In 2005 fire fighter Jeff Wornham died having become entangled in cables in the lobby of a fourteenth floor flat in Stevenage. Six years later, Richard Shaw says there is a chance that a similar tragedy could still occur. He talks to WireIN about the issues surrounding the restraint of fire rated cables:

The use of fire rated cables has increased significantly in recent years, and when you consider they are designed with the aim of ensuring the continuation of essential services during emergencies, you would think this should attract nothing but praise – sadly not.

The issue causing concern isn’t the cables, but their restraint. In order for them to work in an emergency they need to remain intact and in place, something that cannot be guaranteed without the use of restraints that have the same fire resistant properties as the cables.

What action?

So what can be done? More importantly, what has been done since Mr Wornham’s death? Looking at what’s occurred, it is fair to say that the tragedy spurred the electrical industry on the road to putting its house in order. For example, BS5839-1 (2002) Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings has been updated with the aim of embracing new practices and technology. However, what addendum (A2:2008) failed to deliver was a cut-off point at which time concerns about the correct restraint of newly installed fire-rated cables end. Instead, we’re left in a position where there are question marks hanging over new installations, as well as those dating back to pre-2008.

Take new installations. Everybody knows that what is specified and what is installed often differs – a situation made possible by the inclusion of the phrase ‘or similar’ in so many specifications. Tie this installation loophole to a lack of education when it comes to the correct restraint of cables, and you find yourself in a situation where contractors and installers have the perceived freedom to cut costs on products they see as nothing more than electrical sundries.

Compounding this is the fact that building completion certificates can be installer certified, which means there is no scope for an objective third party to check electrical systems and ensure they meet all relevant safety guidelines and regulations.

What makes the need to rectify things so pressing is that there is a growing reliance on active fire safety systems serviced by fire rated cables.

Today’s developments tend to be bigger, taller and more complicated than their predecessors. There are more large open spaces that can’t be protected by traditional fire doors and shutters, and there are numerous floors that need to be reached by fire fighter and evacuation lifts. All of this means that the need for systems comprising sprinklers, alarms, fans, emergency lighting and power that are guaranteed to continue operating for a specific length of time in a fire is higher than ever before.

But still fire engineers check new developments and find that the cables for these potentially life-saving systems restrained by nothing sturdier than plastic ties.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 gave the fire service the ability to serve a fire safety enforcement notice on any property. But the sheer logistics of serving enough orders and carrying out enough checks means that reliance on this regulation, and the fire service, to eradicate the problem, is a forlorn hope.

Education for change

All of which leads us right back to where we started – knowing what the problem is, but not having a recognised way of resolving it. Probably the best means of progress is to educate with the intention of changing industry practice. The market as a whole needs to know what kind of products can be installed to deliver safe installations and, conversely, what should be avoided.

The first thing that needs to be taken into account is that there is no such thing as a fire-rated cleat. Or, to put it better, there is no agreed test for a cleat to be put through in order to rate its performance in a fire.

To date, this has been circumnavigated by installing cast iron cleats, which provide the necessary safety reassurances because of cast iron’s high melting point. Unfortunately, the cost of this metal makes the solution too expensive.

The 2008 addendum did address the issue, but it’s hard to expect installers and contractors to start referring to the standard on site. Therefore, the onus is on cable and cleat manufacturers to ensure the availability of pre-tested products that deliver the necessary safety guarantees. In order to achieve this, cleats need to undergo the same rigorous testing procedure that the cables are put through, or be tested on the cables and sold alongside them as British Standard approved solutions.

Existing installations pose a different set of problems. Huge numbers will have been installed pre-2008, so the likelihood of them being deemed safe will be slim. Therefore, the only possible course of action is to call for all building owners to undertake a review of any active fire safety systems and ensure that the cables powering them are properly restrained.

This is common sense. If you are installing any active fire safety system, it is pointless investing in expensive fire rated cables if you’re then going to cut corners when it comes to their restraint – especially when those corners could prove so costly in terms of health and safety.