Ask the Engineer Blog Series #3 – Steve Robinson,
Director of S Robinson Ltd
Steve Robinson runs his own fire safety consultancy business. He spent 30 years in the fire service – 18 of those dedicated to fire safety. For the final 3 years of his career, he was an instructor in fire safety and fire investigation at the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-the-Marsh. Steve runs a nationally recognised training course in fire safety in the design and management of healthcare premises, for architects, building control officers, hospital fire officers and fire service inspecting officers.
How long have you worked with MTX?
I have worked with MTX for around eight years as an external fire safety consultant advising them on dozens of new-build projects. A recent project Colchester is a good example of how the relationship should work; there were some initial architectural plans on which I consulted with MTX to develop from the bare bones to a code compliant design.
At what stage do you get involved?
At the initial planning stage and the earlier the better in any project. I liaise with MTX and the architects to advise on fire safety requirements and write a Fire Strategy Document (FSD) to support the architect’s plans which informs the design of the building. The FSD is the ‘bible’ that encompasses all the design assumptions to ensure the facility is built correctly and can be managed in the future. The fire strategy document and fire strategy plans form the “golden thread” of fire safety information and are an essential part of the Regulation 38 package.
How does that work?
Initially, I advise on such things as the number of fire compartments and sub compartments the building needs to provide refuge areas for progressive horizontal or simultaneous evacuation. These initial assumptions guide the design. You have to assume a fire will occur – we ensure the building is designed to get patients to a place of relative safety.
What is progressive horizontal evacuation?
Patient may be immobile, on beds or patient trolleys.
The principle of progressive horizontal evacuation is that of moving occupants from an area affected by fire through a fire-resisting barrier to an adjoining area on the same level which has been designed as a refuge to protect the occupants from the immediate dangers of fire and smoke.
The occupants may remain there until the fire is dealt with or await further assisted onward evacuation by staff to another similar adjoining area or to the nearest stairway. If required, patients may be evacuated to another floor in the building It is essential to give patients the same level of care in any refuge area. Escape bed lifts may be required. It’s all about the design of the building.
So, the design is governed by the type of patient?
Patients are classified as independent, dependent or very high dependency. Once we know the patient dependency in a particular area, we design for that dependency of patient. The more dependent the patient, the more fire safety “preventative and protective” measures are put in place to protect them. We always design for the highest dependency of patient that could be in any area.
Why is the fire strategy document so important for healthcare facilities?
Hospital design is very specialised and different from any other type of building. In almost all other types of building, when fire detection and alarm system sounds, you simply evacuate, but that would be problematic in hospitals. We provide safe areas for patients within the building, which can involve moving them to different floors – but that should be a last resort.
What essential information do you need to create a fire strategy document?
There are 4 essential pieces of information required at the beginning of any project:
- The dependency of patients
- The evacuation strategy
- The floor area of the development
- The height of the top storey of the building (excluding any floor that consists exclusively of plant)
Once we have that information, I can guide the architects on a suitable fire strategy for the building or floor.
How knowledgeable are architects about fire strategy?
It varies. Architects have so many other things to consider so it helps them to have a specialist to advise on fire strategy. There is always a balance between fire safety and clinical need. The architect may prioritise clinical need over fire safety, but my priority is fire safety. Fire safety is fundamental to the design and must be considered at the beginning of any project. It is not cost effective or practical to apply fire safety principles retrospectively to a mature design.
How important are materials and build quality?
Very important – high quality building materials and workmanship is fundamental to creating a safe, sustainable healthcare facility. But if the design is wrong, it will fail anyway.
Has fire safety always been a priority in healthcare?
Under the 1971 Fire Precautions Act, there was strict guidance on “Places of work”, but healthcare premises were not a ‘designated premises’; as such, the fire service never controlled them. This amounted to self-compliance and regulation for hospital management. It seems fire safety was often on the “back burner” and the NHS did not give it the priority it deserved. This means much of the existing health care estate is not in a good place in terms of fire safety. I fear that legacy may lead to a serious hospital fire with significant loss of life.
Is current regulation tougher on fire safety?
There was always fire safety guidance – it just was not always followed. The Building Safety Act 2023 should hopefully improve fire safety in buildings. All businesses – including hospitals – must record a fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full – regardless of the number of employees, size or type of business. Fire safety is now being given the attention it deserves. Following Grenfell, there is a much more rigorous approach to fire safety to ensure previous mistakes are not repeated.
Without a fire strategy document can you safely manage the building?
No. Every building needs a well written and well documented fire strategy. Even now, I encounter hospitals that don’t have good quality plans of their estate, don’t know where their fire resisting walls are, don’t know the assumptions that were made in the design and build. For example, an area may have been designed for dependent patients, but is now being used for very high dependency patients and it is not suitable.
How good is MTX in fire safety terms?
MTX is very much on the ball with fire safety. The project team will also guide clients on future-proofing a building and we discuss that in meetings. As soon as MTX gets a project it will involve a fire safety expert. MTX is ahead of the curve in considering fire safety in the early design stages, whereas with some companies it is an afterthought.
Do you have a good working relationship?
MTX follows my recommendations and I have never been pressed to cut costs. If I say something is needed it is never a case of budget pressures overriding fire safety. I have encountered contractors who warn at the outset that they are working to a tight budget, and that dictates how the project is designed and run. I have never been pressured by MTX to submit a design document that is compromised, or I am not happy with.
How long does your involvement last?
Hospital projects are by their nature dynamic so there is constant communication throughout the build process. Projects evolve and changes could compromise fire safety so I can be involved all the way to handover.
Fire safety is always at the top of the agenda for me. A building cannot be totally fire safe – you work on the basis there will be a fire. If we get fire safety wrong in a factory or office, you may lose the building. If you get fire safety wrong in a hospital – you are more likely to have fatalities, so we have to get it right every time.
