Exeter Glass Centre team up with Pilkington to provide fire-resistant glass

Regional specialist Exeter Glass Centre has teamed up with one of the most recognised world names of the glass industry to become the local stockist in the south west of Pilkington’s range of fire-resistant glass products.

Exeter Glass Centre is part of independent, local and family-owned business Cornwall Glass & Glazing Ltd which has branches located throughout Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire with growing links throughout the region. It is home to one of the largest selection and stock holding of glass and glazing products in the south west, employing over 150 staff at 13 glass handling, supply and processing sites, specialising in local service and commitment to communities in the area.

Steven Michell, Public Relations Manager for Exeter Glass Centre, said “We are very proud to be the only company stocking and supplying Pilkington’s well respected range of fire-resistant glass products. This is an exciting new development, which will deliver efficient and reliable fire-resistant glazing solutions to customers of the south west. We have a major commitment to our region and we want to make available the very best of world-beating glass products that are now available. The Pilkington range of fire-resistant glass undoubtedly fulfils that criterion, and comes as well with the highest standards of technical support and advice on applications and fire safety requirements. This is a perfect blend of our own particular style of local service, second to none for our communities in the south west, and Pilkington’s distinctive brand of technical know-how and product quality. The ongoing development of the Cornwall Glass Group is a regional success story and we want to make sure that we continue that growth. To do that, we intend to add to our range and capabilities. This development certainly does that.”

Fire safety now has a particularly high profile following the introduction of new legislation in 2006 referred to as the Fire Safety Order (FSO). In addition, several recent and serious fire events involving both loss of life and major damage (such as the Penhallow Hotel fire, in Newquay, August 2007) have raised the profile of fire safety and caused a renewed emphasis on fire protection measures in buildings to provide for safe escape and to limit the effects of fire spread. The provisions of the order are not only of relevance to hotels, boarding houses, bed and breakfast establishments, and multiple occupancy flats and houses. The legislation covers all buildings which are not individual private residences. That includes, for example, schools, hospitals and health clinics, residential care homes, shops and retail complexes, and places of entertainment as well as offices and industrial buildings.

The FSO, as the key fire safety legislation in the UK, focuses on two key aspects – personal responsibility for providing adequate and sufficient measures for the protected escape of occupants in case of fire, and the requirement for a risk assessment to be carried out for all buildings other than individual private dwellings. The prime responsible person is the one who is in charge of the building (i.e. the owner or one who operates the building). In practice the principle of responsibility extends down the design, specification, supply and installation chain as responsibility is judged along that chain on the basis of what is reasonable and practical to know and do. In that case it’s really handy to have a local specialist on the doorstep.

For more information contact Exeter Glass Centre or access www.exeterglasscentre.co.uk . Tel 01392 364364