The history of fire safety – part 2
So, did you know (or Google) how many people died in the Great Fire of London? Amazingly – and thankfully – it was only 6 which, given the devastation, is quite remarkable. And as we’ve seen it led to some serious and far-reaching improvements in fire safety.
Let’s move rapidly on …
In 1684 a Mutual Friendly Society was formed to assist members in the event of a fire. In 1698, following several serious fires in Edinburgh, buildings were restricted to 5 storeys or less. In 1774 the Fires Prevention (Metropolis) Act came into being, which laid down the required thickness of external and party walls for various categories of buildings, set a maximum size of warehouses, and ensured that provisions were made for ladders to help people to escape from fires. Thus the Fire Escape was born! It’s also worth noting that we’ve now begun to see an interest in commercial buildings, and not just residential buildings.
Despite these improvements there were many further tragedies throughout the 18th and 19th centuries – many of them avoidable with hindsight. But we were learning. Safety curtains were put into theatres, Fire Brigades were formed, Fire Engines came into being, and in 1891 the Factory and Workshop Act introduced specific controls of the means of escape in case of fire from factories employing 40 or more people.
In 1905 the London Buildings Act set out fire safety requirements for existing buildings – not just new ones – and a list of fire-resisting materials was published.
In 1921 there was a breakthrough, with the establishment of a Royal Commission to look at existing provisions for:
(1) the avoidance of loss from fire, including the regulations dealing with construction of buildings, dangerous processes and fire risks generally, the arrangements for enquiry and research and for furnishing information and advice to public authorities and others on matters relating to fire prevention; and
(2) the extinction of outbreaks of fire, including the control, maintenance, organisation, equipment and training of fire brigades in Great Britain, and to report whether any, and if so what, changes are necessary, whether by statutory provision or otherwise, in order to secure the best possible protection of life and property against risks from fire, due regard being paid to considerations of economy as well as efficiency.
1941 – during World War 2 – saw the formation of the National Fire Service, bringing under central governance over 1400 local Fire Brigades. In 1972 the Fire Precautions Act meant that hotels and boarding houses were the first premises required to have a Fire Certificate – and over time more and more types of establishment followed suit.
We now move onto more recent tragedies which some of us may remember. The Bradford City football ground disaster in May 1985 (56 fatalities); Kings Cross Station fire in November 1987 (31 fatalities). These tragedies led to enhancements of existing legislation and far tighter controls across a much wider range of places where people congregate.
In 2005 an important piece of legislation came into force, namely the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. This consolidated, updated and clarified over 70 pieces of re-existing fire safety legislation.
And at what point did commercial fire doors – or for that matter any type of fire door – come into focus?
It’s a good question, and the answer is – gradually, over time, as important lessons were learned. It’s one thing constructing buildings of materials that are less likely to catch fire, and having ladders to escape down … but if people can’t get out then the problem hasn’t been solved.
Thankfully, over time these lessons have been learned, and improved technology combined with more stringent legislation and smart designs now mean that internal and external commercial fire doors can now facilitate rapid evacuation, enable firefighters rapid and safe entry, and block the spread of fire and smoke for up to four hours, all in the same construction. Now that’s what we call progress!
Make sure you use the experts
We hope that you’ve found this little foray into history interesting, and we’ll be returning to more standard fare next time, but in the meantime if you want expert advice on commercial fire doors (or on any other kind of specialist door) then click visit the home page.
