The fire and building protection industry is built upon rigorous standards and recommendations which are upheld by the constant reviewing and updating of third-party registrations and accreditations by operators in the sector.
All of this is to ensure that everything industry players do is at the paramount of quality to ensure peoples’ safety. One industry operator, Protec Fire & Security Group Ltd, has proudly announced that it has recently qualified for three additional registrations with British Approvals for Fire Equipment [BAFE], reaffirming its commitment to the highest possible standards.
These new accreditations come in the forms of BAFE 204-3, BAFE 203-4 and BAFE 206.
BAFE SP203-3 explained
Protec offers services in the fire protection industry. It provides many fire suppression systems such as hose reels, water mist, wet or dry sprinkler systems and many more. One of the systems Protec offers is a gas suppression system. These systems use gas to asphyxiate a fire, starving it of oxygen, stopping the spread of fire and extinguishing it. These systems protect high-value asset establishments where the contents of the building need next-level protection due to their value. Data centres and museums are prime examples where owners like to stop their assets from being damaged or destroyed using water or foam extinguishing methods.
The BAFE SP203-3 is the registration for the design, installation, commissioning/handover and maintenance of fixed fire suppression systems. The registration is a testament to the services that Protec offers. It highlights that the company has been assessed at every level to fulfil the industry standards when providing gas suppression systems. It serves as proof that Protec can offer a complete turnkey solution over the entire life cycle of a gas suppression system, from initial conception in the form of design services to the system’s ongoing maintenance long after the system installation.
The BAFE 203-3 also sits alongside the BAFE SP203-2 accreditation also held by Protec, which is related to fixed gas suppression systems; however, the SP203-2 accreditation BRE [Building Research Establishments] operates, audits, and certifies, whereas the SP203-3 is owned and used by BAFE themselves. The SP203-3 accreditation is also audited and certified by BSI and a kitemarked scheme. By holding both accreditations, Protec believes that it offers a choice to installers and clients when looking for gas suppression systems. At the time of writing, Protec is the only fire protection company registered with BAFE to hold both the SP203-2 and SP203-3 schemes.
BAFE SP206 explained
Kitchen fire suppression systems such as ANSUL systems are another suppression system that Protec provides. These systems are used in the catering and hospitality industry to protect life and property from fire caused by high-risk appliances like fryers and hobs. An ANSUL system is a wet chemical suppression system. Once a fire occurs, it extinguishes the fire via a localised sprinkler type system that releases chemicals onto the fire suffocating the fire and extinguishing it.
The BAFE SP206 is the registration for the design, installation, commissioning, recharge and maintenance of kitchen fire protection systems. This registration is a testament to the services Protec offers, since it shows the firm has been assessed at every level to fulfil the industry standards when providing kitchen suppression systems. It means the kitchen suppression systems achieve assurances at every level. It is a complete service that Protec offers, so the business is able to provide all throughout the entire kitchen suppression system procurement process.
BAFE SP203-4 explained
Protec has been in the lighting industry for more than 35 years, back when soon-to-be-extinct fluorescent light bulbs were used through to today where environmentally friendly energy-saving LED variants are in the mainstream. Emergency lighting has therefore always been a system that Protec holds in high regard.
Emergency lighting is a requirement of all public buildings, and it must be maintained appropriately and to the correct standards. BAFE SP203-4 is the standard for the maintenance of emergency lighting systems. It symbolises that the company carrying the accreditation has had the appropriate training and knowledge to maintain the emergency lighting system. Protec has a vast UK network of field engineers fully trained in the maintenance of emergency lighting systems. This means that the business is ideally suited for undertaking emergency lighting maintenance contracts, be they small or large.
What do these accreditations mean for Protec’s future?
According to Protec’s group conformity manager, Alan Palmer, the new trio of accreditations will offer further assurance to Protec’s customer base that it can provide specific services in very specific areas to the highest possible safety standards.
Palmer said: “These new additions to the BAFE Fire Safety Register will assist Protec Fire & Security Group Ltd to give further assurance to our customers that we can provide services in these specific areas relating to the specified competencies required in each of the BAFE schemes.”
