Calls for mandatory sprinklers in car parks

A recommendation that automatic fire suppression systems should be mandatory in all open-sided multi-storey car parks has been welcomed by the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA).

A report on the Luton Airport car park fire by the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service highlighted significant gaps in current building regulations regarding fire suppression systems in multi-storey car parks.

“The Luton Airport fire has exposed a troubling disconnect between our current regulatory guidance and the reality of modern vehicle fires,” said Tom Roche, secretary of the BSA. “What’s particularly worrying is that this £20 million structure, built as recently as 2019, was completely compliant with current regulations yet proved vulnerable to devastating fire spread.”