It is not common practice today to have an operative (caretaker) living on the site and therefore available to reset the boilers after a power cut, so the following section from the document is intended to overcome potential issues such as preventing pipes freezing. It also aims to minimise closures because the building has cooled after a power cut, perhaps the night before.

In section 3.1.8 boiler/plant rooms are covered by the following:
“School boiler/plant rooms are considered as areas of high fire risk. For this reason, the following fire safety precautions are required for new schools and where an existing boiler/plant room is upgraded or refurbished”

This section of the document then goes on to state that a boiler house attached to the main school building should be fitted with combustible gas and carbon monoxide detection. It also states that a pressure proving system can auto reset after a power cut so that the boilers can restart automatically.

Only the boilers for the heating of the school can have the gas supply on auto reset after a power cut.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post Building Bulletin 100, Design for fire safety in schools appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..

The fresh air background Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) level is typically between 350-450 ppm. Within a building, without adequate ventilation, this level will rise considerably where there are people. The levels will tend to be higher in education buildings because the occupancy is higher for a given reservoir of air in a classroom. The average adult (or older student) exhales an amount of carbon dioxide at a level around 35,000-50,000 ppm. This equates to about 0.01 grams per second (g/s) (about 0.005 l/s).

DfES Building Bulletin 101 – Ventilation of School Buildings
This supports the Building Regulations Part F in laying out the requirements for ventilation in schools particularly states that:
“ventilation should be provided to limit the concentration of carbon dioxide in all teaching and learning spaces so that when it is measured at seated head height, during the continuous period between the start and finish of teaching on any day, the average concentration of CO₂ should not exceed 1500 ppm.”

This is a limiting value and it requires that at any occupied time, including when teaching, the occupants should have the ability to lower the CO₂ concentration to 1000 ppm (by extra ventilation). CIBSE TM30 also recommends a limiting value of approximately 1000 ppm.
Bunsen burner use will also increase the CO₂ levels since a Bunsen burner will produce about double the amount of CO₂ produced by a student or teacher.
It should be noted that IGEM document UP11, Edition 2, “Gas for use in education establishments” allows for higher levels of CO₂ to be present in some teaching areas but that the BB101 is clear that the CO₂ level over the teaching day does not average more than 1,500 ppm.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post Building Bulletin 101, ventilation of school buildings appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..

Services on page 49:
“All services should have a master control panel, which should be located near the main teaching position. This allows the teacher to control access to services as required and also to shut off any or all in the event of an accident.”

In regard to education buildings references from IGEM publication, UP11, Edition 2 it’s worth having looking at.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post Building Bulletin 80, Science Accommodation in Secondary schools appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..

One of the main changes that this standard has implemented is the removal of secondary interlocking. Over-rides, fan bypasses or secondary interlocking of any form are not allowed and the design of any fitted interlock system should be so that an override is not included.

It is important that the interlock and ventilation scheme has been designed to ensure adequate ventilation levels are met and that Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) are being followed.

This statutory document states:
“Regulation 27(4) No person shall install a power-operated flue system for a gas appliance unless it safely prevents the operation of the appliance if the draught fails.”
As a mandatory document, this takes precedent over UP19.

UP19 also provides further support for the monitoring of CO₂ levels to determine adequate ventilation levels are met and the potential for controlling the mechanical ventilation above the set minimum.

For newly designed kitchens the CO₂ level within the staff working areas of the kitchen should be below 2,800 ppm and that the gas should be isolated if the CO₂ level rises above this limit. For existing installations where a 5,000 ppm limit is reached the kitchen gas supply will be isolated until the CO₂ reduces.

Only CO₂ detectors that have been designed for the arduous conditions of a commercial kitchen should be used, with features such as a PTFE filter that can be easily changed periodically being considered. Although commercial and industrial CO₂ detector heads will make some allowance for unclean air they could eventually become blind in the air of a commercial kitchen.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss the location and mounting of CO₂ detectors in a commercial kitchen. See also these two other standards British Standard 6173/2009 and IGEM/UP2, Edition 2, which will help you.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post IGEM/UP/19, Edition 1, Design and application of interlock devices appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..

Section 2:
Scope 2.4 states that the document procedures apply in relation to the following (amongst others areas):
“Where there has been a complete loss of pressure for any reason, note, The closure of a valve, for example, the ECV, can result in the complete loss of pressure which necessitates tightness testing and purging before resumption of supply”

An explanation of the above in relation to gas pressure proving. The first referring to the words “can result in the complete loss of pressure”. When a solenoid or other type of ECV closes for whatever reason if a downstream boiler, appliance or Bunsen burner is switched on then the gas pressure will be lost.

This is likely to happen particularly where flame safety devices are fitted.

Further reasons for the use of gas pressure proving systems can be found in this standard IGEM/UP2, Edition 2.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post IGEM/UP/1A, Edition 2, Strength testing, tightness testing appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..

This is a comprehensive document that, in our opinion, has paid much consideration to common sense though some of the descriptions and terms used are outdated. Below are some relevant extracts. Please call or email for more information should you require it.

Laboratory Gas Control
The document states under 6.2.4.1 that:
“Where an AIV (gas solenoid valve) is required the system shall include a downstream integrity check before the valve can be reopened.”

“Downstream integrity check” means gas pressure proving system.

The term “Where required” is explained in 6.2.3 where it says that “where it is not practicable to install a manual quarter turn valve in a readily accessible position, or where it is required to interlock the gas supply with other safety systems such as air flow, fire or gas detection an automatic means of isolation shall be installed.”

The term “automatic means of isolation” is explained in 6.2.4 where it describes the term as meaning a gas pressure proving system. In relation to the use of gas pressure proving the IGEM documents UP/1A, Edition 2 and UP2, Edition 2 give more advice on the utilisation of proving for safety.

Food Technology
Section 11.2.4. states that “mechanical ventilation or extract systems shall be interlocked”.
Also, 11.2.4 goes on to say:
Note. Must be read in conjunction with 11.2.5 and accompanying note.
“Where the ventilation requirements for new installations cannot be met, CO₂ monitoring shall be fitted. It shall provide an alarm condition at not more than 2,800 ppm to warn the teaching staff to increase ventilation and an automatic shut down of the gas supply at 5,000 ppm.”

Section 11.2.5 is clear in stating that:
“Means shall be provided to monitor the correct provision of air supplies, for example by airflow monitoring by air flow switches or by fan power monitoring. Failure shall lead to the shut down of the gas supply to the cookers.”

“Air supplies” also means extract and “fan power monitoring” means current monitoring in modern terms. As part of the interlock control a gas pressure proving system should be incorporated. For further information see ‘Medem’s news article entitled Individual laboratory control.

Gas Detection & Carbon Monoxide Monitoring in Classrooms
6.2.5.5 and 6.2.5.6, in essence, it requires that where a boiler room is connected to a teaching area then CO monitoring should also be installed in the occupied area. Consideration should also be given to installing combustible gas detectors within the same teaching area.

If you require any additional information on our systems to help meet these design standards or wish to discuss the standards further please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The post IGEM/UP11, Edition 2, Gas installations for educational establishments appeared first on Medem UK Ltd..