P-05-777 Application of the Automatic Fire Suppression Systems Legislation within the current Building Regulations for Wales.
P-05-777 Application of the Automatic Fire Suppression Systems Legislation within the current Building Regulations for Wales.
This
petition was submitted by Nick Harding, having collected 62 signatures online.
Petition text:
We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge
the Welsh Government to review and amend the current implementation of the Fire
Sprinkler Regulations, within the current Building Regulations, that came into
force in January 1st 2016 (Wales).
The review to amend should specifically take into
consideration how the regulation has been integrated into the current Building
Regulations with regards to projects that fall within the "Material Change
of Use" category (Regulation 5) and the requirement to retrofit Automatic
Fire Suppression Systems. The review should primarily take into consideration
what is actually achieved when 2 properties are amalgamated into 1 given that:-
1) Where 2 dwellings become 1 the actual building
process should be deemed no different from what would be considered as an
Extension to a dwelling. Under the current Building regulations Extensions do
not require an automated fire suppression system to be installed regardless of
size.
2) The requirement is to install an automatic fire
suppression system into the building as a whole and not just the developed
part.
3) The Regulation does not take into account any
substantial fire reduction measures already taking place as a result of the
building project, such as reducing the number of kitchens within a property (70
- 80% of all domestic fires start within kitchens – Firesafe.org.uk).
4) The current costs for “Retrofitted” automatic
fire suppression systems make the requirement not cost effective, a fact backed
up by every commissioned and independent study undertaken thus far. (Collected
costs and quotations range from £5000 to over £10000 depending on flow
availability, number of heads actuating and tank plus infrastructure
requirements).
5) The Legislation has been implemented without
sufficient infrastructure being in place. Within the whole of Wales there are
only are only 7 registered BAFSA companies. This is highly likely to lead to
non-competitive pricing.
Additional
information:
The review should also look at the wider
implications of how this Legislation has been implemented now that it has been
in place for some time. Considerations should include:
1)Maintenance of the Systems - The Legislation does
not include anything for any ongoing maintenance requirements once the system
has been installed. The Welsh Assembly’s approach to this is to provide the
public with a “Leaflet” which is supposed to provide information to the home
owner regarding the maintenance requirements of the system; however this falls
short of what would be achieved if it was part of the legislation to ensure
ongoing maintenance of the system. However the knock on effect of this is to
further burden homeowners with higher home owning and running costs, with
ongoing maintenance costs estimated at over £2000 per year.
2)Legionella Risk (due to lack of maintenance) – It
is widely thought that in general sprinkler systems are not a source of
Legionella (FPA RC63), however as Wales is the 1st country in the world to
legislate Domestic Sprinkler Systems as a requirement for all new build and
converted homes we believe that more investigation is required especially as
the regulation negated to include the maintenance of the system. We believe
that as systems age and are not maintained due to costs, Legionella risk will
become more prevalent putting the public at a higher risk of infection.
3)Costs - Due to the tight margins for House
Builders and Developers, some have now stopped or will be stopping House
building in certain areas of Wales (Persimmon & Redrow) as a direct result
of this Legislation.
4) Cost Benefit Analysis – During the initial
investigation it was estimated that the system would cost £1500 - £2500 per
household. In reality the cost are between £5000 and £10000 per installation.
Additional equipment is often required because Dwr Cymru cannot guarantee
minimum water flow and pressure.
Housing
Status
This
petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on
19/06/2018.
It was first
considered by the Petitions Committee on 17/10/2017.
Assembly Constituency and Region
- Bridgend
- South
Wales West
Further information
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 15/09/2017