Bath & West Fire & Safety

In these days of high-rise apartment living and offices in towering skyscrapers, keeping the spaces fire safe and well utilised can be a headache for developers, especially if they want to maintain an attractive and discrete appeal to residents and users.

Fire alarm wallpaper is a concept created by the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics and Academy of Sciences. This cutting-edge wallpaper contains nano-wires made from hydroxyapatite which is a non-flammable material naturally found in bones and teeth.

How does it work? The inflammable paper is coated with an ink made from graphene oxide. When exposed to temperatures over 130 degrees, the oxygen-containing elements of the ink are burnt off, leaving a material that conducts electricity. This forms part of an electronic circuit that can be connected to an alarm, emergency lights, or even a sprinkler system.

So, if the wallpaper is exposed to fire, it completes the circuit to set off an alarm.
The paper, which takes two seconds to respond to the heat, can conduct electricity for approximately five minutes.

The benefits of this wallpaper can be two-fold, firstly it is highly fire resistant, unlike conventional wallpaper which is a considerable fire risk and can be responsible for spreading fire to a catastrophic level, the other benefit is that any fire can be quickly identified and isolated provided each room has the wallpaper.

Nano materials are the new hero ingredients of the 21st century and the same technology has been used in hair dye, water filters and night vision goggles. Tests are underway to fit nano technology into concrete so that the fire alarm will literally be built in future developments.
For all your fire safety needs, including smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and fire blankets contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

Bathrooms today are getting ever-more sophisticated.  Gone are the days of the ‘thunder-box’ lavatory cast away in the smallest room of the house, cold, grey and ‘now wash your hands’ paper.  The seat of invention for the WC of 2019 has to be that of the Japanese.  Not only the pleasure of a throne warmed to skin temperature.  In between flushes, the plastic covered seat rotates to give each fresh cheek the cushioned comfort of a brand-new cover.  Tiny sprays of water can massage from a gentle tapotement to a directed jet to hit the spot.  It doesn’t stop there, tinkling melodic music and soft lighting can relax the user into a pleasurable experience that may feel even ‘spiritual’ as gentle warm breezes dry the nether regions.

 

But in these days of thinking through wise use of space and dual usage there is one Japanese manufacturer who is streets ahead – Yuriamikino is a well-known luxury brand, the inventor of the dual rice-maker/washing machine and the pasta/sushi/bird-feed roller combo, and most famously the bed/sitting/massage couch for cats.  Now Yuriamikino have put their designers to take the utility and safety test to invent a toilet named the Versailles which fits the standard required by its clients as well as a respected safety feature.  Upon detection of smoke the toilet will emit a strong jet of water to shoot out of the bowl and saturate the entire room thus negating any risk of fire spreading in the surrounding areas.  The results have been so effective that is has been discussed that strategically placed toilets could take the place of ceiling sprinklers in future luxury flats developments.

 

This invention is in the first stages of concept.  One of the problems may be that there will be some users who insist on smoking ‘on the throne’  – this presents a problem for the manufacturers in that the smoke detectors may pick up on the air quality  change, an alarm will sound and a jet of water shoot out of the toilet resulting in a ‘bullseye’ for the smoker.  The other design fault being addressed is that the water pressure may need to be adjusted to avoid over enthusiastic drenching which has been likened to a water cannon and reports have been received that users have been knocked off their feet having been caught during a malfunction.  Research has indicated that the most likely moment being when bread is being toasted elsewhere in the property.

Tests are currently being carried out and we will keep customers informed as to progress … but we think this may be some time. In the meantime for all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

 

Look out for Monday’s blog

Here’s a clue.

Looking for something more than chocolates to give mum on Mother’s Day weekend? South Korean whiz-kids have come up with something really different, yet … useful and elegant to boot.

Firevase is more than just a vase. Originally conceived by Cheil Worldwide, based in Seoul, South Korea, which is part of the Samsung Group, this vase can sit quite happily on a mantlepiece with all the knick-knacks, just waiting, and waiting to bloom into full glory. But first, as a vase, chrysanthemums, sweet peas or roses, whatever your tastes, they all look elegant in the Firevase.

There are more than flowers to this vase though. If a fire breaks out, the vase can be hurled and smashed to release the potassium carbonate that is discreetly stored inside. When the colourless liquid is released it starts a rapid cooling reaction that suppresses oxygen, putting out a fire. Clever eh?

Currently only available in South Korea, where over 10,000 household fires are battled every year. Despite a new law that required all homes in South Korea to have a fire extinguisher by 2017, the Seoul-based insurance company stats show that 58 per cent of homes still didn’t have one.

So, last year, the insurance company gave out over 100,000 Firevases to homes in South Korea. A video featuring a celeb using the Firevase to put out a fire helped spread the campaign online as well as in theatres, and a print ad was run in lots of newspapers and magazines.

As a result of the campaign, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance said that 81 per cent of respondents confirmed that they were now more aware of the importance of having a fire extinguisher at home.

In addition, the number of dwellings equipped with a fire extinguisher increased by 8 per cent nationwide. Well its practical, attractive and useful and maybe worldwide distribution is on the cards. Watch this space … For all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

India is back in the news again. And if you have ever wondered how the perfect coiffure might be created, fancy hair is not just for women in India. A salon owner wanted to offer his male clientele something to rival the services on offer for women, so he pondered hard on what to create to attract the male head. It was no coincidence that this barber’s dad was a chemical engineer, and together they hatched the idea that would bound to be attractive to men who like things a little bit ‘fiery’.

Fire haircuts were born. Flammable chemicals and perfumes to prevent the hair smelling ‘charred’ are drizzled onto the head, before a candle is lit and bingo, after a dramatic blaze, and provided there are no third-degree burns, legend goes that weak and stray hairs are singed away, and the fire is combed out, leaving a ‘cool’ hair style and a happy customer for friends to envy – particularly on social media. Fire haircuts are available currently only at Adonis salon in Mumbai, where this would set you back about £8. Flame red, with smoky accents please.

Water, heat, chemicals and flammable materials are all in profusion in a hair and beauty salon, so fire safety needs special care. For all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

You might have noticed that there have been trees planted galore at the side of the A363 road which runs from Bradford-on-Avon to Bath, thousands of them. Now there are reports that this woodland in the making is the brainchild of rock legend and Queen frontman Brian May. Dr Brian May is not only a talented guitarist, as an alumnus of Imperial College, London, he also holds a PhD in astrophysics. A keen environmentalist, he has experience of woodland planting in Dorset, where he purchased land earmarked for development and turned it into a 157-acre forest, now called May’s Wood.

The land at the side of the A363 has a public footpath running through it from Farleigh Wick to Warleigh Lane and Conkwell. Popular with local walkers, this pathway has some great views of the river and Bath beyond. The walk at the side is known as the Palladian Way, which goes into Bath from Oxford and runs some 118 miles.

Brian May’s new forest has been planted with a mix of native British species, including oak, red oak, lime, blackthorn and hawthorn. The saplings are nestled inside tubes to protect the tender tiny trees within, as deer would destroy them very quickly. Tall fences surround the thousands of saplings which are planted in enormous drifts. Hopefully as the trees mature, the fencing will be removed, and wildlife will run free.

England is one of the least wooded nations at just 10% whereas in Europe the proportion is 38%. Furthermore, the UK ranks a pitiful 25 out of 28 for the percentage of land area that is forest cover in Europe. Trees are vital to combat air pollution, preserve wildlife and minimise flood damage. Fire is the enemy of trees, and for the visitor it is important to follow the Countryside Code, particularly taking care with any sort of fire. Always seek permission for any sort of barbecue or bonfire. Never throw out cigarettes without extinguishing them first, and if you see a fire which looks suspicious, call the emergency services straight away. Planting more trees can only be a good thing, so we look forward to seeing Brian May’s latest project growing into a beautiful new forest.

For all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

In these days of central heating and gas fires, having an open fire is more of a luxury as a living room focal point rather than a necessity to heat a room. If you have an open fire you will probably know the tasks required every time you want to light it, keeping an eye on it whilst it is alight … and then the clearing of ash, and sweeping up after it goes out. You may also have a basket for logs or coal, and tools for poking, rolling, placing logs to enable them to burn more efficiently.

You may have a fender for the fire to sit in, and a guard to stop the fire spitting out into living spaces, a small shovel to remove ash. And on top of all that the chimney needs regular sweeping.

But in the world of the royal family things are on a much larger scale. One of the royal palaces, Windsor Castle has 300 fireplaces and has its own dedicated person to maintain the fenders, as well as to light the fires and clear and maintain them. Known as a fendersmith, he even has his own signature tune, played by bagpipe: “Salute to Willie the Royal Fendersmith”, and members of the same family have been royal fendersmiths for many generations.

The job of a fendersmith would appear to be unique in the UK … there aren’t many people who have that many fireplaces in one dwelling, but we are sure the royal fendersmith has his work cut out at Windsor Castle. For all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

If you love your tandoori spicy and your vindaloo on the phall side then it might just be tempting, and a bit mad, to want to travel to the streets of Delhi where the latest food trend is taking off. Paan traditionally is a preparation combining betel leaf with areca nut and is popular in India and South Asia. Traditionally the leaf is served wrapped around various preparations and has a chewy consistency which many Indians believe can freshen breath and help with digestion. Paan is so popular it is often served at weddings and feasts and fillings such as rose petals, cloves, coconut powder and fennel, with real silver accents that makes them look very attractive.

But this paan is different. Served by specialist street paanwhallers, it is a delicacy not for the faint-hearted. After preparation using ingredients such as chuna, chutney, Delhi masala, chocolate and pudina, the flame is lit using liquid clove. Still alight, the paan is fed to the customer, only the closing of his or her mouth to extinguish the fire. Paanwhallers claim that the fiery treat cleanses the throat.

But authorities in India are on full alert to tell punters that this delicacy may in fact contain toxic materials, and the ‘cleansing’ might be actually ‘stripping’ and even aggravating to things such as ulcers. Not to mention the risk of getting a burnt nose and mouth in the process of eating fire. Still, the fire paans remain popular … with those who like their fancies a little hot. For all your fire safety needs, including smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and fire blankets contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

They asked me how I knew
My true love was true
I of course replied,
“Something here inside
Cannot be denied”

They said someday you’ll find
Your smoke alarm may bind
When your place is on fire
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes

So, I called out some lovely chaps
And they arrived in smart vans
They flew around and fixed some things
With brand new stuff and grins

Now worries fly away
So I smile and say,
“When a flame arrives,
Look after your lives
Smoke gets in your eyes”

Happy Valentine’s Day. For all your fire safety needs, including smoke alarms, contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.

We have written before about the problems with faulty tumble dryers, and there are incidences almost daily as to a faulty tumble dryer catching fire. But in London, a family was left homeless, all because of their tumble dryer and it wasn’t even faulty. What happened? After tumbling a pile of tea towels at a very high temperature, the householder opened the appliance door but found the contents too hot too handle, so she left the door open for the towels to cool. Trouble is, opening the door let in a huge waft of oxygen and this, coupled with the hot, dry cotton, created a spark. And a house fire only needs one spark, and this is what happened. A tumble dryer, even when not faulty can be dangerous.

So, what are the alternatives for safe drying of clothes without a tumble dryer, especially in winter. It is important to remember four rules for drying fabrics: agitation, heat, humidity and time. Starting with agitation, give your fabrics an extra spin in the washing machine, this will remove more moisture, or alternatively roll delicates in a towel, which should absorb moisture. Heat: setting up a drying rack with plenty of air to circulate near a heat source (not on it) will help the moisture evaporate and bring about drying. Humidity release: the moisture has got to go somewhere, and you don’t want your stuff smelling damp or excess moisture affecting your breathing so make sure wherever you dry your clothes they are not in bedrooms or living rooms, make sure there is plenty of air to circulate around the damp fabrics. Finally, drying clothes, sheets and towels outside on a sunny and windy day, even if it is winter will provide agitation, humidity and time, so its worth a try, especially on a breezy day a lot of washing can get ready for airing. Or, get everyone to use their garments, sheets and towels just a little bit longer before chucking in the laundry basket – difficult maybe!

For all your fire safety needs including fire risk assessments, installation and maintenance of fire alarms, smoke alarms, extinguishers, fire blankets and fire safety training for your staff contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.