BS 9991:2024
Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings. Code of practice
The UK's most widely used fire safety standard, BS 9991:2024 gives guidance on ensuring an adequate degree of life safety is achieved in the event of fire in residential buildings, and provides a level of protection for property and businesses in proximity to residential buildings.
| Get this standard | Prices exclude GST | |
|---|---|---|
| PDF ( Single user document) |
$693.00 NZD
|
|
| HardCopy |
$739.00 NZD
|
|
Foreword
Section 1 General
0.1 General principles
0.2 Flats and maisonettes
0.2.1 General principles for means of escape
0.2.2 Protection of common escape routes
0.2.3 Smoke control in common areas
0.2.4 Protection of common stairs
0.2.5 Fire detection and fire alarm system
0.2.6 Sprinkler systems
0.3 Housing typology
0.4 Accessible and adaptable housing
0.5 Student accommodation
0.6 Modifications to existing buildings
0.7 Innovative construction methods and technologies
0.8 Management of fire safety
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 General recommendations
4.1 Variation of recommendations
4.2 Property protection and business continuity
4.3 Environment
4.4 Mixed-use residential buildings incorporating non-residential use
4.5 Atria
4.6 Inclusive design
4.7 Fire safety information
4.8 System commissioning
Section 2 Designing means of escape
5 General recommendations for means of escape
5.1 Escape by way of doors
5.1.1 General
5.1.2 Final exits
5.2 Escape by way of windows
5.3 Inner rooms and access rooms
5.4 Balconies, terraces, roof gardens and conservatories
5.5 Alternative exits
5.6 Open-plan kitchens
Figure 1 — Measurement of door width
Figure 2 — Minimum separation distances of cooking facilities from escape routes in an open-plan kitchen
6 Means of escape from houses
6.1 Single-storey houses and houses with a topmost storey not more than 4.5 m above ground level
6.2 Houses with topmost storey more than 4.5 m but not more than 7.5 m above ground level
6.3 Houses with a topmost storey more than 7.5 m above ground level
6.4 Loft conversions
6.5 Basement storeys in houses
6.5.1 Single basement storeys
6.5.2 Multi-basement storeys
Figure 3 — Means of escape from houses
Figure 4 — Alternative arrangements for escape via the access storey in dwellings with internal storeys exceeding 4.5 m in height
Figure 5 — Dwelling with open stairway at access level
Figure 6 — Houses with storeys over 7.5 m above ground level with a protected entrance hall and protected stairway
Figure 6 — Houses with storeys over 7.5 m above ground level with a protected entrance hall and protected stairway
7 Means of escape from flats or maisonettes
7.1 General
7.2 Escape routes from flats and maisonettes using a common corridor or lobby
7.2.1 Buildings served by more than one stair
7.2.2 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with a storey at 18 m or more above ground level
7.2.3 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
7.2.4 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
7.2.5 Common corridors with T-junctions
7.3 Escape routes from flats and maisonettes with common balcony approach or deck approach
7.3.1 Balconies and decks adjoined to the building
7.3.2 Balconies and decks not adjoined to the building
7.4 Provision, design and operation of lifts used for evacuation
7.4.1 General
7.4.2 Lift design and operation
7.4.3 Lift access
7.4.4 Protection of evacuation lifts from smoke
7.4.5 Firefighters lifts used for evacuation
7.5 Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Figure 7 — Examples of common escape routes in buildings served by more than one stair
Figure 8 — Common escape routes in single-stair buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but below 18 m above ground level
Figure 9 — Common escape routes in small single-stair buildings
Figure 10 — Common corridor with T-junction
Figure 11 — Common escape routes in open balcony/deck approach buildings
Figure 12 — Ventilation for balcony or deck approach
Figure 13 — Balconies and decks not adjoined to the building
Figure 14 — Lift and lobby minimum dimensions
Figure 15 — Location of evacuation lift temporary waiting space
8 Internal planning of flats and maisonettes
8.1 General
8.2 Basement flats
8.3 Flats situated not more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.4 Flats situated more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.4.1 General
8.4.2 Flats entered on the same level as the flat
8.4.3 Flats entered from a floor above or below the flat
8.5 Open-plan flat design
8.6 Flats with galleries
8.7 Cluster accommodation
8.7.1 General
8.7.2 Kitchens in cluster accommodation
8.8 Internal planning of maisonettes
8.8.1 Maisonettes having no floor level more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.8.2 Maisonettes having a floor level more than 4.5 m above ground level
Figure 16 — Flat with restricted travel distance
Figure 17 — Flat with a protected entrance hall and restricted travel distance
Figure 18 — Flat with an alternative exit
Figure 19 — Decision tree for open-plan kitchen design in flats
Figure 20 — Flat (entered from above or below) with a protected entrance hall and stair
Figure 21 — Flat (entered from above or below) with an alternative exit
Figure 22 — Flat (entered from below only) with a restricted travel distance
Figure 23 — Typical cluster accommodation layout
Section 3Stairs and final exits
9 Design and construction of common stairs
10 Protection of common stairs
Figure 24 — Protected routes forming an angle
11 Basement stairs
11.1 Multi-stair buildings
11.2 Single-stair buildings
11.2.1 General
11.2.2 Buildings with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
11.2.3 Buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
Figure 25 — Stairway separating basement and upper storeys in single-stair buildings with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
Figure 26 — Separation of stair at final exit level for single-stair building greater than 11 m
12 Stairs within mixed-use residential developments
13 Lobbies and corridors
13.1 Lobbies and corridors to protected stairways
13.2 Protected lobby and protected corridor ventilation
13.3 Furnished areas in common corridors
Table 1 — Protected lobby and protected corridor ventilation
Figure 27 — Clarification of recommendations for lobby ventilation – Table 1, items B to F and footnote A)
Figure 28 — Clarification of recommendations for lobby ventilation – Table 1, items G to J and footnote B)
Figure 29 — Furnished areas in common corridors
14 External stairs
Figure 30 — Elevation showing fire resistance of areas adjacent to external stairs
15 Discharge and final exits from common stairs and evacuation lifts
15.1 General
15.2 Flats rising above a podium
Figure 31 — Examples of final exit route and protection from stairways and evacuation lifts
Section 4 Active fire protection
16 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
16.1 General
16.2 Automatic fire detection and fire alarm systems for mixed-use residential buildings
17 Sprinkler systems
Table 2 — Application and categories for sprinkler systems
18 Manual firefighting equipment
19 Special risk protection
20 Smoke control
20.1 General
20.2 Above-ground systems
20.2.1 Buildings with a single stair and no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
20.2.1.1 General
20.2.1.2 Natural ventilation
20.2.1.3 Mechanical ventilation
20.2.2 Buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
20.2.2.1 General
20.2.2.2 Natural ventilation
20.2.2.3 Mechanical ventilation
20.2.3 Buildings with a storey at 18 m or more but less than 30 m above ground level
20.2.4 Buildings with a storey at 30 m or more above ground level
20.2.5 Buildings with a balcony approach or deck approach
20.2.6 Corridors with extended travel distances
20.2.7 Protected lobbies and protected corridors between stairs and ancillary areas
20.3 Below-ground systems (basements)
20.3.1 General
20.3.2 Natural smoke and heat ventilation
20.3.2.1 General
20.3.2.2 Smoke outlets
20.3.2.3 Basement smoke shafts
20.3.3 Mechanical smoke and heat ventilation
20.3.3.1 General
20.3.3.2 Venting of smoke and heat from covered car parks
Table 3 — Summary of smoke control provisions
Figure 32 — Minimum free area of vents and dampers
21 Power supplies and cable installation for life safety and firefighting equipment
21.1 General
21.2 Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) equipment
Table 4 — Minimum fire resistance of building electrical switchroom enclosures
Section 5Design for construction
22 Minimum levels of fire resistance for elements of structure
22.1 General
22.2 Single-storey buildings
22.3 Roof structure
22.4 Suspended ceilings
Table 5 — Minimum fire resistance performance
Table 6 — Fire resistance periods for elements of structure (independent of ventilation conditions)
Table 7 — Fire resistance periods for elements of structure (based on ventilation conditionsA))
Table 8 — Provisions for fire-protecting suspended ceilings
23 Compartmentation
23.1 Houses, flats and maisonettes
23.2 External separation of openings between dwellings within a block of flats or maisonettes
23.3 Doors in compartment walls
Figure 33 — External protection between dwellings within a block of flats or maisonettes
24 External fire spread and building separation
24.1 Resisting fire spread over external walls
24.2 Balconies and attachments
24.3 Boundaries
24.3.1 Relevant boundary
24.3.2 Notional boundary
24.4 Unprotected area
24.5 Degree of separation
24.5.1 General
24.5.2 External walls within 1 m of the relevant boundary
24.5.3 External walls 1 m or more from the relevant boundary
24.5.4 Calculation methods
24.6 Roofs
24.6.1 Separation distances
24.6.2 Roof lights
24.6.3 Terraces, edge fascias, parapets and balustrades
Table 9 — Fire performance for external surfaces of walls
Figure 34 — Relevant boundaries
Figure 35 — Notional boundaries
Figure 36 — Combustible surface material as unprotected area
Figure 37 — Exclusions from unprotected area calculations
Table 10 — Small residential unprotected area limits and boundary distances
Figure 38 — Roof covering adjoining line of compartmentation
Table 11 — Separation distances for roof coverings
Table 12 — Separation distance for plastic roof lights
Figure 39 — Limitations on spacing and size of plastic roof lights having a class D-s3, d2 or TP(b) lower surface
25 Concealed spaces
25.1 Provision of cavity barriers
25.1.1 Junctions and compartment walls
25.1.2 Protected escape routes
25.1.3 Double-skinned corrugated or profiled roof sheeting
25.1.4 Cavities affecting alternative escape routes
25.1.5 Separation of rooms within a compartment
25.2 Construction and fixings for cavity barriers
Figure 40 — Examples of cavity barrier and fire stopping locations
Figure 41 — Cavity wall excluded from provisions for cavity barriers
Figure 42 — Fire-resisting ceiling below concealed space
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
26 Materials
26.1 Internal linings
26.2 Suspended or stretched-skin ceilings
26.3 Special roof coverings
27 Service ducts, pipes and shafts
27.1 General
27.2 Service shafts
27.2.1 Services running vertically
27.2.2 Services running horizontally
27.3 Installation of ductwork systems
27.4 Flues
27.5 Protection of pipe openings
Table 13 — Maximum nominal interior diameter of pipes passing through a compartment wall/floor
Figure 44 — Enclosure for drainage or water supply pipes
28 Fire-resisting glazed elements
28.1 General
28.2 Limitations of non-insulating fire-resisting glazing
28.3 Glazed screen separating a protected shaft from a lobby or corridor
28.4 Glazing and the effects of sprinklers
Table 14 — Limitations of non-insulating fire-resisting glazed elements
29 Active fire curtain/barrier assemblies
30 Openings
30.1 Fire doors
30.1.1 Installation
30.1.2 Fire resistance of fire doors
30.1.3 Glazing in fire doors
30.1.4 Lift landing doors
30.1.5 Closure systems
30.1.5.1 Self-closing devices
30.1.5.2 Hold-open devices
30.1.6 Smoke sealing of fire doors
30.1.7 Building hardware
30.1.7.1 General
30.1.7.2 Door fastenings
30.1.8 Fire door signage
30.2 Shutter assemblies
30.3 Access panels
30.4 Fire stopping
30.4.1 General
30.4.2 Products and materials for fire stopping
Table 15 — Fire resistance of fire doors
31 Floors and ramps on escape routes
Section 6Mechanical systems for ducted heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
32 HVAC systems within individual dwellings
33 HVAC systems serving the whole building or interconnecting dwellings and other residential units
Section 7Ancillary areas
34 General recommendations for ancillary areas
Table 16 — Maximum travel distances in ancillary areas
35 Places of special fire hazard
36 Engineering service installation rooms
37 Gas services and installation and service pipes
38 Electrical services
38.1 Electrical service installations
38.2 Transformer, battery and switchgear rooms
38.3 Photovoltaic systems in dwellings
38.4 Firefighter’s switches for discharge lighting installations
39 Gas and electricity meters
40 Lighting
40.1 General
40.2 Lighting of common escape routes in buildings containing flats or maisonettes
40.3 Protected circuits
41 Protection of lift installations and machinery
41.1 Fire protection of lift installations
41.2 Lift machine rooms and machinery spaces
41.3 Access to lifts
41.3.1 Lifts serving more than one flat or maisonette
41.3.2 Lifts serving only a single flat or maisonette
41.3.2.1 Lifts providing internal access within a flat or maisonette
41.3.2.2 Lifts providing private access to a flat or maisonette
42 Communal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
43 Refuse storage, disposal and incineration
44 Car parks and domestic garages
44.1 Car parks within or adjoining buildings
44.2 Domestic garages adjoining buildings
Table 17 — Fire-resisting compartmentation periods for car parks
Section 8 Access and facilities for firefighting
45 General recommendations for firefighting facilities
46 Firefighting access
46.1 Access for fire appliances
46.1.1 General
46.1.2 Vehicle access
46.1.3 Buildings not fitted with fire mains
46.1.4 Buildings fitted with fire mains
46.2 Access for firefighters
46.2.1 General
46.2.2 Siting of firefighting shafts
46.3 Construction of firefighting shafts
46.3.1 General
46.3.2 Fire resistance of firefighting shafts
46.3.3 Resistance to damage of enclosing and separating partitions
46.3.4 Flooring and floor coverings within the firefighting shaft
46.3.5 Firefighting stairways and firefighters lifts
46.3.5.1 Firefighting stairways
46.3.5.2 Firefighters lifts
Figure 45 — Relationship between building and hard-standing/access road for high-reach fire appliances
Table 18 — Example of measurements for a typical vehicle access route
Figure 46 — Protection of the firefighting shaft from external fire
Table 19 — Tests for partitions
47 Water supplies for fire and rescue service firefighting use
47.1 Fire mains
47.2 Location and access to external water supply
Figure 47 — Typical location of fire main outlets within a firefighting shaft for buildings other than care homes
48 Information for fire and rescue service use
48.1 Secure information boxes
48.2 Wayfinding signage for the fire and rescue service
48.2.1 Provision of floor identification signs and flat indicator signs
48.2.2 Wording of floor identification signs
48.2.3 Wording and location of flat indicator signs
48.3 Evacuation alert system for use by the fire and rescue service
Section 9Management
49 Building management
49.1 General
49.2 Contingency planning
50 Evacuation of occupants who require assistance to escape
50.1 General
50.2 Emergency evacuation plans
51 Provision of information to occupants
51.1 Residents
51.2 Caretakers and other maintenance personnel
52 Maintenance of fire protection measures
52.1 General
52.2 Maintenance of escape routes
52.3 Standards for maintenance, inspection and testing
53 Firefighting access and equipment
53.1 Lifts for use by firefighters
53.2 Fire mains
53.3 Access roads
Section 10Care homes
54 Coordination between designers and interested parties
55 Means of escape from care homes
55.1 Evacuation strategies
55.2 Means of escape from residential areas
55.2.1 General
55.2.2 Compartmentation
55.2.3 Places of relative safety
55.3 Means of escape from non-residential or communal facilities
55.3.1 General
55.3.2 Travel distances
55.3.3 Escape widths
55.3.4 Vertical means of escape
55.4 Basements in care homes
55.5 Fire separation in care homes
Figure 48 — Progressive horizontal evacuation in care home bedroom accommodation
Table 20 — Maximum travel distances in care homes
56 Other fire protection measures in care homes
56.1 Manual firefighting equipment
56.2 Smoke protection of evacuation lift lobbies
56.3 Fire-resisting glazed elements
56.4 Emergency lighting
56.5 Sprinklers
57 Access and facilities for firefighting in care homes
Figure 49 — Typical location of fire main outlets within a firefighting shaft for care homes
Section 11 Building works: Material alterations, extensions, refurbishment, change of use, disuse, decommissioning and demolition
58 Design of works
59 Change of use
60 Buildings or parts of buildings in disuse, decommissioned or not yet occupied
61 Managing building work and material alterations
62 Building works to occupied or partly occupied buildings
Annex A (informative) Evacuation management planning for people who require support or assistance
A.1 General
A.2 Mobility
A.3 Cognitive conditions
A.4 Mental health
A.5 Hearing
A.6 Vision
A.7 Communicating the fire safety information
A.8 Features that assist safe evacuation
A.9 Assistance dogs
Annex B (informative) Arson in dwellings
B.1 Relationship between arson and security
B.2 Fire risk assessment
B.3 Arson and building management
Annex C (normative) Additional recommendations for property protection and business continuity
C.1 General
C.2 Property protection and business continuity risk assessment
C.3 Responsibilities
C.4 Acceptable level of risk
C.5 Qualitative risk assessment
C.5.1 General
C.5.2 Fire prevention management
C.5.3 Fire detection, fire alarm and first aid firefighting
C.5.4 Automatic fire suppression and smoke control
C.5.5 Compartmentation and structural fire resistance
C.5.6 Firefighting facilities
C.5.7 External fire spread and building separation
Annex D (normative) Designing atria
D.1 General
Figure D.1 — Design feature decision process for atria
D.2 Means of escape
D.2.1 General
D.2.2 Escape without entering the atrium
D.2.3 Escape using atrium balconies
Figure D.2 — Exemplar 1: Escape not through the atrium
Figure D.3 — Exemplar 2: Top floor greater than 11 m above ground level
Figure D.4 — Exemplar 3: Top floor less than 11 m above ground level with sprinkler protection
Figure D.5 — Exemplar 4: Top floor less than 11 m above ground level without sprinkler protection
D.2.4 Fire detection and fire alarm system
D.3 Prevention of fire and smoke spread in atria
D.3.1 Fire-resisting construction
D.3.2 Smoke-retarding construction
D.3.3 Connection of an atrium to below-ground storeys
D.4 Glazing
D.4.1 General recommendations for overhead glazing
D.4.2 Fire protection of glazed walls and the atrium roof
D.5 Load-bearing elements
D.6 Smoke control and controlling the fire load on the atrium base
D.6.1 General
D.6.2 Makeup air
D.6.3 Calculation procedures
D.6.4 Interaction between HVAC and other systems
D.6.5 Smoke clearance
D.6.5.1 General
D.6.5.2 Natural smoke clearance for atria
D.6.5.3 Mechanical smoke clearance for atria
D.6.6 Automatic control
D.6.7 Ventilation and smoke controls for the fire and rescue service
D.6.8 Controlling fire load on the atrium base
D.6.9 Sprinkler protection to the atrium base
Annex E (normative) Private balconies and terraces (open or enclosed) and communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens
E.1 General
E.2 Means of escape from private balconies and terraces not more than 4.5 m above ground level
E.3 Means of escape from private balconies and terraces more than 4.5 m above ground level
E.4 Construction of communal terraces and roof gardens
E.5 Means of escape from communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens
E.6 Communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens in specialized housing
Annex F (normative) Methods of smoke ventilation
F.1 General
F.2 Firefighting facilities as part of a smoke control system
F.2.1 Controls
F.2.2 Identification and signage
F.3 Above-ground natural and mechanical smoke ventilation
F.3.1 Pressure differential systems
F.3.2 Mechanical smoke ventilation systems (MSVS)
F.3.2.1 General
F.3.2.2 Extended corridors
F.4 Basement (below-ground) natural and mechanical smoke ventilation
F.4.1 Pressure differential systems
F.4.2 Mechanical smoke ventilation systems (MSVS)
F.4.2.1 General
F.4.2.2 Use of smoke control ducts, fire-resisting ducts and smoke control dampers
Figure F.1 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers
Figure F.2 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers with a single compartment adjacent – avoiding smoke control dampers in walls
Figure F.3 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers with a single compartment adjacent
Figure F.4 — Single-compartment smoke control duct and single-compartment smoke control dampers via a multi-compartment duct direct to an external wall/floor
Figure F.5 — Single-compartment smoke control duct and single-compartment smoke control dampers direct to an external wall/floor – no penetration of compartment barriers
F.5 Smoke control system components
F.5.1 Smoke shafts
F.5.1.1 General
F.5.1.2 Construction
F.5.1.3 Smoke shafts for natural systems situated above ground level
F.5.1.4 Smoke shafts for MSVS (above-ground and basement)
F.5.2 Smoke control vents and AOVs
F.5.2.1 Manually openable vents
F.5.2.2 Remotely openable vents
F.5.2.3 Automatic opening vents (AOVs)
F.5.2.3.1 AOVs opening to outside air
F.5.2.3.2 AOVs opening into shafts or ducts
F.5.3 Smoke control fans (extract)
F.5.4 Smoke control ducts
F.5.5 Smoke control dampers
F.5.6 Power supplies, cabling and installation
Annex G (informative)Typical arrangements to keep firefighters lift wells free from water
Figure G.1 — Raised threshold to lift entrance
Figure G.2 — Drainage grid to lift entrance
Figure G.3 — Floor sloped away from lift entrance
Annex H (informative) Advice to occupiers of dwellings in residential buildings
H.1 General
H.2 Smoke alarms
H.3 Ways in which fires can start
H.4 General fire safety advice
Figure H.1 — General fire safety advice for occupiers of dwellings in residential buildings
H.5 Heating
H.6 Doors
H.7 Abuse of firefighting equipment
H.8 Access roads
H.9 Sprinkler systems
H.10 Examples of fire instruction notices
Figure H.2 — Example of a fire instruction notice for use in flats
Figure H.3 — Example of a fire instruction notice for use in other residential buildings
Annex I (normative) Routine inspection and maintenance of fire safety installations
I.1 General
I.2 Daily inspections
I.2.1 General
I.2.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.2.3 Smoke control systems and fire damper control panels
I.2.4 Emergency lighting and emergency escape lighting systems
I.2.5 Sprinkler systems
I.2.6 Fire door automatic release mechanisms
I.2.7 Portable fire extinguishers and hose reels
I.3 Weekly inspections and tests
I.3.1 General
I.3.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.3.3 Sprinkler systems
I.3.4 Gaseous, foam and powder extinguishing systems
I.3.5 Smoke control systems and fire damper control panels
I.3.6 Evacuation lifts and firefighters lift installations
I.3.7 Fire hydrants
I.4 Monthly inspections and tests
I.4.1 General
I.4.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.4.3 Emergency lighting and emergency escape lighting systems
I.4.4 Gaseous, foam and powder extinguishing systems
I.4.5 Evacuation lifts and firefighters lift installations
I.4.6 Hose reels
I.4.7 Automatic opening doors
I.4.8 Doors with hold-open devices
I.4.9 Emergency and panic escape doors
I.5 Three-monthly tests
I.6 Six-monthly inspections and tests
I.6.1 General
I.6.2 Fire prevention and protection equipment
I.6.3 Fire doors
I.6.4 Fire mains
I.7 Annual inspections and tests
I.8 Records
I.9 Faults
Bibliography
Index
Previous versions
Related Information
Similar Standards
-
BIP 2111:2008
A comprehensive guide to fire safety
-
BS 1635:1990
Recommendations for graphic symbols and abbreviations for fire protection drawings
-
BS 4422:2024
Fire. Vocabulary
-
BS 4422:2024 - TC
Tracked Changes. Fire. Vocabulary
Foreword
Section 1 General
0.1 General principles
0.2 Flats and maisonettes
0.2.1 General principles for means of escape
0.2.2 Protection of common escape routes
0.2.3 Smoke control in common areas
0.2.4 Protection of common stairs
0.2.5 Fire detection and fire alarm system
0.2.6 Sprinkler systems
0.3 Housing typology
0.4 Accessible and adaptable housing
0.5 Student accommodation
0.6 Modifications to existing buildings
0.7 Innovative construction methods and technologies
0.8 Management of fire safety
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 General recommendations
4.1 Variation of recommendations
4.2 Property protection and business continuity
4.3 Environment
4.4 Mixed-use residential buildings incorporating non-residential use
4.5 Atria
4.6 Inclusive design
4.7 Fire safety information
4.8 System commissioning
Section 2 Designing means of escape
5 General recommendations for means of escape
5.1 Escape by way of doors
5.1.1 General
5.1.2 Final exits
5.2 Escape by way of windows
5.3 Inner rooms and access rooms
5.4 Balconies, terraces, roof gardens and conservatories
5.5 Alternative exits
5.6 Open-plan kitchens
Figure 1 — Measurement of door width
Figure 2 — Minimum separation distances of cooking facilities from escape routes in an open-plan kitchen
6 Means of escape from houses
6.1 Single-storey houses and houses with a topmost storey not more than 4.5 m above ground level
6.2 Houses with topmost storey more than 4.5 m but not more than 7.5 m above ground level
6.3 Houses with a topmost storey more than 7.5 m above ground level
6.4 Loft conversions
6.5 Basement storeys in houses
6.5.1 Single basement storeys
6.5.2 Multi-basement storeys
Figure 3 — Means of escape from houses
Figure 4 — Alternative arrangements for escape via the access storey in dwellings with internal storeys exceeding 4.5 m in height
Figure 5 — Dwelling with open stairway at access level
Figure 6 — Houses with storeys over 7.5 m above ground level with a protected entrance hall and protected stairway
Figure 6 — Houses with storeys over 7.5 m above ground level with a protected entrance hall and protected stairway
7 Means of escape from flats or maisonettes
7.1 General
7.2 Escape routes from flats and maisonettes using a common corridor or lobby
7.2.1 Buildings served by more than one stair
7.2.2 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with a storey at 18 m or more above ground level
7.2.3 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
7.2.4 Buildings, or parts of buildings, with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
7.2.5 Common corridors with T-junctions
7.3 Escape routes from flats and maisonettes with common balcony approach or deck approach
7.3.1 Balconies and decks adjoined to the building
7.3.2 Balconies and decks not adjoined to the building
7.4 Provision, design and operation of lifts used for evacuation
7.4.1 General
7.4.2 Lift design and operation
7.4.3 Lift access
7.4.4 Protection of evacuation lifts from smoke
7.4.5 Firefighters lifts used for evacuation
7.5 Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Figure 7 — Examples of common escape routes in buildings served by more than one stair
Figure 8 — Common escape routes in single-stair buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but below 18 m above ground level
Figure 9 — Common escape routes in small single-stair buildings
Figure 10 — Common corridor with T-junction
Figure 11 — Common escape routes in open balcony/deck approach buildings
Figure 12 — Ventilation for balcony or deck approach
Figure 13 — Balconies and decks not adjoined to the building
Figure 14 — Lift and lobby minimum dimensions
Figure 15 — Location of evacuation lift temporary waiting space
8 Internal planning of flats and maisonettes
8.1 General
8.2 Basement flats
8.3 Flats situated not more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.4 Flats situated more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.4.1 General
8.4.2 Flats entered on the same level as the flat
8.4.3 Flats entered from a floor above or below the flat
8.5 Open-plan flat design
8.6 Flats with galleries
8.7 Cluster accommodation
8.7.1 General
8.7.2 Kitchens in cluster accommodation
8.8 Internal planning of maisonettes
8.8.1 Maisonettes having no floor level more than 4.5 m above ground level
8.8.2 Maisonettes having a floor level more than 4.5 m above ground level
Figure 16 — Flat with restricted travel distance
Figure 17 — Flat with a protected entrance hall and restricted travel distance
Figure 18 — Flat with an alternative exit
Figure 19 — Decision tree for open-plan kitchen design in flats
Figure 20 — Flat (entered from above or below) with a protected entrance hall and stair
Figure 21 — Flat (entered from above or below) with an alternative exit
Figure 22 — Flat (entered from below only) with a restricted travel distance
Figure 23 — Typical cluster accommodation layout
Section 3Stairs and final exits
9 Design and construction of common stairs
10 Protection of common stairs
Figure 24 — Protected routes forming an angle
11 Basement stairs
11.1 Multi-stair buildings
11.2 Single-stair buildings
11.2.1 General
11.2.2 Buildings with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
11.2.3 Buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
Figure 25 — Stairway separating basement and upper storeys in single-stair buildings with no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
Figure 26 — Separation of stair at final exit level for single-stair building greater than 11 m
12 Stairs within mixed-use residential developments
13 Lobbies and corridors
13.1 Lobbies and corridors to protected stairways
13.2 Protected lobby and protected corridor ventilation
13.3 Furnished areas in common corridors
Table 1 — Protected lobby and protected corridor ventilation
Figure 27 — Clarification of recommendations for lobby ventilation – Table 1, items B to F and footnote A)
Figure 28 — Clarification of recommendations for lobby ventilation – Table 1, items G to J and footnote B)
Figure 29 — Furnished areas in common corridors
14 External stairs
Figure 30 — Elevation showing fire resistance of areas adjacent to external stairs
15 Discharge and final exits from common stairs and evacuation lifts
15.1 General
15.2 Flats rising above a podium
Figure 31 — Examples of final exit route and protection from stairways and evacuation lifts
Section 4 Active fire protection
16 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
16.1 General
16.2 Automatic fire detection and fire alarm systems for mixed-use residential buildings
17 Sprinkler systems
Table 2 — Application and categories for sprinkler systems
18 Manual firefighting equipment
19 Special risk protection
20 Smoke control
20.1 General
20.2 Above-ground systems
20.2.1 Buildings with a single stair and no storey at 11 m or more above ground level
20.2.1.1 General
20.2.1.2 Natural ventilation
20.2.1.3 Mechanical ventilation
20.2.2 Buildings with a storey at 11 m or more but less than 18 m above ground level
20.2.2.1 General
20.2.2.2 Natural ventilation
20.2.2.3 Mechanical ventilation
20.2.3 Buildings with a storey at 18 m or more but less than 30 m above ground level
20.2.4 Buildings with a storey at 30 m or more above ground level
20.2.5 Buildings with a balcony approach or deck approach
20.2.6 Corridors with extended travel distances
20.2.7 Protected lobbies and protected corridors between stairs and ancillary areas
20.3 Below-ground systems (basements)
20.3.1 General
20.3.2 Natural smoke and heat ventilation
20.3.2.1 General
20.3.2.2 Smoke outlets
20.3.2.3 Basement smoke shafts
20.3.3 Mechanical smoke and heat ventilation
20.3.3.1 General
20.3.3.2 Venting of smoke and heat from covered car parks
Table 3 — Summary of smoke control provisions
Figure 32 — Minimum free area of vents and dampers
21 Power supplies and cable installation for life safety and firefighting equipment
21.1 General
21.2 Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) equipment
Table 4 — Minimum fire resistance of building electrical switchroom enclosures
Section 5Design for construction
22 Minimum levels of fire resistance for elements of structure
22.1 General
22.2 Single-storey buildings
22.3 Roof structure
22.4 Suspended ceilings
Table 5 — Minimum fire resistance performance
Table 6 — Fire resistance periods for elements of structure (independent of ventilation conditions)
Table 7 — Fire resistance periods for elements of structure (based on ventilation conditionsA))
Table 8 — Provisions for fire-protecting suspended ceilings
23 Compartmentation
23.1 Houses, flats and maisonettes
23.2 External separation of openings between dwellings within a block of flats or maisonettes
23.3 Doors in compartment walls
Figure 33 — External protection between dwellings within a block of flats or maisonettes
24 External fire spread and building separation
24.1 Resisting fire spread over external walls
24.2 Balconies and attachments
24.3 Boundaries
24.3.1 Relevant boundary
24.3.2 Notional boundary
24.4 Unprotected area
24.5 Degree of separation
24.5.1 General
24.5.2 External walls within 1 m of the relevant boundary
24.5.3 External walls 1 m or more from the relevant boundary
24.5.4 Calculation methods
24.6 Roofs
24.6.1 Separation distances
24.6.2 Roof lights
24.6.3 Terraces, edge fascias, parapets and balustrades
Table 9 — Fire performance for external surfaces of walls
Figure 34 — Relevant boundaries
Figure 35 — Notional boundaries
Figure 36 — Combustible surface material as unprotected area
Figure 37 — Exclusions from unprotected area calculations
Table 10 — Small residential unprotected area limits and boundary distances
Figure 38 — Roof covering adjoining line of compartmentation
Table 11 — Separation distances for roof coverings
Table 12 — Separation distance for plastic roof lights
Figure 39 — Limitations on spacing and size of plastic roof lights having a class D-s3, d2 or TP(b) lower surface
25 Concealed spaces
25.1 Provision of cavity barriers
25.1.1 Junctions and compartment walls
25.1.2 Protected escape routes
25.1.3 Double-skinned corrugated or profiled roof sheeting
25.1.4 Cavities affecting alternative escape routes
25.1.5 Separation of rooms within a compartment
25.2 Construction and fixings for cavity barriers
Figure 40 — Examples of cavity barrier and fire stopping locations
Figure 41 — Cavity wall excluded from provisions for cavity barriers
Figure 42 — Fire-resisting ceiling below concealed space
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
Figure 43 — Provisions for cavity barriers in double-skinned insulated roof sheeting
26 Materials
26.1 Internal linings
26.2 Suspended or stretched-skin ceilings
26.3 Special roof coverings
27 Service ducts, pipes and shafts
27.1 General
27.2 Service shafts
27.2.1 Services running vertically
27.2.2 Services running horizontally
27.3 Installation of ductwork systems
27.4 Flues
27.5 Protection of pipe openings
Table 13 — Maximum nominal interior diameter of pipes passing through a compartment wall/floor
Figure 44 — Enclosure for drainage or water supply pipes
28 Fire-resisting glazed elements
28.1 General
28.2 Limitations of non-insulating fire-resisting glazing
28.3 Glazed screen separating a protected shaft from a lobby or corridor
28.4 Glazing and the effects of sprinklers
Table 14 — Limitations of non-insulating fire-resisting glazed elements
29 Active fire curtain/barrier assemblies
30 Openings
30.1 Fire doors
30.1.1 Installation
30.1.2 Fire resistance of fire doors
30.1.3 Glazing in fire doors
30.1.4 Lift landing doors
30.1.5 Closure systems
30.1.5.1 Self-closing devices
30.1.5.2 Hold-open devices
30.1.6 Smoke sealing of fire doors
30.1.7 Building hardware
30.1.7.1 General
30.1.7.2 Door fastenings
30.1.8 Fire door signage
30.2 Shutter assemblies
30.3 Access panels
30.4 Fire stopping
30.4.1 General
30.4.2 Products and materials for fire stopping
Table 15 — Fire resistance of fire doors
31 Floors and ramps on escape routes
Section 6Mechanical systems for ducted heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
32 HVAC systems within individual dwellings
33 HVAC systems serving the whole building or interconnecting dwellings and other residential units
Section 7Ancillary areas
34 General recommendations for ancillary areas
Table 16 — Maximum travel distances in ancillary areas
35 Places of special fire hazard
36 Engineering service installation rooms
37 Gas services and installation and service pipes
38 Electrical services
38.1 Electrical service installations
38.2 Transformer, battery and switchgear rooms
38.3 Photovoltaic systems in dwellings
38.4 Firefighter’s switches for discharge lighting installations
39 Gas and electricity meters
40 Lighting
40.1 General
40.2 Lighting of common escape routes in buildings containing flats or maisonettes
40.3 Protected circuits
41 Protection of lift installations and machinery
41.1 Fire protection of lift installations
41.2 Lift machine rooms and machinery spaces
41.3 Access to lifts
41.3.1 Lifts serving more than one flat or maisonette
41.3.2 Lifts serving only a single flat or maisonette
41.3.2.1 Lifts providing internal access within a flat or maisonette
41.3.2.2 Lifts providing private access to a flat or maisonette
42 Communal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
43 Refuse storage, disposal and incineration
44 Car parks and domestic garages
44.1 Car parks within or adjoining buildings
44.2 Domestic garages adjoining buildings
Table 17 — Fire-resisting compartmentation periods for car parks
Section 8 Access and facilities for firefighting
45 General recommendations for firefighting facilities
46 Firefighting access
46.1 Access for fire appliances
46.1.1 General
46.1.2 Vehicle access
46.1.3 Buildings not fitted with fire mains
46.1.4 Buildings fitted with fire mains
46.2 Access for firefighters
46.2.1 General
46.2.2 Siting of firefighting shafts
46.3 Construction of firefighting shafts
46.3.1 General
46.3.2 Fire resistance of firefighting shafts
46.3.3 Resistance to damage of enclosing and separating partitions
46.3.4 Flooring and floor coverings within the firefighting shaft
46.3.5 Firefighting stairways and firefighters lifts
46.3.5.1 Firefighting stairways
46.3.5.2 Firefighters lifts
Figure 45 — Relationship between building and hard-standing/access road for high-reach fire appliances
Table 18 — Example of measurements for a typical vehicle access route
Figure 46 — Protection of the firefighting shaft from external fire
Table 19 — Tests for partitions
47 Water supplies for fire and rescue service firefighting use
47.1 Fire mains
47.2 Location and access to external water supply
Figure 47 — Typical location of fire main outlets within a firefighting shaft for buildings other than care homes
48 Information for fire and rescue service use
48.1 Secure information boxes
48.2 Wayfinding signage for the fire and rescue service
48.2.1 Provision of floor identification signs and flat indicator signs
48.2.2 Wording of floor identification signs
48.2.3 Wording and location of flat indicator signs
48.3 Evacuation alert system for use by the fire and rescue service
Section 9Management
49 Building management
49.1 General
49.2 Contingency planning
50 Evacuation of occupants who require assistance to escape
50.1 General
50.2 Emergency evacuation plans
51 Provision of information to occupants
51.1 Residents
51.2 Caretakers and other maintenance personnel
52 Maintenance of fire protection measures
52.1 General
52.2 Maintenance of escape routes
52.3 Standards for maintenance, inspection and testing
53 Firefighting access and equipment
53.1 Lifts for use by firefighters
53.2 Fire mains
53.3 Access roads
Section 10Care homes
54 Coordination between designers and interested parties
55 Means of escape from care homes
55.1 Evacuation strategies
55.2 Means of escape from residential areas
55.2.1 General
55.2.2 Compartmentation
55.2.3 Places of relative safety
55.3 Means of escape from non-residential or communal facilities
55.3.1 General
55.3.2 Travel distances
55.3.3 Escape widths
55.3.4 Vertical means of escape
55.4 Basements in care homes
55.5 Fire separation in care homes
Figure 48 — Progressive horizontal evacuation in care home bedroom accommodation
Table 20 — Maximum travel distances in care homes
56 Other fire protection measures in care homes
56.1 Manual firefighting equipment
56.2 Smoke protection of evacuation lift lobbies
56.3 Fire-resisting glazed elements
56.4 Emergency lighting
56.5 Sprinklers
57 Access and facilities for firefighting in care homes
Figure 49 — Typical location of fire main outlets within a firefighting shaft for care homes
Section 11 Building works: Material alterations, extensions, refurbishment, change of use, disuse, decommissioning and demolition
58 Design of works
59 Change of use
60 Buildings or parts of buildings in disuse, decommissioned or not yet occupied
61 Managing building work and material alterations
62 Building works to occupied or partly occupied buildings
Annex A (informative) Evacuation management planning for people who require support or assistance
A.1 General
A.2 Mobility
A.3 Cognitive conditions
A.4 Mental health
A.5 Hearing
A.6 Vision
A.7 Communicating the fire safety information
A.8 Features that assist safe evacuation
A.9 Assistance dogs
Annex B (informative) Arson in dwellings
B.1 Relationship between arson and security
B.2 Fire risk assessment
B.3 Arson and building management
Annex C (normative) Additional recommendations for property protection and business continuity
C.1 General
C.2 Property protection and business continuity risk assessment
C.3 Responsibilities
C.4 Acceptable level of risk
C.5 Qualitative risk assessment
C.5.1 General
C.5.2 Fire prevention management
C.5.3 Fire detection, fire alarm and first aid firefighting
C.5.4 Automatic fire suppression and smoke control
C.5.5 Compartmentation and structural fire resistance
C.5.6 Firefighting facilities
C.5.7 External fire spread and building separation
Annex D (normative) Designing atria
D.1 General
Figure D.1 — Design feature decision process for atria
D.2 Means of escape
D.2.1 General
D.2.2 Escape without entering the atrium
D.2.3 Escape using atrium balconies
Figure D.2 — Exemplar 1: Escape not through the atrium
Figure D.3 — Exemplar 2: Top floor greater than 11 m above ground level
Figure D.4 — Exemplar 3: Top floor less than 11 m above ground level with sprinkler protection
Figure D.5 — Exemplar 4: Top floor less than 11 m above ground level without sprinkler protection
D.2.4 Fire detection and fire alarm system
D.3 Prevention of fire and smoke spread in atria
D.3.1 Fire-resisting construction
D.3.2 Smoke-retarding construction
D.3.3 Connection of an atrium to below-ground storeys
D.4 Glazing
D.4.1 General recommendations for overhead glazing
D.4.2 Fire protection of glazed walls and the atrium roof
D.5 Load-bearing elements
D.6 Smoke control and controlling the fire load on the atrium base
D.6.1 General
D.6.2 Makeup air
D.6.3 Calculation procedures
D.6.4 Interaction between HVAC and other systems
D.6.5 Smoke clearance
D.6.5.1 General
D.6.5.2 Natural smoke clearance for atria
D.6.5.3 Mechanical smoke clearance for atria
D.6.6 Automatic control
D.6.7 Ventilation and smoke controls for the fire and rescue service
D.6.8 Controlling fire load on the atrium base
D.6.9 Sprinkler protection to the atrium base
Annex E (normative) Private balconies and terraces (open or enclosed) and communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens
E.1 General
E.2 Means of escape from private balconies and terraces not more than 4.5 m above ground level
E.3 Means of escape from private balconies and terraces more than 4.5 m above ground level
E.4 Construction of communal terraces and roof gardens
E.5 Means of escape from communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens
E.6 Communal balconies, terraces and roof gardens in specialized housing
Annex F (normative) Methods of smoke ventilation
F.1 General
F.2 Firefighting facilities as part of a smoke control system
F.2.1 Controls
F.2.2 Identification and signage
F.3 Above-ground natural and mechanical smoke ventilation
F.3.1 Pressure differential systems
F.3.2 Mechanical smoke ventilation systems (MSVS)
F.3.2.1 General
F.3.2.2 Extended corridors
F.4 Basement (below-ground) natural and mechanical smoke ventilation
F.4.1 Pressure differential systems
F.4.2 Mechanical smoke ventilation systems (MSVS)
F.4.2.1 General
F.4.2.2 Use of smoke control ducts, fire-resisting ducts and smoke control dampers
Figure F.1 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers
Figure F.2 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers with a single compartment adjacent – avoiding smoke control dampers in walls
Figure F.3 — Multi-compartment smoke control duct and multi-compartment smoke control dampers with a single compartment adjacent
Figure F.4 — Single-compartment smoke control duct and single-compartment smoke control dampers via a multi-compartment duct direct to an external wall/floor
Figure F.5 — Single-compartment smoke control duct and single-compartment smoke control dampers direct to an external wall/floor – no penetration of compartment barriers
F.5 Smoke control system components
F.5.1 Smoke shafts
F.5.1.1 General
F.5.1.2 Construction
F.5.1.3 Smoke shafts for natural systems situated above ground level
F.5.1.4 Smoke shafts for MSVS (above-ground and basement)
F.5.2 Smoke control vents and AOVs
F.5.2.1 Manually openable vents
F.5.2.2 Remotely openable vents
F.5.2.3 Automatic opening vents (AOVs)
F.5.2.3.1 AOVs opening to outside air
F.5.2.3.2 AOVs opening into shafts or ducts
F.5.3 Smoke control fans (extract)
F.5.4 Smoke control ducts
F.5.5 Smoke control dampers
F.5.6 Power supplies, cabling and installation
Annex G (informative)Typical arrangements to keep firefighters lift wells free from water
Figure G.1 — Raised threshold to lift entrance
Figure G.2 — Drainage grid to lift entrance
Figure G.3 — Floor sloped away from lift entrance
Annex H (informative) Advice to occupiers of dwellings in residential buildings
H.1 General
H.2 Smoke alarms
H.3 Ways in which fires can start
H.4 General fire safety advice
Figure H.1 — General fire safety advice for occupiers of dwellings in residential buildings
H.5 Heating
H.6 Doors
H.7 Abuse of firefighting equipment
H.8 Access roads
H.9 Sprinkler systems
H.10 Examples of fire instruction notices
Figure H.2 — Example of a fire instruction notice for use in flats
Figure H.3 — Example of a fire instruction notice for use in other residential buildings
Annex I (normative) Routine inspection and maintenance of fire safety installations
I.1 General
I.2 Daily inspections
I.2.1 General
I.2.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.2.3 Smoke control systems and fire damper control panels
I.2.4 Emergency lighting and emergency escape lighting systems
I.2.5 Sprinkler systems
I.2.6 Fire door automatic release mechanisms
I.2.7 Portable fire extinguishers and hose reels
I.3 Weekly inspections and tests
I.3.1 General
I.3.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.3.3 Sprinkler systems
I.3.4 Gaseous, foam and powder extinguishing systems
I.3.5 Smoke control systems and fire damper control panels
I.3.6 Evacuation lifts and firefighters lift installations
I.3.7 Fire hydrants
I.4 Monthly inspections and tests
I.4.1 General
I.4.2 Fire detection and fire alarm systems
I.4.3 Emergency lighting and emergency escape lighting systems
I.4.4 Gaseous, foam and powder extinguishing systems
I.4.5 Evacuation lifts and firefighters lift installations
I.4.6 Hose reels
I.4.7 Automatic opening doors
I.4.8 Doors with hold-open devices
I.4.9 Emergency and panic escape doors
I.5 Three-monthly tests
I.6 Six-monthly inspections and tests
I.6.1 General
I.6.2 Fire prevention and protection equipment
I.6.3 Fire doors
I.6.4 Fire mains
I.7 Annual inspections and tests
I.8 Records
I.9 Faults
Bibliography
Index