A recent fire known as "Harrow Court" claimed two young Ffs.  This was a fire in a block of flats and when crews arrived they found they had no water save for a 9 litre extinguisher.  Despite being told not to enter, they did and brought out alive one male occupant.  They then re-entered to rfecover a woman but before they could exit a flash over occured and they became trapped in cables that fell from the ceiling. All three died. These cables had been fixed in plastic ducting but not by anything else. Hence as the ducting deformed the cables fell.

HARROW COURT NATIONAL RECOMMENDATION No.1
 
Further to your request for an update on a specific matter I respond as follows:
 
 
1.      National Fire Safety Recommendation No.1: Provision should be made to inform all relevant stakeholders including Local Authorities, Housing Associations and other FRSs of the potential dangers associated with the lack of adequate securing of cables in trunking, particularly any which were installed to the 1988 British Standard.
Action to date: Meetings held with ACO Graham Stag (CFOA FSE Regional Lead Officer), Cath Reynolds (DCLG Fire Research Dept.) and CFO Ian Cox (CFOA FSE National Lead).
Letter dated 22/03/07 sent to CFO Ian Cox for discussion/action at CFOA FSE national committee.
Letter dated 22/03/07 written to BSI technical committee responsible for BS 5839 explaining the importance of securing cables and requesting greater emphasis is placed upon this within relevant standards. Meeting held on 16/05/07 with Colin Todd, BSI Committee member. As a result of this meeting, Colin Todd sent an email to John Fisher (BSI FSH/12/1 secretary) recommending that the forthcoming amendment to BS 5839 has a suitable enhancement of text relating to fire alarm cable support. Draft amendment of sub clause 26.1, 26.2(f) and 46.2(b)(5) was recommended for consideration by FSH 12/1 committee.
 
As a result of this work, BS 5839-1 has had amendments made on 31/03/08:
 
The current and latest edition of the fire detection and alarm standard is
BS 5839-1: 2002+A2: 2008. The following clauses relate to the changes made as a result of the Harrow Court recommendations:
 
26.1(A2)Commentary: Unless cables are supported in such a manner that they remain supported for the duration similar to that for which the cable itself can survive a fire, early failure of the circuit might occur because of strain on terminations as a result of collapsing cables.
 
26.2 Recommendations, (f) Note 9 (A2): Experience has shown that collapse of cables, supported only by plastic cable trunking, can create a serious hazard to firefighters, who could become entangled in cables.
 
46.2(b)(5): Note 2 (A2): Serious shortcomings in cable support that could result in collapse of a significant length of cable in the event of fire should also be regarded as a major non-compliance.