Seminar 1st March 2012, Edinburgh: Sustainable Fire Engineering is ‘The Future’. (CPD Event)
15 January 2012 by Jim Bennett
1st March 2012 1630 – 2000hrs
Tel: +44 (0) 131 651 7067
16.30 to 16.35 Introduction by Scottish Branch President Jim Bennett
16.35 to 17.20 Presentation by International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers HG Tay
17.20 to 17.45 Break for Coffee
17.45 to 18.30 Presentation by Professor Jose Torereo
18.30 to 1845 Questions from the floor Chaired by Jim Bennett
18.45 to 20.00 Finger buffet at local public house
Does fire engineering consider sustainability when developing solutions?
- Protection of the Health & Safety of all building users(users, visitors, contractors, emergency services)
- Protection of property
- Ease of repair following damage
- Sustainability of the Human environment
- Sustainability of the natural environment
Linkedin Fire Engineering Group
31 July 2011 by Jim Bennett
Members may find the fire engineering discussions within this Group of interest.
President Represents Branch at Emergency Planning Conference, New Delhi
10 September 2010 by Jim Bennett
Our Scottish President, Jim Bennett, ’Chaired’ and presented a paper at a New Delhi Conference on Emeregency Planning in Industries including HWM and Transportation of Petroleum, Petroleum Products, Natural gas by Pipelines and POL Tankers.
The conference provided a platform for exchange of information and technical know-how to the entire Indian chemical industry including petroleum, petroleum products & natural gas industry. This will also help to reduce, through better emergency planning, the menace of on-site incidents and accidents associated with the handling, storage, warehousing and transportation of chemicals/petrochemicals leading to off-site emergencies.
Two areas of particular interest to Scotland were:

The Jaipur Terminal Fire - incident investigation report The Chief Factory Inspector Mr JB Verma gave a colourful update on his team’s ‘findings.’

The Bhopal Tragedy with 15,000 deaths?? – The Supreme Court Re-opened the Bhopal Tragedy Case last week with a proposed charge of Culpable Homicide.
Dr Bipin Verma, who was a first responder to the Tragedy, gave a medical update on the aftermath and the affect on the local communities.
Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Fire
4 June 2010 by Jim Bennett
On April 20, 2010, a loss of well control occurred and resulted in an explosion and fire on the Transocean/BP Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon.
Eleven lives were lost in this incident and the MODU subsequently sank.
The well has not yet been secured, and the resulting release of oil has been declared a spill of US national significance with oil threatening sensitive coastlines and resources in the Gulf of Mexico. This has having a Global Impact on offshore drilling well control.
Gulf of Mexico Emergency Response:
Please click here for current information…
Department of Interior Report - click here increased safety measures 27.10.10
What Went Wrong?:
At the time of the accident, the Deepwater Horizon was operating 52 miles from shore in 4,992 feet of water with a subsea Blow Out Prevention (BOP) stack. After the Deepwater Horizon sank, Remote Operating Vehicle’s confirmed that the riser was bent over and still attached to the BOP and that oil is flowing from leaks in the riser above the BOP. Numerous attempts to actuate the BOP have failed.
Corrective actions and Recommendations:
While the exact causes of this event are now under investigation, the tragic nature of this accident compels operators and drilling contractors to inspect their drilling equipment and review their procedures to ensure the safety of personnel and protection of the environment.
Within the Scottish Oil and Gas Sector the Health and Safety Executive Offshore Safety Division should be contaced for futher advice (click here for guidance overview)
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Operational Guidance Board
26 March 2010 by Jim Bennett
The Scottish Branch of the Institution are now consultative members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Operational Guidance Board – for Terms of Reference please click here.
Details of the meetings can be found on The SFRAU section of the Government website by clicking here.
It should be noted that we are also consultative members of the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, Scotland Practitioners’ Policy Forum.
Further details may be obtained by contacting the Branch Secretary.
Details of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Circulars/Dear Chief Officer’s Letters can be found by clicking here.
The Association of Brirish Insurers have issued a paper entitled “Tackling Fire: a call for Action” – for details of their proposals please click here.
Annual General Meeting 14th May 2010
23 March 2010 by Jim Bennett
Our Annual General Meeting will be follwed by an enabling discussion on:
Lessons Learned from the Scottish Fire Safety Legislation Implementation: next STEPS?
What has worked well?
What can we do better?
Next STEPS?
Brian Fraser, Head of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Advisory Unit (SFRAU), will introduce the topic.
Date: 14th May 2010
Time: 1300hrs, buffet lunch at 1230hrs
Venue: Tayside Fire and Rescue Service Training and Development Centre, 401 High Street (Long Causeway), Perth, PH1 1PL, Tel – 01738 622226
Please advise secretary@ife-scotland.org.uk if you are attending. Visitors are also most welcome to the next STEPS discussion.
SIFE AGM MinutesRev1 – May 2010
Draft Fire Risk Assessment Document
Striking the balance between operational & Health and Safety duties in the Fire and Rescue Service
12 March 2010 by Jim Bennett
Geoffrey Podger and Judith Hackitt of the Health and Safety Executive have issued guidance to clarify how the Fire and Rescue Service should comply with the UK Health and Safety at Work duties within their operational work. Please click here for the full statement and guidance.
Summary
The guidance may be summarised as follows:
- The 8 Scottish Fire Authorities/Fire and Rescue Services have a ‘duty of care’ towards their firefighters whilst at work.
- Fire and Rescue Activites are fast moving, at times very hazardous and emotionally charged.
- A balance need to be managed between meeting statutory Health and Safety regulatory requirements whilst providing an effective emergency service to our communities.
- It’s effectively a test of ’appropriateness’ - “doing the right thing at the right time”.
- The “quantum of risk” is subjective and ultimately will be defined by ‘case law’ – the test will include “Would another competent Fire Commander do the same thing given similar circumstances? The guidance details the principles to be considered.
The Scotland Together Report
4 November 2009 by Jim Bennett
A report commissioned by the Scottish Government reveals there were 131 accidental fire deaths in homes recorded in a survey between April 2005 and March 2008. Of these, 72% involved properties with no working smoke detectors.
The Scotland Together report is the result of research carried out by Government officials and fire service experts headed by Brian Sweeney, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue’s chief officer
The research – the most detailed ever undertaken – produced 37 recommendations including providing sprinkler systems to “at risk” households. Fire officers believe sprinklers would have prevented 80% of the deaths recorded in the survey.
Main Recommendations:
- A “root and branch” review of the Home Fire Safety Visit system including the introduction of points system to target those who are most at risk.
- Establish a multi-agency Safer Scotland Unit toco-ordinate community safety.
- Issue a “sprinkler challenge” to assess how Scotland can develop an affordable domestic sprinkler system.
- Support the extension of fire detection requirements in building standards
Introduce “reduced ignition propensity cigarettes” – which are self-extinguishable and considered safer. - Start multi-agency Fatal Fire Case Conferences to investigate blaze deaths.
- Work more closely with health agencies to establish an effective referral system to signpost those most at risk.
- Work with the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland to investigate an under-reporting of secondary fires
The report backs moves to extend the current requirements of smoke detection being fitted in newly built and converted homes by fitting additional smoke detection in principal habitable rooms, such as the living room and bedrooms.
It also recommends Scotland supports a European standard for “reduced ignition propensity cigarettes” – those that go out quickly if unattended and which are less likely to set fire to soft furnishings such as sofas and beds. The study estimates that up to 36 lives could have been saved had such cigarettes been mandatory in Scotland since 2005
The Eight Step Training Model: Improving Disaster Management Leadership
12 August 2009 by Jim Bennett
In the aftermath of public tragedies such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, intense scrutiny was placed upon the emergency management community throughout all levels of government.
Clearly, it is imperative that emergency managers understand the scope and scale of these events and subsequently the depth of planning required to execute coordinated preparedness, response and relief efforts. However, plans are merely a step in the overarching requirement of coordinating disaster response and delivering relief.
One method for emergency managers to achieve success may be through the implementation of a disciplined training methodology, developed in the United States Army, known as the “Eight Step Training Model.” For more info please click here
Health and Welfare Reports: emergency response
1 August 2009 by Jim Bennett
The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare issue reports - called KAMEDO reports which are very informative in lessons learned from emergency reponse scenarios and crisis preparation.
Information on the terror attacks in Madrid may be found by clicking here.
Other topics may also be found on their site by clicking here.
News
- Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill Parliamentary Debate
- 17 May 2012 by Jim Bennett
- SIFE AGM, Perth Community Fire Station 18th June
- 11 May 2012 by Jim Bennett
- Stirling Sprinkler Seminar 21.2.12 Presentations
- 28 February 2012 by Jim Bennett
- CPD in Fire Safety Engineering from The University of Edinburgh
- 12 February 2012 by Jim Bennett
- Technical Sprinkler Seminar Tuesday 21st February 2012, Stirling (CPD Event)
- 15 January 2012 by Jim Bennett
Categories
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- Community Fire Safety (21)
- CPD (4)
- Disaster Management (18)
- Environmental (1)
- Fire and Life Safety Engineering (22)
- Fire Fighting (14)
- Fire Safety Engineer (24)
- Fire Science (2)
- Human Behaviour (10)
- News (29)
- Wildland Fires (2)
Contact Us
For General enquires the Branch Secretary can be contacted be e-mailing secretary@ife-scotland.org.uk or by phone on + 44 (0)1334 840839
Specific Branch Council Member's may be contacted by clicking here



