Brexit - how would this impact on the fire industry

[kurnal]

The fire industry has always been heavily embroiled in the EU. It's influence is at the heart of our legislation, standards have been normalised, equipment CE marked and approved for use in any member state. However at shop floor level standards vary hugely with many countries seeming to play lipservice to fire safety compared to others, and with many countries retaining their own standards. It is very difficult for fire risk assessors from the UK to work in some parts of the EU- eg Germany where every local authority seems to have  its own codes and standards and these are not available in the English language.  Would Exit from the EU be harmful or beneficial to our fire industry?

[David Rooney]

I'm not sure I can think of any "harmonised" standard that is actually harmonised!

I've worked in various European states and never seen anything I would recognise as compliant with our installation standards.

Doesn't matter if it's fire or fishing ...... there certainly doesn't seem to be a level playing field.

[AnthonyB]

It might allow our more stringent requirements for certain equipment to be revived, if I recall EN54 is quite lax on certain features previously required under British Standards, e.g. zone indicators on addressable systems, etc.

Whilst it would never happen it would be interesting to see if we brought back full body colour coding on extinguishers! (The industry may like it as they could go mad scrapping loads of red extinguishers like they did with the coloured stuff back in '97!)

[wee brian]

Its worth remembering that CEN and the EU are two different things.

Whilst BREXIT would mean that EU directives were no longer applicable to the UK, BSI would still be a member of CEN.

We might end up with a trade agreement that ties us into things like the CPR I don't think anybody can really predict how that would all pan out.

[colin todd]

The term "harmonised" relates to products for the purpose of the CPR.  It does not relate to installation codes.

[Clevelandfire 3]

I'm not sure anyone gives a fig. Other EU countries interpret laws in different ways. The fire safety standards in many EU countries are far inferior to ours.

[colin todd]

We don't grow figs in this country.

[Mike Buckley]

Actually Colin figs do grow in this country although they may not in the frozen wastes north of the border.

[colin todd]

Actually Buckers, figs do grow in Scotland, alongside the intellect of those who receive education there.

By the way, Big Al, CE marking is not a quality mark as it does not verify compliance with a harmonized standard.

[kurnal]

Yes it's pretty meaningless when cheap Chinese extinguishers flood the market and when challenged the importers explain that CE means Chinese export. The Brexit Brigade  would seek  trade agreements with the EU post exit which seems to be a problem but how come without such agree,meant  Europe is flooded with so much non compliant Chinese junk - including mattresses sold by the big retailers that do not pass fire tests?

[Davo]

Prof

To ban the mattresses would take 17 years and 323 signatures.
However, can you trust DC to do the decent thing and ban the bu**ers?

davo

[kurnal]

http://www.furniturenews.net/news/articles/2014/01/1675215348-furniture-retailers-implicated-bbcs-fire-regulation-investigation

It's old news but was repeated on bbc1 this week. The crux is that despite British and EU legislation 8 out of 10 sofas bought from major UK high street retailers failed the statutory fire safety standards and some had fake certification and non compliant markings.

"Leicestershire Trading Standards bought 10 sofas from a variety of national high street chains and independents, and eight of the ten products failed part of the fire regulations. The programme showed the tests of products from ScS and Harveys but did not mention where the other six non-compliant products had been bought."