Fire safety
Whether you are dealing with a newly-to-be constructed building or an existing building that is to be repurposed or transformed, fire safety will always be a crucial component of any construction project. Our fire safety consultants provide information on rules and regulations as well as practical recommendations, which are always geared specifically to the user(s) of the building concerned.
Our fire safety specialists have extensive knowledge of applicable legislation and ample experience of various types of projects, such as supportive living facilities, production halls, factories and multi-purpose buildings. We issue our clients with recommendations informed by building regulations and thoroughly assess projects.
When we accept a project, we prefer to take a risk-based approach, which goes beyond merely complying with general rules. We will start with the schedule of requirements and the scale of the client’s ambitions. In this way, we will ensure that we comply with the regulations AND address the particular risks and wishes expressed by our client.
Our approach does not merely revolve around the drafting of reports. It involves a new way of thinking and a new way of approaching projects. This allows us to provide our clients with future-proof fire safety plans that are perfectly aligned with the clients’ needs and the way in which they intend to use the building.
Start with a fire safety scan
To draw up an effective fire safety policy and system, you must first have a fire safety scan performed. This scan can be performed for existing buildings as well as projects newly to be built, in which case we will work on the basis of drawings or preliminary designs. By performing an in-depth analysis, we will get an understanding of the current fire safety situation in the building and be able to identify potential risks. We will use the results of the fire safety scan to draw up an appropriate fire safety plan.
Fire safety in the healthcare industry
Risk-based fire safety in healthcare
The healthcare sector has developed strongly in recent years. It is therefore not good enough to meet the requirements in the Building Works Decree for the Living Environment (Bbl). This is because these requirements do not fit well with the current use of healthcare buildings.
In addition, recent research by the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety shows that smoke disperses faster than previously thought, which compromises safety in care buildings with non-self-reliant people. Therefore, there is an increasing move towards a risk-based approach to fire safety in healthcare, where measures are taken based on a risk analysis.
To determine when a building is sufficiently fire-safe, administrators within the healthcare organisation need to reach consensus and set the level of ambition.
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