omplacency blamed for Grenfell Tower fire Trench MINIB by Smiths range of natural and fan-assisted trench heating and cooling convectors Building control officers signing off things they cant possibly understand, conference told The Grenfell Tower tragedy was the result of complacency, according to experts. Before Grenfell, the number of fires and deaths in fires were in decline. This led to complacency and a race to the bottom on price, said Conor Logan, technical director at Colt International. However, insurance claims were rising for a smaller number of fires, but nobody seemed to relate that to a bigger issue. Logan was part of an expert panel speaking at the 2018 BESA National Conference in London, which also heard that fire engineers were rarely involved at the design stage of building services projects. Fire engineering is often seen as an additional cost, not an integral part ofthe process and, if the team is led by an architect, it will not be considered until well into the M&E phase, said Mark Farmer, CEO at Cast and author of the review of the construction labour market Modernise or Die. He added that there had been little change in client behaviour since Grenfell with everything still driven by lowest cost and he called for more prescriptive regulations until we sort ourselves out. Will Pitt, mechanical engineering manager at NG Bailey, told the BESA Conference that competence was the single biggest issue to emerge from the aftermath of Grenfell but that the whole project process had become so complex that building control officers were signing off things they cant possibly understand. It is unreasonable to expect the MEP contractor to take responsibility for all of this and solve all the technical problems other specialists need to step up, Pitt added. Whether it is to maximise space or provide a stylish alternative to heating and cooling Smiths trench provides an integrated solution Lift scare after cable snaps in Chicago skyscraper 10-year marketing leading warranty on bodies and heat exchangers, and 5-year warranty on fans and controls Six people have been rescued from a lift in Chicago that plummeted 84 floors after a cable snapped at the top of a 344m-high skyscraper. Firefighters rescued passengers at the John Hancock Center now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue by making a hole in a wall from a car park between the 11th and 12th floors, where the lift had come to a halt. No one was hurt during the incident but one occupant was treated for anxiety. As the lift came to rest in a blind shaft with no openings, firefighters used the buildings electronic system to locate it. Wide range of grilles and finishes 50mm versions for shallow installations Supplied as complete units minimising the risk of damage during installation What happens when a lift cable snaps? Smiths service package can also include the installation of their trench heating convectors 01245 324900 | sales@smithsep.co.uk SmithsEP.co.uk | @SmithsEP_UK | #ThinkSmiths 8 December 2018 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Dec18 pp08-09 News.indd 8 By Andrew Cooper, managing director at LECS Lift Consultants Suspension ropes rarely snap as the lift undergoes routine maintenance. There is also a lot of redundancy: a lift can physically be suspended on a single rope, but standards require that we have a factor of safety that provides massive passenger protection and confidence. In the event of a lift of this type overspeeding, a safety device called the overspeed governor would initially trip electrically at around 115% rated speed and cut off the power to the motor. This is to allow the lift to be stopped by the action of the brake (the device that holds the lift when it isnt moving). However, there are situations where the lift will keep increasing in speed. These include: a gearbox failure; where traction is lost (the relationship between the suspension ropes and the traction sheave); and when suspension is lost, for instance when the ropes break and the lift car falls. In these circumstances, the overspeed governor, at around 125% rated speed, trips mechanically and the emergency brake holds the lift in position on the guide rails. 23/11/2018 15:51