Category: Press Releases

When Avene Furness-Monks, Director of Chute Fire Certification UK® arrived at the site of the 100th chute she has refurbished this year, she was disappointed and angered to see yet another serious fire risk to the people that lived and worked in the building. The manual shut-off plate had been rigged with metal wires and weights, and the fusible link was broken.  Years of accumulated dirt also meant that the door was not able to operate as designed.  Not only was this a danger to Maintenance staff during bin changeover, but without a fusible link, the blades would have not shut off automatically in the case of a fire. But what angered Furness-Monks the most was the fact that only 6 months earlier, the chute had been certified as fire safe. “Unfortunately, this is a situation we see time and time again.  It really concerns me that unscrupulous contractors can walk into a building and sign off a chute without adhering to British Standards or following the correct procedures” adds Furness-Monks. Chute Fire Certification UK® ensure that all chutes they inspect are signed off by Certified Fire Technicians and refurbished by Qualified Engineers.  For their 100th chute refurbishment, they replaced the bottom of the chute systems with a bespoke Chute Safe Protection System that also enables the safe changeover of bins, as well as complying with all relevant legislation. Furness-Monks has a message for all building owners and their procurement departments. “Please check that the person inspecting and certifying your chute is a Certified Fire Technician.  And make sure they give you a written report and photographic record of their work; as well as evidence of their qualifications before you sign off the job. Because if the worst happens, the final legal responsibility is yours.”

The government’s response to The Hackitt review has shown that ‘in too many cases people who should be accountable for fire safety have failed in their duties’. And this was a key theme in the lecture by Chris Auger from BAFE at Fire Safety North yesterday, who asked the question ‘Is your Contractor compliant?’  This is an issue very close to my heart, and one of the key reasons that I set up Chute Fire Certification UK®.  I am shocked and angered at the levels of incompetence that I encounter on a daily basis when inspecting and servicing laundry and refuse chutes that have been left unsafe by other contracting companies. The full recommendations of the +Hackitt review will take some time to fully implement, but immediate actions can be taken by individuals.  One of BAFE’s key points was to ensure that fire risks were assessed with specialists in their field.  This was also repeated in the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) AGM that I attended later in the afternoon. Laundry and refuse chutes aren’t glamorous, but they are what motivate me every morning, and what I work late into the night for; to ensure that our team of Certified Fire Technicians are applying the highest levels of professionalism in this field.  We already work side-by-side with the construction and maintenance industry to share our specialist knowledge of chutes, even before it becomes written in law. Our focus in this area means that we can look in the mirror and know that we are leaving every site with a chute that is fire safe – to help residents and staff be safe and feel safe in their homes or places of work in high-rise buildings.

We have just been informed by a customer that a competitor has recently inspected their laundry chute without authorisation; implying that they were a Chute Fire Certification UK® employee.  We have taken the decision to make all of our customers aware of this, because  unfortunately this is an industry where such practices are not unusual.  However, this is where Chute Fire Certification UK® stands apart, as we live by our corporate values of honesty and integrity. It’s easy to check if the technician that arrives on site is one of our Certified Fire Technician or Engineers, because they will show you their Chute Fire Certification UK® documentation, certificates and be in our uniform.  Each chute that we certify is awarded the Chute Fire Certification UK® certificate (shown).  Any other certificate will not signed by one of our Certified Technicians. We thank our customers for their continued loyalty, and look forward to returning it with exceptional customer service, professionalism and full accountability

When Director of Chute Fire Certification UK® Avene Furness-Monks finds a fire plate that has been chained back on laundry or refuse chute, it deepens her resolve to ensure that her Certified Fire Technicians will always deliver the highest standard in fire prevention possible.  Which is why they are now an affiliate member of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM). “When we see a fusible link like that or a fire plate that’s been chained back, we know that the chute hasn’t been serviced properly in years.  These links are designed to break at the first sign of fire and close a fire-proof damper.  This should prevent fire spreading from the bin room, up through the chute, to the floors above” concludes Avene. Tom Hardy, Business Support Manager, IFSM adds “Becoming an affiliate member of the IFSM demonstrates a company-wide professional attitude that we know is really valued by our member’s customers.  It also gives CFCUK international recognition of their competence of conduct and professionalism.” The IFSM promotes reducing the risk from fire, and by checking the integrity of every element of the chute and its surroundings at every inspection, CFCUK are working to deliver on that mission. Further information on our chute inspection services can be found here.  If you would like more information on the work of the IFSM, please click their logo below.

Chute Fire Certification UK® are now working in collaboration with Prism Fire Risk Management Ltd. CFCUK have recently entered into a working relationship with Yorkshire based Prism Fire Risk Management Ltd www.prismsafety.co.uk The Hull based company offer a wide range of fire safety services and work with such clients as York St John University, The Swift Group, Associated British Ports , Coca Cola and St Mungo’s Housing association to name a few. Prism Fire Safety Risk Management also provides national information on fire safety for private landlords, letting agents and property management companies and well as the Association for Project Safety. We think working together will provide a wider exposure of CFCUK and our specialised services and look forward to some major projects in the future.

With the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy just passed, local businesswoman Avene Furness-Monks is on a mission to ensure that social housing, high-rise apartments, hotels, and businesses in the North West receive the highest possible standard of inspections of their refuse and laundry chutes. Refuse and laundry chutes are not something that the general public have a great deal of awareness of – mainly because they are fitted unobtrusively for aesthetic reasons.  They provide an excellent solution for apartments and hotels to prevent rubbish or dirty laundry from being transported around the corridors and lifts.  However, if they are not fitted correctly, or inspected regularly, they can enable a fire to quickly take hold in the building, potentially putting lives at risk. Chute Fire Certification UK® is working with multiple housing associations across the UK, as well as national hotel chain Jurys Inn Group, and local businesses implementing its chute consultancy and chute fire risk assessment services, with recommendations and actions points to be chute fire safe and meet regulatory requirements. Commercial Director of Chute Fire Certification UK®, Avene Furness-Monks is determined to lead the way in this industry, announcing “Safety is so important to us, that we are currently the only chute provider in the UK that deploys Certified Fire Technicians by the Institute of Fire Safety Mangers to inspect chutes.  We use the latest regulatory methodology, and this, coupled with our knowledge of chutes means that our Fire Technicians maintain the highest recognised standards in the industry.  So even if a fire does occur, it can be contained, and everyone evacuated safely. “We invest in our staff to give our customers the reassurance that their business is fully compliant.  Regulations change all the time, so it’s important that we keep up-to-date with all the latest recommendations and products.” In response to customer demand, Chute Fire Certification UK® launched the E240 Chute Fire Safe Protection System earlier this year, a fire protection product which provides a 4-hour fire rating, certified to all relevant regulations.