Fire Safety, Reflecting on the Future - Chris Mak, Ed Claridge, Carol Caldwell and Samantha McNaughton (Moderator)
The panel will discuss the importance of all of the stages of the building lifecycle, from the need to get it right from the start, from the infrastructure that goes into the ground (water) and roads built (to get fire trucks there), to design, construction/installation, maintenance and management (including the vulnerability of occupants etc.). They will discuss some of the big issues of the importance of product compliance, why managing and maintaining buildings is essential and all the steps in between. Holistic fire safety is important, and everyone has a part to play, from the person on the end of a mastic gun to the manager of the building doing weekly checks of the fire doors and daily checks of the escape routes. Future challenges, such as intensification and emerging risks, such as energy storage systems, must be predicted.