In just a brief duration of time – in a few minutes or even in a fraction of a second – a fire or an explosion can have catastrophic consequences in residential buildings or in industrial plant.

Some single incidents cost millions of pounds, such as the Windsor Castle fire. The Sandoz industrial fire devastated 500 miles of the Rhine River. Explosion initiated fires can cause severe devastation: in the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea, 167 lives were lost and the financial loss exceeded a billion pounds sterling, and the explosion of a gas facility in San Juan Ixuatepec, Mexico killed 262. Loss of life in fires is commonplace and can be in large numbers, as in the Bradford football stadium fire and the Kings Cross fire. 

The total monetary cost of fire and explosions (of losses and safety provision) in the UK is estimated at £5 billion per year or approximately 1% of GDP. 

At present, professionals in fire protection engineering come from a variety of undergraduate degree backgrounds, including civil, chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering. Most gain their relevant fire and/or explosion expertise 'on-the-job' and by attending Continuing Professional Development short courses. 

A complex and fast changing legislative framework and a move towards performance based standards, necessitate a fundamentally based scientific / engineering approach to fire and explosion protection design, of multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary nature. There is therefore a strong national and international need for high level training in this area.

Key Features

• Most taught modules are delivered in intensive CPD one week format. Modules are spread evenly throughout the year.
• Extensive participation in course delivery by lecturers from industry brings strong industrial involvement to the training package.
• Projects can be undertaken in the workplace (part-time) or at the University (full time and part time).
• Block module format allows both full-time and part-time students a wide choice of modules.
• The taught modules are assessed by coursework and 'open book' tests; typically within a period of 6-10 weeks from start to finish.

Further information 
  

A4 course leaflet (223KB PDF)