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Experienced freelance B2B journalist and editor, specialising in fields of renewable energy, energy storage, smart grids and nanotech.
March 28, 2017

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Fire safety in tall buildings

How City workers had to evacuate London’s Gherkin building after fire alert

Several hundred staff and city workers were recently evacuated from the iconic ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper in London’s financial district, following the discovery of a fire in the building’s basement.

As reported in the Evening Standard, city workers were directed out of the building – official name ‘30 St Mary Axe‘ – by fire crews just after 8.30am but were back at their desks by 9.45am, once the incident had been properly investigated. Workers had been evacuated as part of fire safety protocol.

The evacuation followed reports of the smell of smoke from a generator room. A burnt out fuse was found to be the cause.

Four fire crews, including 21 fire fighters, were sent to the scene and a police cordon was reportedly put in place to control crowds.

The fire incident came just a day after the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, which put the capital city on high alert.

A police cordon was used to keep passersby at a safe distance.

Are you involved in the design, construction or fire-risk management processes related to tall buildings?

The International Tall Building Fire Safety Conference is once again taking place at FIREX International (20-22 June 2017, London ExCeL).

Recognised by the Institution of Fire Engineers, the conference will feature tall-building fire case studies, advice on fire risk management and information on tall building firefighting, delivered by highly respected subject matter experts.

Here are the themes for each of the three days:

  • Tues 20 June: Design and Fire Engineering in Tall Buildings
  • Weds 21 June: Management and Insurance of Fire Risk in Tall Buildings
  • Thurs 22 June: Firefighting in Tall Buildings

To find out more, download the latest schedule or contact [email protected] about securing your place.

2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!

Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.

Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.

FireSafetyeBook-CoverPage-23

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