Fire Sprinklers for Student Accommodation are a crucial part of student safety
Base Fire Sprinklers are specialists in fire sprinkler systems for student accommodation.
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Student accommodation poses a unique combination of fire risks, with high occupancy, young residents and a long list of potential fire hazards and distractions.
In the five years to 2020, London Fire Brigade attended 1,262 incidents in student halls of residence, an average of about 250 calls per year, or roughly one every weekday in the capital.
With a student population of about 100,000 people, Greater Manchester is at the heart of one of Europe's largest higher education communities, and within an hour's drive Greater Manchester Combined Authority reports there are 400,000 students attending over 20 universities.
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Halls of residence are particularly susceptible to fire for several reasons:
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Student accommodation is densely occupied
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Students have large numbers of electrical items
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Student kitchens are heavily used at all hours
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Students are often inexperienced at cooking
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Students may be tired, inebriated or distracted
To protect against injury and death, to reduce the risk of property damage, and to safeguard the financial investment made into private student properties, bespoke sprinkler systems should be designed and installed that meet or exceed the minimum requirements.
I would like to compliment the engineers that we have met on site who have completed the servicing and repair works on the systems....I cannot find one area where I would be unhappy with the service we have received.
Jack Newell, Weaver Vale Housing Trust
What should be considered in Student Accommodation Sprinkler Design?
With the special challenges surrounding student accommodation, the design of fire sprinkler systems for these buildings must take into consideration a number of factors.
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The usage of these premises means that people are likely to be more densely gathered, with smaller dwelling spaces and communal areas being shared with more occupants than the average residential building.
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It’s crucial to design fire suppression systems for student halls that take into account the areas with the highest risk of fires, such as the kitchens, while also considering the dangers of candles, heaters, and smoke in other rooms. Our designs can cover private and individual areas along with communal spaces, hallways and stairwells, and include concealed sprinkler heads in areas where aesthetic appeal is an important consideration.
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Our team at Base Fire Sprinklers is experienced in the design of sprinkler systems for student accommodation, including private landlord premises and large university-owned halls of residence.
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We can help you to determine the water storage tank capacity required, including for very large halls of residence and tall tower blocks.
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How can I install Sprinklers in Student Accommodation?
When you make the decision of installing a fire sprinkler system in a student accommodation building, you need to minimise disruption to the occupants first. Especially towards the end of a semester, the students will likely be busy and spending the majority of their time inside the building, studying and revising. It is generally advisable to complete the installation during the summer or between semesters. We always plan our installation so the work is completed before the start of the next semester.
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Base Fire Sprinklers installation services ensure your sprinkler system is fully installed, tested and commissioned ready for use, preventing any delays to students moving into newly built and refurbished accommodation.
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Our student accommodation sprinkler installers are fully trained with extensive qualifications and professional accreditations, and will work efficiently to minimise any disruption to existing buildings.
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We work with universities and landlords, and can integrate pipework and water storage tanks into the building fabric for comprehensive, concealed and tamper-proof protection.
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Can I Retrofit Student Accommodation Fire Sprinklers?
Retrofitting fire sprinklers in student accommodation is an important part of improving fire safety in existing properties, and does not have to lead to significant disruption.
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The investment you make when you retrofit student accommodation with fire sprinklers has clear and compelling benefits: sprinklers are successful at controlling fires in 99% of cases and contain any damage to only the area around the fire and sprinkler head.
By avoiding fire or water damage throughout the rest of the property, this means student residences can be restored to occupiable condition at minimum cost and at speed.
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Base Fire Sprinklers has years of experience dealing with retrofit projects, and can help you plan a seamless upgrade to the fire safety of the building.
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If you are planning to refurbish student accommodation, contact us as soon as possible, and we can help you to incorporate retrofitted sprinkler heads, pipes and water tanks into your plans as appropriate.
Repairs to Student Residence Sprinkler Systems
We can inspect and repair malfunctioning halls of residence sprinkler systems, including ensuring that the supply of water is at sufficient pressure to control any outbreak of fire.
It's essential to test the water supply and to install water tanks and wet risers as required to deliver enough water to prevent fires from spreading. This will help to control any blaze until the emergency services can respond.
This is in addition to other measures that help to contain fires within one area, such as fire doors fitted with automatic closure mechanisms, again leaving a smaller area to clean up and repair.
If you have any concerns at all about the capacity or functionality of your student accommodation sprinkler system, please contact us immediately - proactive maintenance and repair is essential to avoid property damage and potential loss of life.
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Halls of Residence Sprinklers Maintenance
You should not wait for a fault before carrying out student halls of residence sprinklers maintenance. Again, planned maintenance is crucial to ensure your sprinklers work as they should.
Base Fire Sprinklers have qualified and experienced sprinkler system maintenance engineers who can visit your property at an appropriate time and test the sprinkler heads in communal and private areas.
Ideally, this should be scheduled for a time when access can be made to all areas, such as during the summer holidays when students are not in residence.
However, we will work professionally at all times of year so that if maintenance is required during term time, we minimise disruption to residents.
We will also carry out a visual inspection of concealed sprinkler heads, to ensure their functionality is not impeded due to being painted over or having ceiling decorations placed too close to the sprinkler head.
Featured Student Accommodation Sprinkler Project
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Church Inn student accommodation was built on the site of an old pub with the same name. Base Fire Sprinklers worked alongside Alumno, a student property developer, to protect this nine-storey building, which features 60 bedroom apartments for students.
Contact Base Fire Sprinklers
We work with educational institutions across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the North West, including in Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Warrington, Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds.
All enquiries are welcome, regardless of location or the size of your project. We have worked on very large halls of residence and privately rented student accommodation and can provide case studies on request.
From design, installation and retrofitting student accommodation sprinkler systems, through to maintenance, servicing and repairs, we can assist at any stage from new-builds and refurbishments to occupied residences in need of inspection.
Our engineers are qualified, experienced and accredited, and our work is carried out in accordance with British Standard BS9251, ensuring compliance for properties with a duty of care to their residents.
For any more information, or to ask us about how we can help you with your next student accommodation sprinkler installation, get in touch with Base Fire Sprinklers today.