Hochiki Blog

Safeguarding the digital backbone: Emerging fire safety technologies for UK data centres

Safeguarding the Past, Ensuring the Future: Fire Safety in Educational Buildings with Historical Significance

Educational institutions hold a special place in our communities. They are not only centres of learning, but also repositories of history, often housed in buildings with architectural heritage that transcends generations.

True Multi-Sensors Recommended for Grade A Domestic Fire Detection Systems

When it comes to fire safety in domestic premises like houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and sheltered accommodation, taking the proper precautions is absolutely critical. A fire in these types of residences can quickly put multiple lives at risk. That's why the latest version of BS 5839 Part 6 (fire detection for residential buildings) specifies Grade A systems for certain high-risk areas, and in some instances, for the whole building.

Understanding Fire Safety Standards: UL Listed vs. UL EN54 Certified Products

As building owners and fire detection system specifiers, ensuring the safety of occupants is a top priority. Amidst the myriad of fire detection products available in the market, deciphering between “UL Listed” and “UL Certified to EN54” standards is crucial yet often muddled. This confusion not only impacts decision-making processes but can also have significant ramifications for fire safety measures. Let's delve deeper into why knowing the difference matters.

Intelligent ESP Range from Hochiki offers so much more

Hochiki's ESP intelligent range of addressable fire detection and alarm equipment has been leading the market in addressable life safety for over 30 years. And now with the opening of the new state of the art warehousing facility in Kent customers of the innovative ESP range can expect a 25% increase in manufacturing capability, improved despatch efficiency and the option of next day delivery.

True multi-sensors could be the solution to Scottish Fire and Rescue “call challenge” approach

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have announced that, from July 1st 2023, they will no longer attend all alarm signals generated from an automatic fire alarm system. Instead, the Call Challenge approach will be invoked with an aim to reduce the number of false alarms their crews attend.

Q & A on FIREscape Nepto

For this blog we interviewed Robert Head, Commercial Project Manager at Hochiki Europe on his involvement in the launch of Hochiki's newest Emergency Lighting System, FIREscape.

Fire Safety Event kicks off a year of exciting events for Hochiki Europe

In April 2023 in the UK we saw the Fire Safety Event taking place at the NEC, Birmingham. At double the size of the previous year the event saw a mix of exhibitors, speakers and opportunities for CPD, and with the show exhibitors finding themselves nestled between the Security Show and Health and Safety event there was plenty of scope for the conversation to spread further into other industries.

The benefits of working with BAFE registered installers

If you are looking to update your existing fire alarm system, install a new system into a new building or seeking maintenance on devices already installed then you need to ensure you look for a fire safety expert who has BAFE accreditation – the hallmark of quality and competency for the fire industry. In this article we look at the benefits of working with BAFE registered installers.

Emergency lighting questions to ask to ensure your emergency lighting system is compliant and fit for purpose

In this guide we will cover the essential information that facilities teams, building owners, and responsible persons, need to ask for when it comes to the safe and compliant installation of Emergency Lighting. The questions listed below are not an exhaustive list but cover off some of the important aspects that electrical engineers, fire systems installers, designer and building contractors should be aware of to complete a safe and compliant life safety installation.

The people behind the technology: celebrating World Engineering Day 2023

This month sees World Engineering Day, a day where globally we can celebrate the engineering industry, the important contributions it has made and how it is shaping the future. So, with this important day in mind, we wanted to share the interesting story of how, one of our colleagues Sheree Collins, based at our HQ in Gillingham, turned a personal passion for ‘tinkering’ into a career as a Surface Mount Technology Engineer at Hochiki Europe.

Q & A Interview with Robert Drake

For over 100 years Hochiki have been at the forefront of life safety technology, with over 2000 employees working across six manufacturing plants, 38 sales offices and 14 subsidiaries. As part of a series of blogs in 2023 we are going to introduce you to some of the team behind our life safety technology. First up is Robert Drake, Director of Research and Development at Hochiki Europe.

Cold storage warehouse fire strategy considerations for facility owners and operators

While it may seem counterintuitive that fire is even a risk in spaces designed to maintain cold temperatures, cold storage in fact presents a huge fire hazard for warehouse designers and builders, life safety installation companies and facility owners. In this article we cover the risks, considerations and best detection products when thinking about life safety for cold storage warehouses.

Emergency lighting: How networked systems are enabling instant access to critical life safety data

Ever heard the phrase ‘it’s in the cloud’? These days almost everything we do now uses cloud technology. From browsing the internet, surfing social media, watching the latest drop from your favourite streaming channel or listening to music online, to accessing CRM systems and collaboration software at work. Even some toothbrushes send data back to the manufacturer – and here in the fire industry we are no different, with the demand, driven by big enterprise, for life safety systems to become smart.

False alarms and how to prevent them: A guide to improving fire detection performance for building owners, responsible persons and facilities management teams

If you are the responsible person for a commercial building, including shared areas in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), blocks of flats and maisonettes, you are required by law to ensure the equipment and procedures are in place to detect, alert and notify all occupants of the building to act in the event of a fire.

Assessing the need for a robust warehouse fire strategy ahead of Black Friday 2022

The end of this month sees the biggest online shopping event of the year happen. Black Friday, 2022 is set to be a week-long event where brick-and-mortar and online retailers offer huge discounts and one-off deals to encourage consumer spend. And despite the UK being on the cusp of a recession, Brits are predicted to spend an estimated £3.95 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases this year.

Hochiki’s commitment to world class sustainable life safety manufacturing

This week is National Recycling Week, where people up and down the country will be trying to find ways to be more sustainable in their day to day lives. The efforts of individuals will of course play its part in helping the UK to become a greener place to live, however it is big industry like manufacturing that will make by far the great impact.

New research shows 90% of false alarms are down to faulty apparatus

According to the latest Home Office report, released in August, false alarms make up 98% of automatic fire alarm confirmed incidents in 2020/21; 90% of this figure is due to faulty apparatus.

Safeguarding the Complete Journey

As a regular reader of the Hochiki Blog you should be aware by now that we have always made a bit of big deal on how our products can be used in many vertical sectors, with applications stretching across many different industries. True, a smoke sensor does one thing (and we at Hochiki like to think ours does it extremely well) but it’s often how and where that sensor is placed that is key for it to be able to do what it’s ultimately designed to do – save lives.

Life Safety in Care Homes in a Post-Pandemic World

The country watched COVID-19 tear through our care homes and leave devastation in its wake. Regardless of the mistakes made at the start of the pandemic, the very nature of our elderly care environments means protecting society’s most vulnerable has always been a challenge. As we are faced with the very real prospect of having to live with the virus long-term, a new set of challenges present themselves.

Where it Makes Complete Sense to Use Hybrid Wireless Fire Detection

In this blog article we explore applications in which Hybrid Wireless Fire Detection excels to help understand why it should be considered in certain situations.

Waking Watch vs Hybrid Wireless

All across the UK the effects of the Grenfell Tower tragedy are still with us today with many local authorities and private housing organisations declaring the presence of highly combustible cladding and/or insulation within their housing portfolios, rendering these assets dangerous and uncompliant until remedial work to remove and replace the cladding materials can begin. The scope of work to replace all of the cladding so far identified is enormous and will take years to rectify.

Protecting Refurbishment Projects Against Fire Risks

Fires occurring on refurbishment projects seem to be happening all too often, with several high-profile incidents, including the infamous Notre-Dame Cathedral disaster, having made headlines in recent years. Understanding the factors that increase the threat of fire and identifying ways in which building owners can mitigate them is vital.

Beam Detectors and their uses

Life safety technology comes in all different forms. However, it can be difficult to know which products are best suited for certain tasks and environments. In this blog, we take a look at beam detectors, what they are, how they work and when and where they should be installed.

A Lesson in Life Safety for the Education Sector

With hundreds, sometimes thousands of students to account for during an emergency, education facilities need particular focus when it comes to life safety. To allow for the best possible outcome in a fire phenomenon, it is essential these buildings are equipped with the most appropriate safety systems. To help understand the specialised protection required, Richard Wharram, Regional Sales Manager at Hochiki Europe, provides his top considerations when specifying these at-risk environments.

Approaching Life Safety with Medical Precision

Healthcare facilities are some of the most at-risk environments in need of reliable life safety systems. With so many patients to care for, it’s important for the medical professionals and duty holders, who are housed together under the same roof, to uphold the integrity of these spaces to protect our society’s most vulnerable. Here, Neil Eves, systems manager at Hochiki Europe, explains the importance of life safety within these environments.

Homeworking and the Life Safety Sector

COVID-19 means homeworking is no longer a privilege or additional benefit for employees. By restricting the public’s movements, this pandemic has meant working from home has become a necessity for all industries, with many people dragged into this new way of working, whether they are comfortable with it or not. So, what can the life safety sector learn from this experience, and how can we cope with it going forward?

Multi-Sensors: Spotting the Small Print

Mark Jones, our Export Sales Manager speaks about the confusion surrounding multi-sensor certification.

Avoiding Disruption in a Digital Age

David Brown, our Product Manager explains how advanced moisture detection systems can help building owners mitigate the risks to their bottom line.

Combatting the Component Shortage Crisis

Roland Martin-Bessy, our Operations Director speaks about the global component shortage crisis.

Upholding Life Safety in Specialist Environments

Robert Head, our Specialist Product Business Manager, outlines best practice for duty-holders when addressing life safety in ‘hazardous’ areas.

Expert Roundtable: Improving Life Safety in HMOs

Fire and life safety within Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) is a topic that is being discussed more now than ever before. With a number of high-profile events casting a spotlight on the importance of the subject, leaders from a multitude of sectors and industries are working together to better protect these properties and their occupants.

Understanding the Capabilities of a Module

Modules, also known as interfaces, are powerful devices designed to connect fire detection systems with other fire safety devices and/ or third-party equipment. For example, if there is a fire in a factory, you may wish to release magnetic locks on fire doors, send signals to access controls and automatically shut down plant machinery; all of which can be done through the capabilities of a module. The problem is, with so many modules available, how do you know which one you need?

Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer

What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon Monoxide is a highly toxic gas which is difficult detect without a CO detector. It is known as ‘the silent killer’, because it is colourless, odourless, tasteless, yet deadly. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels, including; coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane and natural gases. Toxic poisoning isn’t just confined to domestic properties; there have been many cases in which care homes, schools and commercial premises have experienced gas leaks. Faulty boilers, generators and plant machinery, are often the main causes of CO exposure.

The Secret to Cutting Building Maintenance Costs – The Right Way!

Whilst some argue that it is impossible to reduce costs without cutting corners, forward-thinking building maintenance teams have managed to employ some practical changes, which have not only reduced costs, but have also reduced carbon emissions, increased operational efficiency and helped them to remain fully compliant with legislation.

Bold Claims Over Multi-Sensors; But What’s All the Fuss About?

Multi-sensors are the topic of conversation at the moment, but do we really understand them? This blog has been written to demystify multi-sensors and help you make a more informed decision when selecting the best detector for the environment.

Record Emergency Lighting Fine of £400,000

A private landlord has been fined a record £400,000 over the lack of emergency lighting and other breaches of fire health and safety legislation (luxreview, 2018). It is therefore the perfect time to remind building owners, installers, architects and consultants of the revisions made to BS 5266-1 2016. Please note, this blog has been written to provide essential information on key changes found in BS 5266-1 2016, but should never be utilised as a substitute for the standard itself.

E-Cigarettes: a burning issue for Facilities Managers?

Electronic cigarettes, or ‘e-cigarettes’ as they’re more commonly known, were first introduced into the European retail market in 2006, just one year before Britain’s indoor smoking ban. Ten years’ later, an estimated two and a half million people in the UK are thought to use these devices regularly.