RiskXtraJune2019

FIRE SAFETY
Andrew Speake: National
Technical Manager at Aico, a Fire
Industry Association member
company. Andrew works closely
with a number of leading industry
organisations and assists with
R&D on new products
Improved Protection
and Clarification
Andrew Speake examines the
revised British Standard focused
on domestic fire alarms
BS 5839-6 is the Code of Practice for the
design, installation, commissioning and
maintenance of fire detection and fire
alarm systems in domestic premises. When it
was first introduced back in 1995, BS 5839-6
changed everything. Whether you were a
landlord, a specifier or an installer, here at last
was a clear and detailed set of standards to be
observed. The contents of BS 5839-6 were
quickly adopted and have been standard
practice since then in both existing dwellings
and new builds. The Building Regulations and
other guidance documents reference this British
Standard, so its importance cannot be over
emphasised.
BS 5839-6 was revised in 2004 and then
again in 2013, both times taking into
consideration technological developments and
addressing Best Practice accordingly. Its been
around a decade between each set of revisions
so why, just six years since the last set of
revisions, was a new version released this year
on Tuesday 30 April?
The answer isn’t to be found in new
technology, but rather in the will of
professionals in housing, fire and safety to
improve the level of fire protection in domestic
dwellings, which ultimately provides residents
with a greater chance of escape unharmed from
a fire in their home.
While there have been a number of minor
revisions within BS 5839-6:2019, plus multiple
definitions that have been updated throughout,
the biggest changes by far apply to the grades
of alarms and the type/level of protection for
each identified dwelling. The ‘Grade’ determines
the type of alarm to be used and the ‘Category’
the level of protection required.
Changes to Fire Alarm Grades
Under BS 5839-6, fire alarms are classified into
grades from A to F. Grades B and E have been
removed in 2019, with Grade D being the common
for domestic properties that will form the focus of
this particular discourse.
Under the previous standard, Grade D required
one or more interlinked mains powered smoke
alarms (and heat alarms if required), each with an
integral back-up supply, with the back-up supply to
be delivered in the form of a rechargeable lithium
or alkaline battery.
Under the revised BS 5839-6, Grade D has been
replaced with Grades D1 and D2 which differ in
terms of the back-up power supply:
• Grade D1 calls for a tamper-proof standby supply
consisting of a battery or batteries, with lithium
being the standard battery type. These are long-life
battery cells lasting the recommended lifespan of
the alarm and are designed such that they cannot
easily be removed by the user. Grade D1 alarms are
the preferred option for social housing as they
remove the risk factor
• Grade D2, on the other hand, requires an integral
standby supply consisting of a battery or batteries
(usually 9 V PP3) which need to be replaced at
regular intervals by the end user throughout the
life of the alarm by
Changes to these grades provide greater clarity
for alarm specifiers and installers, which is very
much to be welcomed.
While Grade D alarms feature most heavily in
BS 5839-6:2019, Grade F systems also warrant
mention here due to changes in Scottish legislation
earlier this year which permits their use. Grade F
systems use only battery-powered alarms. As with
Grade D, Grade F has now been divided into F1 and
F2 in the same fashion as that noted above.
Minimum levels of protection
Under BS 5839-6, different classes of premises
are identified and the minimum grade of fire
alarm system and category of fire protection
provided for that specific type of property are
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