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No sprinklers for £300m hospital No sprinklers for £300m hospital
(about 5 hours later)
Fire safety concerns have been raised over NHS Forth Valley's plans not to use sprinklers in a new £300m hospital.Fire safety concerns have been raised over NHS Forth Valley's plans not to use sprinklers in a new £300m hospital.
The Fire Brigade Union criticised the health authority for the move and said it showed profits were being put first. The Fire Brigades Union criticised the health authority for the move and said it showed profits were being put first.
NHS Forth Valley said there were "more appropriate" measures which had been adopted for the hospital.NHS Forth Valley said there were "more appropriate" measures which had been adopted for the hospital.
Work on the new "super hospital" at Larbert, which will replace Falkirk and Stirling Infirmaries, is due to be completed in December 2009. Work on the new "super hospital" at Larbert, which will replace Falkirk and Stirling infirmaries, is due to be completed in December 2009.
The project is among Scotland's biggest public private partnership (PPP) hospital contracts.The project is among Scotland's biggest public private partnership (PPP) hospital contracts.
Current legislation dictates that a sprinkler system must be fitted in all care homes and sheltered housing.Current legislation dictates that a sprinkler system must be fitted in all care homes and sheltered housing.
However, the law is yet to be extended to cover their installation in all new-build schools and hospitals.However, the law is yet to be extended to cover their installation in all new-build schools and hospitals.
'Threat to life''Threat to life'
Contractors Laing O'Rourke began construction on the site at the former Royal Scottish National Hospital last year.Contractors Laing O'Rourke began construction on the site at the former Royal Scottish National Hospital last year.
In a statement, the Fire Brigade Union described the sprinkler decision as "disgraceful" and said it showed profits were being put before lives. FBU Central Scotland branch secretary Gordon McQuade told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that other measures were not as effective as sprinklers.
The Fire Code would not legally require sprinklers to be put in. However, we would recommend they are installed in a new building Central Scotland Fire Service He said: "Everybody in the fire industry is telling you to fit sprinklers, they are a fantastic fire fighting tool. They kill a fire in seconds."
Central Scotland branch secretary Gordon McQuade said: "A fire in this hospital would be easily put out in its early stages by the use of sprinklers, thus massively reducing damage and any threat to life. Instead of sprinklers the hospital will be fitted with fire resistant walls and doors to "compartmentalise" any fire.
"This has been recognised by the people behind the building of secondary schools in central Scotland. A sprinkler system would extinguish a fire very quickly before the fire service is even in attendance, whereas compartmentation would confine it but not put it out Central Scotland Fire Service
"Because of the decision not to fit sprinklers then our members will probably be met with a developing fire where non-ambulant patients may require to be rescued. But Mr McQuade cast doubt over whether this method would stop a fire spreading.
"This greatly increases the risk not only to fire-fighters but also to the patients and staff within the hospital." He said: "What they are doing is the bare minimum.
A spokesman for Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service acknowledged that current laws did not insist on sprinkler systems. "They are putting in the fire alarm and the fire extinguisher in the hope that the fire will be discovered early enough and they hope that the staff will put it out.
'Quite different' "If not the fire is away and taken hold. Everybody in the British fire service, from the Chief Fire Officer's Association to the Fire Brigades Union is telling you to fit sprinklers. They are a must."
He said: "The Fire Code would not legally require sprinklers to be put in. However, we would recommend they are installed in a new building. Steven McKenzie, head of community safety at Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service, said the brigade would prefer sprinklers were fitted over other fire prevention measures.
"Doing this would mean the fire is extinguished quickly and when firefighters arrive at the scene they are not met by a live fire." He said: "Central Scotland Fire and Rescue would always recommend sprinklers are installed in all non domestic new buildings.
Instead of sprinklers the new hospital will use a 'compartmentation' approach in the event of fire. "A sprinkler system would extinguish a fire very quickly before the fire service is even in attendance, whereas compartmentation would confine it but not put it out."
This system works by using fire resistant walls and doors to prevent the fire spreading to other areas. 'Equipment deluged'
In response to the criticism, Neil McCormick, director of strategic projects and property for NHS Forth Valley, said the new hospital would be fully compliant with Fire Code and Scottish Health Technical Memoranda. In response to the criticism, Ian Mullen, chairman of NHS Forth Valley, said they were acting on advice which suggested other methods were more effective for tackling fires in hospitals.
He said: "Hospitals are quite different from other buildings such as schools, since they operate 24/7 and have particular needs to be taken into account including the safe management of already sick patients, care of staff and the public and the safety of highly technical equipment. He also denied that they were not fitting a sprinkler systems to cut costs.
"The organisation responsible for delivering our building have engaged with the fire brigade, building control and the boards advisors to discuss the fire safety aspect of the hospital. Mr Mullen said: "It's ridiculous to suggest that we are in any way cutting corners and it's not about cost.
"The position is that there are solutions more appropriate for the hospital and a number of fire protection measures have been designed to satisfy fire safety requirements." "The advice that we've had is that there are better ways of dealing with fire safety in the new hospital than using sprinklers."
He said they were taking advice from Central Scotland Fire and Rescue, Falkirk Council and external technical experts.
He added: "If you have patients for example in an intensive care unit linked up to highly sophisticated electronic machinery it may not be the most sensible thing to have those patients and that equipment deluged with water."
He said they are currently undergoing an appraisal with various authorities and said they would change their decision if recommendations change.
He said: "Of course if their advice is that the hospital requires a sprinkler of course we will put one in."