Case Study: BlazeMaster CPVC at Park Community School
Between 2016 and 2017, 74,874 fires were reported in England, just over 30,000 of which were in dwellings. 325 fatalities were from fire, 296 of which were in dwellings. Almost all fire-related deaths in the UK during this time period took place at home. No number of fires occurring in occupancies is a good number; however the presence of fire is inevitable.
It’s important that we understand not only what BlazeMaster fire protection system is doing to protect vulnerable people, but why they are doing it. Fires are occurring too often. Fire sprinklers are proven to prevent a considerable number of them from happening. For this reason, BlazeMaster CPVC has developed an installation method that is life-changing.
The Park Community School Project
Hampshire’s Park Community School requested the installation of a sprinkler system as part of their major refurbishment and expansion. The £18 million project included multiple multi-storey buildings, some brand new. Design changes had to be considered in the construction of the fire safety system, so Park Community School needed pipes and fittings that were flexible.
The school also needed flexibility in terms of the installation process itself, as the timetable required installers to be on-site constructing the sprinkler system during the academic year. Disruption therefore needed to be kept to a minimum.
BlazeMaster rose to the challenge, with a progressive installation incorporating innovative materials that are made with safety and efficiency in mind. CPVC fire sprinklers are fast, flexible and above all, safe. This is why BlazeMaster UK was assigned to deliver the installation of 913 sprinkler heads across Park Community School between late 2014 Summer 2015.
A Safety-First Installation
While the installation had to take place during school hours, disruption was kept to an absolute minimum. The noise of threading and cutting tools, heavy machinery and power tools, along with the presence of hazardous cutting oils and metal shavings did not exist. Installation was possible with a one-man team, using simple hand tools and solvent cement. This was able to happen while classes continued normally in adjacent rooms.
BlazeMaster CPVC is only supplied to firms who have third party approval to install sprinklers, whether the project is in a small dwelling or an institution like Park Community School. Installers are required to study modules, after which they will be issued with a CPVC training card, to confirm their eligibility to handle CPVC. This is not only integral to the protection of CPVC materials, but also the protection of vulnerable people.
BlazeMaster CPVC pipes and fittings are light, versatile and can be used on the contractor and client’s terms. Work at Park Community School could be stopped and started as necessary, causing minimum disruption and no threat to child safety.
There’s More Work to do
Park Community School’s project teaches Fire Engineers a new way to guarantee fire safety in educational buildings and other large institutions, that provide a vital service to communities all year round. However, there is still much to be done to ensure schools across the UK are fully protected. The very recent fire at Park Primary in Invergordon illustrates the very unfortunate truth that institutions today are at risk without the protection of efficient fire sprinkler technology, as BAFSA describes, “Another school gone, sadly too old to have been included in the requirement for sprinklers that came in 2010.”
There has been much criticism of the government’s latest publication of building design regulations, Building Bulletin 100, particularly as it pertains to schools. This publication is under review; meanwhile, sprinklers are as yet not a legal requirement in many educational facilities. While new and refurbished schools in Wales and Scotland carry a mandatory requirement for sprinklers, this is not the case in England.
Watch our 50 minute RIBA Accredited video seminar to find out more about the fast, safe installation process of BlazeMaster CPVC.
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