The building which now houses Glenrothes Baptist Church was first constructed in the early 1960s and used as local authority offices. Following its recent conversion into a place of religious worship and, as such, a place of medium assembly under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Order), the clergy house updated its fire safety and emergency lighting equipment.
Appointed to carry out the works was specifier Scottish Security and Fire Systems, a provider of professional installation and maintenance services across Scotland.
The Fife project required an ultra-reliable and easy-to-maintain system that would not detract from the aesthetics of the building itself, nor distract its occupants with large, imposing features.
The revised BS5266 Part 1: 2016 stipulates that emergency safety lighting should be bright enough to allow occupants to see their surroundings after a mains supply failure
Furthermore, the three-storey structure needed a networked system that performed in-line with recent changes in fire safety legislation. For example, the newly revised BS5266 Part 1: 2016 stipulates that emergency safety lighting should be bright enough to allow building occupants to see their surroundings in the event of a mains supply failure and the loss of normal lighting.
On the back of a successful working relationship which began in 1995, Hochiki Europe’s intelligent emergency lighting and fire detection solutions were specified by their customer Scottish Security and Fire Systems.
Hochiki Europe’s ESP range of intelligent devices utilise the world-proven Enhanced Systems Protocol (ESP). The range offers high compliance to globally recognised safety standards, and the open protocol gives installers the flexibility to incorporate devices from multiple manufacturers.
Scottish Security and Fire Systems also chose to specify Hochiki Europe’s innovative FIREscape system – the UK’s first low-voltage, addressable, intelligent, LED emergency lighting system. When compared to conventional mains-driven, fluorescent emergency lighting luminaires, FIREscape products can save more than 95 per cent of energy costs (Based on 100 luminaires in VTT Technical Research, Finland).
The FIREscape system from Hochiki Europe
Richard Wharram, regional sales manager at Hochiki Europe, explained: “In places of assembly, such as churches, many people can be affected by an emergency situation in a very short space of time, which means fire safety must be regarded with upmost importance.
FIREscape technology is a fantastic investment for this project. The system is not only reliable, intelligent and compliant, but its energy saving capabilities make it a long-term, cost-effective investment, saving the church both time and money.
“By using our easy-to-install technology, the specifiers were also able to significantly reduce the expected turnaround time of the project. Using both our ESP intelligent and FIREscape products, Scottish Security and Fire Systems ensured that Glenrothes Baptist Church is completely compliant with the latest building regulations, and churchgoers will be alerted quickly and efficiently in the case of an emergency.
Matthew Marshall, assistant pastor of missions, said: “The new life safety system at Glenrothes Baptist Church is easy to operate, and its self-test ability is a great additional feature. The new system will undoubtedly save us time and money through energy savings over the coming years. The safety of our congregation is, of course, of paramount importance, and Hochiki Europe’s products have given us that peace of mind.”
Find out more about Hochiki Europe’s product range and Scottish Security and Fire Systems.
Hochiki Corporation is a wholly independent, multinational, publicly listed company located in Japan with over 1,700 employees working across six manufacturing plants, 36 sales offices and 13 subsidiaries.
For almost 100 years Hochiki Corporation has led the way in the design and manufacturer of innovative life safety solutions. Its leading edge commercial and industrial fire detection and emergency lighting products have acquired global acceptance as the benchmark for high-integrity and long-term reliability.
Hochiki’s European headquarters were established in 1993 in the UK. Operating under Hochiki Europe, the business provides advanced fire detection and emergency lighting systems across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.
At present, Hochiki Europe builds in excess of 500,000 conventional and intelligent detectors and ancillaries per year at its purpose-built production facility.
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