Hidden dangers

Abstract

The recent fires in a fast food outlet at Heathrow's Terminal 1 and in a Brighton seafront hotel both involved the extract ducts from the kitchen. Investigations showed that the internal surfaces of the ducts had substantial amounts of fatty deposits, which played a key role in propagating the fires. The ensuing rapid fire spread into other areas highlighted the inadequacy of the fires resisting construction of the ducts. Designers, contractors and building owners are therefore urged to ensure that adequate fire protection measures have been properly installed. In particular, the fire resisting construction of ducts and the fire stopping measures around them are critical.