Spec Finish

Technical www.thefis.org 19 longer time for the temperature to build up so that the test can start, this may require the product or system to be amended so that the products can achieve the required time and performance to pass the test, this is why it’s so important to fully understand the test specified when tenders are produced or materials ordered and installed. There are also implications for heights over four metres, which require retesting with additional measurement instrumentation and ad hoc testing and assessments which cannot be classified. FIS has responded to the Government consultation and will lobby for alternative methods to be adopted to address this issue. Standards can also describe tolerances that products and systems should be installed to and importantly how they should be measured and inspected, which is particularly important in finishing tape and filled joints on partitions and ceilings and plaster finish. BS8000-8 (Workmanship on construction sites. Design and installation of dry lining systems. Code of practice) defines the tolerances of the crown on a joint after taping and filling as three millimetres yet there are examples where this is either rejected after completion or excessively snagged using lights to wash the wall and highlight the crown. The standard is clear in both cases, and it includes a statement on snagging stating that it should be carried out using the same temporary lighting used to install the products and systems and from two metres away or the centre of a room. Here the standards can be used to avoid over snagging, though it is also recommended (in 8.7) that a control sample is installed and agreed that it meets the required standard. We have looked at individual products and systems but not at what happens where systems interface, such as service penetrations and doors. The standard testing fire resistance of dampers requires the damper to be installed in a standard supporting wall construction, these are all symmetric, and don’t describe asymmetric constructions such as shaft walls leading to further ad hoc testing, delays to the programme and rework to ensure compliance across the build. FIS is looking at “Walls as a system” to examine areas where the risk of this happening occurs, and we will be publishing the results of this work later in the year. Meanwhile, be mindful of the interaction between systems and super systems. We are also working with a group of Tier 1 contractors who have formed a non- profit organisation called the Passive Fire Knowledge Group (PFKG) 2 where it will publish information relating to testing and process on its website. So, standards can be useful in understanding the requirement and being clear on what has been delivered to meet the required standards. Individuals and organisations should familiarise themselves with the standards required to manufacture, test and install the products used in the Finishes and Interior Sector to meet the knowledge competence requirements under the Building Safety act which applies to all buildings and not just those in scope. Our recently published Competency Management Plan 3 can help you to develop a plan so that you can demonstrate the competence of your team when asked. The FIS technical team is here to answer any questions that you have on the subject of compliance, standards or any technical issue that might be worrying you. We can be contacted at info@thefis.org please use Technical question in the subject box. Source 1 https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/ 2 www.pfkg.org 3 www.thefis.org/skills-hub/competency Coming Soon: FIS has negotiated with BSI access to the 100 most commonly used sector standards at a reduced rate for its SME contractor members. Available soon through the FIS website, standards will be downloadable, but not printable, as a benefit of FIS membership.