Turning up the heat

The Fire Safety Event 2020 will see the number of exhibitors nearly double to 100, with even more delegates expected through the doors across the two days. Considering this, it’s no wonder that The Fire Safety Event is set to become the fastest growing fire safety event in the UK. So what is its secret? According to the organiser it’s a powerful combination of free access to high quality seminars, unparalleled interactivity and wide-ranging support from associations and government. 

Free seminars

Visitors to The Fire Safety Event can look forward to more than 50 hours of CPD content available across three theatres: The Fire Safety Keynote Theatre, sponsored by Advanced and curated by Fire Safety Matters magazine; The Tall Buildings Theatre, sponsored by Evaclite and curated by the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP); and brand new for this year – The Fire and Security Installer Theatre in association with the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). 

Top of the agenda right now in the fire sector is competency and third party certification, and the sessions at The Fire and Security Installer Theatre will focus on how to ensure installers and contractors carrying out fire safety work are competent, the pitfalls of not doing that and how to identify that they are competent. Installers will also be given key tips to ensure that they are complying with legislation. 

The Home Office will once again be supporting The Fire Safety Event by delivering a session on potential updates to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It is currently being reviewed by the Government and Rod McLean from the Home Office will share some submissions made by industry stakeholders on how the law needs to be updated and what we can expect from the review. This will be met by responses from leading fire safety lawyer Kathryn Turner from Keoghs Solicitors, and Mark Gilbert and Rizwan Mirza from Turner and Townsend. 

Neel Naik, head of the reform strategy team for MHCLG’s Building Safety Programme, will also provide an address on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on how it will implement the recommendations made in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of the Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

Across the three theatres a number of high profile speakers will be delivering seminars and all attendees will benefit from CPD hours for attending any of these sessions. Leading speakers include Stephen Adams, chief executive of BAFE; Niall Rowan, CEO of the ASFP; Russ Timpson, convenor of the Tall Buildings Network; and Laura White, who will be delivering a mock trial on behalf of Pinsent Masons LLP. In this truly interactive session delegates will become the jury for what was a real life fire safety prosecution under the Fire Safety Order. 

Live demos

There are plenty of other interactive events taking place throughout the two days – a key example being the DSEAR with a Bang Demo Area.

Hosted by asecos, delegates can expect to see live experiments – and the odd explosion – based on the requirements of the Dangerous Substance and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. The aim of the sessions will be to look at the importance of storing hazardous substances safely, and the serious chemical exposures and devastating impact on your facility that can result from not doing so.

Advanced will deliver live demonstrations that will showcase the importance of having a reliable detection system and eliminating unwanted alarms. This is currently a hot topic now that Fire and Rescue Services are charging commercial premises if they continually have unwanted alarms. The Fire Safety Event is also the only place to see Kingspan carry out a live fire performance demonstration to prove the reliability of insulation panels. 

Multiple sessions of both live demos will take place every day following sessions in The Fire Safety Keynote Theatre, giving delegates plenty of opportunities to see them in action. 

Exhibitors and partners

The Fire Safety Event says that the range of products and services on display will be far wider and more diverse than any other fire event in the UK. Visitors can meet and see displays from a number of key brands in the sector which have come onboard as premier partners. These include Eaton, EMS, Fireclass, Advanced, Safety Technology International, C-TEC, Apollo Fire Detectors, Checkmate Fire Solutions and Kingspan. First time exhibitors include Rockwool, JLA, FireVu, Everlux and Saint-Gobain Insulation. 

The Fire Safety Event is also supported by a number of training providers such as ZZEUS Training, the Fire Protection Association (FPA) and XACT Consultancy & Training. These partners will be on hand to explain how professionals can ensure that they or their staff are fully qualified to carry out fire safety work or risk assessments. 

There are also a vast number of associations backing this year’s Fire Safety Event. In addition to those already mentioned, the following associations will have a presence this year: the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO), The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), The Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), The Independent Fire Engineering & Distributors Association (IFEDA) and BAFE Fire Safety Register. 

The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) will deliver a seminar on the need to change sprinkler laws in the UK, while the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) will provide a number of high profile speakers from the Fire & Rescue Service to speak on topics such as protecting heritage sites and the need for protecting buildings with sprinklers. 

Furthermore, The Fire Safety Event is the only show to have support from the insurer market with RiscAuthority hosting a meeting at the event. 

Passive fire protection forms a key part of the sector in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy and a number of passive fire protection products and services including fire doors, cladding, insulation and panelling will be on show to educate people from companies such as Envirograf, FSI Limited, Checkmate Fire Solutions, the ASFP, Gerda Security Products and Global HSE Solutions to name but a few. 

Suppression systems will also be on display from companies including Fike, Tyco, FirePro UK and Wagner, as well as extinguishing systems from companies such as Jactone, all the way through to fire detection systems and emergency lighting. 

Five shows in one location

An extra benefit for visitors to The Fire Safety Event is the show’s unique co-location with The Facilities Event, The Health and Safety Event, The Security Event and the Emergency Services Show. One free pass will give you access to all five shows – that’s hundreds of 450 exhibitors providing complementary products and services. 

The new Fire and Security Installer Theatre is a prime example of how the shows continue to perfectly complement one another in terms of seminar content too, as it highlights the strengthening link between installers across the fire and security markets. 

The NEC is the perfect venue to accommodate all five shows. Situated at the heart of the country, it is the UK's only truly national fire safety event attracting delegates from all parts of the UK. It is close to all the major transport networks including motorways, airports, train stations, and has a huge amount of parking on site. 

So, if you’re a fire safety professional looking to make the most of your time out of the office, the in-depth and high profile content on offer, the diverse exhibitor base and the uniquely co-located shows make The Fire Safety Event the show for you. Designed to be a one-stop-shop, it is a must-attend event for anyone looking to get up to date with the latest legislation and the latest developments in products, services, training and competency. 

For more information and to register please visit: www.firesafetyevent.com