NEBOSH Fire

Certificate
Element 4 Part 1

Issue Oct 2011

Fire Protection in Buildings

Building Regulations 2000

In general covers new builds and modifications

Schedules A-K contain information on structures, fire,
moisture, toxic substances, noise, ventilation, hygiene and
drainage.

Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building

Regulations and Approved Document B
Volume 1 - Dwellinghouses
Volume 2 Buildings Other Than
Dwellinghouses
Flats (including multi-storey flats &
mixed-use buildings) can be found in
Volume 2

Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building

Regulations and Approved Document B
Schedule B Fire
B1 Means of warning and escape
B2 Internal fire spread (linings)
B3 Internal fire spread (structure)
B4 External fire spread
B5 Access facilities for the fire service
Appendices regarding fire performance materials with
regards test methods

Fire Resistant Properties

of
Common Building Materials

Resistance to collapse Load Bearing

Fire & Smoke Penetration Integrity
Transfer of Excessive Heat Insulation
Resistance of Fire Doors Stop the spread
of smoke, fumes or heat.

Elements of a Structure
a. A member forming part of a structural frame of a
building or any other beam or column
b. A load bearing wall or load bearing part of a wall
c. A floor
d. A gallery
e. An external wall
f. A compartment wall

Timber

Timber burns at the surface

Does not expand when heated
Does not collapse suddenly
Fire resistance depends on: Thickness & cross sectional area
Tightness of joints
Type of wood
Treatment

Reinforced Concrete Frames

Types: - Reinforced, Pre-stressed (pre

& post tensioned)
Resistant to fire
Fire resistance depends on type &
thickness of concrete used & protection
afforded by the concrete to the steel

Brickwork & Blockwork

Resistant to fire
Resistance depends on: Thickness
Plastering or coating
Whether load bearing or not
Cavities within the bricks or blocks

Structural Steel
Non-combustible
Steel expansion causes buckling can
affect stability of building
Steel looses strength in a fire

Sheet Materials
Fibre board can be fire resistant if
impregnated
Plaster boards retard fire spread
Plywood/chipboard depends on
properties of wood
Plastic has little fire resistance
Glass breaks unless wired or tempered

Lining Materials
Mostly non-combustible
Some older types may contain wood dust
Plaster (calcium hydroxide) has good fire
resistance

B2 Internal Fire Spread (linings)

To inhibit the spread of fire within the
building the internal linings shall resist the
spread of flame over their surfaces and if
ignited a rate of heat release or a rate of
fire growth which is reasonable in the
circumstances.

B3 Internal Fire Spread

(structure)
The building shall be designed and constructed
so that in the event of fire, its stability will be
maintained for a reasonably period.

Consider:
Design
Materials
Compartmentation
Shafts
Concealed spaces (cavities)
Protection of openings and fire stopping

Compartmentation
To prevent fire, heat, and smoke from spreading beyond locations of origination
Building elements such as fire walls, fire dampers, and fire doors, are designed
to seal off one location from the next.
Increases the safety by allowing evacuating building occupants because smoke
and fire are not able to escape into exit passageways.
Containment of fire and smoke reduces property damage and prevents small
fires from growing.
In order for compartmentation efforts to be effective
fire barriers must be maintained

Compartmentation
30 min fire resistance
Maintains building
structure
Allows sufficient time to
escape
Minimises destruction
Assists firefighting
To prevent fire, heat, and smoke from spreading
beyond locations of origination.

Cavity Barriers

Compartment Walls/ Floors Junction

Openings & Voids

These can eliminate the protection afforded by
the compartment
Any opening will allow fire to spread quickly
Voids eg cable ducts, suspended ceilings &
floors provide ready routes for fire spread
Fire Stopping ensures barriers to fire spread
are replaced

B4 External Fire Spread

The external walls of the building shall
adequately resist the spread of fire over
the walls and from one building to
another, having regard to the height, use
and position of the building.
The roof of the building shall adequately
resist the spread of fire over the roof, from
one building to another, having regard to
the use and position of the building.

B1 Means of warning and escape

The building shall be designed and
constructed so that there are
appropriate provisions for the early
warning of fire, and appropriate
means of escape (MOE) in case of
fire from the building to a place of
safety and effectively used at all
times.

B1 Means of warning and escape

B1 will be met if:
There are routes of sufficient numbers and
capacity which are suitably located
The routes are sufficiently protected from the
effects of fire by enclosure where necessary
Routes are adequately lit and sign posted
Appropriate facilities to either limit the ingress of
smoke to the escape routes or to restrict the fire
and remove the smoke
Arrangements for early warning
Protection of escape routes

Means Of Escape
Structural means forming an integral part of the
building whereby persons can escape from fire
by their own unaided efforts to a place of safety
Consider structure, travel, fire, place of
safety.
Main principles BS5588 and Acops and The
Building Regulations 2000

Strategic Factors Affecting Means

Of Escape

Occupancy
Construction
Time of evacuation
Exits
Travel Distance
Management

Maximum Travel Distances

Where more than one route is available
25 m high risk area
45 m normal risk area
60 m low risk area
Where only single escape route is available
12 m high risk area
25 m normal risk area
45 m low risk area

Escape Routes
Stairways, corridors and areas near the
fire exits should be kept clear of
obstructions and material which can catch
fire.
The escape route should lead to a final exit
and a safe place.
If the stairway is not protected, the travel
distance should be in line with those for
single escape routes and the final exit
should be easy to see and get to from the
stairway at ground-floor level.
High-risk rooms should not generally open
directly into a fire-protected stairway.
Alternate means of escape usually

Stairs & Corridors

Minimum width 800mm stairs (increases with number of
persons) but not to exceed 1.4m unless central
handrail fitted
1.2m corridors
One stairway up 4 storeys only
Stairways to have handrails
Treads and risers of stairs of correct dimensions
Structure 30 mins fire resistance

Stairs, Corridors and Passages

Fire Protection 30 minutes minimum

Be ventilated
Sub-divide corridors (If longer than 12m)
Not cause bottle necks
Height 2m
Be continuous to the exit point
Correct lighting
Management actions to maintain MOE

Emergency Lighting
Aim
To indicate clearly the escape route
Illuminate routes to allow safe movement
To ensure call points and equipment can be located
Consider natural light - day/night
Siting
Escape route lighting
Open area lighting anti-panic lighting
High risk lighting
Different types
Maintained
Sustained
Self contained
Low level lighting
Testing Daily, Monthly, 6 monthly

Signage
The H&S (Safety Signs & Signal) Regs 96
Two types- EC Pictorial & BS5449 Pictorial and
words
Types Include Directional arrows, equipment, alarms, assembly points

Read from both sides

Not obscured

Fire Doors

BS 476
Does not obstruct route when open
Self closing with smoke stops
Three hinge, Colour coded rawl plugs. i.e FD 30/30
Width 850 if more than 50 persons
Smoke sealed intumescent strips
30 minutes fire resistance
Easily opened and in direction of travel
Magnetic hold-backs are okay
Final exit to unobstructed place of safety
Never locked
Have visibility panels
45 degree rule
Roller shutters should be capable of manual operation
Amount 60=1 600=2 More than 600=3

APPROVED DOCUMENT M - THE BUILDING REGULATIONS

1.general guidance on Vision Panel dimensions, however if Vision
Panels form part of a fire resisting door set then the area of the glass
may be determined by the fire resistance properties and the
manufactures s specifications etc.
2.All door glazing on traffic routes and public areas should be Safety
Glazing Standard, in addition to any fire resistance required.

Final Exit Doors

Open in direction of exit (outwardly)

Have "push bar" openers (panic bolts)
Be marked "FIRE EXIT"
Do not open directly to stairs
External area free from vegetation and
other obstacles

Place of Safety

MOE For Vulnerable People

Evacuation lifts, refuges and chairs
Use of graphic, aural, tactile
signage
Personal Emergency Evacuation
Plan (PEEP)

Fire Detection
Smoke Detection
Optical or ionisation
Optical detects obscuration of light by smoke
Ionisation detects by change in electrical charge

Heat Detection
Fixed rate or temperature rise
Used where there is heat under normal conditions (kitchens)

Flame Detection
Infra-red or ultra-violet
Usually used with other types

Ionisation Smoke Detector

Americium 241 enables

current to flow between
the inner and outer
chambers.
As smoke enters the
detector an increase in
voltage occurs between
the two chambers.
The voltage increase
triggers the detector at
a preset threshold.
Ionisation detectors
respond well to fastburning fires

Optical Smoke Detector

smoke from a fire
scatters the light from
the LED
if smoke seen on the
two following pulses,
the alarm lights up.
optical smoke
detectors respond
well to slow-burning
fires.

Heat Detector

Twin thermistors detect change in heat

Difference in temperatures triggers the alarm
Static response detectors have one sensor at
preset temperature
They have wide openings to allow good air
movement over the sensing thermistor

Flame Detector
A flame detector is designed to detect ultraviolet
(UV) or infra-red (IR) radiation emitted by fire.
Dual IR flame detectors are sensitive to lowfrequency, flickering infra-red radiation.
Detector can operate even if the lens is
contaminated by a layer of oil, dust, water
vapour or ice.
Flame detectors are effective in protecting areas
where flaming fires may be expected.

Alarm Systems
Components
Automatic detector

Spot (static)
Line (linear heat laid around an area)
Beam (of light IR large areas)
Sampling (pipe work pulling air through a
detector)
Scanning (moving/sweeping a large area)

Manual call point

Alarm sounder
Control panel

Categories of Fire Alarms & Detection

Systems
Systems generally designed & installed to BS 5839
Property risk/protection (to summon the Fire & Rescue Service in
the early stages of a fire)

Category P1 installed throughout all areas of the building .

Category P2 Systems installed only in defined parts of a
building.

Life Risk/ Protection

Category M Manual system (call points & sounders only)
Category L Automatic fire detection systems intended for the
protection of life

L1 Installed throughout all areas of a building

L2 Installed only in defined parts of the building
L3 Designed to give a warning at an early enough stage to enable
occupants to escape safely before routes are impassable due to fire, smoke
or toxic gases. (other than possibly those in the room of the fires origin)

L4 Installed in escape routes comprising of circulation areas (stairways and

corridors) Objective is to provide warning of smoke within escape routes.

L5 Systems in protected areas and or location of detectors designed to

satisfy a specific fire safety objective other than the above categories.

Fire Alarm Zoning

Zones are a convenient way of dividing up a building to
assist in location of a fire.
Zones are not physical features (normally the zone boundary
coincide with walls, floors and fire compartments)

Zone basic rules:

Single zone should not exceed 2,000m 2
Two faults should not remove protection from an area > 10,000m 2 (for
addressable systems) Addressable= Gives unique ID to the actuating
device detector/call point which has been activated.
Floor area < 300m2 regarded as one zone.
Total floor area > 300m2 zones restricted to single floor levels
Exception to above: stairwells, lift shafts or other vertical shafts should be
considered as one or separate zones
The max distance travelled within a zone to locate the fire should not
exceed 60m.

Alarm Signalling
Objective to warm occupants of a fire situation
One sounder located near the control panel on a
separate circuit
Sounders should sound similar to avoid confusion
Minimum of 65db in general areas or 5 db above
background noise.
High noise areas visual indication may be required.
Sleeping 75db at bedhead (30 db should be allowed per door
so sounder per bedroom is recommended)

Impaired hearing other means of signalling may be

required

Alarm Receiving Centres

Permanently manned (normally a commercial organisation)
Upon receipt of a fire signal notify the fire service

Factors in the Selection of Fire Alarm &

Detection Systems

Life Risk
Process Risk
Behavioural issues
Social Behaviour Minimising false Alarms (unwanted
alarms, Equipment false alarms malicious alarms)

Requirements for Vulnerable People (disabilities and/or

mobility problems)

Requirements for
Maintenance & Testing
RRFSO 2005 States equipment & devices are subject to

suitable system of maintenance and maintained in an efficient

state.... Good repair
One regime to comply with is would be:

Daily Check System is not indicating a fault if required corrective

actions are taken.

Weekly Check Test the system by operation of a call

point (different one each week)
Periodic Subject to RA (but should not exceed 6 months)

Check system log, visually inspect all items of equipment(obstructed

or inappropriate due to change of use), amount of false alarms,
standby power, remote signalling ,any other checks required (beam
detectors for alignment etc) all call points over the 12 months plus
cabling, programming and audible checks.