In the year since the major update to the UAE’s Fire and Life Code of Practice in early 2018, its implementation rate has been steadily growing at an encouraging pace. AESG, a leading specialist engineering and consultancy practice in the Middle East, stated that while new developments have been quick to implement the regulations and safety measures stipulated in this code, there is need for existing properties to follow suit.

“While overcoming these hurdles may seem daunting, the payoff is significant as adherence to the UAE fire code could ‘reduce the risk of potential loss of life or property damage by a factor of 100’,” AESG’s director of Fire and Life Safety, Peter Van Gorp said while outlining the key challenges UAE developers face with ensuring fire and life safety.

 In the UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice underwent major updates in September 2018. Some of the key changes between the August 2017 version and this latest issue are:

Van Gorp: there is no easy measure to FLS

• Requirement of spandrels for all buildings except low rise and open parking structures. Previous concession for sprinkler protected buildings is not applicable as per the revised code;

• Balconies are required to be provided with fire sprinkler protection;

• GRC cladding is required to be tested as a product similar to ACP cladding;

• Emergency vehicular access required to at least 25 per cent of tower perimeter when located above a podium;

• Reduced requirement for fire pumpsets and fire water storage duration;

• Concessions on fire protection of electrical and telephone rooms; and

• Requirement for smoke detection and alarm system in private villas.

RETROFITTING CHALLENGES

There are three big challenges that building owners face in retrofitting existing properties to make them compliant with the new fire code. The first is to identify the extent of work required to make an existing building compliant. Owners are usually aware of one issue which they want to address but ultimately find out, only once a specialist is on board, that there are multiple issues.

The second challenge is to determine the most cost-effective solutions for the non-compliances.

Finally, building owners must also ensure they are able to get the approval from the authoritiess, and once this is accomplished, ensure that these are implemented correctly. This last one has proven, in the past, to be the biggest obstacle as some owners are afraid of approaching the approval authorities for fear of unearthing other unknown hindrances.

There are also specific issues that arise. For example, most owners do not like to have sprinklers installed retroactively as they often face resistance from operations teams who claim that the sprinklers look ugly and result in leakages. However, the truth of the matter is that once the sprinklers are installed, nobody will seem to be bothered by their presence after a while. Some building owners have increased the number of fire extinguishers in order to overcome the issue of not having sprinklers. However, it must be understood that while they can certainly prove beneficial, fire extinguishers are NOT a replacement for sprinklers.
 

BUILDING’S FLS POSTURE

There is no easy measure to improve on Fire and Life Safety (FLS) when it comes to dealing with non-compliances. However, good housekeeping is a vital element that will have a huge positive impact. Taking rubbish outside the building, making sure that goods are not obstructing corridors and escape stairs, having proper electrical appliances with non-damaged electrical cabling – all these steps go a long way.

The fire safety of a building is not only a matter of the fire protection and fire alarm systems. Emergency lighting and exit signage, fire stopping and means of escape need to be maintained as well. All these aspects contribute to the fire and life safety performance of a building and failure of one element can be detrimental. The operations and maintenance teams therefore need to pay attention to each of these aspects. And this is not so difficult as there are checklists and guidance documents.

Last but not least, thorough management of the change programme has to be established as every change to the building, small or big, might have an impact on the fire and life safety performance.

FIRE ENGINEERS

Maintenance companies are specialised in their field and don’t necessarily know the objective or purpose that their particular system fulfills in the broader context of ensuring safety of the entire building. For this reason, building owners must make sure that they have fire engineers on board. Fire engineers not only look at the operation of fire protection and fire alarm systems but will also capture the other aspects mentioned earlier.

Care should be taken when hiring though as the fire engineering discipline itself has become so diverse. At a recent conference I came into contact with a fire safety engineer who was solely specialised in fire doors, and another fire engineer who was specialised in fire stopping. Others are specialised in building fire and life safety but have little knowledge about fire protection systems.

FAÇADE MATERIALS

With numerous façade fires making headlines in recent years, this is an area that has come under increased scrutiny. There will always be new façade or building materials coming into the market and these will have to face up to the challenge of passing the required tests from the testing laboratories with regard to flame and smoke spread. The main challenge for façade engineers is having to come up with aesthetic, durable, easy to clean and maintain systems which, above all, will meet the required fire safety requirements.

In conclusion, in order to comply with the UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice, a change programme needs to be implemented and managed based on easily available guidance documents and checklists. Good `housekeeping’ practices need to be followed and fire engineers need to be hired. In addition, periodic safety inspections by certified third-party fire safety engineers are a requisite to ensuring correct maintenance and operation of implemented systems. Following these steps will ensure increased protection of the building as well as the lives of its residents.