipment. With around 22,000 fires occurring in the workplace every year it is more important than ever that staff are aware of how to respond.
Installing detection systems such as smoke detectors, heat sensors and fire alarms are the best way to detect a fire before it develops into a much larger issue. A further element of this that should be considered is their maintenance and inspection, to ensure systems remain as effective as possible.
In the case of a fire developing, it is important that heritage and historical buildings are installed with suppression systems that can reduce the damage and development of fires. These systems use a mixture of dry chemicals and/ or wet agents to extinguish or prevent the spreading of fires.
Given the unique nature of these buildings, there are a few challenges associated with implementing fire safety measures into heritage and historical buildings. These include:
As many of these buildings are protected as heritage sites as a way of preserving their original state, installing certain fire safety measures can prove challenging as they can call for changes to the building’s original design or material composition.
Many historical or heritage buildings prove a challenge to evacuation plans given narrow staircases or limited access points.
Retrofitting these old buildings with modern systems can become complex and costly, demanding innovative solutions to ensure the integrity and structure of the building are maintained.
At BusinessWatch, we have experience in installing fire safety measures in heritage buildings. One of the projects was with Haddon Hall, a grade 1 listed country house that has origins in the 11th, 13th and 17th centuries. This popular destination for the public had pre-existing, yet complicated fire safety measures and systems in place. However, we were able to install a new fire safety system to ensure the future safety of this building. Thanks to our comprehensive fire risk assessment we were able to develop a fire safety plan that would allow the building to be used as a residential property by Lord and Lady Edward Manners, ensuring everyone and the building was kept as safe as possible.
To find out more about how BusinessWatch can help keep your building safe, enquire here or call us at 0330 094 7404.
