The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) said its new three-step plan is designed to ensure fires on large timber frame construction sites “never happen again”, and to reassure developers about the build method.

More than 300 people were evacuated when a blaze, suspected as arson, hit a nearby five-storey timber frame structure being constructed by Greenacre Homes. Target Timber Systems, which designed, engineered and manufactured the system, said it had completed and handed the frame over to the developer only the previous week.

The concrete lobby immediately went on the offensive against timber frame, while the Chief Fire Officers Association and Fire Protection Association urged ministers to take urgent action to increase fire safety.

UKTFA chairman Geoff Arnold said the industry had received support from many quarters since the fire, with agreement that timber frame construction had to many benefits to ignore.

“Site Safe”, to be implemented by January 31, is the first part of the UKTFA’s plans and will require all UKTFA members to get “clear agreement” upfront from main contractors that they understand short-term risks of timber buildings during the erection phase. Documented evidence of these discussions will be kept.

Third-party fire safety inspections will become mandatory for large timber frame sites, while a second phase, taking effect by the end of March, will consider changes to the construction process to minimise vulnerability and boost security during erection.

A final round will be further R&D, including testing of new products and the impacts of fire retardant treatments – to be released by the end of 2010.

 Meanwhile, Arch Timber Protection told TTJ that its Vacsol FR combined preservative/fire retardant treatment, specifically to help protect timber frame buildings under construction, had not had any take-up since launching in 2007. But the company said there had been renewed interest recently, “which is encouraging”.

It is also understood that a third party fire safety accreditation scheme for the timber frame industry launched by International Fire Consultants in 2007 had only attracted one contract.

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