On 26th and 27th May, the Croatian Fire Safety Forum took place in Opatija, bringing together over 230 participants for a two-day congress and expo covering a wide range of topics in fire safety engineering, legislation, and practice.
The technical programme addressed subjects including explosive spalling of concrete under fire exposure, forensic investigation of post-fire concrete properties, the impact of earthquakes on fire safety, and the importance of proper design and installation of active fire protection systems. Legislative requirements and recent regulatory changes were also presented and actively discussed, alongside case studies on the fire safety design of the Olympic Tower in Munich and a fire intervention at the Vjesnik news tower in Zagreb. The breadth of the programme reflected the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of fire safety as a field, and the forum provided a valuable opportunity for practitioners and researchers from across the region to exchange knowledge and experience.
ZAG was represented by three members. Dr Aleš Jug was invited by the organisers to present on recent changes to legislative documents relating to fire safety in Slovenia, including revisions to technical guidelines and the application of engineering methods in fire safety design. Nik Rus was also invited to present his research on fire risks associated with rooftop photovoltaic systems, in a talk entitled "Sparks, Membranes and Insulation: Understanding PV Roof Fires". Dominik Gerdej attended as an observer, following the latest developments in the field and networking with relevant stakeholders from across the wider region.
The forum is an important gathering for the fire safety community in South-East Europe, and FRISSBE's participation reflects the department's commitment to engaging with practitioners and policymakers beyond the research community and to contributing to the advancement of fire safety standards across the region.