SHANGHAI, Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- On July 6, 2011, European Union Chamber of Commerce and Tongji University Sino-European Energy Efficient Building Training & Research Center organized a "Forum on European Building Energy Efficient and Fire Safety Technology" in Shanghai. At the forum, European industrial experts shared their advanced technology and safety management experience in building fire safety. Mr. Cai Yong, manager of In-Service Verification of Bureau Veritas (BV), delivered a speech entitled "Fire safety Management During Design, Construction and Operation: Practice, Challenge and Risk in China" at the forum.
At the forum, Bureau Veritas highlighted the results of their initial FFS (Fire Fighting System) consumer tests on more than 300 units in China, which indicate that 40% of the fire facilities in China are severely defective while 10% are completely unable to work.
As Bureau Veritas pointed out, a full range of typical high-risk defects exist in fire facilities. For example, inlet/outlet gate valves for fire pumps stay in closed status; no water is available in fire tanks or fire pipeline system; no power is available in water pump control cabinet; fireproof caulking is not provided for air ducts, pipes or wire ducts going through fire zones.
As for the vulnerabilities of the construction sector in fire safety management, Mr. Cai Yong put forward proposals of amplifying fire safety awareness, encouraging independent third-party organizations to participate in fire inspection and supervision and on appointment of fire engineers and consultants to participate in coordination and consultancy for fire protection design.
Beginning in 2003, BV started to organize FFS fire tests in China every year for a full range of recipients from chain stores to factories, shopping centers, hotels and public buildings.
Background
Since its incorporation in 1828, Bureau Veritas has been intensifying efforts to help customers to comply with relevant standards and regulatory requirements in quality, health and safety, environment and social responsibility, thus becoming a third party accreditation agency very well recognized around the world. For safety status and reliability of in-service equipments and facilities, Bureau Veritas provides a full range of services including technical assessment, testing and consulting including fire safety, electrical safety inspection, in-service elevator test and industrial equipment maintenance review.
