Bsi bip 2044 2013

This bo k gives a n insight into the thin ing behind the BS code of pra ctice for the design, insta lla tion a nd ma intena nce of fire detection a nd a la rm systems in dwel ngs BS 583

Commissioning a nd Ma intena nce

Se ond edition publshed b BSI in 2 0

This new edition publshed in 2 13

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5 Re o nized forms of fire dete tion: Gra des of sy stem 3

6 Re o nized levels of pr ote tion: Ca teg ries of sy stem 4

7 Sy stem Sele tion: Cho sing the a ppro r ia te Gra de a nd

8 Sy stem Sele tion: The fir st principles (‘Fire R isk

1 Ty pes of fire dete tor 9

1 The Audible Fire Ala rm Signa l: Audibi ity a nd Othe

2 Z ning a nd Identifica tion of Sourc of Ala r m Signa ls 1 5

2 The Use of Ra dio-l nk ed Sy stems in Dw el ings 1 7

2 Insta lla tion, Commis ioning a nd Certifica tion 1 1

Col n To d MSc, FIFireE, FBEng, MIR M, MSFPE, C.Phy s, FInstP,

C.Eng, FIET, gra dua ted f om Edinb rgh Univer ity with a n honour

degre in Physic He then underto k a one-yea r Ma ster’s degre in

Fire Sa fety Engine ring, developing a specific interest in q a ntita tive

a sses ment of risk , ma thema tica l model ng a nd systems engine ring

In 1 7 , he joined the ca ptive insura nce compa ny of Uniever Ltd A s a

member of the risk ma na gement section,he ca rried out reg la r fire surveys

of Uniever premises a nd wa s responsible for providing in-house a dvice on

los prevention ma tter He la ter joined the tech ica l depa rtment of the

Fire Ofices’ Commit e (FOC), which dea lt with the prepa ra tion of codes

a nd sta nda rds on fire protection a nd a pprova ls of fire protection eq ipment

With the FOC he specia lised in electrica l ma tter , a nd wa s responsible for

a sses ing the suita bi ty of fire a la rm eq ipment for FOC a pprova l During

this time he represented the FOC on na tiona l commit e s inclu ing those

of the BSI (The FOC wa s la ter incorpora ted into the Los Prevention

Counci a nd, su seq ently, the Buiding Resea rch Esta blshment.)

Coln T od is a cha rtered engine r a nd a Felow of the Institution

of Engine ring a nd T ech olog (formerly the Institution of Electrica l

Engine r ), the Institute of Physic , the A ssocia tion of Buiding Engine r

a nd the Institution of Fire Engine r He is a corpora te member of the

Institute of Risk Ma na gement a nd the Society of Fire Protection Engine r

He is a lso a sta nda rds a ssocia te of the British Sta nda rds Society

A s the fina l President of the UK Cha pter of the Society of Fire Protection

Engine r , he wa s instrumenta l in the merger betwe n tha t orga niza tion

a nd the Society of Fire Sa fety Engine r to form the Institute of Fire

Sa fety, which su seq ently beca me the Engine ring Counci Division of

the Institution of Fire Engine r ( FE) (now the Registra nts’ Grou of the

Institution)

He is a previous member of the Boa rd of the Division a nd the Division’s

Member hip Commit e , which for ma ny yea rs he cha ired The Division

wa s empowered to a wa rd engine ring q a lifica tions, inclu ing cha rtered

engine r, to suita bly q a lified fire sa fety engine r He is a lso a previous

member of the IFE Boa rd, where he held the responsibi ty for tech ica l

is ues He serves on a number of British Sta nda rds Commit e s, inclu ing

those concerned with fire detection a nd fire a la rm systems He a lso

represents the Confedera tion of British Ind stry on a n ex ert grou of the

Los Prevention Certifica tion Boa rd tha t is responsible for the development

of a pprova l s hemes for a ll a spects of a utoma tic fire a la rm eq ipment

Coln is a lso ex erienced in a sses ment of fire a la rm contra ctor ’

competence in fire a la rm work , a cting on beha lf of certifica tion bodies

He a lso a cts a s a tech ica l ex ert for the United King om A cc edita tion

Service (UKA S), in the a cc edita tion of certifica tion bodies tha t certifica te

fire a la rm contra ctor under the releva nt ind stry certifica tion s hemes

Coln’s consulting pra ctice, C S T od & A ssocia tes Ltd, is independently

certifica ted b the Na tiona l Security Inspectora te (NSI) for the design

a nd verifica tion of fire detection a nd a la rm systems under the British

A pprova ls for Fire Eq ipment (BA FE) SP2 3 Scheme for fire a la rm

specia lists The pra ctice wa s the fir t independent consulting pra ctice to

receive this certifica tion

This bo k gives a n insight into the thin ing behind the BS code of pra ctice

for the design, insta lla tion a nd ma intena nce of fire detection a nd a la rm

systems in dwel ngs (BS 583 -6) The ne d for the bo k do s not a rise f om

a ny deficiencies in the Code; it a rises f om the fa ct tha t user of the Code

often wish to k ow why pa rticula r cla uses ha ve be n p t into the Code

A chieving a suita ble design for oc u a ncies such a s houses in multiple

oc u a tion a nd sheltered housing req ires a deta iled under ta nding of

fire protection principles Even in rela tively sma ll dwel ngs a number

of engine ring ju gements ha ve to be ma de This bo k a ids specifier ,

designer a nd insta ller in ma king those ju gements

In 1 94,the a uthor of the bo k,Coln T od , wa s contra cted b the British

Sta nda rds Institution to write the fir t dra ft of BS 583 -6 S bseq ently,

in 2 0 , he wa s contra cted to dra ft the fir t ma jor revision of the Code,

which wa s p blshed a s the 2 04 ver ion He is a member of the BSI

tech ica l commit e responsible for the Code, being the Institution of Fire

Engine r ’ representa tive on the commit e Beca use of this, he wa s pa rty

to a ll the dis us ions tha t led to the cur ent (2 1 ) edition, a nd, inde d, he

dra fted much of the new text for tha t edition He is thus a bly q a lified to

ex a nd on a nd ex la in the content of the Code The interpreta tions given

in this g ide a re, of cour e, Coln T od ’s b t, na tura lly, they benefit fom

Coln’s close involvement in the development of the Code

J Na r

C hair ma , BSI Te h ical C ommit te FSH/12,

Fir e Dete tion a d Alar m Systems

The a im of this bo k is to provide g ida nce on wha t, a t the time of writing,

is a newly revised ver ion of BS 583 -6 The new (2 1 ) edition su er edes

the ea rler (2 04) ver ion, a nd incorpora tes ma jor cha nges, pa rticula rly in

respect of sheltered housing

The Code, which, a s one pa rt of the BS 583 suite of codes a nd sta nda rds,

bea rs the generic hea ding ‘Fire detection a nd fire a la rm systems for

b idings’ is entitled ‘Code of pra ctice for the design, insta lla tion a nd

ma intena nce of fire detection a nd fire a la rm systems in dwel ngs’ A s such,

it is to this Code tha t designer , su pler , insta ller ,reg la tory a uthorities

a nd consulta nts wi turn in order to obta in g ida nce on go d pra ctice in

respect of the provision of a utoma tic fire detection in a ny ty e of dwel ng,

f om a sma ll fla t to a sta tely home

T o ma ny of us in the fire engine ring profes ion, the design of fire

preca utions in most dwel ngs ma y la ck the engine ring cha llenge of the

design of fire sa fety in more complex oc u a ncies However, it is ea sy to

forget tha t the va st ma jority of fire dea ths in the United King om sti oc ur

in dwel ngs W hether this is beca use of the a ttention to fire preca utions

tha t go s into the design of non-domestic b idings, lea ving dwel ngs a s

something of a forgot en a nd fina l f ontier for fire engine ring, or whether

it is simply the grea ter in erent risk a ssocia ted with dwel ngs a nd their

oc u a nts, is a mo t point; I suspect a bit of both

However, there is no uncerta inty in the benefit of domestic fire detection

to the sa fety of lfe fom fire Inde d, I bel eve it would be no exa ggera tion

to sa y tha t the domestic smoke detector is one of the grea test suc es stories

in the la st ha lf century of fire protection, such ha s be n the impa ct on los

of lfe I is unfortuna te tha t the media ha ve never se med to consider this

suc es to be of ma jor interest to the genera l p blc; perha ps suc es is les

newsworthy tha n glo m a nd do m! Even in these da ys when every item of

ex enditure se ms to come under the most stringent s rutiny, I beleve tha t

ex enditure to da te on domestic smok e detection ca n be shown to be cost

efective in terms of lves sa ved, given ty ica l fig res q oted for the va lue

of a huma n lfe

So domestic fire detection is suc es ful a nd here to sta y, b t do s it rea lly

wa rra nt a comprehensive engine ring code of pra ctice, pa rticula rly a s ma ny

‘systems’ in dwel ngs sti comprise nothing more tha n ba ttery-opera ted

smok e a la rms insta lled b the oc u ier The ba ckground to the prod ction

of BS 583 -6 wi be exa mined more closely in the next cha pter S fice to

sa y a t this sta ge tha t not only is the Code wa rra nted, b t tha t su port for

legisla tion, pa rticula rly b iding reg la tions, with a deta iled a nd definitive

code of pra ctice is a ctua lly es entia l More ver, a lthou h we tend to thin

of a house (or dwel ng) a s a simple thre - or four-bedro m house a t most,

I would su gest tha t Windsor Ca stle a nd Buck ingha m Pa la ce a re houses

(pos ibly in multiple oc u a tion)! Inde d, ca se la w a bounds a s to wha t, in

la w, a ctua lly constitutes a house a nd a house in multiple oc u a tion (HMO)

Ha ppiy, in using the code of pra ctice, it wi ra rely, if ever, be neces a ry to

enga ge in such peda ntry, a lbeit tha t it ca n be a sour e of su sta ntia l income

for the lega l profes ion

Pa rticula r oc u a ncies, such a s sheltered housing, HMOs a nd la rge

ma nsions a ll req ire a rela tively deta iled under ta nding of fire protection

principles if the fire detection systems insta lled in them a re to be suita bly

designed However, even in rela tively sma ll dwel ngs, there a re a number

of engine ring ju gements to be ma de in respect of the form of protection

tha t is to be provided For exa mple, wi ba ttery-opera ted smok e a la rms

be suficiently rela ble? Unfortuna tely, it is now the ca se tha t dea ths a re

oc ur ing in dwel ngs protected b such devices, f om which ba tteries ha ve

be n removed beca use of a n ina bi ty to pa y for repla cements, f eq ent

fa lse a la rms a nd ‘bor owing’ the ba tteries for use in other household

a ppla nces or toys If we use ma ins-opera ted smok e a la rms, should we

con ect them on their own cir uit or is it a ccepta ble to con ect them

on, sa y, a n existing lghting cir uit? How ma ny smok e a la rms or smok e

detector do we a ctua lly ne d in a ny ca se? Is it suficient to insta ll them

just in the ha llwa ys a nd la ndings or might we ne d them in some ro ms a s

wel? There is a ne d to a ddres such q estions in some deta il a s domestic

fire detection is now the norm ra ther tha n a n unusua l a cces ory, a nd these

ma tter a re fuly considered in the Code

As the a uthor of both the fir t dra ft of BS 583 -6, and the draft of the

2 04 v er sion, it might be arg ed tha t I failed to draft a suficiently simple

c ode of pra c tice if a g ide, suc h a s this, to the Code is warra nted! In fact,

I belev e that the Code should, for most c ir umsta nces, pr ove simple a nd

str a ightforwa rd to use Some ma y a rg e that the Code, at fir st rea ding,

se ms ra ther c omplcated for something as simple as dwel ngs Howev er,

this is a result of the v ery c omprehensiv e na ture of the Code a nd the

conseq ent ne d to prov ide g idanc e on both lfe sa fety and pr operty

protection in the very wide ra nge of b idings tha t ma y constitute dwel ngs

of one k ind or another I is also neces a ry for the Code to a c k nowled e

the numerous diferent forms of fire detec tion ‘sy stem’ tha t are c ur rently

a v a ila ble, r a nging f om one or more ba ttery -operated smok e alarms to

comprehensive new tech olog sy stems of the ty pe desc ribed in BS 583 -1

1

As in the case of a ny British Standa rd, the Code do s not hy pothesise on

wha t might become a v a ila ble, b t merely reflec ts on what is ofered on the

ma rk etplace toda y a nd the rec ognized go d pra c tices tha t a r e a ssoc iated

with the diferent ty pes of eq ipment

Given tha t it is then neces a ry to ‘ma tch’ system ty e to a pplca tion – for

exa mple lmiting the use of the simpler systems to sma ller a nd lower risk

properties – the Code a t fir t sight ma y se m something of a cultura l shock ,

bea ring in mind tha t other a va ila ble g ida nce is restricted to a few ba sic

design req irements in the g ida nce tha t su ports b iding reg la tions

a nd a g ide to householder prod ced b the Government However, I hope

tha t when it comes to a pplying the Code to a ny pa rticula r dwel ng, using

a ny pa rticula r ty e of fire detection insta lla tion, the Code should provide

simple a nd definitive a dvice

Even so, since BS 583 -6 efectively ta k es domestic fire detection a step

forwa rd a nd introd ces new sta nda rds for the protection of dwel ngs b

a utoma tic fire detection, I hope tha t this g ide wi provide some insight

into its recommenda tions a nd help to ensure tha t the phiosophy behind

the recommenda tions is a ccura tely implemented in future insta lla tions

However, a s a code of pra ctice, it is a ccepted tha t, in some cir umsta nces,

va ria tions f om the recommenda tions of the Code ma y be a ppropria te; the

Code itself ca ter for such va ria tions A s ex erience in the use of the Code

grows a nd a ny a noma lies come to lght, a mendments ma y be neces a ry

If user of the Code consider tha t a n a mendment to a code or sta nda rd

ma y be neces a ry, or tha t some cla rifica tion ma y be req ired, it is a lwa ys

worthwhie writing to the BSI commit e responsible for its prod ction,

in this ca se commit e FSH/12/1 My ex erience of BSI commit e s is

tha t a ll such comments, whether fom a ma jor insta ller, a sma ll electrica l

contra ctor, a single independent consulta nt or who ver, a re a lwa ys given

serious considera tion, a nd it is f om such comments tha t codes of pra ctice

sometimes develop a nd k eep pa ce with custom a nd pra ctice

Ob iously, this g ide is not a su stitute for the Code itself, b t should

be rea d in conjunction with the Code The g ide should not be rega rded

a s ofering a ny fina l a uthorita tive interpreta tion on a ny recommenda tions

1

BS 5 3 -1:2 0 Fir detetion an fir e alar m s stems fr buidings – C ode o pract ic fr

s stem de ign, inst alat ion,c mmisioning an maintenanc

of the Code, a lthou h I hope tha t the opinions ex res ed a re a n a ccura te

reflection of the commit e ’s intent when the Code wa s p blshed If it is

es entia l to obta in a definitive interpreta tion, such a s in the event of a

disp te, a dvice ma y be sou ht f om BSI, who wi refer the ma tter to the

releva nt commit e Ultima tely, the fina l a rbiter in such a disp te ca n,

however, only be the Courts Hopefuly, BS 583 -6 wi prove suficiently

una mbig ous tha t such disp tes wi be extremely ra re

A s dis us ed in the next cha pter, domestic fire detection ha s ma de a

significa nt impa ct on fire dea ths in dwel ngs, which a ccount for a round

80% of a ll fire dea ths I is rela tively chea p in rela tion to the en a ncement

in lfe sa fety it ca n provide I ca n protect those in society who a re most

v lnera ble to fire, na mely the elderly a nd the very young Per ona lly, a s

a pa rent, I wa s a lwa ys relucta nt to permit my chidren to sta y overnight

with f iends unles the house ha s smok e a la rms, pa rticula rly if I k now tha t

member of the fa miy a re lk ely to smok e

However, if the ful potentia l of this importa nt form of fire protection is

to be rea lized, long-term rela bi ty a nd continued use must be ensured b

proper system design, a ppropria te insta lla tion pra ctices a nd the a voida nce

of un eces a ry fa lse a la rms The new ver ion of BS 583 -6 wi go a long

wa y towa rds a chievement of this objective A s recently a s ten yea rs a go,

a fa miy sa ved f om fire b the ea rly wa rning f om a smok e a la rm wa s

newsworthy Hopefuly, b the time BS 583 -6 is rea dy for its next revision,

the dea th of a fa miy d e to the a bsence of properly designed a nd insta lled

fire detection wi be suficiently unusua l to be eq a lly newsworthy

In the United King om, domestic fire detection is a rela tively recent

in ova tion However, in the USA , self-conta ined domestic fire detector

fir t beca me a va ila ble in 1 5 – nea rly sixty yea rs a go! However, these

devices were hea t detector a nd were rela tively insensitive, even compa red

with the hea t detector a va ila ble toda y They were mecha nica lly powered

a nd used either compres ed ga s or a wound spring a s a sour e of energ to

opera te a n a udible a la rm tha t formed a n integra l pa rt of the device

The ea r liest relev a nt sta nda r d for domestic fire detection insta lla tions

wa s probably the America n Na tional Fir e Pr otec tion A ssoc ia tion (NFPA)

standa rd, NF A 74 (Household Fire Wa r ning Eq uipment), whic h was fir st

p blshed in 1 6 The dev elopment of this standa rd folowed withdrawal

of a n ea rle doc ument (NFPA 74M), entitled Manua l on Home Fir e Ala r m

Sy stems, the fir t ver ion of whic h a ppeared as a two-pa ge document in

1 5 Since the origina l p blc a tion of NFPA 74, the sta nda r d has be n

revised v er y signific a ntly sev eral times In stu y ing BS 583 -6, one c a n

find ev idence of only the most minor influence of the NFPA sta nda r d,

since the British Code is ba sed mor e on cur ent custom a nd pr a ctic e in the

United King om a nd, to some extent, the think ing embodied in BS 583 -1

Howev er, this is not to say that the practic es adopted in the UK a nd the USA

a r e nec es a r ily inconsistent

The origina l NFPA sta nda rd wa s ba sed on pra ctices a dopted in ind stria l

a nd commer ia l premises, whereb there wa s genera l covera ge b detector

throughout protected premises Therefore, the sta nda rd req ired tha t

there be a t lea st one hea t detector in every ro m a nd a smok e detector

outside the bedro ms These detector were of the conventiona l ‘system’

ty e, neces ita ting the provision of control a nd indica ting eq ipment,

which could power a nd monitor the hea t a nd smoke detector Beca use of

the cost of such insta lla tions (estima ted a t $ ,5 0 for a sma ll house a t then

cur ent prices), they were few in number – it ha s be n estima ted tha t fewer

tha n 1% of homes in the USA were protected in this ma nner

Self-conta ined smok e a la rms a s we k ow them toda y were fir t prod ced

in the USA d ring the la tter ha lf of the 1 6 s The ea rlest ty es prod ced

were ma ins-powered optica l detector , b t towa rds the end of the deca de,

ba ttery-powered ioniza tion cha mber smoke detector were prod ced

During the 1 6 s, a number of tests led to the conclusion tha t smok e

detector in cir ula tion spa ces could, in some fires a t lea st, give a n ea rler

wa rning tha n hea t detector in the ro m of origin, a lbeit tha t the tests

tended to use open pla n la youts

In 1 74, NF A 74 a cc epted two importa nt principles Fir stly, that it might

not be nec es a r y to insta ll a detector within ev ery r oom in a dwel ng

Secondly, a nd conseq ent to the latter phiosophy, diferent ‘lev els of

pr otection’ c ould be defined W hie the highest level, lev el 1, was consistent

with the earler req irements of NFPA 74, the lowest lev el, level 4, req ired

only a single smok e detector outside the bedro ms a nd a fur the smok e

detec tor at the top of any basement stair ase

S p ort for the use of smok e detector in cir ula tion spa ces comes f om

the conclusions of the ‘India na Dunes’ tests, which were ca rried out in

thre rea l houses, which were intended for demoltion, d ring the 1 7 s

Folowing these tests, the 1 78 ver ion of NFPA 74 defined the minimum

standa rd a s smoke detection on every level of a house

By the la te 1 7 s, a number of sta tes in the USA req ired the insta lla tion

of smok e detection in new dwel ngs under loca l b iding codes There

a re in fa ct ma ny thousa nds of sta te, city or county b iding codes in the

USA , b t it is now the ca se tha t a ll sta te codes req ire the insta lla tion of

smok e detection in dwel ngs (a nd inde d other sle ping risk s) In pra ctice,

whether under a sta te code or other loca l b iding code, a ll new dwel ngs in

the USA must be protected b smok e detection Perha ps more interestingly,

most such codes req ire this retrospectively in existing dwel ngs However,

enfor ement of the retrospective req irement is very lmited – there a re

no inspections, a lthou h oc a siona lly a house owner is prosecuted if, for

exa mple, there is a serious fire a nd it is dis overed tha t the house ha s no

smok e detection

In 1 9 , the req irements of NFPA 74 were incorpora ted in the new

Na tiona l Fire A la rm Code, NF A 7 , a nd it is this sta nda rd to which b iding

codes now refer In 2 0 , a US Fire A dministra tion report recorded tha t it

wa s determined in a NFPA stu y tha t 94% of US housing wa s, even then,

protected b a t lea st one smok e a la rm, a lthou h sa dly it wa s estima ted

tha t 40% of domestic fires oc ur ed in the rema ining 6% of housing stock

Given the long ex erience of domestic smok e a la rms in the United Sta tes,

it is a lso interesting to consider the efect smok e a la rms ha ve ha d on fire

dea ths From 1 80, a time when smok e a la rm req irements were sta rting

to become common, fire dea ths ha ve fa llen fom 6,5 0 to 3,3 1 in 2 0

I ha s be n estima ted tha t the efect of 1 0% compla nce with the NFPA

sta nda rd throu hout the USA would result in a 5 % drop in fire dea ths

NFPA estima tes the dea th ra te per 1 0 fires is genera lly 40% to 5 % lower

in homes with smok e a la rms tha n in homes without them

In the UK, we wi note in a la ter cha pter tha t the British Sta nda rd

a ttempts to move things forwa rd f om the simple ba ttery-opera ted smok e

a la rm to smok e a la rms a nd smok e detection systems of higher rela bi ty

This mir or progres in the USA , where the NFPA sta nda rd a ccepts

ba ttery-powered detector only for retrofit ing in existing homes, b t

req ires ma ins-powered devices for new homes Since the 1 9 edition, the

NFPA 7 Na tiona l Fire A la rm Code ha s req ired ma ins-powered smok e

a la rms with a sta nd y su ply for new homes

A s in the UK, there is ex erience in the USA tha t smok e a la rms a re

not being a deq a tely ma inta ined In this context, clea rly ba ttery-opera ted

devices present the grea test potentia l for fa ilure In 1 9 , the Consumer

Prod ct Sa fety Commis ion in the USA relea sed the results of their

Na tiona l Smok e Detection Project I wa s found tha t, when initia lly

tested, a bout one third of detector (ma ins a nd ba ttery-opera ted) did not

function W hen the power su ples were recon ected, a pproxima tely one

ha lf of the detector then functioned cor ectly The NFPA now estima te

tha t households with non-work ing smok e a la rms outnumber those with no

smoke a la rms Of pa rticula r interest wa s the fa ct tha t most of those tha t

initia lly fa iled to function ha d be n intentiona lly dis on ected d e to fa lse

a la rms This stu y ha s a clea r mes a ge in terms of the efect of fa lse a la rms

on user a ttitu e towa rds smok e a la rms, a nd the importa nce, in efect, to

lfe sa fety of minimizing fa lse a la rms The a pproa ch of BS 583 -6 to this

problem is dis us ed in a la ter cha pter

In the United King om, smok e a la rms fir t beca me a va ila ble in the

1 7 s The fir t devices were genera lly of the ba ttery-opera ted ty e a nd

were imported f om the USA The cost, which wa s sometimes a s high a s

£ 5 per unit, wa s rela tively ex ensive compa red with toda y’s prices of just

a few pounds

Initia lly, there wa s no grea t enthusia sm for smoke a la rms, a nd va rious

obsta cles to their widesprea d usa ge were sometimes ex res ed These

inclu ed the diferences in construction of A merica n a nd British dwel ngs,

a per eption tha t na tion-wide use would not be cost efective, concerns

of user over fa lse a la rms a nd, of cour e, the rela tively high cost to the

individ a l householder, the highest risk ca tegory of whom would be una ble

to a fford such a per eived non-es entia l

By 1 87, only 9% of a ll houses in Engla nd a nd Wa les were protected

b even a single smok e a la rm However, a ctive ca mpa igns b individ a l

fire briga des a nd, more pa rticula rly, vigorous centra l Government funded

a dvertising bega n to ta k e efect in the la tter pa rt of the 1 80s The yea r

1 8 , in pa rticula r, wa s a time of enormous growth in smok e a la rm sa les

In 1 8 , the Home Depa rtments p blshed g ida nce for householder ,

entitled ‘Smok e A la rms in the Home’ This bo k let wa s a lso reprod ced a s

a n A ppendix to BS 583 -1: 1 8 A s dema nd for smok e a la rms grew, the

prices fel dra ma tica lly; a s prices fel, more householder , convinced b fire

briga de/Home Ofice ca mpa igns, felt a ble to justify the cost, a nd the u wa rd

spira l of dema nd a long with the downwa rd spira l in cost wa s inexora ble

Ioniza tion cha mber detector were the chea per, a nd so were in grea ter

dema nd tha n optica l detector The la w of su ply a nd dema nd ca used the

diferentia l to inc ea se to a n extent tha t the cur ent diferentia l in price is

a round 3:1 in the ca se of ba ttery-opera ted devices, a lthou h only a bout 3 %

in the ca se of ma ins-opera ted smok e a la rms A s dis us ed in a la ter cha pter,

the g ida nce conta ined in BS 583 -6 ma y tend to result in inc ea sed sa les

of optica l detector a nd thus a dec ea se in price diferentia l

The fir t a va ila ble g ida nce in the form of ‘Smok e A la rms in the Home’

impled tha t one smok e a la rm might be suficient in a multistorey house,

a lthou h it wa s ma de clea r tha t two or more would ofer more rela ble ea rly

wa rning a nd grea ter time to es a pe; the intention wa s clea rly to ensure tha t

some a fforda ble protection wa s provided in a s ma ny dwel ings a s pos ible

The Government were, however, sti relucta nt to ma k e the insta lla tion of

smok e a la rms comp lsory in norma l, single-fa miy dwel ngs

In other, higher risk dwel ngs, the situa tion wa s ra ther diferent In

this con ection, a pa rticula rly ‘lve’ is ue, a nd one tha t rema ins a cur ent

is ue toda y, is the problem of fire sa fety in HMOs In 1 85, a work ing pa rty

esta blshed b the then Institute of Environmenta l Hea lth Oficer (now

the Cha rtered Institute of Environmenta l Hea lth) determined tha t the

risk of d ing in a fire for those l ving in HMOs wa s betwe n eight a nd ten

times the risk of d ing in a single-fa miy dwel ng However, in Engla nd

a nd Wa les, the releva nt legisla tion, a t the time, na mely the Housing

A ct 1 85, permit ed loca l a uthorities to req ire only a deq a te mea ns of

es a pe; there were no power to req ire fire detection a nd a la rm systems

(or emergency lghting, fire exting ishing a ppla nces, etc.) The A ct wa s,

nevertheles , a mended b the Loca l Government a nd Housing A ct 1 89

to ena ble the loca l a uthority to req ire other ‘fire preca utions’ which wa s

genera lly a ccepted to inclu e a utoma tic fire detection a nd a la rm systems

(Unfortuna tely, beca use of a tra ns er of responsibi ty for g ida nce on fire

preca utions in HMOs f om the Home Ofice to the Depa rtment of the

Environment, it wa s 1 9 before suita ble g ida nce on the sta nda rds tha t

should be req ired wa s ma de a va ila ble in the form of Depa rtment of the

Environment Cir ula r 1 /92.) S bseq ent resea rch ca rried out on beha lf

of the Government, a nd p blshed in 1 9 , su gests tha t the risk of d ing

f om fire is a ctua lly highly va ria ble a cros the ma ny very diferent ty es of

properties tha t constitute HMOs Some 2 04 findings of this resea rch were

ta ken into a ccount in the dra fting of the 2 04 ver ion of BS 583 -6

So this specia l ca tegory of high risk dwel ngs could be req ired to ha ve

a utoma tic fire detection under power gra nted b legisla tion In 1 9 ,

further su port for the use of smok e a la rms a nd, in the ca se of certa in

dwel ngs,complete fire detection systems complying with BS 583 -1,ca me

in the form of BS 5 8 -1

2

, which recommended tha t self-conta ined smoke

a la rms (req irements for the perorma nce of which ha d be n incorpora ted

in BS 54 6-1

3

d ring the sa me yea r) or a BS 583 -1 system be insta lled in

a ll dwel ngs In 1 9 , BS 5 8 -1 wa s a mended to recommend tha t, in the

ca se of smok e a la rms, these should be ma ins-powered.For certa in dwel ngs

(sheltered housing, fla ts in a mixed user development tha t is protected b

a n a utoma tic fire detection a nd a la rm system a nd la rge priva te dwel ngs,

such a s country ma nsions), BS 5 8 -1 specifica lly recommended a fire

detection a nd a la rm system complying with BS 583 -1

However, undou tedly the grea test impetus to the future use of smok e

detection in dwel ngs ca me in the form of proposa ls tha t a ll new dwel ngs

should be req ired b legisla tion to be protected in this ma nner In 1 9 ,

the then MP for York , Mr Cona l Gregory, a ppa lled b the dea ths a nd injuries

in dwel ngs, introd ced a Priva te Member Bi , the Smoke Detector Bi ,

req iring smok e detection in a ll dwel ngs This Bi received a ll pa rty

su port, b t there wa s concern over a ny retrospective req irements tha t

it might conta in

Ultima tely, the Smok e Detector A ct 1 9 received the Roya l A ssent in

J ly of tha t yea r, a nd req ired tha t smok e detector be insta lled in a ll new

dwel ngs in Engla nd a nd Wa les However, the A ct wa s fa med in such a

wa y tha t it would be brou ht into efect only when the Home Sec eta ry

so determined b mea ns of a n order conta ined in a sta tutory instrument

The Government to k the view tha t the ma tter should be dea lt with b the

then Depa rtment of Environment throu h the Buiding Reg la tions, a nd

therefore no such sta tutory instrument ha s ever be n is ued; the Smok e

Detector A ct therefore rema ined in lmbo, a nd wa s never brou ht into

efect Ultima tely, in 2 0 , it wa s repea led b the Reg la tory Reform (Fire

Sa fety) Order 2 0

Instea d, the then DoE a ddres ed the ma tter of smoke detection in

dwel ngs a s pa rt of its revision of the Buiding Reg la tions a nd the

2

BS 5 8 -1:1 9 , Fir e pr eca tions in the de ign, c nstr uction an us o buidings – C ode o

pr act ic fr rsidential buidings (Now supe s ded b BS 9 9 )

3

BS 5 4 -1:1 9 , C omponent s o a tomatic fir e alar m s st ems fr r esidential prmiss –

Speification fr slf-c ntained smoke alarms an point-t ype smoke det ect or

g ida nce tha t su ports them The Buiding Reg la tions 1 9 , which ca me

into for e in Engla nd a nd Wa les in J ne 1 9 , req ired tha t a ll dwel ngs

should be provided with a deq a te mea ns of es a pe (Req irement B1

of Sched le 1 to the Reg la tions ma de this req irement in respect of

a ll b idings to which the Reg la tions a pply, except prisons) A pproved

Document B, which sup orts the Reg la tions b set ing out the norma l

mea ns of compla nce with their req irements, then specified tha t dwel ngs

should be protected b either a n a utoma tic fire detection a nd a la rm system

complying with the recommenda tions of BS 583 -1for a Ty e L3system or

be provided with a suita ble number of ma ins-opera ted smoke a la rms tha t

conform to BS 54 6-1

T ech ica lly, therefore, a t tha t time, there wa s not a specific req irement

within the Buiding Reg la tions (or a ny other legisla tion) in Engla nd

a nd Wa les to provide smok e detector in a ll new dwel ngs I wa s simply

the ca se tha t smok e detection wa s genera lly de med neces a ry to sa tis y

Req irement B1 The req irement for smok e detection did not, however,

sit comforta bly a s one of the provisions for a deq a te mea ns of es a pe

More ver, in the ry, it would ha ve be n a ccepta ble to demonstra te tha t

a deq a te mea ns of es a pe wa s provided b some other mea ns This

somewha t inelega nt mea ns b which smok e detection wa s req ired in

new dwel ngs in Engla nd a nd Wa les cea sed to exist a fter the yea r 2 0

In tha t yea r, a mendments to the Buiding Reg la tions 1 9 (which la ter

beca me the Buiding Reg la tions 2 0 ) incorpora ted a new Reg la tion B1,

which req ired tha t, in a ll premises within the s ope of the Reg la tions

(inclu ing dwel ngs), there must be not only a deq a te mea ns of es a pe in

ca se of fire, b t a lso a ppropria te provisions for the ea rly wa rning of fire

The req irement for fire detection systems in dwel ngs (a nd some form of

giving fire wa rning in a ll premises) thus beca me much more ex lcit

An amended Ap r ov ed Doc ument B (2 0 v er sion) c ontinued to pr ov id e

the su por ting g id anc e on the means of c omplanc e with Reg lati on B1

The g id nc e did , howev er, somewhat under mine BS 583 -6; ev en thou h

the g id nc e r efer r ed to BS 583 -6, as an alter nativ e to c omp anc e with the

Cod e Ap r ov ed Doc ument B ac c epted c omplanc e with 1 spec ific p r agr aphs

in the Ap r ov ed Doc ument (other than in the c ase of lar ge dwell ings, for

whic h a sy stem c omply ing with BS 583 -1 was ad v oc ated ) Of c our se, these

par agr aphs c an ot pos ibly r eflec t al the tec hnic al r ec ommend tions of

BS 583 -6, whi c h ha be n dev eloped pr imar ily to su por t the Buid ing

Reg lations

In Scotla nd, the situa tion wa s much simpler Smok e detection in new

dwel ngs wa s fir t req ired when the Buiding Sta nda rds (Scotla nd)

Reg la tions 1 9 were a mended b the Buiding Sta nda rds (Scotla nd)

A mendment Reg la tions 1 9 to inclu e a specific req irement tha t every

dwel ng be provided with a deq a te mea ns of wa rning the oc u a nts in

the event of fire (S bseq ent a mendments extended this to a ll residentia l

a ccommoda tion a nd enclosed shop ing centres, a nd then, la ter, to a ll

premises within the s ope of the Reg la tions.) The T ech ica l Sta nda rds

tha t then su ported the Reg la tions set out ‘de med to sa tis y’ sta nda rds

for the neces a ry fire detection These req irements were broa dly in lne

with the recommenda tions of BS 583 -6 for a Gra de D Ca tegory LD3

system (other tha n in the ca se of la rge dwel ngs, for which a BS 583 -1

system wa s req ired), b t a ll the recommenda tions of BS 583 -6 did not

ne d to be sa tis ied Instea d, the T ech ica l Sta nda rds simply set out a bout

ha lf a n A 4 pa ge of tech ica l req irements dra wn f om BS 583 -6

In Nor ther n Irela nd, the situa tion bega n a s something betwe n tha t in

England a nd Wa les and that in Scotland In 1 9 , the Buiding (Amendment)

Reg la tions (Northern Ireland) 1 9 a mended the Buiding Reg la tions

(Nor ther n Ireland) 1 9 to mak e spec ific and detailed req irements in

respect of smok e detec tion in dwel ngs These req uirements were, a gain,

simia r to the a dv ice contained in Approv ed Document B S bseq ently,

in the Buiding Reg lations (Northern Ireland) 1 94 (now the Buiding

Reg la tions (Northern Ireland) 2 0 ), the r eq irement was c a st in a more

functiona l for m, b t wa s sti more specific in rela tion to fire detection a nd

a larm than the Reg lations in Engla nd a nd Wales The then req irement

under the Reg la tions in Northern Ireland was tha t, fo a ll b idings, in

the ev ent of fir e, ther e must be adeq uate means of giving wa r ning a nd,

where appropria te, a deq a te means of automa tic detection The su porting

g ida nc e is set out in T ech ical Bo k let E 1 94 p blshed b the Depa r tment

of the Env ironment (Northern Irela nd) The approa c h wa s v ery simiar to

Approv ed Document B, in that, (othe tha n in large dwel ngs), it was

pos ible to folow just six para gra phs in the T ech ical Bo k let, r a ther than

a dopting BS 583 -6 in its entirety Howev er, a s in Sc otla nd, mains-opera ted

smok e a la r ms in new dwel ngs in Northern Ireland were r eq ired to ha v e a

stand y su ply, which wa s not then the case in Engla nd and Wa les

The thre sets of b iding reg la tions ga ve rise to certa in dificulties For

exa mple, the reference to a Ty e L3 system in a ccorda nce with BS 583 -1,

which oc ur ed in a ll thre su porting documents, impled tha t if, instea d of

smoke a la rms, a BS 583 -1 system is insta lled, detector should be insta lled

in a ll ro ms opening onto the cir ula tion a rea s, which could mea n virtua lly

a ll ro ms in the house Clea rly, this is not wha t wa s intended, since, in the

ca se of smok e a la rms, only the cir ula tion a rea s ne d to be protected to

sa tis y the req irements The problem a rose beca use L3 wa s the lowest lfe

sa fety designa tion recognized in BS 583 -1: 1 8 , b t, in order to protect

es a pe routes, tha t code a dvised tha t detector should be insta lled in a ll

ro ms a djoining the es a pe routes; this sta nda rd of protection wa s intended

for situa tions such a s hotel cor idor , ra ther tha n domestic b i dings

A more specific inconsistent deta il in these sets of Reg la tions wa s the

form of electrica l su ply to smok e a la rms A ll req ired ma ins-powered

devices b t, wherea s, a s noted a bove, in Scotla nd a nd Northern Irela nd

a sta nd y sup ly (ba ttery or ca pa citor) wa s req ired, in Engla nd a nd

Wa les ‘ma ins only’ smoke a la rms without a ny sta nd y su ply were

a ccepta ble BS 583 -6 led the wa y somewha t b recommending the

provision of a sta nd y su ply for smoke a la rms in a ll new dwel ngs, a nd

this recommenda tion wa s a dopted in the su seq ent revision of A pproved

Document B

Now, in 2 1 , a ll thre g ida nce documents tha t su port b iding

reg la tions in Engla nd, Wa les, Scotla nd a nd Northern Irela nd specify

tha t smok e a la rms in dwel ngs should be ma ins opera ted with a sta nd y

su ply The g ida nce documents continue to permit compla nce of smok e

a la rm insta lla tions with just the k ey points of BS 583 -6, which a re set out

in ea ch g ida nce document, a s op osed to ful compl a nce with BS 583 -6

In Engla nd a nd Wa les, in dwel ngs of more tha n one storey, with a ny

storey exce ding 2 0m

2

in a rea , a Gra de B system is specified b A pproved

Document B if the dwel ng ha s two storeys, or Gra de A if there a re thre or

more storeys (i.e smok e a la rms a re preclu ed) In pra ctice, a Gra de B or a

Gra de A system would be identica l Only in the ca se of la rge dwel ngs, with

one or more flo r over 2 0m

2

in a rea a nd thre or more flo r in tota l, a re

detector specified in a rea s other tha n cir ula tion a rea s The Ca tegory LD2

system specified for such dwel ngs wi ha ve detector in the k itchens a nd

principa l ha bita ble ro ms

In Northern Irela nd, the sta nda rd of fire detection specified for dwel ngs

in T ech ica l Bo k let E, which su ports the Buiding Reg la tions (Northern

Irela nd) is higher tha n spec ified for Engla nd a nd Wa les in A pproved

Document B A s wel a s smok e detector in cir ula tion spa ces, T ech ica l

Bo k let E specifies a hea t a la rm in ea ch k itchen a nd a smok e a la rm in

the principa l ha bita ble ro ms This a ccords with the recommenda tions of

BS 583 -6, wherea s a lower sta nda rd is a ccepted in Engla nd a nd Wa les

However, a s in A pproved Document B, T ech ica l Bo k let E permits

compla nce with specified tech ica l deta ils rega rding insta lla tion ma tter ,

siting of detector , etc, ra the tha n ful compla nce with BS 583 -6 For

la rge houses (of more tha n 2 0m

2

on a ny storey), T ech ica l Bo klet E

ma k es the sa me recommenda tions as A pproved Document B

In Scotla nd, the g ida nce in the T ech ica l Ha nd o k tha t su ports the

Buiding (Scotla nd) Reg la tions is simia r to tha t in Northern Irela nd, in

tha t, a s recommended in BS 583 -6, the g ida nce specifies hea t detector

in k itchens a nd smoke detector in the principa l ha bita ble ro m A ga in, the

use of a Gra de D system of smoke a la rms is lmited to dwel ngs with no

storey grea ter tha n 2 0m

2

in a rea However, in contra st with the g ida nce

in Engla nd, Wa les a nd Northern Irela nd, there is no definite g ida nce on

the systems tha t should be insta lled in la rger dwel ngs I is left to the

designer a s to wha t is a ppropria te for compla nce with the Reg la tions in

these cir umsta nces

Rega rdles of the va ria tions in the g ida nce under b iding reg la tions

a cros the UK, the recognition of the ne d for smok e detection in new

dwel ngs under leg isla tion en a nced the sta tus of domestic smoke

detection a s a n es entia l lfe sa fety mea sure Since 1 87, the per enta ge of

homes in Engla nd a nd Wa les protected b smok e a la rms ha s risen f om 9%

to 82%, a lthou h this is ob iously more the result of p blc ed ca tion a nd

a wa renes tha n new house b iding per s

The ma ins-opera ted smok e a la rms specified in the Reg la tions beca me

rea diy a va ila ble in the la tter ha lf of the 1 80s, a nd ha ve clea rly ma de

a n importa nt contrib tion to detector rela bi ty A Home Ofice stu y of

ba ttery-opera ted smoke a la rms in 1 ,0 0 houses in the T a meside Region

of Grea ter Ma nchester showed tha t, thre yea rs a fter insta lla tion, 1 %

of smok e a la rms were inefective In 3 % of these ca ses, ba tteries were

either mis ing or fla t I is now genera lly a ccepted tha t ma ins-opera ted

devices with a sta nd y su ply domina te sa les, pa rticula rly a mongst loca l

a uthorities, for whose housing stock BS 583 -6 recommends a ga inst

ba ttery-opera ted smok e a la rms, even for retrofit ing, except in the ca se

of single-storey dwel ngs, such a s fla ts a nd b nga lows, for which smok e

a la rms powered b ‘long lfe’ ba tteries a re considered a ccepta ble

A s a code of pra ctice, BS 583 -6 in genera l simply reflects go d sta nda rds

of custom a nd pra ctice in the ma rk etpla ce toda y However, in a number

of respects it a lso ‘p shes out the boa t’ in terms of a number of a spects

of design, with the intent of moving domestic fire detection forwa rd For

exa mple, concepts fir t introd ced in the 1 9 ver ion of the Code inclu e

the use of minisystems (a s op osed p rely to self-conta ined smok e a la rms),

integra ted fire a nd intru er a la rm systems, wireles (ra dio-ba sed) systems

a nd, in terms of system per orma nce, bet er designed insta lla tions tha t wi

be les sus eptible to fa lse a la rms There is now much grea ter empha sis on

a voida nce of fa lse a la rms in the cur ent edition of the Code

In the 2 04 ver ion of BS 583 -6, the much grea ter specifica tion of

sta nd y power su ples for ma ins-opera ted smok e a la rms is one exa mple

of the ma nner in which domestic fire detection moved further forwa rd a s

a result of the revision of BS 583 -6 Perha ps more importa ntly, the 2 04

ver ion of the Code recommended tha t, for a ll new dwel ngs, detector

should be insta lled not just in the cir ula tion a rea s, b t in the k itchen

a nd the ‘principa l ha bita ble ro m’ (i.e norma l lving ro m) This further

improves the sta nda rd of fire protection in new dwel ngs a t a lmost

neglgible cost Unfortuna tely, a s noted ea rler, whie this recommenda tion

ha s be n a dopted to the g ida nce tha t su ports b i ding reg la tions in

Scotla nd a nd Northern Irela nd, it ha s not be n a dopted in the g ida nce

tha t su ports the Buiding Reg la tions 2 1 in Engla nd a nd Wa les, which

sti a dvoca tes only smoke detector in the cir ula tion a rea s of a norma

l-sized dwel ing

In 2 1 , the cur ent ver ion of BS 583 -6 incorpora ted new g ida nce

on fire a la rm systems in sheltered housing A s pa rt of this g ida nce, a n

en a nced sta nda rd of protection is a dvoca ted for ea ch dwel ng unit in

sheltered housing, recognizing the v lnera bi ty of residents in these

dwel ngs A lthou h, a t the time of writing, these new recommenda tions a re

not yet incorpora ted in the g ida nce tha t su ports b iding reg la tions, it

is to be hoped tha t, a s in other respects dis us ed a bove, tha t g ida nce wi ,

in the future, be a mended to reflect the recommenda tions of BS 583 -6

In the UK, the pa ce of development in the use of domestic smok e detection

ha s be n ra pid, with ba ttery-opera ted smok e a la rms, which were q ite

‘new fa ngled ga dgets’ to most pe ple only a deca de a go, now begin ing to

lo k a lmost old fa shioned There is no dou t tha t the next deca de wi se

further significa nt developments in the technolog a nd pra ctices a ssocia ted

with domestic fire detection

The a t ho is grateful to the fl owin peo le fr inf r mation on the histor y

o dome tic fir e dete t ion sta dar ds in the USA:

Mr R W Buk wski, Senio Re ear ch En ine r at he Nation l Institute o

Sta dar ds a d Te h ology’ s Bui din a d Fir Re ear h Lab r ator y in

Gaither sbur g, MD, USA

Mr L Rich r dson, Senio Ele t rical En ine r, National Fir e Pr ote tion

As ociation

Ms M Ahr ens, Fir e An lysis Spe ial st, National Fir e Pr ote tion

As ociation

The recommenda tions of BS 583 -6 ba sica lly a pply to a ny form of fire

detection insta lled in a ny premises tha t would, in common pa rla nce (a s

op osed to a strict lega l context), be des ribed a s a house or dwel ng, with

the pos ible exception of some houses tha t a re converted into hostelty e

a ccommoda tion, a nd in sheltered housing s hemes There wi certa inly be

very few, if a ny, forms of conventiona l single-fa miy (or ‘single-household’)

a ccommoda tion tha t do not come within the s ope of the Code, whether

or not such units a re independent, or pa rt of la rger premises More ver,

unlk e ma ny British Sta nda rds, which a re clea rly not intended to be

retrospective, this Code gives g ida nce on the protection of existing, a s wel

a s new, dwel ngs However, nowhere do s the Code su gest tha t existing

fire detection a nd a la rm systems in dwel ngs should be u gra ded I is

more the ca se, therefore, tha t the retrospective na ture of the Code rela tes

to new fire detection systems for existing dwel ngs

The ‘systems’ covered by the Code

Let us consider fir t thou h the forms of fire detection to which the Code

a pples Before we a ctua lly open the Code to rea d it, the use of the term ‘fire

detection a nd fire a la rm systems’ in the title might, a t fir t, mislea d us; we

might thin tha t the Code a pples only to ‘systems’ in the sense tha t the

term is used in BS 583 -1, i.e systems comprising control a nd indica ting

eq ipment,fire detector a nd independent a la rm sounder In fa ct,nothing

could be further f om the truth, a s is impled, if not ex res ly sta ted, in

the Foreword to the Code, which ex la ins tha t BS 583 -1 do s not provide

recommenda tions for fire detection a nd fire a la rm systems in dwel ngs

However, the very fir t cla use of BS 583 -6 removes a ny a mbig ity

Cla use 1 (Scope) a dvises tha t the ‘systems’ covered b the Code ra nge f om

a single self-conta ined smok e a la rm (which could be ba ttery-opera ted) to

complete systems of the ty e to which BS 583 -1 a pples More ver, lest it

be thou ht tha t the a pplca tion of the word ‘system’ to a single ba

ttery-opera ted smok e a la rm is something of a contra diction, it should be pointed

out tha t the term ‘fire detection a nd fire a la rm system’ is defined in

cla use 3 (Definitions) The definition for the p rpose of BS 583 -6 is a :

‘system tha t comprises a mea ns for a utoma tica lly detecting one of

the cha ra cteristic phenomena of fire a nd a mea ns for providing a

wa rning to oc u a nts

A note to the definition ma k es it clea r tha t this definition is intended to

inclu e ‘systems’ tha t comprise one or more smok e a la rms a s wel a s, of

cour e, the ‘systems’ to which the term is more commonly a ppled

A n importa nt point to note f om cla use 1 is tha t the recommenda tions

of the Code ma y be a ppled to the fire detection pa rt of a combined fire/

intru er a la rm system or a fire/socia l a la rm system (Socia l a la rm systems

a re a la rm systems insta lled in the homes of elderly a nd disa bled pe ple to

ena ble them to summon help in a n emergency.) This is importa nt to note

beca use we ma y wel se much grea ter use of such integra ted systems,

pa rticula rly those integra ting fire a nd intru er detection, in the future

This wi , a rg a bly, be a very go d thing beca use it could potentia lly

ena ble us to ha ve slghtly more sophistica ted domestic fire detection

systems, with a higher degre of monitoring a nd control, on the ba ck of the

intru er a la rm system tha t oc u ier wi much more rea diy insta ll After

a ll, the p blc per eive b rgla ry a s a much grea ter risk tha n fire a nd, in the

sense of the grea ter cha nce of oc ur ence, they a re proba bly cor ect in this

per eption Intru er a la rm systems a re no longer a n a cces ory of the la rge

houses of the rich – just count the bel boxes in a ny ty ica l row of ba ck to

ba ck s in a ny la rge town Beca use of the ma ss ma rk et, the cost of control

pa nels ha s drop ed considera bly

Unfortuna tely, the p blc per eption of fire risk is unlkely to c ea te

a ma ss ma rket for domestic fire a la rm control pa nels (a lthou h such a

pa nel is des ribed in a n A nnex to BS 583 -6) However, fire detection a s

a va lue a dded fa ci ty in a n intru er a la rm system is lk ely to prove more

a ttra ctive, with no ne d for sepa ra te control pa nels, a nd the pos ibi ty,

should it be desira ble, for remote tra nsmis ion of fire a la rm signa ls to a n

a la rm compa ny monitoring centre S ch integra tion is not entirely without

certa in tech ica l obsta cles, owing to the diferences betwe n this Code

a nd those dea ling with intru er a la rm systems These wi be considered

in a la ter cha pter, b t they a re not insurmounta ble; the ba sic phiosophy

should, however, be tha t the integrity of the fire detection a nd a la rm

a rra ngements should not, a s a result of the integra tion, be red ced below

the sta nda rds a dvoca ted b BS 583 -6

The Code do s not specifica lly refer, in the s ope, to integra tion of fire

detection with other ty es of a la rm system, b t presuma bly this would be

eq a lly a ccepta ble, su ject to simia r sa feg a rds to protect the integrity

of the fire detection a rra ngements In the very long term, we ma y se

systems in which, for exa mple, a ny permuta tion fom the folowing could

In high-tech homes of the future, the fire detection might even be integra ted

with b iding control a nd monitoring systems

The properties covered by the Code

Now, turning to the ty pes of premises tha t come within the s ope of

the Code, c la use 1 indicates tha t these inclu e, b t presumably a re not

restricted to, the folowing:

perma nently mo red boa ts used solely a s residentia l premises

In iv id a l Flats, maiso et es a d sheltered ho sing

In the case of flats and ma isonet es used fo general housing, the Code mak es

it q uite clea r that its rec ommendations only apply to the individ a l dwel ng

units and not to a ny communa l pa rts This is because, in the c a se of block s

of flats and ma isonet es, complanc e with b iding reg la tions neces ita tes

tha t each dwel ng unit is constructed a s a fir e resisting enc losure The

implc a tions of this are tha t, in the ev ent of a fire in, sa y, a single flat within

a block of fla ts, ev er y other flat should usually be a place of r ela tiv e safety,

and c omplete ev a c uation of the block wi not nor mally be nec es ary, ev en

if, when the do r of the flat with the fire is opened, some smok e enter the

c ommunal esc a pe routes The esc a pe routes themselves should, of c our se,

be sterie a rea s, devoid of a ny comb stible ma teria ls Thus, in the event of a

fir e, a ll residents, other tha n those in a dwel ng in whic h fire starts, should

be safe to rema in within their own flat This is norma lly des ribed as a ‘stay

p t’ polc y If there is a ne d for further residents to ev a c uate, this is then

initia ted b the fire and resc ue serv ice

Therefore, fire detection systems a re not norma lly insta lled throughout

the communa l a rea s of fla ts a nd ma isonet es (The only oc a siona l

exceptions might be old block s of fla ts with insuficient compa rtmenta tion

to su port a ‘sta y p t’ polcy.) Inde d, a communa l fire a la rm system in a

block of fla ts ca n a ctua lly result in a certa in a mount of da nger to oc u a nts,

b ca using un eces a ry eva cua tion, perha ps, in the ca se of a n a ctua l fire,

into a smoke-fi ed cor idor or sta ir a se A further pra ctica l considera tion is

tha t, unles there is a 24 hour concierge or simia r a rra ngement, there ma y

be no responsible per on to ta k e cha rge of the system, sience a nd reset

a la rms or investiga te a la rm conditions

Thus, a lthou h BS 583 -6 do s not specifica lly recommend a ga inst the

insta lla tion of a fire detection a nd a la rm system in the communa l pa rts

of fla ts a nd ma isonet es (b t BS 9 9

4

do s recommend a ga inst this), it

exclu es a ny such system f om its s ope Most pe ple who die fom fires in

block s of fla ts a nd ma isonet es do so because of a fire in their own dwel ng

Avoida nce of these dea ths ca n be a chieved simply b insta lla tion of smok e

a la rms in the fla ts or ma isonet es (a nd this is precisely wha t BS 583 -6

recommends in a la ter cla use)

In the c a se of sheltered housing, logic might dic ta te tha t a simiar situa tion

apples In sheltered housing, ea c h fla t is designed a s a fir e-resisting ‘box’

in exa ctly the same wa y a s a flat in a genera l ne ds block of fla ts In v ery

simple sheltered housing bloc k s with no c ommunal faci ties, a rc hitec tura lly,

the b iding is more o les indisting ishable f om a gener a l ne ds bloc k of

flats, a nd then ther e is no ne d fo a communa l fire a la rm sy stem However,

more commonly nowa da y s, sheltered housing is often prov ided with v a rious

c ommunal fa c ilties, such a s la undries a nd lounges; the c ommon pa rts may

also be les sterie tha n those of a general ne ds block to prov ide a more

4

BS 9 9 :2 1 , C ode o pr actic fr fir safty in t he deign, mana ement an us o

rsiden al buidings

homely environment b the prov ision of items, suc h as ta bles or chair s In

a ddition, there is often a n ofice for a wa r den or sc heme ma na ger

Accor dingly, it is c ommonly appropria te for a c ommunal fir e a la r m

sy stem to be provided in modern sheltered housing In a ddition, fo rea sons

dis us ed la ter in this g ide, in shelter ed housing, it is rec ognized pra c tice

fo fire a la r m signals (both fom the fla ts themselv es and, where there is a

communa l sy stem, fr om the c ommon parts) to be tr a nsmit ed a utoma tically

to an a la r m r eceiving c entre In the 1 9 and 2 04 editions of BS 583 -6,

a ny fire alarm sy stem within the c ommon parts of sheltered housing was

outside the s ope of the standa rd The sy stem would have be n c overed b

BS 583 -1 Howev er, in the 2 1 edition, there wa s a major c ha nge in the

s ope of BS 583 -6 (a nd a cor responding c ha nge in the s ope of BS 583 -1)

In the 2 1 edition, the fire a la rm sy stems in both the flats themselves a nd

a ll common a r ea s ( o the extent tha t a sy stem is neces a ry in the c ommon

pa r ts) fa lls within the sc ope of BS 583 -6, and any sy stem within the c ommon

pa r ts no longer les within the s ope of BS 583 -1 ( hou h the Grade A

sy stem wi be one to which the v a st ma jority of the recommenda tions of

BS 583 -1 apples) This c ha nge wa s ma de in 2 1 as a result of recognition

b the BSI tec hnic a l c ommit e of the change in the na ture of sheltered

housing ov er r ecent y ears and the la ck of consistent g ida nce in other codes

of practice and g idance doc uments In this cur ent g ide, a new cha pter

on sheltered housing has be n inc lu ed to ex lain the ba ck ground to this

cha nge of s ope in BS 583 -6, and to ex la in the phiosophy behind the

a ssoc ia ted rec ommendations inc orpora ted in the 2 1 edition

Ho ses in multiple oc u atio

In the ca se of houses in multiple oc u a tion, a diferent situa tion perta ins

These properties a re usua lly la rge single-fa mi y houses tha t ha ve be n

converted for multiple oc u a tion ( f the property were p rpose b it for

multiple oc u a tion in the form of numerous single-fa miy dwel ng units,

it would, of cour e, more lk ely be rega rded a s a block of fla ts a nd not

a n HMO.) The integrity of fire resisting ba rrier ma y not, in pra ctice, be

such tha t ea ch unit of a ccommoda tion ca n be trea ted a s a pla ce of sa fety

Therefore, the house must be trea ted a s a single protected premises

A ccordingly, where the Code a pples to a n HMO, the entire premises, a nd

their fire detection req irements, a re a ddres ed b the Code

However, not a ll HMOs come within the s ope of the Code I is often

convenient to divide HMOs into two distinct ca tegories, na mely those

comprising a number of self-conta ined dwel ngs a nd those of the hostel

ty e I wa s found convenient to recognize this distinction in BS 583 -6,

not lea st beca use the ra nge of premises tha t ca n be rega rded a s a n HMO

a re q ite wide, a nd the lmits a re not wel defined (A go d la wyer ca n

ha ppiy whie a wa y ma ny a n hour proving or disproving tha t a property is

a n HMO!) Premises tha t a re clea rly HMOs, or a re norma lly trea ted (rightly

or wrongly) b some a uthorities a s HMOs, inclu e houses su -divided into

fla ts, youth hostels, hostels for homeles pe ple, homes for women who

ha ve sufered domestic violence, houses sha red b stu ents, a nd stu ent

hostels within a univer ity ca mp s

Clea rly, some of the exa mples given a bove a re not simia r in na ture

to properties tha t we genera lly thin of a s a house; some ma y a ctua lly

be p rpose b it for their present use a nd ma y never even ha ve sta rted

lfe a s a la rge single-fa miy home For those a t one end of the ra nge, the

hostel ike properties, BS 583 -1 a ppea rs to give a deq a te a dvice on fire

detection a nd a la rm systems Inde d, there ma y only be a fine dividing

lne betwe n some of these premises a nd conventiona l hotels, for which

BS 583 -1 is idea l Since there is no ea sy lne to dra w betwe n one

property of the hostel ty e a nd a nother, BS 583 -6 exclu es a ll HMOs of

the hostel ty e f om its s ope

However, HMOs comprising properties in which pe ple lve in

self-conta ined single-fa miy fla ts or ma isonet es a re within the s ope of

the Code Ma ny of these properties ha ve some rea diy identifia ble fa ctor

tha t a re common to fla ts (e.g the ne d to provide wa rning to oc u a nts

in the event of a fire in their own a ccommoda tion, the rela tively

long-term oc u a tion b oc u ier of dwel ng units, the potentia l a bsence of

inter-rela tions betwe n oc u a nts of diferent independent lving units, the

a bsence of su ervision, the a bsence of a nyone to ta k e cha rge in the event

of a fire wa rning, etc.), whie reta ining some fa ctor tha t would a lso ha ve

be n releva nt to the origina l house prior to its su -division (e.g the ne d to

provide wa rning before fire a ffects the communa l es a pe routes) The lk ely

a bsence of su ervision, a nd of a responsible per on to monitor the a la rm

system a nd ta k e cha rge in the event of a n a la rm signa l, a lone give rise to

specia l considera tions in the design of fire detection a nd a la rm systems In

the ca se of properties of this ty e, BS 583 -1 ma y not, therefore, a lwa ys

provide suficient g ida nce

I is a pprecia ted tha t cir umsta nces wi a rise in which it is not entirely

clea r a s to whether a house should be rega rded a s a hostel or a s a number

of self-conta ined dwel ngs This ca n sometimes a rise in the ca se of certa in

stu ent a ccommoda tion However, in most ca ses, simple common sense wi

dicta te which des ription is more a ppropria te a nd, therefore, whether the

a ppropria te code of pra ctice is Pa rt 1 or Pa rt 6 of BS 583 In a ny ca se, the

sa me diemma ca n a rise in the more broa d a pplca tion of fire legisla tion

to such premises, a nd so dificulties of interpreta tion a re not, therefore,

uniq e to fire detection a nd a la rm considera tions

In pr oviding tec hnic a l g idance, howev er, BS 583 -6 tends to regard

houses shared b not mor e than six residents, lv ing together a s a single

household, a s eq ivalent to a single-fa miy dwel ng house, in tha t the

recommenda tions of the Code for single-famiy dwel ngs a lso apply to these

dwel ngs A classic exa mple of suc h a dwel ng is one shared b stu ents

Howev er, ev en wher e c a re is pr ovided to some of the six residents, the Code

trea ts the premises a s a dwel ng (as op osed to, say, a residentia l c a re home,

fo which, clearly, the r ecommenda tions of BS 583 -1 would generally be

more appropria te) The same a ppr oa ch is a dopted to single-fa miy dwel ngs

with long-term lod er s, a s resea rc h ha s tended to indicate that the risk to

the oc cu a nts f om fire is not significantly diferent fr om tha t in a ny ty pica l

single-fa miy dwel ng house

The a bove interpreta tion of the s ope of the Code is a lso reflected in

clause 3, in which a dwel ng is defined, for the p rpose of interpreting BS

583 -6, a s a :

‘unit of residentia l a ccommoda tion oc u ied (whether or not a s a sole

or ma in residence):

a ) b a single per on or b pe ple lving together a s a fa miy; or

b) b not mor e than six r esidents lv ing togethe as a single

household, inc lu ing a household wher e c ar e is pr ov ided fo r esidents;

or

c) b per ons who do not lve together a s a fa miy, b t who lve

in self-conta ined single-fa miy fla ts, ma isonet es or bedsits within

the unit

NHS supp r ed l ving in the community

The des ription ‘NHS su ported lving in the community’ coincides with

the des ription in the title of a document p blshed b the Depa rtment of

Hea lth in Engla nd a nd Wa les giving g ida nce on fire preca utions in such

properties I a pples to community-ba sed premises providing ‘su ported

lving’ for pe ple who ha ve lea rning dificulties or menta l i nes , inclu ing

those with physica l ha ndica p These properties might be rega rded a s a k in

to a n HMO , b t, in view of the specia l fire problems a ssocia ted with the

oc u a nts’ disa bi ties, it is a ppropria te to folow the ta ilor-ma de a nd

deta iled g ida nce conta ined in the Depa rtment of Hea lth document,

Hea lth T ech ica l Memora nd m 8 (HTM 8 ), one of the suite of documents

dea ling with fire sa fety in hea lth ca re premises p blshed under the generic

title Firecode ( n fa ct, HTM 8 a dvises tha t, a lthou h such premises do

not constitute a n HMO , the sta nda rds a dvoca ted in HTM 8 would me t

req irements for HMOs, imposed b loca l a uthorities.)

HTM 8 tech ica lly a pples only to properties with no a ccommoda tion

on a flo r more tha n two flo r a bove the ground or a cces level HTM

8 a lso a ssumes tha t the premises wi be oc u ied b no more tha n six

residents However, BS 583 -6 do s give g ida nce on fire detection a nd

a la rm systems for la rger properties of the sa me na ture The g ida nce in

the Code on the sta nda rd of protection a fforded to properties within the

s ope of HTM 8 is broa dly consistent with the g ida nce in HTM 8 For

properties outside the s ope of HTM 8 a higher sta nda rd of system is

recommended b BS 583 -6

Mobie homes a d other forms of dwel ng

For the p rpose of BS 583 -6, a mobie home is defined a s a :

‘tra nsporta ble unit of lving a ccommoda tion tha t do s not me t the

req irements for construction a nd use of roa d vehicles b t tha t

reta ins mea ns for mobi ity

This somewha t convoluted des ription is ba sed on definitions within other

British Sta nda rds releva nt to such a ccommoda tion

I should be noted, however, tha t the Code exclu es ca ra va ns f om

its s ope Other premises exclu ed f om the s ope inclu e hostels a nd

communa l pa rts of block s of fla ts or ma isonet es (a s a lrea dy dis us ed),

a nd boa ts (other tha n perma nently mo red boa ts used solely a s residentia l

premises)

Scope of protection: l fe and property

Most of the recommenda tions of the Code a re concerned principa lly with the

protection of lfe However, the Code do s a lso a ddres property protection

This wa s pos ibly a lt le controver ia l when the fir t (1 9 ) ver ion of

the Code wa s relea sed for p blc comment At tha t time, BSI req ested

pa rticula r comment on whether it should inclu e recommenda tions for

property protection The genera l consensus wa s tha t it should do so

Considera tion wa s given to p l ng a ll such recommenda tions together

into one section, b t, in pra ctice, this is proba bly not neces a ry, a s

recommenda tions specific only to property protection a re not extensive

More ver, for protection of la rge properties, the Code a dvoca tes tha t the

fire detection a nd a la rm insta lla tions should conform to the releva nt

recommenda tions of BS 583 -1

Use of BS 5839-6 systems in workplaces

W hen the Code wa s fir t p blshed in 1 9 , there wa s no intention tha t its

recommenda tions should be a ppled to pla ces of work (other tha n, perha ps,

in the ca se of some ne work ing f om their home) However, without a ny

rea l reference to the BSI Commit e responsible for the Code, other

prod ced g ida nce on fire protection of sma ll workpla ces tha t ma kes

reference to the use of BS 583 -6 systems

Phiosophica lly, there must, of cour e, be some very sma ll work pla ces, in

which one or two interln ed smok e a la rms might be sa tisa ctory – perha ps

a s a mea ns of wa rning to the oc u a nts of a sma ll, celula r ofice tha t there

is a fire in a n outer ofice, throu h which they must pa ss to es a pe If the

premises a re so sma ll tha t no electrica l fire a la rm system is neces a ry

(beca use word of mouth would, otherwise, be a suita ble mea ns of wa rning

in the event of fire), it might be unrea sona ble to ex ect a complete fire

a la rm system to be insta lled for the a bove p rpose (Even then, a rg a bly to

sa tis y the Hea lth a nd Sa fety (Sa fety Signs a nd Signa ls) Reg la tions 1 9 ,

which, efectively, req ire tha t fire a la rm systems in work pla ces req ire a

sta nd y power su ply, the smok e a la rm(s) would ne d to be ma ins-opera ted

with a sta nd y ba ttery or ca pa citor.)

The problem with for mal rec ognition of BS 583 -6 sy stems for use in

work places is that it becomes something of a ‘thin end of the wed e’ There

is ser ious potentia l fo employ er to then install smok e a la rms or other

for ms of BS 583 -6sy stems a s a chea p, su -sta ndard alternative in premises

that uneq ivoc a lly req uire a pr oper fire ala rm sy stem c omply ing with

BS 583 -1 (The author ha s even enc ountered the use of domestic smok e

a larms in pa rt of a large warehouse!) T o a v oid this situa tion, BS 583 -6

exc lu es fr om its s ope any premises used for p rposes other tha n as a

dwel ng, suc h as sma ll shops, factor ies or simia r premises used solely

a s a place of wor k Giv en this exc lusion with BS 583 -6, it would se m

ina ppropriate for a ny other g ida nc e doc ument to adv oca te the use of

BS 583 -6 sy stems in work pla ces, or for spec ifications fo fir e detection

sy stems in work pla c es to call for c ompla nc e with BS 583 -6 I is thus the

responsibi ty of any pa rty proposing the use of smok e alarms, for example,

to justify their use; it is lk ely tha t such applc a tions wi be v er y lmited

For w hom is the Code intended?

W hen rea ding BS 583 -6, it is worth remembering tha t its recommenda tions,

which dea l with ma ny q ite complex a nd engine ring-rela ted ma tter ,

a re not intended for the householder Cla use 1 ma k es clea r tha t they

a re intended for a rchitects a nd other b iding profes iona ls, enfor ing

a uthorities, contra ctor a nd other responsible for implementing fire

preca utions in dwel ngs However, those writing g ida nce for householder

in the form of, sa y, instructions provided with smok e a la rms should ta k e

a ccount of the Code’s recommenda tions (pa rticula rly cla use 24 which

dea ls with user instructions) in their g ida nce There wi sti , of cour e,

be a ne d for documents such a s the Government’s ‘Smok e A la rms in the

Home’ which give simple g ida nce to householder I ma y be neces a ry,

nevertheles , for such documents to be u da ted to ta k e a ccount of the

Code’s recommenda tions

Sinc e the 2 04 v er sion, BS 583 -6 has be n set out in ‘pr act ic spe ificat ion’

for mat In this for ma t, ea c h c lause begins with a ‘Commenta r y ’, folowed

b the ac tual r ecommendations themselv es T o disting ish betwe n the

c ommentary and the rec ommendations, the c ommenta r y is wr it en in italic s,

whie the rec ommendations are wr it en in nor mal standard Roman text

The p rpose of the commenta ry is to provide ba ckground informa tion

on the principles a ssocia ted with the topic tha t is the su ject ma tter of

the cla use in q estion I is writ en in something of a na rra tive style a nd

conta ins no specific or positive recommenda tions Thus, for exa mple,

to a void confusion, the word ‘should’ is not used in the commenta ry, a s

this verb is reserved for the recommenda tions; ra ther, the wording used

conta ins phra ses such a s ‘it ne ds to be ensured’ ‘it is a ppropria te’ etc

For the contra ctor who wishes, simply, to comply with the recommenda tions

of the Code a nd is not concerned with the whys a nd wherefores of the

underlying phiosophy, there should be a bsolutely no ne d to rea d a ny

of the commenta ry Simia rly, if a ny od , such a s a n enfor ing a uthority,

third-pa rty certifica tion bod or representa tive of the user or p r ha ser, is

ca rrying out a n a udit of compla nce with the Code, the a udit should only be

a ga inst the recommenda tions of the Code a nd not the commenta ry In this

sense, compla nce with the commenta ry do s not a rise

The commenta ry is, however, useful for those who wa nt a grea ter insight

into the recommenda tions S ch insight might a ctua lly be neces a ry in

situa tions in which strict compla nce with the recommenda tions is dificult,

b t there is a desire to sti me t the spirit of the recommenda tions Thus,

in considering whether a ‘va ria tion’f om the recommenda tions of the Code

is a ccepta ble, reference ma y ne d to be ma de to the commenta ry

Turning to the recommenda tions themselves, these a re rela tively short

a nd, for ea se of reference, ea ch a nd every recommenda tion is numbered

This a ssists those who wish to c ea te checklsts for compla nce with the

Code a nd to refer to a specific recommenda tion when highlghting a ny a rea

of non-compla nce

Unlke BS 583 -1, which is su -divided into seven sections tha t ‘overla y’

the conventiona l su -division into cla uses, BS 583 -6 is simply divided into

2 cla uses, with six su porting a nnexes Some cla uses cover ma tter tha t

wa rra nt a n entire section of BS 583 -1, reflecting the simpler na ture of the

systems genera lly insta lled in dwel ngs A contra st ma y a lso be dra wn with

BS583 -1, in tha t diferent sections in tha t Code a re intended for diferent

pa rties, such a s the designer, the insta ller, etc However, it is lk ely tha t the

entire rea der hip for whom BS 583 -6 is intended should proba bly rea d

virtua lly a ll cla uses tha t a pply to the Ca tegory a nd Gra de of system, a nd

to the property with which they a re concerned This is beca use, for ma ny

BS 583 -6 systems, the designer, insta ller a nd commis ioning orga niza tion

wi be the sa me pa rty

In the folowing pa ra gra phs, ea ch cla use a nd a nnex is reviewed a nd

importa nt a spects tha t wi be dis us ed in la ter cha pter of this g ide

a re highlghted

The s ope of the Code wa s dis us ed a t length in the previous cha pter A s

noted in tha t cha pter, cla use 1 des ribes the ty es of property for which

recommenda tions a re provided a nd the ty es of fire detection system

covered This cla use a lso outlnes the ty es of property tha t a re outside the

s ope of the Code The intended rea der hip of the Code is defined, a s is the

s ope of protection for which recommenda tions a re given, na mely property

protection a s wel a s lfe sa fety

2 Normative references

The v a rious othe p blcations to whic h BS 583 -6 refer c a n be su -div ided

into two grou s, na mely ‘Normative’ references a nd ‘Biblography ’ The la tter

is dis us ed at the end of this chapter ‘Norma tiv e’ refer ences are basic a lly

other standa rds and c odes tha t prov ide req irements or rec ommendations

tha t should be folowed Fa ilure to comply with a norma tiv e refer ence is

eq iv a lent to failure to c omply with BS 583 -6, since nor mative references,

in efect, form part of the Code All exc ept one of these are, in this c a se,

BSI p blca tions

The norma tive references incorpora ted within the Code a re set out in

cla use 2 If the norma tive reference inclu es a da te, only the edition of tha t

da te a pples If the reference is unda ted in the Code, the la test edition of

the document a pples, together with a ny a mendments

Sinc e most nor mativ e r efer enc es in the Code ar e undated, this means that,

ov er a per iod of time, the r ec ommend tions of BS 583 -6 c ould c hange su tly,

bec ause of c hanges to the r ec ommendations o r eq uir ements c ontained in

nor mativ e r efer enc es I is, ther efor e, impor tant that user s of the Cod e ensur e

that they r efe to the latest v er sion of und ted nor mativ e r efer enc es

3 Definitio s

Cla use 3 defines the mea nings of 3 terms used in BS 583 -6, as they ar e

to be u de st ood fr the pur pos o inter pr etin the C ode Perha ps the most

importa nt is the definition of dwel ng since this helps define the s ope of

the Code; this ha s a lrea dy be n dis us ed in the previous cha pter

In ma ny ca ses, the definitions used a re those conta ined in British

Sta nda rds or other codes, so ensuring consistency Where this is not the

ca se, a nd the definition given is uniq e to BS 583 -6, significa nt diferences

betwe n the BS 583 -6 definition a nd tha t in other codes a re highlghted

This oc ur , for exa mple, in the ca se of the definition of monitored

wiring For the p rpose of BS 583 -6, monitored wiring is genera lly wiring

in which a n open cir uit results in a fa ult wa rning, wherea s a short cir uit

results in either a fa ult wa rning or a fire wa rning This contra sts with the

definition given in BS 583 -1, which is such tha t, in monitored wiring, a

fa ult wa rning (a nd not a fire wa rning) results f om both open a nd short

cir uit fa ults; monitoring, a s defined in BS 583 -1 is, in fa ct, recommended

for some systems in BS 583 -6 ( f this a ppea rs to be confusing, a ll should

become clea r in la ter pa rts of the Code a nd this g ide!)

Most of the definitions merely forma lize the common under ta nding of

the terms in q estion, a nd they wi be fa mi a r to most user of the Code

However, a sma ll number of definitions determine in some su tle b t

importa nt ma nner the wa y in which the Code is to be under to d One

exa mple, the definition of monitored wiring, ha s a lrea dy be n dis us ed

Perha ps the most significa ntly su tle of the other definitions is the

definition of fire risk There is a tendency for the terms risk a nd ha za rd

to be used, q ite incor ectly, in fire protection a s thou h they a re

synonymous The u iq itous ‘fire risk a sses ment’ tha t modern fire sa fety

legisla tion req ires a lso often highlghts the fa ct tha t diferent pe ple

mea n diferent things when they ta lk a bout ‘fire risk ’ – ha rdly helpful if

we a re to communica te suc es fuly with ea ch other on ma tter perta ining

to a voida nce, or a sses ment, of fire risk BS 583 -6 ma k es it clea r tha t, for

the p rpose of this document, fire risk is to be under to d a s a combina tion