Leading fire safety business Thermatech Fire Consultants (TFC) is launching a new smartphone app “Regulation 38” to help the property development sector report key information surrounding fire safety.
Regulation 38 aims to ensure information critical to the life safety of people using or working near a building in the event of fire is communicated to the owner, occupier and/or end user, ultimately to make it available to the fire authorities to enable them to form firefighting strategies for the building/s in the case of a fire.
Following a number of high-profile fire incidents in recent years, including the University of Bolton student accommodation, Barking residential block and Grenfell Tower, the need for Regulation 38 as the “golden thread” of information has become more pressing.
The Regulation 38 app will help with fire safety reporting (James Bass Photography)
The “golden thread” is a term for Regulation 38 coined by Dame Judith Hackitt who is leading the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety in the Grenfell Tower inquiry. It seeks to record key information about a building’s fire safety properties and relay this from architects to fire engineers through to building safety managers to owners. This allows the responsible persons to meet their legal obligations under the Fire Safety Order 2005.
To present this information, Suffolk-based fire consultant TFC has created the Regulation 38 app, for smartphones and tablets, which generates a Regulation 38 report without compromising on competency.
Ashley Wood, managing director of TFC, said: “We’ve invested heavily in the Regulation 38 app as we see it being a real game changer for the industry.
“We have already experienced significant interest from businesses and associations within the fire safety sector and look forward to the app becoming a regular tool for building surveyors and fire safety professionals.”
Regulation 38 is a requirement under the Building Regulations for England and Wales to provide fire safety information to the “responsible person” at the completion of a project, or where the building or extension is first occupied.
With more than 40 years of industry experience, TFC has designed and developed the Regulation 38 app to make it easier to record data and submit results instantly, producing a report presented in the user company’s branding.
Available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play, the Regulation 38 app will take users through the steps required to ensure compliance with Regulation 38.
For more information visit www.regulation38.co.uk
Main image: TFC managing director Ashley Wood (James Bass Photography)
