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Watch a roundtable discussion on best practice for life safety in houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) in three videos below, courtesy of event co-hosts Hochiki Europe and the Fire Industry Association (FIA).
Panellists from throughout the life safety procurement chain included respected figures from the manufacturing, facilities management, consultancy/specification and installation sectors, as well as from the FIA.
Panellists debated the merits and downsides of installing only Part 1 or Part 6 systems within HMOs versus mixed systems, perceived confusion around the definition of an HMO, and challenges for duty holders and best practice when selecting emergency lighting in these types of buildings.
The event, held at the FIA’s training centre in Hampton, London, followed the publication by Hochiki Europe of a whitepaper outlining grey areas around various systems being installed in HMOs.
Participants included: Ian Watts, emergency lighting manager, Hochiki Europe; Richard Wharram, regional sales manager, Hochiki Europe; Will Lloyd, technical manager, FIA; David Thewlis, director, Rosse Systems; and Neil Wright, an independent electrical engineer.
“The general consensus around the table was that education and upskilling engineers is paramount.” Panel chair Paul Adams, Marketing Manager, Hochiki Europe
“This was a necessary and worthwhile discussion which brought up some urgent issues for all parties that must be addressed if we are to protect people living in HMOs,” said Panel chair Paul Adams, marketing manager, Hochiki Europe. “The general consensus around the table was that education and upskilling engineers is paramount.
“The life safety sector has so many different requirements for different buildings, depending on their intended purpose but it has become clear that there is a severe lack of clarity within the industry over best practice. The guidance and support is out there, we just need to show people where to get it and why it is so vitally important.”
The video series also includes interviews with the panellists around specific discussion points.
Hochiki roundtable event: Life safety in HMOs part 1
Hochiki roundtable event: Life safety in HMOs part 2
Hochiki roundtable event: Life safety in HMOs part 3
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WATCH: Fire safety in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs)Watch a roundtable discussion on best practice for life safety in houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs), courtesy of event co-hosts Hochiki Europe and the Fire Industry Association (FIA).
Adam Bannister
IFSEC Global | Security and Fire News and Resources
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