Fire Breaks Out in Welsh School

Each year around one in 20 schools experiences a fire with nearly 60 per cent of school fires being started deliberately. Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100) is a landmark publication in improving fire safety in schools, providing both a design tool and a management aid clearly showing how the requirements for life safety, enshrined in the Building Regulations, can be met in the design of a new school or an extension.

BB 100 differs from previous fire safety guides in that it stresses the importance of protecting the fabric and building envelope of schools and clearly warns about the risk of using combustible materials in cladding.
Archbishop McGrath RC Comprehensive is the latest Welsh School to suffer from the damaging affects of fire. The 700 pupil school hit the headlines earlier this month when 50 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze that had broke out within the school's Technology department. Starting at 3am on Wednesday 17th September, fire crews from Bridgend and neighbouring valleys were drafted in to contain the flames and prevent them spreading throughout the school.

Thankfully the fire was successfully extinguished however the cause of the blaze has not yet been established. The devastating effects are already being felt with the school facing thousands of pounds worth of damage and dozens of pupils losing valuable coursework and assignment materials.

The local council has recently granted the school planning permission to relocate to Brackla, which is due to open in September 2011. Designed by HLM Architects the dynamic building features Eurobond panel systems throughout the external envelop (pictured above).

Eurobond has long championed the use of non-combustible materials in composite cladding panel systems and the company’s external cladding systems, Europanel and Rockspan, are increasingly being specified for their superior fire performance. Both panel systems have a Rockwool stone wool core, which is non-combustible and will not ignite in the event of fire, nor contribute to fire spread or smoke emissions.

For further information on the recent Fire at Archbishop McGrath RC please click here

CPD on Tour

The migration of composite panels from the cold store industry into densely populated public buildings such as schools and hospitals has brought about the substantial need to educate the construction industry on their correct design and manufacture.

Our CPD’s provide a valuable and impartial insight into the fire performance and sustainable credentials of composite panels when installed correctly. This year we plan to bring our expertises and knowledge to the masses, detailing not only the manufacture and design of composite panel systems, but highlighting the legislation and industry regulations inline with the construction industries requirements.

In an effort to make our CPD programme more accessible we have partnered with a number of influential CPD service provides to deliver our CPD’s throughout the UK over the course of 2009.

A number of dates have already been booked and spaces are limited, add them to your calendar now to avoid disappointment.

The CPD Certification Service

 October 7th – Fire Performance of Composite Panels – Stage Hotel, Leicester

 October 22nd – Sustainable Panel Design – Crown Plaza Hotel, Chester

Direct Contact Exhibitions

 September 24th – Sustainable Panel Design – David Lloyds, Cardiff

RIBA Roadshow

 November 12th – RIBA Headquarters, London