Thurston Group invests £250,000 for early compliance

Thurston Group, a manufacturer of modular buildings, has announced a £250,000 investment to comply with forthcoming changes to construction site legislation in January 2025.

This move positions Thurston Group as the first manufacturer to achieve EPC A rating while upholding the highest fire safety standards.

As reported by The Manufacturer, this proactive step comes ahead of the new requirements being implemented by the Fire Protection Association’s Joint Code of Practice (JCoP).

New fire safety regulations

Starting January 2025, the JCoP will introduce stringent regulations aimed at reducing fire risks on construction sites, specifically for temporary buildings.

The Wakefield-based company produces 4,200 temporary accommodation units annually and has heavily invested in product development and testing to meet these new standards.

Thurston’s temporary accommodation units have surpassed the JCoP requirements, showcasing the company’s dedication to providing safe and energy-efficient solutions for the construction industry.

The new JCoP v10.1 legislation calls for improved materials’ fire performance, ensuring doors and windows have automatic self-closers, and maintaining structural integrity and thermal insulation for at least 30 minutes.

Company commitment to fire safety

Matt Goff, managing director at Thurston Group, emphasised the company’s commitment to fire safety: “As the largest supplier of temporary accommodation and modular buildings used extensively by the construction industry, Thurston Group has been leading proactively on fire safety and prevention for many years, and our proactive fire testing programme over recent months has found that ensures our temporary accommodation units not only meet but surpass the requirements of the new fire safety regulations almost a year ahead of schedule.”

The company’s in-house design teams are also working on new products with enhanced fire performance capabilities.

JCoP legislation details

The JCoP, authored by the Fire Protection Association, is the benchmark for fire safety guidance on construction projects.

The updated legislation includes several key requirements for new site setups:

• A minimum 6m firebreak between temporary and other buildings.
• A height limit of 18m for temporary buildings.
• Accessible locations for emergency services.
• Inclusion of temporary buildings in construction site fire safety plans.
• Improved fire performance materials with low combustibility and minimal smoke production.
• Enhanced roof safety standards.