BS 5839-1: Fire detection and fire alarm system for buildings. Code of practice for design, installation and commissioning and maintenance of systems in non-domestic premises
In August 2017, the British Standards Institution (BSI) revised the British Standard for fire detection and fire alarm systems in commercial buildings.
BS 5839-1:2017 'Fire detection and fire alarm system for buildings. Code of practice for design, installation and commissioning and maintenance of systems in non-domestic premises' is referred to in both volumes of Approved Document B, which concerns building regulations [in England] covering fire safety matters within and around buildings.
The standard covers the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in and around commercial buildings. It is relevant to anyone involved in these areas of work.
It does not recommend whether or not a fire detection and fire alarm system should be installed in any given premises.
The sections in the standard are:
- Section 1: General.
- Section 2: Design considerations.
- Section 3: Limitation of false alarms.
- Section 4: Installation.
- Section 5: Commissioning and handover.
- Section 6: Maintenance.
- Section 7: User's responsibilities.
Some of the key changes in the standard include:
- Improved definition of the L2 fire alarm system which offers automatic detection on all escape routes.
- Modified guidance for use of multi-sector detectors.
- Requirement for clarification regarding the use of voice alarm detectors (VADs) and visual indicator devices (VID).
- Testing of the power supply, contingency power, and so on.
- Guidance for people working at night.
The revisions to the standard began before the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, with a public consultation held in 2016, and so it does not address residential buildings. However, a BSI spokesperson said that the standard may be further revised if investigations into the tragedy raise relevant points.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Approved Document B.
- BS 8414-2: Fire performance of external cladding systems.
- BS 9991:2015 Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings. Code of practice.
- Carbon monoxide detector.
- Fire.
- Fire detection and alarm system.
- Fire detector.
- Fire safety design.
- Heat alarm.
- Multi-sensor alarm.
- Smoke detector.
- The role of codes, standards and approvals in delivering fire safety.
Featured articles and news
Regulator of Social Housing publishes latest fire safety report
Covering remediation of 11 metre plus social housing sector buildings.
Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill 2024
Approved for priority drafting by Government of Ireland.
The long list with in the frame of key historical events.
Competence frameworks for sustainability in the built environment
Code of practice, core criteria consultation draft for comment.
UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard Sept update
Pilot version for testing and feedback on its adoption due.
New Floods Resilience Taskforce
With a wet met office autumn prediction.
National Retrofit Hub takeover of Net Zero stage
At Birmingham UK Construction Week in October.
AT Awards 2024 finalists announced
With more to come, prior to the Awards ceremony in October.
London construction cools as hotspots appear nationally
Increases in the East of England, Yorkshire and Scotland.
ARB proposals for a new Architects Code
Announced in the shadow of the final Grenfell Inquiry report.
Combining human creativity and tech innovation now and in the future
Building automation and control systems market study
BSRIA 2024 North America BACS software & services.
Impact of digital technology on productivity in construction
New CIOB academy guidance for companies of all sizes.
Demolition and retrofit approaches in Planning Policy
MHCLG demolition and retrofit survey to inform future updates to national planning policy.
Expert taskforce to spearhead new, new town generation
Sir Michael Lyons given 12 months for recommendations.
Government policy statement on new towns
A coded vision for a new generation of new towns.
Comments
There is a mistake in the above line. VAD stands for visual alarm device NOT voice alarm detector...
This information in this article about voice alarm detectors (VADs) was sourced from BSI and appears to be correct - Ref https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2017/september/BSI-revises-standard-for-fire-detection-and-fire-alarm-systems/