Fire Standards & Regulations Are you confused?

Fire Standards & Regulations

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

• Local Licensing Requirements

• BS 5839-6: 2013

• Building Regulations Document B

• LACORS – Fire Safety Guidance

Are you confused?

Fire Alarm Systems

There is no risk low enough to negate the need for some form of system

• Single household up to 4 storey – Grade D, Category LD3

• Shared House HMO up to 4 storey -

Grade D, LD3 + Kitchen, Lounge, cellar

• Shared House HMO 5 –6 storey -

Grade A, Category LD2 + all risk rooms

Fire Alarm Systems

• Bedsit HMO up to 2 storey – mixed system Grade D, Category LD2 in common areas

+ heat alarm in bedsits.

Grade D alarm in each bedsit

• Bedsit HMO 3 to 6 storey – mixed system Grade A, Category LD2 in common areas

+ heat alarm in bedsits.

Grade D alarm in each bedsit

Fire Alarm Systems

• 2 storey house converted to flats, not to

Building Regs – mixed system Grade D, Category LD2 in common areas

+ heat alarm in entrance to flat Grade D, Category LD3 in each flat

• 3 - 6 storey house converted to flats, not

to Building Regs – mixed system Grade A, Category LD2 in common areas

+ heat alarm in entrance to flat.

Grade D, Category LD3 in each flat

BS 5839-6:2013 – What is it?

• Guidance for selection, siting

& installation of fire alarm systems for dwellings

• The ‘Best Practice’ guide

• Building Regulations & other guidance based on this

standard

Grades & Category

• Grade of system - the type of system to be installed...

Battery, Mains only, Mains with back-up etc

• Category of system - the extent of the system...

The number of alarms installed & where

Grades of system

• Grade A – similar to commercial type fire alarm systems

Mains power supply

Sounder circuit Detector circuit

Manual Call Point circuit

All circuits at 24VDC in fire resistant cable

Central control panel with zoning

Grades of system

• Grade D - mains smoke/heat alarms with an integral standby supply

Mains power supply

Standard PVC cable

Rechargeable cells

Rechargeable cells

OR OR

Categories of system

• LD3 – a system incorporating

detectors in all circulation spaces that form part of the escape routes from the dwelling.

• Hallways, Landings

• Open Plan – Lounges, Sitting Room

Hallway Landing

Category LD3

Optical or Multi-Sensor

Categories of system

• LD2 – a system incorporating

detectors in all circulation spaces that form part of the escape routes from the dwelling, and in all

specified rooms and areas that

present a high fire risk to occupants.

• Same as LD3 plus high risk rooms e.g

Living Room & Kitchen

Category LD2

Optical or Multi-Sensor

Heat Ionisation, Optical or Multi-Sensor

Hallway Kitchen

Living Room

Landing

Mixed System – Grade D

Flat 3

Flat 1 Flat 2

Flat 4 Escape

Route

Escape Route

Separate System in each

flat

Heat alarms connected to escape route

system

Smoke alarms in escape route

Mixed System – Grade A & D

Separate Grade D alarm system in each dwelling

Grade A system – smoke detectors + heat detector in each

dwelling

The problem with Hard-wiring

Smoke alarm on landing

Smoke alarm in hallway

Mains Power Supply

Smoke alarm in hallway

RF interconnect

Smoke alarm on landing

Ground floor light pendant 1st floor light pendant

No cables & trunking

Radio signal interconnects the system

RadioLINK Alarm Controller

• Test, Locate & Silence from one button

• Fire or CO indicator to easily identify

source of alarm

• Memory feature

• Engineers Mode for

interrogation

Other Applications

Relay to trigger other devices

• Warden Call Systems

• Strobe light

• Sounder

• Door closer/opener

• Panel system

• Smoke vent

Switched Input Module to activate

alarms from a sprinkler system

Europe’s Leader in Residential Fire + Gas Detection

Ei Electronics, Shannon, Ireland

Aico Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics

Promoting professional fire alarm system installation in dwellings with

Made in Ireland

The Aico Fire Products Trained

Installer Scheme

All combustion processes generate CO

Natural Gas / LPG

Natural Gas / LPG 20 –20 – 200 ppm200 ppm

Oil / Liquid

Oil / Liquid Up to 1,000ppmUp to 1,000ppm

Solid fuel

Solid fuel Up to 20,000 ppmUp to 20,000 ppm

Tragic Incident

• Boiler slow to fire-up resulting in a build up of gas in firebox.

• Boiler eventually ignited, a small explosion caused the flue to become displaced.

• Exhaust gases escaped into the boiler room

• Fumes leaked into 2 bedrooms above

• 1 man died and there was also a near miss.

• A CO alarm would almost certainly have saved them.

Bedroom 1

1 man died due to CO poisoning Bedroom 2

1 woman poisoned By CO

Boiler flue dislodged in boiler room

Tragic Incident

• A flue leading from a boiler had been fixed just below the bathroom window of a seaside hotel bedroom.

• The window had been screwed down but was later undone – fumes entered the bedroom

• 1 man died from CO poisoning

• Flue and terminal were installed in the wrong place and in the wrong way.

• Two employees of the installer company were charged with manslaughter and received fines.

• Statements from family included ...

"We hope everyone who reads this will buy a carbon monoxide alarm and pass the message on."

A near miss

• Lady was complaining of flu-like symptoms

• CO Alarm was fitted and it did respond.

• Gas engineer could not find a problem – claimed CO Alarm was faulty

• New digital alarm showed high levels of CO

• Exhaust gases were coming from the flat below

• A Near miss showing the value of fitting CO alarms

Flues in voids – existing installations

• Gas Safe Technical Bulletin 008 Edition 3 issued April 2013

• Inspection hatches must be fitted, OR

• A void monitoring system should be installed

• How many will be?

Flues in voids – an alternative

• Install a CO alarm in all habitable

rooms that the flue passes through

Gas Cookers

• Owned by the tenant – rarely serviced?

• Can emit significant

amounts of CO – 400ppm not uncommon!

• Low level CO poisoning can cause long-term health

problems

• Can this be ignored as being outside of your responsibility?

Corgi Report 2009

• ‘Just over 72% of installers said they have discovered a CO leak on a customer’s appliance’

• ‘Nearly 50% of CORGI registered installers say they recommend that their customers install an audible CO alarm’

• ‘through increased awareness of CO, it is hoped that public knowledge about the importance of installing an audible CO alarm will increase’.

Gas Safe Register recommends the use of audible carbon monoxide alarms marked with British Standard EN 50291. It should also have a British or European approval mark, such as a Kitemark.

What the Regulatory bodies say

England & Wales Building Regulations requires a CO alarm to be installed when a new solid fuel appliance is installed or when an existing one is replaced

Northern Ireland Building Regulations requires the installation of a CO alarm when any fuel burning appliance is installed – new and existing installations

Scotland Building Regulations requires the installation of a CO alarm when any fuel burning appliance is

installed – new and existing installations

Quote from Baxi website

‘For you and your family's safety, it is advisable to fit a carbon monoxide alarm in each room in your home that has a gas appliance’.

Response to e-mail enquiry to Worcester Bosch

We don't have a specific company stance on it [installing CO alarms] - we would always refer customers to Gas Safe

Register's guidelines.

Quote from COCAA section of Vaillant website

Fit an audible Carbon Monoxide alarm. CO alarms need to meet European safety standards and must be audible.

What the Boiler Manufacturers say

BS EN 50292: 2002

Code of Practice for siting and installation

BS EN 50291-1: 2010 BS EN 50291-2: 2010

Product Standards for CO Alarms

Standards & Regulations

Choosing a CO alarm

Battery powered alarm

• Lower purchase cost

• Easier to install

• Easier to remove

• Battery may have to be

replaced with some products

• Alarm has to be replaced after 7 years

• No interconnect with most products

• No signalling option with most products

Choosing a CO alarm

Mains powered alarm

• No batteries to replace

• Less likely to be removed

• No back-up if mains fails

• Higher purchase price

• Higher installation cost

• Alarm has to be replaced after 5/6 years

• No interconnect option

• No signalling option

Choosing a CO alarm

Mains powered with back-up

• Rechargeable back-up cells

• No batteries to replace

• Less likely to be removed

• Replace sensor after 5/6 years

• Hard wire and RF interconnect option

• Can be interconnected with smoke alarms

• Signalling via a relay option available

• Higher purchase price

• Same installation cost as mains only

Where to site CO alarms

• In all rooms where there is an appliance

• 1^st Priority – open-flued or flue-less appliances

• 2^nd Priority – where people spend most time

• 3^rd Priority – where appliance is most used

Open–flued appliance

Siting CO Alarms

• BS EN 50292 allows wall or ceiling mounting

• BRE GBG 30 recommendations based on trial results...

• Ideally, site on the ceiling at least 300mm from wall or other obstruction - the easiest siting position

• Site 1 - 3m from the appliance

Ceiling mounted Recommended Siting position

Wall Mounting

• If it must be on the wall:

a). High as possible – 150mm from ceiling b). Higher than doors or windows

• Between 1 – 3m from source of CO.

• Not easy to meet these restrictions

Siting CO Alarms

• Where the appliance is in a confined space e.g a boiler room

Interconnecting alarms

• If only one CO alarm is installed audibility could be a problem

• Interconnection with smoke alarms can overcome this

Alarms not interconnected

Alarms

interconnected

Interconnecting CO & Smoke Alarms

Only with a switch

Hard-wired

RadioLINK

Thank you