Hush Pro, C-TEC’s BS 5839-6 Grade C domestic fire alarm system, is safeguarding a stunning residential development in Milton Keynes.

Located directly above the city’s central railway station and costing over £350m to renovate, Station House has been transformed from a disused office building into a modern complex of 200 stylish glass fronted apartments.

Gallico Systems was awarded the contract to equip the building with ultra-modern life-safety systems. The most important consideration from the client’s point of view was to provide the apartments not only with a superior level of fire protection but with a solution that would prevent false fire alarms – a common occurrence in residential buildings housing multiple occupants. Hence the specification of Hush Pro.

Specifically designed for flats, apartments and high-rise residential buildings, Hush Pro allows residents to test their own devices, be alerted to system faults and hush any false alarms at the hush button controller within their apartment. A fully monitored BS 5839-6 Grade C system, Hush Pro also integrates with the site’s BS 5839 part 1 landlord system to report any faults back to the fire panel and even allows management to remotely monitor the system.

Paul French, Gallico’s MD, said: “As a Grade C system, Hush Pro allows far greater control than any other fire system. If, for any reason, part of the domestic fire alarm is compromised, this is immediately be reported to the building management team to allow them to action the fault and reinstate full fire detection coverage to the flat to ensure the safety of the residents.

“The system has also been hugely effective in preventing false alarms. We also secured the ongoing maintenance of all the building’s fire systems and can say with absolute confidence that we have had no issues whatsoever.”

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ESP’s Managing Director, Neil Baldwin, provides a detailed look at the area of commissioning, as outlined in the BS5839 standard documentation.

The process of commissioning involves thorough testing of the installed system to ensure that it operates correctly in accordance with the recommendations of this standard and with the purchasing specification. At completion of commissioning, it also needs to be confirmed that all relevant documentation has been handed over to the user. The organisation responsible for commissioning the system might, or might not, be the same organisation that designed and/or installed the system, but the responsibility for commissioning needs to be clearly defined prior to the start of the installation work.

It is not, in general, the responsibility of the commissioning engineer to verify conformity of the design, or of the installation work, to this part of BS 5839 (i.e., with Section 2 and Section 4 of the standard). In general, the responsibility of the commissioning engineer is to verify that the system operates correctly in the manner designed and that the installation workmanship is generally of an adequate standard. However, in practice, it might be difficult to ensure that the system complies in full with all recommendations of Section 2 until the time of commissioning. For example, commissioning might represent the first (and only) opportunity to determine whether the number and distribution of fire alarm sounders is sufficient to enable compliance with ‘clause 16.2’ in respect of sound pressure levels. Similarly, commissioning presents an opportunity to ensure that structural features of the building, of which the designer might have been unaware, do not compromise the effectiveness of the system as it was originally designed.

Verifying compliance

Accordingly, it is necessary for anyone responsible for commissioning a fire detection and fire alarm system to possess at least a basic knowledge of fire alarm design practices and of the recommendations of Section 2 and Section 4 of the standard. It is also necessary for the commissioning engineer to be provided with the specification for the system. In view of the importance now attached to the avoidance of false alarms, it is also essential that the commissioning engineer is able to verify compliance with, at least, the principles discussed in Section 3 of the standard.

Full fire protection package

As well as offering a comprehensive range of fire protection systems for the professional electrical contractor market, ESP provides its own commissioning service, which ensures that all installed ESP systems operate correctly and are fully compliant with the latest BS5839 regulations. This allows ESP to offer a full fire alarms systems package, with access to a free design service, a vast choice of products and solutions including the latest two-wire systems, the commissioning service, plus technical support from a team of qualified and experienced engineers.

There is much more to commissioning a fire protection system than simply turning it on and setting detector addresses. It involves going through a comprehensive step-by-step checklist to ensure full compliance with the correct British Standard and carrying out a range of tests to ensure reliable and trouble-free operation. ESP’s commissioning service ensures that a qualified engineer will confirm that the system has reached the relevant British Standard, and they will issue a certificate on completion of the project prior to system handover. Dedicated ESP commissioning engineers are located throughout the UK to provide access to this valuable service to a wide-reaching audience.

BAFE accreditation

Further endorsement of ESP’s credentials is the company’s BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) accreditation for its fire design service. BAFE is the independent registration body for Third Party Certified fire safety service providers across the UK, and ESP now appears on the National BAFE Fire Safety Register.

BAFE manages and maintains a Scheme called BAFE SP203-1 which covers Fire Detection and Alarm Systems. This Scheme exists to deliver quality, independent evidence that providers – like ESP – are competent to deliver fire system designs for its fire detection and alarm systems. ESP was only permitted to become BAFE Registered and appear on the national BAFE Fire Safety Register once the company had the appropriate/valid Third-Party Certification. ESP continues to meet the criteria of the relevant BAFE Scheme. This establishes robust evidence of competency requirements that demonstrates the provider’s commitment to quality. It also provides assurances to ESP’s customers that the company will deliver a fire system design that complies with all the relevant British Standards.

Comprehensive competency requirements

The BAFE Scheme is a set of comprehensive competency requirements that have been developed to incorporate the high quality standards and best working practice for services within the fire safety industry. It is a legal requirement for all non-domestic/commercial properties to be equipped with fire detectors and fire alarms. It is also part of these requirements to ensure they are designed, installed and maintained appropriately, and ready to activate in the event of a fire. At ESP we strongly recommend using an appropriate Third Party Certificated provider. This demonstrates that the person or team appointed to be responsible for fire safety in a building has acted with due diligence to source a competent provider for any design, install, commissioning and maintenance works.

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PEW finds out about Aico’s longstanding relationship with Southend-on-Sea City Council and the installation of the council’s fire and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm systems in its social housing stock.

Southend has pledged to reach Net Zero emissions by 2030 and is now launching a proactive retrofit programme for its 6,000 homes, which currently constitute 46% of the organisation’s carbon footprint.

Supported by Ben Harrsion, finalist for Aico’s Rising Star award in the company’s 2024 Community Awards, the programme is currently implementing a wide range of projects from internal training and data improvement, to insulation projects including Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) wave 2.1.

The standout initiative within this programme is the retrofit show home which opened in November 2023. By partnering with several council departments and obtaining support from the DEFRA funded ‘Catchment to Coast’ project, the housing team led a comprehensive retrofit of a solid wall 1950s semi-detached home which included:

• External wall and loft insulation
• Triple glazing
• De-centralised mechanical heat recovery ventilation
• Air source heat pump and electrical appliances
• Solar panels with a 6kW battery
• Grey water recycling Hydraloop that recycles shower water for toilet flushing
• Sustainable drainage and Hydrorocks to reduce risk of flooding
• Low maintenance bio-diverse and drought tolerant garden planting

Aico’s 3000 Series fire and carbon monoxide alarms and HomeLINK environmental sensors

The project stands out for its holistic approach to sustainability, which included using recycled materials, local products, and future-proofing the home from overheating and drought risks in the home.

Educational resource

Hosting 250 visitors, the show home served as an educational resource for the entire community and enabled the council to showcase exemplary practices. The test-and-learn approach to the show home also allows the project to inform which measures to roll out to the wider programme.

All retrofitting carried out in the show home adhered to PAS 2035 and will undergo ongoing assessment with Aico’s HomeLINK environmental sensors, which were used both prior to and after the retrofit to ensure that there are no unintended consequences, and that indoor air quality is being maintained moving forward.

Southend-on-Sea Council’s show home is fully equipped with a Category LD1 fire and CO system using Aico’s Grade D1 3000 Series multi-sensors, future proofing it for any revisions to British Standard 5839-6. By using Aico’s HomeLINK Gateway and environmental sensors, temperature, humidity and CO2 levels can be monitored, giving insight into issues such as damp and mould, indoor air quality, fuel poverty and void properties. This information is seamlessly transmitted to the online HomeLINK Portal, so that Southend Council and its property management company, South Essex Homes, can see in real-time exactly how the house is functioning and can intervene before any issues occur.

Ben Harrison, Housing Sustainability Officer at Southend-on-Sea City Council, says: “The retrofit show home involved taking a holistic approach to sustainable housing which meant that we installed a wide range of interventions. The project is designed to test the latest innovations to inform us on where we should focus our efforts in the wider retrofit programme. Aico’s environmental sensors are crucial for understanding the impact of these measures and ensuring that we continue to evaluate the performance of the home beyond installation.”

Proactive approach to health and wellbeing

The utilisation of Aico’s HomeLINK app for residents has played a significant part in this project, enabling residents to take control of their own environment and take a proactive approach to their health and wellbeing. The app facilitates direct real-time communication between Southend Council, South Essex Homes and the tenant through its messaging feature. In addition to this, Southend Council and South Essex Homes have collaborated with Aico on Smart Meter Integration, to offer the tenant and council an additional dimension to the app.

This system has garnered positive feedback and is not only being implemented in SHDF trials and void properties equipped with environmental sensors, but has also prompted a Category LD2 upgrade programme across all of Southend Council’s properties. This initiative underscores the commitment to prioritise tenant safety and compliance for both the council and South Essex Homes.

Southend Council’s retrofit programme has enjoyed remarkable success, achieving such acclaim that it has been honoured with the following awards and nominations:

• Winner of ACES Retrofit Housing award 2023
• Highly Commended at Essex Housing Awards’ 2023 (Retrofit)
• Shortlisted for RICS’ Eastern Region
• Shortlisted for MJ Awards’ Innovation in Delivering Sustainability and Social Value
• Shortlisted in the Unlock Net Zero Awards

Steve Morl, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer at South Essex Homes, says: “Following on from the success of our show home we have been very impressed with the information that we are receiving, we are now extending this to all our SHDF homes, as we now have the ability to monitor and manage our stock by using the data on the portal. We are intending on rolling this out to our housing stock over the coming months in particular the higher risk properties bringing them up to LD2 standard.”

Forward thinking

Matt Golding, Regional Specification Manager at Aico, concludes: “The retrofit housing project that Southend Council and SEH have been tirelessly working on has really yielded some great insights across all aspects of the property, a real success and credit to them working to BS5839-6 Category LD1 and the forward thinking use of our environment sensors has future proofed this property for the eventual tenants and will provide them with great insights as to how the property environment is working and also how efficient Southend Council have made the property. Maintaining their sustainability and compliance drive, Southend Council and SEH are now rolling this process out to all the properties involved in their SHDF project and will be installing Aico Gateways in all properties across the next few years.”

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AEI Cables is highlighting the need for the supply chain to be aware of the various pieces of legislation and guidance in the selection of cables to help make Britain’s buildings safer.

The systems powered by these cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – assist fire services in firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety.

The company has been communicating the importance of following the technical guidance for the selection and installation of cables for Category 3 Control fire performance cables under the revised British Standard BS8519: 2020. These cables reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases and flame spread in the event of a real fire.

At the same time, AEI Cables has been raising awareness of the Building Safety Act 2022 which makes new demands on the supply chain in the interests of safety and governance.

Stuart Dover, general manager of AEI Cables, said: “These are important pieces of guidance and legislation which have been introduced for the right reasons to add further levels of safety to the supply chain. “We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to get the selection of cables right for these applications. If these systems fail because the cable is not able to function properly then the consequences are apparent. Lives and property are at stake here.”

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