Specify active fire curtains, to meet a design

Design & specify | DS005

This activity is about specifying active fire curtains for inclusion in a detailed technical design during RIBA stage 4, to meet a concept design that already exists. This includes, identification of products or product manufacturer and interpretation of DIAP / certificated performance.

Culture & behaviour

Core abilities

Culture & behaviour
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Effective working behaviours

You must:

  • Work within limits of own capability and know when to seek advice from others
  • Manage own time effectively
  • Work effectively individually and as part of a team
  • Communicate effectively
  • Undertake personal development activities to maintain currency of competence
Culture & behaviour
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Design & specification behaviours

You must:

  • Challenge unsafe behaviours and activities, and report where necessary
  • Work in accordance with quality requirements and challenge where they are not being met
  • Act ethically to ensure safe outcomes
Currency of competence
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Experience specifying active fire curtains

You must have:

  • 1 instance of specification of passive fire products for active fire curtains, per year
Core abilities
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Core passive fire knowledge

You must:

  • Know the importance of passive fire protection in safeguarding buildings and people
    • To include: compartmentation; how PFP impedes fire to protect structures and people.
  • Know suitable vocabulary to discuss passive fire protection products
Core abilities
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Selection of construction products

You must:

  • Know how legislation and official guidance relates to the specification of passive fire protection products, and the consequences of non-compliance
  • Understand that buildings work as systems and know the importance of this when selecting construction products
  • Understand the organisation's construction products hierarchy and how to obtain advice and raise concerns as appropriate within it
  • Understand your responsibility to follow organisational rules about construction products
  • Be aware of the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) and how it is utilised
  • Know how conformity marking can be used to support product specification
    • To include: Use of the Declaration of Performance to compare products for the same scope of application; Knowing that not all products can be conformity marked
  • Understand how third party certification can support product specification
  • Understand how test reports can support product specification
Core abilities
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Impact of product variation in design and specification

You must:

  • Understand the potential impact of product variation on construction system conformance or compliance
  • Understand when product variation may be required
    • Where suitable products cannot be specified based on direct field of application and certificated product performance
  • Know organisational processes to escalate product variation queries
Specific abilities
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Specifying active fire curtains

You must:

  • Know how to interpret design information related to active fire curtains
  • Know where to find information on product warranties

You must be able to:

  • Identify the requirements for active fire curtains based on the design provided and the conditions on site
  • Review direct field of application and certified product performance to determine and specify suitable active fire curtains
Specific abilities
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Finding and interpreting information on active fire curtains

You must:

  • Know components of active fire curtains, and how those components contribute to their operation and performance
  • Know where to find detailed information on passive fire protection products, relating to active fire curtains
    • - ASFP black book
  • Know how to interpret detailed information on active fire curtains
    • To include: Characteristics, quality, uses, applications & limitations
  • Understand where information about interfaces between active fire curtains and other fire protection products, structural elements, and security systems has been provided, and the consequences of interfaces
  • Know organisational processes for highlighting and resolving inaccurate or incomplete product information and why it is important that they are followed
  • Know the impact of getting information wrong
Specific abilities
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Limits of responsibility

You must:

  • Understand that you may propose alternative products within a direct scope of application meeting stated requirements, but cannot make a product selection or substitution recommendation as this incurs a design responsibility
Specific abilities
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Handling product variation

You must be able to:

  • Identify where product variation may be required
  • Follow organisational processes to escalate product variation queries
Specific abilities
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Communicating specification information

You must:

  • Know organisational processes for communication of specification information

You must be able to:

  • Follow organisational processes to communicate information on the specified products to the installation contractor to help the installer complete their "Golden Thread" requirement

Currency of competence

Specific abilities

Culture & behaviour

Core abilities

Currency of competence

Specific abilities

This is a newly defined activity profile. If you have any comments, please get in touch.
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