Derby-based cable manufacturer, Draka, has launched two new cables.  Saffire is a new generation of 0HLS – Zero Halogen Low Smoke – cable that is claimed to set a new and higher level of fire safety performance, while Firetuf Powerplus is a new 600/1000V SWA [Steel Wired Armoured] power cable that provides enhanced circuit integrity performance to meet the demanding requirements of BS 7346-6:2005 and the more stringent demands of Approved Document B (Fire safety) 2006 of the Building Regulations that came into force on 6 April 2007.

Both complement the company’s award-winning Firetuf range of performance cables that today embraces low voltage [cables up to 1kV] building wires and power cables that are available throughout the UK, Ireland and the Middle East.

Saffire 0HLS will, the company says, enable consultants to specify cable that provides enhanced safety in line with the latest fire safety legislation, and greatly assist building control officers to easily identify that superior fire safety is being incorporated into a building.  Saffire 0HLS will also provide contractors with a new bench-mark brand for third-party approved fire safety cabling, extending the safety benefits of 0HLS cables to a much wider marketplace.

In the UK, the Building Regulation’s Approved Document B will have a major bearing on future building work in England and Wales. This Document specifies fire performance in accordance with BS 7346, and will impact on fire safety systems including: automatic fire suppression installations; fire detection and alarm systems; fire compartmentation; smoke control and ventilation; sprinklers and wet risers; ventilation and shutters; and firefighting lifts.  Significantly, all these systems require a secure power supply that will retain its integrity in the event of fire, which highlights the imperative need for enhanced performance power cables.

In Firetuf Powerplus, Draka has developed a solution that uniquely meets this requirement.  It utilises high-performance materials to achieve the maximum 120-minute rating when subjected to integrated testing involving flame irradiation exposure, direct impact and high-pressure water spray. It has been introduced to provide the superior performance characteristics required by today’s sophisticated fire engineering solutions. These are becoming increasingly commonplace, particularly in the UK following the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the more widespread utilisation of fire engineering principles and techniques that call for greater reliance on complex life and property protection systems and protocols.