Large retail centres, where crowds gather for shopping and leisure purposes over long periods of time, require first-class ventilation and fire protection facilities. A good example is the recently opened Westfield London shopping mall in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, where jobs in HVAC are made considerably easier through the use of a broad range of cutting-edge ventilation and fire control products.

Westfield London occupies an area of 150,000 square metres and comprises 255 stores. Each year, approximately 21 million local and international customers are expected to walk through its doors. One major achievement of those with jobs in HVAC is the installment of 22 advanced smoke shaft systems into the stair cores of the shopping complex, including both component parts and controls. The systems employ natural smoke ventilation methods to clear smoke from common escape routes, enabling people to safely exist the buildings in the event of a fire.

It is the responsibility of those with HVAC Jobs to specify, select, install and maintain products that have Local Authority Building Control type approvals. Statistics show that more than 50,000 fires take place in the UK every year, with the majority of fatalities caused by the effects of smoke. Depending on their architectural designs and structural features, each of the multi-storey commercial and retail developments across the UK requires unique smoke control and ventilation solution. Such is the enormous task faced by those with jobs in HVAC in order to protect life and property.