CROSS Critical Safety Alert on Smoke Vents

A CRITICAL RED SAFETY ALERT has been issued on the safety risks associated with preventing the operation of smoke vents, in particular Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs), by construction work on existing buildings.

The safety alert is being issued by the Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS) – the confidential safety reporting group supported by the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Fire Engineers.

AOVs can be indistinguishable from standard windows

Critical Safety Alert on Automatic Opening Vents

AOVs are provided as part of a fire safety smoke control system. In the event of a fire, an inoperable smoke vent poses a significant hazard. If smoke cannot be released from the building, it could hamper the escape of occupants and the ability of fire fighters to extinguish a fire.

CROSS warns that in many cases, AOVs can be indistinguishable from standard windows. This may lead to their inadvertent obstruction.

As part of its confidential reporting system, CROSS-UK has received several reports of AOVs being made inoperable by building work, including when façade materials are being replaced.

An AOV might easily be rendered inoperable by a scaffold pole, temporary masking, the storage of materials, or adjustments to cladding.

Red Safety Alert

An AOV in the open position

This is a Red Safety Alert – the highest rating possible on the CROSS traffic light system. It is particularly relevant for buildings undergoing removal work of combustible cladding.

Read the full Alert on the CROSS website.

Who should read this alert?

Those responsible for the management of fire safety in buildings, Principal Accountable Persons (PAPs) and Accountable Persons (APs) as defined in England, designers, principal designers, contractors, principal contractors, fire risk assessors, and those working in or on occupied buildings with Automatic Opening Vents, including those designing and erecting scaffolding.

About AOVs

AOVs form part of the building’s smoke control system. They may be an inlet in a staircase to enable fresh, replacement air so another vent or system can extract/vent smoke from the fire floor. A roof vent is the most common style for this application.

They can also be an outlet vent from the fire floor. The window vent is the most common style for this application. These are designed to look like normal windows.

CROSS

The CROSS scheme allows professionals to report precursor events, near-misses and safety issues confidentially. CROSS reports are about fire safety and structural safety and may be about concerns at any stage of a structure’s life – from design, through construction and occupation, until its end of life.

>> Read more about smoke vents in the news