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Having said this, it is possible to propose a framework for the application of this standard that might help the user to optimize its contribution to a typical project, by offering guidance regarding the stages in that project when certain fire engineering and fire protection design activities might most usefully take place.

As an example, it is often important that means of escape and fire-fighting access and facilities are considered reasonably early in the design process, as these often significantly influence the structural engineering and architectural design. If fire safety design input is sought or offered too late, it might prove difficult, time-consuming or costly to rectify.

It is also the case that by its nature this standard cannot be configured to present all the guidance applicable to any particular type of premises in the same place: it offers general recommendations and asks the user to cross-refer to different parts of the standard for situation-specific content often contained in the annexes.

Because of this, there is a risk that users might refer to parts of the general recommendations without acknowledging the existence of the specific recommendations, or might use only the specific recommendations without considering the general recommendations in the body of the standard.

It is important that users of this standard use it as a whole; the use of individual parts in isolation e. Figure 1 seeks to assist users in the application of this standard to a typical construction project by suggesting when certain activities might most usefully and constructively be carried out, and by guiding the designer as to which parts of the document would usually be consulted at those stages. It uses as a reference the Royal Institute of British Architects RIBA Plan of Work [, which describes eight work stages for construction projects from business case and strategic brief through to handover into occupation and use.

Whilst other project frameworks will be used according to need, with the RIBA plan not being used in many circumstances, it is widely applied and is included to illustrate how the fire-related design activities might most usefully and efficiently be coordinated with civil, architectural and building service design. As per the standard, this guide does not cover the design of individual dwelling houses, flats or maisonettes.

For guidance on the fire safety design of these types of premises refer to BS Use of this handbook This handbook, like BS , takes the form of guidance and recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification, and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading. The primary purpose of this handbook is to provide a pocket guide to the use of BS that is easy to use and draws together the key areas of fire safety design that require consideration during the early development of design concepts.

The handbook provides an aid to the understanding and use of BS and is not intended to be a substitute for the standard. The most commonly used data, tables, figures and a Key Points list at the beginning of each chapter provide a quick and effective overview of the measures that may be necessary.

In addition, a methodology is presented to help the user find the best approach to deploy the flexible design recommendations introduced by BS Although it is a prescriptive guide, BS has a relationship with fire safety engineering, and the opportunity for adopting such an approach has been identified in a number of places throughout this handbook.

The use of the guidance involves limited calculation and engineering but does require knowledge of fire safety in order to best judge the most appropriate package of fire protection measures, management and training. It does allow for the trade-off of one fire protection measure against another within a limited framework beyond which a fire safety engineering approach would be required.

Principles The recommendations given in the British Standard are general, and all fire protection measures, procedures, etc. The same recommendations generally apply to both existing and new buildings, but existing buildings, especially historic buildings, often pose problems that are unlikely to arise in new buildings and, therefore, require further consideration by adopting a flexible approach in the risk assessment process.

Although it is a prescriptive guide, BS provides a higher level of flexibility than many prescriptive standards. It supports the concept of achieving the best balance between an adequate performance and reasonable value. This has been possible because the original basis of the recommendations gave recognition to many of the engineering principles embodied in BS Where relevant and useful, a brief background is provided in each of the chapters.

The guidance is straightforward to use for routine and typical buildings, but the inbuilt flexibility will also support a sustainable reuse of our built environment.

The following areas are an essential contribution:. The identification of alternative flexible solutions to support the preservation and the extended use of historic buildings, balancing the requirements of modern construction standards and the need to be sensitive with historic structures and finishes, is required. The logical approach that is embodied in the code enables a relatively simple risk assessment to appraise a change of use by addressing the fundamentals that affect the outcomes: the fire load and the occupancy characteristics.

This will increase the overall ability of the design community to identify alternative solutions that are good value, sustainable and safe. The design of a new building to be adaptable for reuse at some future time is a new challenge, which if successful will significantly enhance the life of our building stock. The flexibility contained within BS allows designers to plan for alternative future uses without the addition of a disproportionate cost premium. The same flexibility equally allows alternative interpretations when appraising an existing building for alternative uses.

Fire precautions in all premises, however old, need to be seen as a whole, a package aimed at achieving an acceptable standard of fire safety. BS applies straightforwardly where premises have a single main use and are contained in a single, separate building. However, complications might arise where a building comprises two or more different main uses. In such cases, it is important to consider the effect of one risk on another. A fire in a shop or unattended office could have serious consequences on, for example, a residential or hotel use in the same building.

Similarly, a high fire risk in one part of a building could seriously affect other areas in another part of that building. A worked example in Chapter 15 provides an illustration of how to approach different risk profiles within a single building. Spread of fire and smoke A common basis for designing fire safety measures lies in the identification of the possible causes and sources of fire, and the evaluation of the development and spread through a building.

The fact that outbreak of fire is more likely to occur in furnishings, decorations, finished goods, raw materials, chemicals, equipment, electrical services, process plant, or service plant in a building has been taken into account in the development of the standard. Initially, a fire creates a hazard only in the part of the building in which it starts, and it is unlikely to involve a large area in the first instance, although it can subsequently spread to other parts of the building, and vertical shafts such as lifts and service risers are a particular risk.

Fire is less likely to spread if passages, corridors, lobbies or stairways, intended for access or means of escape, are kept clear of combustible materials. As the fire grows, flames increase in height, reach the ceiling and are deflected horizontally, radiating heat downwards and accelerating fire growth.

If the ceiling is combustible, it can ignite and add to the volume of flame and speed of fire growth. If the space has insufficient openings to provide a continuing air supply, the burning rate diminishes as it draws on increasingly vitiated air, but the gases generated are then extremely toxic.

The impact of fire on people A fire occurring anywhere within a compartment of a building has to be regarded as presenting a hazard to all occupants within that compartment, even though the hazard may seem small in the initial stages. When a fire occurs in an enclosed space, hot smoke-laden toxic gases rise to form a layer, which at first has a tendency to flow under the ceiling and then deepens to fill the whole space.

Smoke is likely to be the first sign that there is a fire. For higher and larger spaces, it takes longer for the space to fill with smoke, and so there is more time for escape, and therefore longer travel distances and smaller stairs are possible. Higher fire growth rates reduce the time available. When smoke descends down to head height it causes difficulty in breathing and impairs visibility, which interferes with the efforts of occupants to find their way towards the exits.

Smoke can cause intoxication, disorientation, incapacity, unconsciousness and, in the worst-case scenario, fatalities. These considerations are particularly important when dealing with large numbers of people, who might be unfamiliar with their surroundings, and vary widely in age and degree of mobility. Also, when people are unfamiliar with their surroundings they might initially go in the wrong direction or they might not take the most direct path and, therefore, the average speed of travel to an exit could be slower than a typical average walking speed.

A means of smoke ventilation might be necessary to assist the fire and rescue service and, if operated automatically, can also assist escape from the building. After the outbreak of fire there might only be a short time during which the actions necessary for ensuring the safety of occupants can be carried out.

This time will be sufficient only if all provisions for the safety of people from fire are planned and managed so as to be effective when the occasion arises. Historic buildings Many historic buildings are listed, and permitted alterations are limited without the agreement of the appropriate authorities. The advice of consultative bodies, such as English Heritage, should be sought in the early stages of design. The appropriate authorities sometimes agree to limited modifications to improve life safety where, in turn, there will be added long-term protection and preservation of the original building fabric.

Issues relating to historic buildings include:. Although modern construction standards seldom apply to historic buildings, action to improve the level of fire and life safety might be necessary on the basis of change of use or due to the need to reduce the fire risk and potential for loss of the building and its contents. In assessing the fire safety management needs of an existing building that is being modified, it is essential to have a full understanding of the existing structure Appraisal of Existing Structures, 3rd edition, IStructE and any fire safety provisions incorporated.

Any change in use of the premises that could affect the fire risk profile e. Also the legislation and guidance introduced since the premises were originally constructed or last altered, or since their fire safety was last assessed, should be reviewed. In both new construction and upgrading existing buildings, the fire precautions are interrelated and weaknesses in some areas can be compensated for by strengths in others.

BS provides a level of flexibility that allows the fire protection measures and the risks to be assessed to enable reasonable practical solutions to be designed. Property and business continuity protection The guidance and recommendations in BS are primarily concerned with the protection of life. The provision of fire safety systems for life safety does not necessarily give adequate protection to property or to the continuity of the business carried out in the building.

The objectives are first to reduce the chance of fire starting and second in the event of fire starting to reduce the consequences of that fire. Because many of the features necessary for life safety are common, the risk assessment for property and business continuity protection could be an extension to other risk assessments carried out for life safety.

The following are the primary means of achieving the objectives:. This is to ensure that ignition hazards are eliminated or controlled, that operations in the building are carried out appropriately and that combustible loads are subject to control and good housekeeping. The complete involvement of the whole fire compartment is an extreme-event scenario. Adequate detailing of cavity barriers, fire-stopping doors, shutters, fire resistance, etc.

For most buildings it is expected that these provisions for life safety will also be adequate for property protection. However, for some buildings and uses the provision may need to be more stringent. Consideration should be given to buildings having highly glazed faades. Any changes in the design added for the purpose of property protection should be discussed with the relevant authorities to ensure that there is no adverse impact on life safety. If a conflict exists between the provisions for life safety and property protection that cannot be resolved, then life safety takes priority.

The risk assessment could range from a simple statement outlining the potential property and business losses that are acceptable to business managers and their insurers, through to a rigorous quantified analysis of probabilities and consequences of fire. Whatever method is used, the aims of the risk assessment should be understood by all concerned. Many insurers use the LPC Design Guide for the Fire Protection of Buildings as a basis for providing guidance to the building designer on what they require.

BS is the first significant design standard that embeds the quality of the management into the design process. Many fire losses are due wholly or in part to failures in management so it makes good sense to draw attention to the management needs.

It will also be increasingly important for the insurance industry to build the quality of the management into their methodology to help reduce losses.

However, trade-off for enhanced management, enabling reductions in the built provision, is not allowed in the standard. Reference should be made to Annex A of BS for additional considerations for property and business continuity protection. Means of escape for disabled people Means of escape for disabled people, and the associated fire safety strategy, should be considered as an integral part of the design process, and not as a separate issue.

Where a building is designed and managed inclusively to provide. Fire safety for disabled people is included within the standard; this includes consideration of all disabilities and is not restricted to guidance for assisting wheelchair users. Specific guidance on means of escape for disabled people is given in BS Clauses Disabled people can be at particular risk in the event of a fire and need appropriate protection facilities.

These might include relevant provisions for those requiring assistance, such as:. Special management procedures might be required when it is reasonably foreseeable that the proportion of disabled users in a building will be relatively high or where the use of the premises is likely to result in groups of wheelchair users being present e. The full circle of fire safety The concept of the full circle of fire safety is inherent within a comprehensive whole-life approach to fire safety.

However BS is exceptional in that it incorporates an explicit connection between the use, the design and the operation. Historically, the management for fire safety has not been a significant part of the design process, and this is currently still the case in many countries. The full circle of fire safety requires effective connectivity between the client brief, design, operational fire strategy and ultimately whether the actual operational approach meets with the client intentions and the full circle.

Qualitative design review Operational certification Design aspirations Acceptance criteria Auditing and reporting and objectives Structural Fire-fighting Zone models Maintenance fire design. Figure 1 Circle of fire safety. It is likely that simple buildings complying with the recommendations of the standard will only necessitate consideration of a selection of the sub-components of the circle of fire safety. However, complex buildings, particularly where a fire engineering approach is adopted, will probably necessitate the adoption of the majority of sub-components identified in Figure 1.

The concept of a risk profile. The risk profile associated with a space is a combination of the occupant characteristics and the fire growth rate and is the principal driver for the development of the fire safety design and provision of a suitable package of fire safety measures within BS The occupancy characteristic Table 1 embodies the familiarity of occupants with their surroundings, their alertness, their response to fire and warning and hence the time taken to evacuate to a place of safety.

The fire growth rate Table 2 embodies the growth and scale of a fire and hence the time available for those occupants to evacuate and the severity of the fire impacting on the structure. The addition of sprinklers improves safety and thus reduces the fire growth rate, which alters the risk profile for the space. There are certain combinations of occupant characteristics and fire growth rate that are not allowable and outside the scope of the guidance within BS Background There are two fundamental inputs to the design of a building that drive the specification of the fire protection measures and the approach to fire safety management.

The two inputs are associated with the intended use and are as follows:. The occupancy characteristics. The principal variables are whether the majority of occupants are familiar with the building or whether there is a sleeping use. Occupant characteristics will also influence the approach to design for disabled people. The fire growth rate.

This is derived from the use and management of the building, and encompasses: a. By a combination of the above two inputs the risk profile for the building or space is defined.

Occupancy characteristics The occupancy characteristics for a single use are usually fairly clear and can be determined from Table 1. Complications can arise when there is a mix of uses. Occupancy Description Examples characteristic A Occupants who are awake and Office and industrial premises familiar with the building B Occupants who are awake and Shops, exhibitions, museums, unfamiliar with the building leisure centres, other assembly buildings etc. C Occupants who are likely to be asleep: Ci Long-term individual Individual flats without occupancy hour maintenance and management control on site Cii Long-term managed Serviced flats, halls of occupancy residence, sleeping areas or boarding schools Ciii Short-term occupancy Hotels A D Occupants receiving medical Hospitals, residential care care facilitiesB EC Occupants in transit Railway stations, airports A Currently, occupancy characteristic D, medical care, is dealt with in other documentation and is outside the scope of this British Standard.

B Under some circumstances, residential care facilities may be classified as occupancy characteristic Cii. C This occupancy characteristic is included for completeness within this table but is not referred to elsewhere in this British Standard. Unless the uses can be clearly delineated, it is advisable to adopt the higher requirement.

A worked example is provided in Chapter 15 where a number of different risk profiles are contained within the same building. Fire growth rate The fire growth rate as defined by BS embodies both of the following:. Table 2 provides a simple summary of the typical fire loads with the associated fire growth rate.

The selection of the fire growth rate requires some thought and consideration. For example an office fire growth rate could vary between 1 and 3, although 3 would be unlikely unless there are very significant amounts of open storage areas. A fire growth rate of 1 is possible as offices become paperless, although it may be unwise to select 1 for the design of a new facility as this may reduce future flexibility, unless the client is able to prescribe with some certainty into the future or in the case of temporary use.

Another example for consideration is that of a shop. Some boutique-style shops with products that are well spaced and presented for sale in low densities may have a fire growth rate of 1, but.

However, a fire growth rate 3 is considered as typical within the standard as it covers a broad range of shops, but as highlighted above will not apply to every type of shop. The designer in consultation with the client does need to make a well-judged decision that reflects the intended use.

Table 2 gives some typical values that are useful for initial guidance, but each case should be specifically assessed on its own merits. Table 3 highlights how risk profiles are defined, and risk profiles for typical areas within a building are given in Table 4.

As this standard derives from a very simple logic, it enables a more flexible responsive approach compared with traditional prescriptive guidance. This handbook includes a description of how this flexibility can best be deployed. The risk profile provides a simple and very effective basis for handling and assessing the variations in risk, the related package of fire protection measures and the need for management. The risk profile concept is a common thread throughout BS , although there are some areas where reference to a purpose group remains to enable effective cross-reference to other guidance documents.

Where guidance within BS refers to assembly and recreation, shops and factories, these are known as purpose groups as defined within Table D1 of Approved Document B. The designer should reference this document to determine which purpose group their occupancy falls within. By using responsible judgement, it may be possible to map a risk profile to a purpose group where they continue to be referenced, although this is currently beyond the scope of the standard.

Risk profile assessments are carried out on a case-by-case basis, as highlighted in the examples considered above. Because of the relatively high risks, ultra-fast fires are deemed to be unacceptable and therefore risk profiles A4, B4 and C4 are not allowable unless an effective localized suppression system or automatic sprinklers are added to alter the risk profiles to A3, B3 and C3 respectively.

In addition, risk profile C3 may also be unacceptable under many circumstances unless special precautions are taken. Fire safety engineering can offer an alternative approach to those risk profiles that are not allowable within BS Ci long-term individual occupancy, i. Ciii Short-term occupancy, i. The value of sprinklers within BS Sprinklers help to improve performance in a variety ways of including the safety of people, performance of the construction as well as reducing the overall risks of spread of fire and the consequent protection of property and business sustainability.

In particular, consideration should be given to the following when considering the value of sprinklers in a particular case. A person in the space where the fire originates may be safer, as the presence of sprinklers limits fire growth and reduces temperature as well as smoke production.

At best sprinklers put a fire out, but they may only slow the fire growth rate if the circumstances for extinguishing the fire are not ideal. BS conservatively assumes a reduction in growth rate by allowing a reduction of one step in the fire growth rate i. Sprinklers may also reduce the chance of fire spreading from one room to another.

The chance of a fire seriously affecting the fire performance of a structure reduces if sprinklers are present, and therefore a lower fire resistance requirement is reasonable to achieve a given performance. For the same reasons as for the structure, the chances of fire spread between buildings is beneficially reduced.

Automatic sprinkler systems should be designed and installed in accordance with BS EN new systems or BS existing systems. Where it is proposed to modify the risk profile by using a fire suppression system other than a traditional water-fed sprinkler system, it will need to be demonstrated that this system achieves the equivalent standard of fire protection and reliability.

The list of example risk profiles in Table 4 is not exhaustive and should not be prescriptively applied without due consideration. As highlighted previously, it is possible for office spaces to have risk profiles varying from A1 to A3.

Methodology and tactics for use of the standard. Key points Before beginning the design of a building in accordance with BS , it is essential that knowledge of any fire protection systems due to client or insurance requirements is established.

Figure 2 outlines a process for approaching the interaction between risk profile and the related fire protection measures to ensure that the design does not fall short of the recommendations within the standard. The provision of automatic sprinklers within a space will improve safety and enable a change in the risk profile, which then affects all related recommendations, so an early decision on this helps the process greatly.

Chapter 15 provides a worked example that highlights how the recommendations of BS can be applied to a building containing multiple-risk profiles. Background The guidance provided within BS is flexible and allows trade-off among the risk profile, sprinklers and the package of fire protection measures. For example automatic sprinklers will result in a change to the risk profile e. B3 to B2 when sprinklers are introduced into a shop , and high ceilings or automatic detection and alarm can directly allow increased travel distances and reduced escape route widths.

Therefore, use of the standard can provide a high level of flexibility for new buildings and renewed flexibility for the refurbishment of existing building stock. Variation in BS design recommendations, responding to risk profile and the inclusion of fire protection measures within a room or space, relate primarily to the following:. Consider adding sprinklers to reduce Is minimum package of the risk profile or an fire protection measures alternative fire available? No See Chapter 5,Table 6 engineering approach.

Design assessment Does the design conform to the means of escape, construction, operational and fire-fighting requirements of the standard see Table 5? Figure 2 Process for approach to risk profile and related fire protection measures. Design recommendations in other areas of fire safety design within BS do not vary in response to the inclusion of additional fire protection measures.

Note that the variation of design recommendations can be applied only within rooms or spaces that incorporate the associated fire protection measures. Figure 2 outlines a process for approaching the risk profile and the incorporation of the related fire protection measures. It also shows how the risk profile can be changed by the addition of sprinklers compensating for a shortfall of other recommendations.

Factor Comments Adequacy of means to prevent fire The assessment should identify the scope for fire prevention measures and indicate the associated management systems needed. Early fire warning by an automatic This provision can also lead to first aid detection and warning system to or fire and rescue service fire-fighting enable early evacuation in the early stages of fire development.

Modern systems can be unobtrusive aspirating , addressable by which a fire location and development can be identified and can reduce unwanted alarms. The standard of means of escape See Chapter 6 and Chapter 8 for which structural enclosure and separation would be a part. Provision of smoke control See Chapters 7, 9, 10 and Control of the rate of fire growth This item particularly includes spread of flame over surfaces and linings, and within contents.

See Chapter 8. Adequacy of the structure to resist the See Chapter 8. Fire separation between buildings or See Chapter 8. Provisions for staff training and See Chapter 5.

It is essential that any fire protection system that might be included because of client or insurance requirements or later sections of BS are identified prior to beginning the design assessment of the building to minimize abortive work.

The impacts of such systems on design guidance are highlighted in the remainder of this chapter. Inclusion of automatic sprinklers As discussed in Chapter 2, when using BS the value of installing automatic sprinklers in a building is recognized by directly altering the risk profile through reducing the fire growth rate by one level.

It is therefore necessary to know whether the building being designed necessitates automatic sprinklers as a minimum provision to avoid abortive work. In addition to client and insurance requirements, this can be due to the following recommendations within BS Section 7 Designing the Building Structure refer to Chapter 8 of this handbook :.

All buildings with a floor greater than 30 m in height should be protected throughout by automatic sprinklers. Where there is a need to reduce the risk profile to comply with the compartmentation guidance, see Chapter 8, Table The risk profile for unacceptable conditions from Table 3 A4, B4 and C4 should be changed.

Note that where sprinklers are necessary to meet the recommendations of BS Section 7 Designing the Building Structure, the beneficial reduction of fire growth associated with sprinklers can still be used to reduce the risk profile refer to the worked example in Chapter Inclusion of automatic fire detection and alarm The value of installing automatic detection and alarm in a room or space to a higher standard than the minimum recommended is recognized within BS by allowing the application of a per cent variation stated as 15 per cent to the following components of the means of escape design:.

Note that the per cent variation is allowable only where automatic smoke detection and alarm within the room or space is not required as a minimum provision by the standard refer to Chapter 4 of this handbook and a clear benefit can be demonstrated refer to the worked example in Chapter For example, the installation of automatic smoke detection within a small reception area is unlikely to provide a direct benefit to the persons in the reception, but it may provide a clear early warning of a fire in that area for those persons located in adjoining spaces.

Similarly, a fire warning system that provides information about a fire incident can greatly reduce the response of the occupants within the building. However, the installation of a voice alarm system is likely to provide a greater benefit in a building containing occupant characteristic B.

In a building with occupant characteristic A, where the occupants are familiar with the building layout and receive regular training, they are likely to respond relatively quickly to a fire alarm and the installation of a voice alarm is less likely to provide an increased benefit compared with typical sounders. Taking advantage of high ceilings BS also recognizes the inherent safety associated with high ceilings within a room or space by allowing the application of a per cent variation variable dependent upon the height to the following components of the means of escape design:.

Travel distances per cent increase, refer to Chapter 6. Horizontal escape route widths per cent decrease, refer to Chapter 6. Escape stair widths per cent decrease, refer to Chapter 6. Example of the application of the allowable variations and the associated benefits Figure 3 illustrates the potential flexibility and tangible benefits that can be achieved with the use of BS It compares an office with and without sprinkler protection, risk profiles A1 and A2 respectively.

The immediate difference between the two is likely to be a smaller number of escape routes within the building. The addition of automatic detection and alarm would result.

Fire resistance periods between 15 min Fire resistance periods between 30 min and 90 min Table 16 and min Table 16 No limit on building height Building height limited to 30 m unless No limit on compartment floor area sprinklers are provided Travel distance limited to 65 m No limit on compartment floor area Travel distance limited to 55 m Scenario B Add automatic detection and alarm Add automatic detection and alarm.

Travel distance limited to 74 m Travel distance limited to 63 m Total stair width required less than scenario A Total stair width required less than scenario A Scenario C Automatic detection and high ceilings Automatic detection and high ceilings. Actual allowable travel distance depends Actual allowable travel distance depends upon the height of the ceiling upon the height of the ceiling Overall travel distance limited to 90 m Overall travel distance limited to 75 m Total stair width required less than Total stair width required less than scenario B scenario B.

Combining this with high ceiling heights could further increase the travel distances and may result in a further reduction in the number of escape routes.

Multi-space buildings with various risk profiles The guidance within BS is mapped against the risk profile. It is possible that a building will contain more than one risk profile, each with different recommendations, which may affect only the immediate locality of the risk profile or apply to the entire building.

Where guidance affects the entire building, the most onerous recommendation relating to the occupying risk profiles should be adopted throughout the building. The following are examples of such design recommendations within BS Where guidance affects the immediate locality of the risk profile, each space should be assessed independently to determine the recommendations relevant to the associated risk profile.

This assessment should also include any allowable variations as these are dependent upon both the risk profile and the geometry of the space. Escape stair widths will often link different risk profiles and will require both local and overall checks to assess the requirements.

Chapter 15 provides a worked example which highlights how the recommendations of BS can be applied to a building containing multiple-risk profiles. Allocation of fire protection measures. Key points A minimum level of management is expected for each risk profile within BS , with some necessitating higher levels than others. Minimum levels of fire detection, alarm and emergency escape lighting coverage are expected within BS , with the extent being dependent upon the risk profile. Table 6 highlights the minimum fire protection measures that are necessary for each risk profile.

The addition of sprinklers improves safety, changes the risk profile and therefore might allow reduced minimum fire protection measures. Where the minimum fire protection measures cannot be provided, a fire engineering approach should be adopted refer to Figure 2.

Refer to Chapters 6, 7 and 8 of this handbook to identify the minimum recommendations for means of escape, fire-fighting facilities and building construction.

Background For every risk profile there is a minimum package of fire protection measures and a related management level that is necessary to ensure sufficient time for escape in the event of a fire. It is a basic requirement that will allow the design parameters for means of escape, construction, etc. The total package of fire protection measures for each of the risk profiles is summarized in Table 6 and represents the minimum necessary to allow the use of the BS approach.

The type and extent of fire detection and alarm is dependent on the risk profile. In premises where occupants are awake and the fire growth rate is low then it may be acceptable to rely on manual detection. Where the fire growth rate is high, or occupants are asleep, fire and smoke spread may adversely affect. Looks at means of escape and evacuation strategy, access and fire-fighting facilities, building structure including load and non-load bearing elements and special risk protection.

Supersedes BS First published October Second present edition, January Their committees work with the manufacturing and service industries, government, businesses and consumers to facilitate the production of British, European and International standards.

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