The authors look at the impact of innovative
solutions in the construction industry on the
fire safety of buildings. With the rapid
emergence of new building products,
structures and technologies, the construction
industry and the manufacturing side of some
production sectors have undergone a rapid
pace of change that has not been preceded by
relevant studies to identify the real fire safety
risks. The descriptive regulatory side has not
and could not keep pace with such
developments on the construction product
side. Nor has the fire experience side provided
sufficient guidance on how materials and
construction products behave in different
situations and uses. The basis for the
integration of construction products into the
existing regulatory system is the development
of relevant tests and the performance of a real
risk analysis taking into account the
parameters defined.
With the increase of risks, unprecedented fire
mechanisms have emerged, which have also
had a negative impact on the conditions for
effective fire-fighting intervention. In the
meantime, the time interval that could have
allowed firefighters to prepare for an effective
intervention has been unrealistically
shortened.
A change of approach is needed to identify the
real risks and develop appropriate
assessment, legislative and intervention
mechanisms.
