Cork notice boards

[Mushy]

Hi

 HIMO's for junior doctors have 4 bedrooms on the first floor and have a shared kitchen and lounge on the ground floor. All have full AFA etc. There are 18 of these in one block.

They all want cork notice boards in the hallway....they are the cheapest option

I know that most may usually ask for the all singing and dancing slidey glass cover type but I can only go from experience and can't recall ever in 26 years ever attending a fire that involved a notice board...but one persons experience doesn't mean they don't happen!...I just wondered if anyone else had attended a fire with open notice boards and what was the overall opinion of these notice boards in HIMO's?

I expect that possibly in certain types of HIMO's with certain type of occupants then this would be 'no chance'......I also understand that that is what the Fire Risk Assessment process is all about...just wondered on others opinions

[Ricardo]

Here's an interesting link for you Mushy to look at, they do happen

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/so/guidance/fireinfo/NOTICEBOARDS

[wee brian]

I wonder what they mean by a "rapid spread of fire". Compared to what I wonder.

They are a temptation to a petty arsonist with a lighter but if you keep them away from other combustibles its hardly a big fire load.

[nearlythere]

I wonder what they mean by a "rapid spread of fire". Compared to what I wonder.

They are a temptation to a petty arsonist with a lighter but if you keep them away from other combustibles its hardly a big fire load.

Compared to the glazing in an enclosed board I supppose.

Even if a petty arsonist set fire to a board would it rapidly burn out or develop to involve the area? If the board was in a corridor constructed of a  non combustible wall with non combustible ceiling and floor, what would be the consequences?

[wee brian]

Yes, I guess that's the million dollar (well £12.50) question.

I'd get a board, take it into the yard and see how it burns.

[nearlythere]

Yes, I guess that's the million dollar (well £12.50) question.

I'd get a board, take it into the yard and see how it burns.

Now, I have many witnesses Brian and written proof that I didn't respond to the question by saying one should take it to the yard and torched.
But if you insist that torching it has to be then make sure you carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of your experiment.
If you are within 20 miles of an oil refinery you should take advice from the H&SE, Fire & Rescue Service, Environmental Health Dept of your Council, The Presbyterian Woman - Ballyjamesduff Branch and, for good measure, The Royal Institute of Wheel Tappers and Shunters, and a fine body of shunters they are.

Have I covered everything sufficiently to ensure I don't end up sharing a cell with Wee Brian for 9 months?

[wee brian]

And if your not competent to do all this then send it to test lab and get yourself a nice safe report. Be carefull of papercuts

[Auntie LIn]

Sandwich the cork between two layers of plywood and call it a fire door - they work OK.

[kurnal]

Mushy how tightly do you control other combustible materials in the same place? Furnishings, cuddly toys, waste paper bins etc?

Means of escape factors should be considered.

Try to keep everything in proportion to risk.  High rise single staircase social housing might be one thing.   Shared house with responsible residents is quite another.

Is it the board material or the papers that bother you?

I would be very easy to treat the cork with a fire retardant if you really wanted to.

 

[Phoenix]

It would be very easy to treat the cork with a fire retardant if you really wanted to.
 

Absolutely, or a white metal notice board with magnets for posting stuff.  The difference in cost above cork would not be great.  At worst you then have a few sheets of paper that can burn.

Stu

[Dinnertime Dave]

Hi

 I just wondered if anyone else had attended a fire with open notice boards and what was the overall opinion of these notice boards in HIMO's?

Yes, we once had 9 in one afternoon - sorry just read that back and I sound like I am exaggerating.

But it is true the local student arsonist decided that he or she would give everyone the run around lighting notice boards inside the university, all of which were in staircases and corridors. They burnt. they dropped to the ground, a bit of smoke all the fires ran out of fuel and nobody was hurt. But none were in dead ends there was smoke detection. HMO`s tend to have single staircase and dead ends - a much higher risk.       

[Mushy]

Mushy how tightly do you control other combustible materials in the same place? Furnishings, cuddly toys, waste paper bins etc?

Means of escape factors should be considered.

Try to keep everything in proportion to risk.  High rise single staircase social housing might be one thing.   Shared house with responsible residents is quite another.

Is it the board material or the papers that bother you?

I would be very easy to treat the cork with a fire retardant if you really wanted to.

 

Kurnal

Cheers...I'll try and remember the keeping everything in proportion to risk advice! 

if you read my post again then none of it bothers me...quite the opposite in fact...as i said i have never been to fires involving noticeboards... (others have though by the replies here)  however procurement here have orders not to buy them

[Midland Retty]

I have had experiences of students in a single stair tower block hall of residence deliberately igniting cork notice boards. They were located in communal kitchens on each floor.

They torched four or five in total - most were simply singed and one was badly charred probably because it had several layers hanging on it paper on it. There was no fire spread, and no damage to the wall.

[kurnal]

Sorry Mushy for the egg sucking lesson. I did not mean to be patronising, I just answered the question without thinking who the poster was.

[Mushy]

Thanks for all the replies everyone

Kurnal....no worries mate...my reply was very tongue in cheek and a little reminder of the fundamentals now an then is ok with me....

this egg sucking course you teach...does it come with any accreditations?