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 22 www.riskxtra.com
listed. It’s here, in the 2019 revisions, that we’ve seen the biggest changes that will have a major impact on what type of fire alarms are fitted and where. In the main, this is due to an increase in the category of fire protection from LD3 where previously listed, which requires one mainspowered optical alarm in the hallway and another upstairs on the landing, interconnected together, to Category LD2. LD2 involves additional alarm coverage, with a heat alarm in the kitchen and a further smoke alarm in the main living area, once again all interconnected. This upgrade in fire protection is most notable in existing rental properties and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs): • Existing two and three-storey maisonettes and houses in the rental sector have now been upgraded from the low category of fire protection (LD3) to the medium category LD2 and graded D1 (ie mains-powered alarm with tamper-proof battery back-up power). New build properties of this nature remain LD3 (unless a risk assessment indicates otherwise) • Existing HMOs have been set as the category of LD2 whereas before it was a mixture of LD2 and LD3 depending on the nature of the property and inhabitants. Grade D1 is now the requirement Other property types that have made an appearance in the BS 5839-6 property classification are supported housing and shortterm holiday lets. Both are allocated the highest category of protection (ie Grade D1, LD1). Other changes of note Weekly alarm testing was previously recommended in BS 5839-6, but this has now been changed to monthly (apart from Grade A “BS 5839-6:2019 is a Code of Practice for fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises, not a set of legal requirements. There’s no penalty if an organisation or individual chooses to ignore it and no date for ‘compliance’” systems). Although weekly testing of alarms remains ideal, it’s not a realistic expectation, whereas monthly is far more manageable and therefore likely. The important message to note here is that end users should continue to test their alarms at regular intervals. Recommendations contained within the NFCC Specialised Housing Guide regarding all fire detection, alarm and transmission/signalling to an Alarm Receiving Centre has been incorporated into BS 5839-6:2019, which is useful and recognises that valuable document. Carbon Monoxide alarms have been acknowledged for the first time in BS 5839-6 2019 as they’re increasingly been installed alongside fire alarm systems or incorporated within them. BS 5839-6 states that mainspowered Carbon Monoxide alarms conforming to BS EN 50291 and installed in compliance with BS EN 50292 may also be interlinked with the fire detection and alarm system if the manufacturer of all the components makes such a recommendation. Implications for the future BS 5839-6:2019 is a Code of Practice for fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises, not a set of legal requirements. There’s no penalty if an organisation or individual chooses to ignore it and no date for About the Fire Industry Association The Fire Industry Association (FIA) is a not-for-profit organisation. We’re the leading Trade Association for the fire industry in the UK. The education and training that we offer through our qualifications and industry-recognised courses exists to provide you with a high level of knowledge and understanding that will help in terms of developing your career and building your business. Our courses are delivered by experienced professionals from the industry who can not only deliver the courses, but also answer questions and provide real-life examples, in turn enabling all delegates to deliver excellent results for their organisations. Combined with our website (fia.uk.com), we aim to provide a service that contributes towards and promotes technical developments in the industry. Standards are constantly being revised and updated and it’s vital to stay up-to-date with the changes. By taking our qualifications and courses and using our extensive Resource Library on the website, you can be sure that you’ll be well informed of any recent changes as and when they happen. Our range of professional qualifications and training programmes – along with our extensive membership benefits – are all designed to support learners and their organisations to grow, develop technical knowledge and increase their professional networks. www.riskxtra.com 23
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listed. It’s here, in the 2019 revisions, that we’ve<br />
seen the biggest changes that will have a major<br />
impact on what type of fire alarms are fitted and<br />
where. In the main, this is due to an increase in<br />
the category of fire protection from LD3 where<br />
previously listed, which requires one mainspowered<br />
optical alarm in the hallway and<br />
another upstairs on the landing, interconnected<br />
together, to Category LD2. LD2 involves<br />
additional alarm coverage, with a heat alarm in<br />
the kitchen and a further smoke alarm in the<br />
main living area, once again all interconnected.<br />
This upgrade in fire protection is most<br />
notable in existing rental properties and Houses<br />
in Multiple Occupation (HMOs):<br />
• Existing two and three-storey maisonettes<br />
and houses in the rental sector have now been<br />
upgraded from the low category of fire<br />
protection (LD3) to the medium category LD2<br />
and graded D1 (ie mains-powered alarm with<br />
tamper-proof battery back-up power). New build<br />
properties of this nature remain LD3 (unless a<br />
risk assessment indicates otherwise)<br />
• Existing HMOs have been set as the category<br />
of LD2 whereas before it was a mixture of LD2<br />
and LD3 depending on the nature of the property<br />
and inhabitants. Grade D1 is now the requirement<br />
Other property types that have made an<br />
appearance in the BS 5839-6 property<br />
classification are supported housing and shortterm<br />
holiday lets. Both are allocated the highest<br />
category of protection (ie Grade D1, LD1).<br />
Other changes of note<br />
Weekly alarm testing was previously<br />
recommended in BS 5839-6, but this has now<br />
been changed to monthly (apart from Grade A<br />
“BS 5839-6:2019 is a Code of Practice for fire detection and<br />
fire alarm systems in domestic premises, not a set of legal<br />
requirements. There’s no penalty if an organisation or<br />
individual chooses to ignore it and no date for ‘compliance’”<br />
systems). Although weekly testing of alarms<br />
remains ideal, it’s not a realistic expectation,<br />
whereas monthly is far more manageable and<br />
therefore likely. The important message to note<br />
here is that end users should continue to test<br />
their alarms at regular intervals.<br />
Recommendations contained within the NFCC<br />
Specialised Housing Guide regarding all fire<br />
detection, alarm and transmission/signalling to<br />
an Alarm Receiving Centre has been<br />
incorporated into BS 5839-6:2019, which is<br />
useful and recognises that valuable document.<br />
Carbon Monoxide alarms have been<br />
acknowledged for the first time in BS 5839-6<br />
2019 as they’re increasingly been installed<br />
alongside fire alarm systems or incorporated<br />
within them. BS 5839-6 states that mainspowered<br />
Carbon Monoxide alarms conforming<br />
to BS EN 50291 and installed in compliance with<br />
BS EN 50292 may also be interlinked with the<br />
fire detection and alarm system if the<br />
manufacturer of all the components makes such<br />
a recommendation.<br />
Implications for the future<br />
BS 5839-6:2019 is a Code of Practice for fire<br />
detection and fire alarm systems in domestic<br />
premises, not a set of legal requirements.<br />
There’s no penalty if an organisation or<br />
individual chooses to ignore it and no date for<br />
About the Fire Industry Association<br />
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) is a not-for-profit<br />
organisation. We’re the leading Trade Association for the fire<br />
industry in the UK. The education and training that we offer<br />
through our qualifications and industry-recognised courses<br />
exists to provide you with a high level of knowledge and<br />
understanding that will help in terms of developing your career<br />
and building your business.<br />
Our courses are delivered by experienced professionals from the industry who can not only<br />
deliver the courses, but also answer questions and provide real-life examples, in turn enabling<br />
all delegates to deliver excellent results for their organisations.<br />
Combined with our website (fia.uk.com), we aim to provide a service that contributes towards<br />
and promotes technical developments in the industry. Standards are constantly being revised<br />
and updated and it’s vital to stay up-to-date with the changes. By taking our qualifications and<br />
courses and using our extensive Resource Library on the website, you can be sure that you’ll be<br />
well informed of any recent changes as and when they happen.<br />
Our range of professional qualifications and training programmes – along with our extensive<br />
membership benefits – are all designed to support learners and their organisations to grow,<br />
develop technical knowledge and increase their professional networks.<br />
www.riskxtra.com<br />
23
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