Smoke Venting System Proves It's Worth

A Fan Assisted Smoke (FAS) Venting System has proved its worth following a fire in a luxury West London flat. Swiftly springing into action, the system removed the smoke from the building, aiding the occupants' means of escape and providing clear access for fire fighting services.

The system was designed and installed throughout the building in London Road by fire safety specialist Fire Design Solutions as part of a project in 2007 for developer Berkeley First, working on behalf of Notting Hill Housing Group.

It was triggered by the company's smoke detection system within minutes of the incident, the FAS technology removed smoke from the building to stop it from spreading. Like wise being able to cope with fire temperatures in the room of origin over 800ºC, it prevented costly damage occurring to the rest of the building.

With smoke purged from the building, all residents aware of the fire and wishing to escape were able to do so safely. This also provided a clear path for fire fighters to enter and combat the blaze, with the fire kept at bay until their arrival.

"Following the fire, which was said to have been deliberately started within the bedroom, the FAS system continued to be fully operational requiring only cleaning - which is testimony to the system's robust design."

As well as providing high standards of life safety, something proven by the recent fire, Fire Design Solution's system also provided Berkeley First with significant cost savings when compared to alternative systems. It offers higher floor space efficiency than any rival, providing the developer with an increased saleable area. This is achieved by utilising low area smoke shafts and when designed as part of a complete fire engineered solution, the system allows for extended travel distances up to 30m in a single direction. This increase in distance allows many large buildings to be built with only a single stair.