Course description
Background to the course
Each year, fires and explosions claim a greater toll than earthquakes and floods and all other natural disasters combined.
Some single incidents cost millions of pounds, such as the WindsorCastle fire. The Sandoz industrial fire devastated 500 miles of the RhineRiver. Explosion initiated fires can cause severe devastation as in the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea where 167 lives were lost and the financial loss exceeded a billion pounds. Loss of life in fires is commonplace and can be in large numbers, as in the Bradford football stadium fire and the Kings Cross fire.
In the UK fire and explosion is an industry with an approximate annual worth of £5 billion. Recent Government reports and EC directives recommend that there is an urgent need to improve the training of personnel involved in fire protection, in order to be able to apply the progressive standards that have emerged through better scientific understanding and application of Fire Engineering.
Intended audience
Anybody who wishes/needs to gain a comprehensive, scientifically based analysis and engineering quantification tools, of fire development and consequence assessment in industrial and residential scenarios. This could include those involved in the design and operation of buildings and chemical plant (architects, civil engineers, chemical engineers), and in the design of protection systems (passive and active system developers, manufacturers, installers), those responsible for building and plant safety on a day to day basis, regulators and advisors (HSE, Fire Service, Home Office, Local Authorities, Building Control Offices, Consultants, Insurers) and fire-fighting professionals. Additionally, young researchers may find this course very useful.
What will you get out of this course?
On completion of this course, participants should be able to apply general combustion and engineering principles to fires, should know the parameters that influence flame spread and steady burning and should be able to quantify the burning rate in compartment fires, predict the rate of development of the fire, the onset of flashover, and appreciate the application of these concepts to fire protection design. They should also understand the factors influencing smoke toxicity and movement.
The participants will also be made aware of the predictive tools that are available and should become familiar with the application and use of such tools, through “hands-on” practice.
Course format
The course will follow a structured approach starting from the general fundamental principles of combustion flammability and heat transfer and leading the participant through to the more specific study of fire spread and fire development in compartments. Open fires such as pool and jet fires will also be covered. The principles of fire protection practice and technology will be discussed within the context of understanding the fire development mechanism and the response of structures to fires. Formal lectures will be supported by a full set of notes. The participant learning experience will be enhanced through worked examples and brief problems that the participants will be asked to attempt on their own or in groups (so please bring a calculator with you).On the last day of the course there will be the opportunity for some hands-on experience with predictive PC packages.
IFE Members: Please note a 15% discount is offered to IFE members.
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