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1. Firesafety guides
Acollectionof helpfulguidestofiredoors,
firealarmsanddetection,riskassessments
andmore

2. 3. Foreword
4. TheFire Safety Order– simplified
6. Fire RiskAssessmentguide: Whatis it andhow
doyouget one?
8. AGuidetofire-safety training
10. Firedoors explained:Abeginner’s guide
12. Aguidetosmokedetector types
15. Fireaspirationdetectionsystems – aguide
18. Aguidetofire alarmsystem types
20. Whichfire escapesigns?quickguideto
BSENISO 7010
22. Firesprinkler systems: aguidetodesigns,
colour codesand suppliers
2
Contents

3. iresafety is toooftenneglected– especiallywhenbusiness
ownershaveso manyotherworriesandresponsibilities.
Most businesses neversuffer anactualfire – evenif
Femployeesarewellaccustomedto firedrills– but they all
needtocontrol costsandgrowrevenuesto survive.
Butwhatif you’reoneof theunluckyfewthat doeshaveafire
breakout,andyourfire-safetymeasuresaredeficient?The
consequencesareunthinkable.Recenttragiceventsin West
Londonhaveelevatedfiresafety into thenational headlines.
However,therearealwaysplentyof storiesin thelocalmedia
about punitivefinesandevenprisonsentenceshandeddownfor
breachesof fire-safety laws.
Thefact you’vedownloadedthis guideis proof enoughthat I’m
preachingtotheconverted;youclearlytakeyourresponsibilities
seriously.
Thiscollection of tips andadviceis bynomeansanexhaustive
guidetofiresafety – that’s whywe’veincluded aguidetofire
safety trainingonpage 8.
We’vekickedoff withabeginner’sguidetotheRegulatory
Reform FireSafety Order(RRO)2005,thelandmarklegislation
that governsUKfiresafety andmakesyou,thebusiness owner
orbuildingmanager,ultimatelyresponsible for fire safety in your
premises. Andthere’saguidetofireriskassessments,whichmost
businesses areobliged toundertaketocomplywiththe legislation.
Elsewherethereareguides tofiredoors,fire alarmsystems,smoke
detectors,fireescapesigns,sprinklers andwatermistsystems. ■
Foreword
AdamBannister
Content
IFSECGlobal
3

4. TheFireSafetyOrder–simplified
4
Do you find the Fire Safety Act daunting?
Ordoyoujust needaquickrefresh of themain
points? If so,thenreadoursummaryof theFire
Safety Actbelow.Thiswillhelpdetermineif your
workplaceis compliant withfiresafety legislation.
What is the Fire Safety Act?
TheRegulatory Reform (FireSafety)Order
2005,alsoknownmorecommonlyastheFire
Safety Act,is anorderthat states that anyone
withresponsibilityfor abusiness must ensure
reasonable steps are taken to ensure the risk of fire
is reduced and that in the event of afire, people can
escapesafely.
Almosteverytypeof building, structureorpublic
spaceis subject totheorder.Itdoesnot,however,
applytodomesticdwellings,unless it is aHMO
(houseof multiple occupancy).
What are the Requirements of the Act?
First andforemost,asuitable andsufficient Fire
RiskAssessmentneedscompleting. AFire Risk
This article was originally published onthe
Assured Fire &Security Blog
Assessmentwillevaluatetheconditionof your
premises,thecontentsof thebuildingtoidentify
potentialfirehazards,sourcesof ignition and
combustible materials,andtheescaperoutesin the
eventof a fire.
Theassessmentshould alsotakeinto
consideration whoworksin thebuildingandwhere,
currentfire safety signage,existing protocols
for firepreventionandmanagement,andfire safety
equipmentonsite includingits condition and
maintenance.TheFireIndustryAssociation
recommendyouupdateyourFRAeverythreeyears
tostaycompliant withfiresafety regulations.
Onceariskassessmenthasbeenundertaken,the
nextthing toconsider is howanyidentifiedrisks
canbereduced,orif possible,completelyremoved.
Usualfixes includes:
• Replacinghighlyflammablematerialswithless
flammableones

5. • Eliminating ignition sourcesfromareaswhere
flammablematerialsare present
• Implementingasafesmoking policy
• Asanabsolute minimum,thefollowing must be
consideredduring arisk assessment
FireDetectionandAlarmSystems– Itisabsolutely
vitalthat abusiness premiseshasasuitable fire
detectionandalarmsystem. Thissystemshould
havetheability towarnall peoplein thebuildingof
afire in any circumstance.
Methods of Fighting aSmallFire – Fire
extinguishersshould bepresentin thebuilding.
Asaruleof thumb it’sadvisable tohaveone
extinguisherper200metresquared (m2).
Escaperoutesarealsoanothercrucialpointto
consider.Itis imperativethat all escaperoutesare
easily accessibleandunobstructedatall times.
AmIResponsible for MeetingtheOrder? Anyone
withcontrol overabusiness premisesis
responsible for ensuring theorderis met.
5
Thosewhopossesscontrol include:
Theemployerfor thoseparts of premisesstaff
maygo to;
•The managing agent or owner for shared parts of
premises or shared fire safety equipment such as
fire-warning systems or sprinklers;
•Theoccupier,suchasself-employed peopleor
voluntary organisations if theyhaveanycontrol; or
•Anyotherpersonwhohassomecontrol over
apart of the premises.
So, Does my Workplace Meet the Order?
We hope this summary helps you to understand if
your workplace is meeting the requirements of the
FireSafety Act.
Youmust ensurethatall thefire safety equipment
in yourworkplaceis fullyoperationalandin perfect
workingorder,soin theeventof afireyouandyour
colleaguesminimise theriskof damageandloss of
lifeasmuchaspossible. ■

6. ho needs a Fire Risk Assessment?
6
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
Wimposes a legal requirement to undertake a
Fire Risk Assessment. This applies to:
• all businesses whohave5ormoreemployees
(including part-time)
• business premisesvisitedbythe public
• landlordswithcontrol overbusiness premises
• landlordsof HMO properties
• self-employed withbusiness premises
What does a Fire Risk Assessment entail?
AFire RiskAssessmentshould coveryourentire
business premisesto evaluate:
• theconditionof thebuildingandits age
• thelayoutof the building
• thecontentsof thebuildingtoidentify potential
firehazards,sourcesof ignition andcombustible
materials
•theescaperoutesin theeventof afire
Theassessmentshould alsotake into
consideration whoworksin thebuildingandin
whichlocations, currentfiresafety signage in the
building, existingprotocols for fire preventionand
management,andfiresafety equipmentonsite
includingits conditionandmaintenance.Existing
firesafety traininganddrills should alsobe
evaluated.
Afteranassessmenthastakenplace,aFireRisk
AssessmentReportcanbeproduced.Thisreport
willdetailanyareasthat arenotcompliant with
legislationandneedurgentattention,alongwith
recommendationsfor improvementsin fire safety
provision. Itwillalsoensureyoumeetregulatory
requirementsandsatisfyinsurance needs.
Who can do a Fire Risk Assessment?
AFire RiskAssessmentcanbeconductedby
anyonewhois competenttodoso. However, as
FireRiskAssessmentguide:Whatisit
andhowdoyougetone?
Written by Simon Stokes, MD,Assured Fire &Security, which provides fire
and security solutions to businesses and organisations across theUKand
overseas.

7. it is adocumenttoensureyourcompliancewith
legislation,if youdon’thaveanin-househealthand
safety personwehighlyrecommendemploying
aBAFEregisteredcompanytoundertakethe
assessmentfor you.ABAFEregisteredassessor
willensureyourFireRiskAssessmentcoversall
aspectsof fire safety andalsoadherestolegal
requirements.
How long does a Fire Risk Assessment last for?
AFire RiskAssessmentdoesn’t haveanexpiry date.
However,it is yourresponsibilitytoreviewthe
reportregularly andkeepit uptodate.Youwillneed
anew
FireRiskAssessmentin thefollowing
circumstances:
• if therehavebeenmaterialalterations tothe
building
• if thereareanysignificantchangestotheuse,
contentsorlayoutof thebuildingsincethelast
FireRiskAssessmentwascarried out
• if there’sasignificantchangein firerisk
precautions ■
7

8. Aguideto fire-safetytraining
8
he Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
(RRO), which came into force in October 2006,
safety in England and Wales.
Thelegislationis basedonariskassessment,
ratherthan aprescriptiveapproach,withthe
emphasis onfire prevention,riskidentification
andreduction. Theemployerorbuildingowneror
controlleris thepersonresponsible for thesafety
of their employeesandanyoneelsewhois onthe
(non-domestic)premises,suchasmembersof the
public or visitors.
The‘Responsible Person’(EnglandandWales),
‘DutyHolder’ (Scotland) or‘AppropriatePerson’
(Northern Ireland), must alsoensurepeoplecan
safelyescapein theeventof fire.Forthis they
must,bylaw,beproperlytrained. Everycompanyor
organisation must decidewhothis personis and
makethemknownto employees.
Responsible Persons mustbegiveneffective
trainingtoensuretheycarryouttheir fire safety
duties properlyandsafely.Theyneedtobetrained
in:
• Legalrequirements
• Firerisk assessment
• Fireprecautionsandfiresafety policy
• Reducingtheriskandspreadof fire
Fire safety training for ResponsiblePersons
Tis the main piece of legislation affecting fire

9. • Firefightingprocedures
• Firehazards,causesand prevention
• Fixedfirefighting installations
• Evacuationassembly points
• Firedrills,fire alarms
• Thedifferenttypesof extinguisherandtheir
appropriateuse
Coursesareausually combination of theoryand
practicalexperienceandrangefrombasicto
advanced.
Staff fire-safetytraining providers
Again,therearemanyproviders of staff training,
butunlikeResponsible Person training, most
aresite-specific andso providedonclients’ own
premisesin ordertoimplementanemergencyplan.
Someof theseinclude:
• First AttendanceLtd: Variouscoursesfor
differenttypesof business.Costson application.
• Fire-Risk Solutions: Various courses
• EliteFire: Variouscoursesandprices,call
for quote
• High SpeedTraining: Onlinefire safety training
courses
• Solent Staff FireTraining: Callfor quote
• RSSafety:Callfor quote
• MCFire Protection:Southof England. Call
for quote. ■
9
• Managing themeansof escape
• Safety signs andemergencylighting
• Firefightinganddetectionequipmentand
maintenance
• Proceduresin theeventof fire
• Employeetraining
• Recordkeeping
Certificatesareusually givenattheendof acourse,
egLevel2Certificate,NationalQualifications
Framework, orCFPAEuropeCertificatein Basic
FireFighting andFire Prevention.
Fire safety training for your staff
Under the RROit is the responsibility of employers
to ensure that their staff are adequately trained on
whattodoin theeventof fire.
Trainingshould beprovidedtoall newstaff, with
refreshertraininggivenatleastoncea year.
Trainingshould beundertakenbyacompetent
person,whocanbefromarecognisedoutside
organisation,orfully-trainedstaff maytrainothers
in theorganisation.
Appropriaterecordsmustbekept.TheResponsible
Person should tellallstaff about anynewfire risks
that emergeandorganiseafire drill atleastoncea
year.
Staff should betrained in:
• Firelegislation
• Thebasictheoryof differenttypesof fire and
combustion

10. o put itsimply, fire doors save lives. These
10
specialist doors are tested against theelements
Tand purpose-built to withstand roaring fires for as
long as possible.
Firedoors haveafewvitalsafety featuresand
reallycanbethedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.
If youownacommercialornon-domesticproperty,
therearestrict regulations andguidelines tofollow,
ensuring thedoors canwithstandcertain heats.
Firedoors canalsohavemassiveadvantagesfor
privateproperties.
Herearesomeof thekeyfeaturestolookoutfor in
termsof bothdomesticandcommercial use:
•Firedoors aremadeupof various components.
Thedoor itselfis usually madefromasolidtimber
frame, buttheycansometimesbecoveredagain
in fire-resistant glass.
•Aroundtheedgesof thedoorwillbethe
intumescent seal, whichis designedtoexpand
whentemperaturesreachbeyond200°Ctoseal
thegapsbetweenthedoorand frame.
•Foraprivate premises, it is advised toinstall fire
doors wheretheriskis mostimminent,for
examplethekitchen,orroomswhichhouselots of
electricaldevices.If yourpropertyis anewbuild, it
should havebeensubject toregulations ensuring
certaindoors arefiredoors – checkthis withthe
developer.
• Forcommercial or non-domestic properties,
liability lieswithwhoeveris deemed the
‘responsibleperson’
for that propertyortheemployer.Forexample,the
ownerof theproperty,orthepersonin control
of thepropertyfor tradereasonswould
beresponsible.
•Thoroughrisk assessments
mustbecarriedoutand
it is advisable to get
professionalhelpwithall fire
safety-related regulations.
Thereis moretofire
safety than justfire doors;
escaperoutes,lighting,
warningsystems and
equipmentchecksarealso
required.
•Whenyou’rechoosingadoor
it’simportant toknowwhat
thedifferentspecifications
mean.TheFDcodeshows
howmanyminutes of fire
adoor canwithstand,for
exampleanFD20 has
been tested to withstand 20
minutes. The most common
of thecodesis FD30.
•Around42%of deathsduring
housefires arenotfromdirectcontactwith the
flames,buttheconsumption of smoke.
With this in mind,keepaneyeoutfor adoorset
withcoldsmoke seals. Theseshould bewithinthe
intumescentseal. ■
Firedoorsexplained:Abeginner’sguide
By Jordan Kavanagh of Oakwood Doors, which supplies a wide range ofinternal fire doors.

11. 5 stepfire
doorchecklist
Table provided by FireDoor
Safety Week
11

12. he hazards of smoke inhalation areoften
12
underestimated, yet twice as many peopledie
Tfrom breathing smoke from fires than die from
burns, and smoke and deadly gases from a firespread
farther and more quickly than heat fromflames.
Smokeandgasdetectorsareeffectivefire safety
technologies that formthefirst linesof defence
againstsmokeandfire byprovidingapreciousearly
warning.AccordingtotheNationalFireProtection
Association(NFPA),75to80percentof all
deathsbyfirehappenin thehome,morethan half
occurringin buildingswithoutsmokedetectors.By
installing asmokedetector,individuals canreduce
theriskof dyingbyalmost half.
Ingeneral,commercial,industrial,andmass
residential smokedetectiondevicesissuea
signal toafirealarmsystem,whereashousehold
detectorsnormallyissuealocal audible orvisual
alarmfromthedetector itself.
Aspirating smoke detectors
Recommended for usein:
• Datacentres
• Grade-listed properties
• High-ceiling spaces(suchas warehouses)
• Otherlocationswhereearlywarningis required
Aspirating smokedetectionsystems (ASDs) are
extremelysensitive andcandetectverysmall
orsmouldering fires far morequicklythan other
systems.Theyuseafan todrawin airfromaround
abuildingviaanetworkof samplingpipesand
samplingholes.Theairis thenpassedthrough a
highlysensitive precision detectorthat analyses
it andgenerateswarningsignals of potentialfire
whenit detectssmoke particles.
Expensivetoinstall andmaintain,thesesystems
candetectcoolsmokethatdoesnotrise tothe
ceiling,aswellassmouldering fires andparticles
givenoff byoverloadedelectricalcables. Theyare
thereforeespeciallyusefulwhereearly warning
is requiredandaresuited,notonly for sensitive
installations,suchasdatacentres,butalsofor very
highceiling spaces,suchasin warehouses,andfor
veryharsh environments.
Optical beam smoke detectors (photoelectric)
Recommended for usein:
• High-ceiling spaces(suchaswarehouses)
Opticalbeamsmokedetectors,likeaspirating
smokedetectors,measuresmokeoveralarge
openarea,ratherthan asinglelocation, andare
verysensitive todiluted smokeathighlevels,
suchasin roomswithhighceilings.Expensive
toinstall,theyareveryeffectiveat detecting
Aguideto smoke
detector types

13. largerparticles of smokeproducedbyslow
burning,smokyfires,suchassmouldering foam
filled upholstery,oroverheatedPVC wiring.
Thedetectorsworkontheprincipleof light
obscuration,byaiming alight sourceinto asensing
chamberatanangleawayfromthesensor.When
smokeentersthechamber,it reflects light onto the
sensor,so triggeringanalarm. Dual-pathtypesare
availablewithatransmitter andareceiveratone
endandareflectorattheother.Beamdetectorsare
oftenusedin buildingswheresingle-point smoke
detectorswouldbeuneconomicalordifficult to
install.
Ionization detectors
Recommended for usein:
• Themajority of residencesandoffices
Ionization smokedetectorsmonitor ions,or
electricallychargedparticles in theair.If smoke
entersthedevice,anelectricalimbalanceis
created.Whencombustion particles enterthe
detector,theyobstructtheflowof thecurrent,
setting off analarmwhenthecurrentgetstoo
low.
Ionization smokedetectorsrespondwellto fast
flamingfires andarebestsuited for areas
containing highlycombustible materialsuch as
cookingfat, paint,orflammableliquids.They are
inexpensiveandarethemost popular typeof
smokedetectorin theUnited States.
Ionization detectorsareusually quickerto
reactthan photoelectricdetectors,butthey are
sometimesunabletodifferentiate betweensmoke
andsteam,makingthempronetofalse alarms.
Video smoke detection
Recommended for usein:
• Largeareas
• Outdoors
• Wherebeingabletoseeadevelopingfire quickly
could beimportant (e.g., in a tunnel)
Videosmokedetection(VSD)is basedonthe
computeranalysisof videoimagesprovidedby
CCTVcameras,automatically identifying the
particular motion patternsof smokeandalerting
thesystemoperatortoits presencein theshortest
possible time.
VSDsystems havebeeninstalledinplacessuch
asturbine halls, historic buildings, roadtunnels,
raildepots,warehouses,shoppingmalls, and
aircraft hangars. Someof themonlydetectsmoke,
althoughotherscanalsodetectflame,aswellas
providingmotion detectionandothersurveillance/
securityfeatures,accordingtotheFire Industry
Association(FIA). ■
13

14. Keybenefits of video detection include the ability to:
• Protectalarge area
• Beusedoutdoors (e.g., in trainstations)
• Immediatelyviewthe situation
• Substance-divide imagestoidentify fire risks
• Archiveimagesfor assessingthecausesof a fire
Household smoke detectors
Recommended for usein:
• Homes
• Somesmallsharedresidential blocks
Therearethreeavailabletypesof household smoke
detectors—ionization, optical(photoelectric), and
combined. Theyareverycheapandareavailable
everywhere.
Thecombineddetectorsareeffectiveatdetecting
slow-burningaswellasflamingfires,both common
typesof firein thehome.TheNFPA recommends
acombination of bothionization andphotoelectric
technologies for maximum protection.
Thedevicesareeitherbatteryormains electricity-
powered,orboth.Someareinter-connectableso
that smokedetectedatonepointcanraise the
14
alarmatall others,whileothershaveadditional
facilities, suchasemergencylights andsilence
buttons,for usewherefalsealarmscanbea
nuisance,suchasduring cooking.
Gas detectors
Recommended for usein:
• Industrialunitsand factories
• Storagebinsandconfined spaces
Agasdetectoris adevicewhichdetectsthe
presenceof various gaseswithinanarea,usually
aspart of asafety system. Highly sensitive,they
canbeusedtodetectcombustible,flammable,and
toxicgasesandoxygendepletionandarewidely
usedin industry. Catalyticandinfraredsensors
detectcombustible gases,andelectrochemical and
metaloxidesemiconductortechnologies generally
detecttoxic gases.
Gasdetectorsmaybebattery-operated,portable,
orfixedunitsandworkbymonitoringandalerting
peopleaudiblyorvisibly tothepresenceof
dangerouslevelsof avarietyof gases.Theyare
veryefficientin confined spacesthat are not
continuouslyoccupied,suchastanks,pits, vessels,
andstoragebins. ■

15. Fireaspiration detection
systems– aguide
15
Written by Honeywell Security &Fire, which provides advanced detection
systems and devices that provide exceptional protection atevery level.
critical infrastructure, whereveryearlywarningand
alowincidenceof falsealarmsweretheprimary
criteria.
Theintroduction of EN54-20, withits three distinct
andseparateclasses,andthesubsequent
developmentof technologically advancedsystems
areevidencethat aspirationis fast becominga
highlyeffectivetechnologyfor useacrossawide
rangeof mainstreamapplications.
Howversatileisthe technology,andwherecan
it beused?
Thecharacteristics of anaspirationsystemmakeit
suitable for protectingasurprisingly widerangeof
facilities.Herearesometypical examples.
• Enterprise-critical facilities: Acrossall
businesses,firenotonlyhas directimpactbut
alsocausessignificantreputation damage—25%
of datacentresdonotreopenfollowing amajor
disaster,70%of smallfirmsthat experiencea
s part of an automatic fire detection
system, aspiration technology offers five
Amain benefits that significantly increase its
effectiveness over traditional solutions.
• Itachievesultra-highsensitivity,combinedwith
falsealarmimmunity,whichreduces downtime.
• Itreducescosts byenabling routinemaintenance
outside theprotected area.
• Itextendsprotectiontoinaccessible,challenging
environmentswithhighlevelsof dust/dirt.
• Itprovidesmultiple communication channels.
• Itimprovesaestheticsbyeliminatingtheneedfor
visiblesmokedetection.
Technologyadvances—particularly in improved
filtration,enhancedcommunications,and
integration into theoverallfiresystemunderthe
managementof asinglecontrol panel—arerapidly
changing thecapabilities of aspiration systems.
Theyweretraditionallyregardedasaspecialist
technologyfor protectinghigh-value, enterprise-

16. major datalossgooutof business withinayear,
and50%of businesses havehadtheir reputations
damagedfromITdowntime.Thenewest
aspirationtechnologies candeliverultra-high
sensitivityalongwithfalsealarmimmunity —
essential for providingtheearliestwarningand
servicecontinuityin datacentresandcomputer
rooms,whicharetheheartof almost every
modernbusiness.
• High levels of dust and dirt: Thelatest systems
usesophisticated filteringtechniquestoremove
particles largerthan 20micronsbutallowthe
productsof combustion topassthrough tothe
remotedetectionchamber.Thisprovidesavery
effective,falsealarm-free alternativetopoint
detectorsin dustyandcontaminated
applications, suchasfood anddrink
manufacturers,pharmaceuticalfacilities,
woodprocessingplants,andflour mills.Newer
technologies arealsoimpervious tohighairflow
andtemperatureextremesthat cancausefalse
alarmsin point detectors.
• Restricted access: Infacilitiessuchaspower
plants,physicalaccessis restrictedbecauseof
thepotentialdangertolife. Incleanroomsand
laboratories, thedisruptioncausedtoinstalled
equipmentandprocessesbypeopleenteringis
notacceptable.Onlythesamplingpipesintrude
into theprotectedspace,soroutinemaintenance
is performedoutside thearea.Costsarereduced,
becausethefacilitydoesn’t needtoshutdown.
Aspiration alsoextendsprotectiontoareas such
16
aslift shaftsandunderfloor orceiling ducts,
whereaccessfor pointdetectorinstallation and
maintenanceis physically difficult orimpossible.
Lifts donotneedtobedeactivatedfor smoke
detectortesting, andnospecialist resourceis
requiredtominimise buildingdisruptionand cost.
• Large spaces: Aspiration detectionis aneffective
optionfor protectinghigh-rackingwarehouses.
The10.5m maximuminstallation heightfor point
detectorsmaybetoolow.Beamdetectors,which
canbeinstalledatheights of upto25m, may
nothaveanunobstructedfieldof view.Large
public areassuchasstadiumsarealsoaffected
bychangesin airflow andsmokestratification,
whichcancauseissuesfor traditionaldetection
methods. Furthermore,aspirationdetection
solves thetesting andmaintenanceissues
associatedwithlocating smokedetectors
installedathigh levels.
• Historic buildings: Thecombination of discreet,
small-boresamplingpipes in aprotectedarea
andtheremoteaspirationdetectionunitprovides
anunobtrusivemethodof protectingheritage
propertiesandhigh-end architecturalbuildings
whereaestheticsare important.
What communications capabilities do aspirations
systems offer?
Multiplecommunicationchannelsareakey
requirementin today’s connectedworld.The
verticalsilomentalityhasrapidlybecome
outdated.Somesystems haveembedded Ethernet

17. connectivity,whichdeliversemailalerts tosix
addressesafteraneventtrigger.Thisis particularly
effectiveinremotefacilitiessuchastelecombase
stations. Italsoprovidesdirectcommunicationsvia
Modbusintegration withthebuildingmanagement
system.
Are there any other interesting features for
consultants and specifiers?
Designing anaspirationsystemcanbechallenging.
That’swhysuppliersareoffering all-in-one pipe
design andconfigurationtools tosimplifypipe
layoutandgenerateabillof materials. It is
important that pipedesigns meettheneedsof EN
54-20 for ASDs.Improvementstoenvironment
monitoringarealsoimproving theeffectiveness of
aspirationsystems.Anacclimatemodeconstantly
monitorsandcorrectsfor varying levelsof
nuisanceparticles toensurethat smokesensitivity
is maintainedwithoutcompromisingexceptional
levelsof falsealarmimmunity andcontinuityof
service.
What does the future look like?
Alltheseadvancementsarechanging the
landscapeof firedetection,makingaspirationa
crediblealternativetotraditionalmethods. There
areanumberof playersin theaspirationdetection
market,allof whichusedifferent technologies.
Makesureyouchooseaprovensolution that
mitigates risksanddeliversadditionalbusiness
benefits,suchasimprovedmaintenance,
integration withothersystems,andreduced
downtime.■
17

18. Aguideto fire alarmsystemtypes
18
Written by Triangle Fire Systems, one of the UK’s leading specialistsin
residential and domestic sprinklersystems.
Lessexpensivetopurchasethanothertypes
of alarmsystem,theyworkbydividingthe
buildinginto anumberof detectionzones,with
thedetectorsandcall pointswithineachzone
hardwiredondedicatedcircuits tothe control
panel. There may be multiple detectors on a single
zone. A separate two-core, fire-protected cable for
each alarm sounder or bell is needed because they
arewiredtodifferent loops.
If adetectoris activated,thecontrol panelidentifies
thecircuitthatcontains thetriggereddevice and
so indicates thezonefromwhichthefire alarmhas
originated,buttheareathenhastobemanually
searchedtopinpointtheindividual device.
Two - wire fire alarmsystems
Alsodesignedfor smaller operations,two-wirefire
alarmsystems arebasedonstandard conventional
systemtechnology,but inatwo-wiresystem,the
detectors,callpointsandalarmdevicesfor each
zonearewiredonthesamesetof two-corezone
cablesbacktothecontrol panel,enabling it touse
asinglecircuitperzonebothfor detectionandto
powerthesounders or sirens.
Although two-wiresystems costmoretopurchase
thanfour-wiresystems,theyarequicker,more
flexibleandlessexpensivetoinstall.Two-wire
systems alsoprovidemoreflexibility in operation,
andhaveadditionalfunctionality,suchasfault
conditions, isolation,anddetector recognition.
ire alarm systems are essential for the
protection of life and property and are a legal
Frequirement under the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order 2005 in most non-domestic
premises where people work or visit, such as
offices, shops, hotels, public venues, and in
almost all new buildings under the 2010 Building
Regulations.
Bylaw,employersand/or buildingownersor
occupiersmustcarryout,andkeepupdated,afire
safety riskassessment. Basedonthefindings of
this assessment,theymust ensurethatadequate
andappropriatefiresafety measures,including
firedetectorsandalarms,arein placetominimise
theriskof injury orloss of life in theeventof a
fire.Guidanceonthedesign,installation and
maintenanceof firealarmsystems canbeobtained
fromcodeof practice BS:5839.
The wide choice of fire alarm systems available
is broadly divided into “conventional” fire alarm
systems andanalogueaddressable “intelligent”
systems,eachtypebestsuited todifferentkindsof
premises. Theymaybealsodivided into categories
dependingonwhethertheir aimis toprotectlifeor
property,orwhethertheyaremanualor automatic.
Conventional fire alarm systems
Conventional,orfour-wire, fire alarmsystems have
beenextensivelyusedin smaller propertiessuchas
shops andrestaurants for many years.

19. Analogue-addressable fire alarm systems
Analogue-addressablefirealarmsystems
givedetails onindividual detectors, whereas
conventionalsystems onlygiveinformation about
specificcircuits or zones.
Addressableor“intelligent”firealarmsystems
aredesignedfor largecommercialpremisesand
morecomplexnetworkedsystems,sincethey
aremuchmoreexpensiveandmorecomplicated
thanconventionaltwo-orfour-wiresystems,
having increasedflexibility,intelligence,speedof
identification, andscopeof control.
Inaddressablesystems,differenttypesof initiating
devicesarewiredin oneormoresingleloops
aroundthepremises,requiring lesscabling than
conventionalsystems,witheachdetectororcall
pointhaving its ownunique address.
Thefire control panelreceivesinformation and
statusreports fromeachdeviceandindicates its
exactlocation if thereis afire,fault,smoke,heat,or
contamination.
Wireless fire alarm systems
Moreexpensivetobuy,butmoreflexible,cheaper,
andmuchquickertoinstall,wireless,orbattery-
poweredradio-linked, fire alarmsystems provide
justasmuchprotectionasconventionalwired
systems andareusefulwhenwiredinstallations
arenotsuitable (suchasin grade-listed properties
19
wherewiringmaybe prohibited).
There are no cables between the detection devices
and the control panel, so doing awaywith the need
for long-termcabletests.
Wirelesssystems needtocomplywithEN54-25
standard.Increasinglysophisticated, today’s
wirelessfire alarmsystems aremuchmorereliable
thantheonesthat originatedin the1980s andhave
multi-frequency links toeliminatesignal blocking
andcollision,allowingahighmarginof signal
strength tobemaintained.
Aspirating smoke detection systems
Although technicallyadetectionsolution,
aspiratingsmokedetectionsystems areextremely
sensitive andcandetectverysmallorsmouldering
fires far quickerthanother systems.
Aspirating systems useafan todrawin airfrom
aroundabuildingviaanetworkof samplingpipes
andsamplingholes.Theairis thenpassedthrough
ahighlysensitive precision detectorthat analyses
it andgenerateswarningsignals of potentialfire
whenit detectssmoke particles.
Expensivetoinstall andmaintain,thesesystems
arehighlysensitive andcandetectcoolsmokethat
doesnotrisetotheceiling,aswellassmouldering
fires andparticles givenoff byoverloadedelectrical
cables. Theyarethereforeespeciallyusefulwhere
earlywarningis required. ■

20. henever there’s a new British Standard
published for any kind of product, there
back of it claiming that you have to replace this or
that in order to comply.
BS EN ISO 7010, relating to graphical symbols,
safety colours and signs, and registered safety
signs,is no exception.
What does it cover?
Itaimstobringabout consistencyin safety signage
internationally,thoughit recognisesthat only
thenational standards organizationsof Austria,
Belgium,Bulgaria,Croatia,Cyprus,theCzech
Republic,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,theFormer
YugoslavRepublicof Macedonia,France,Germany,
Greece,Hungary,Iceland,Ireland,Italy,Latvia,
Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta,theNetherlands,
Norway,Poland,Portugal, Romania,Slovakia,
Slovenia,Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey,and
theUnitedKingdomareobliged toadopt it.
Thedatefor adoptionwasJanuary2013,whenit
becameaEuropeanNormative.Therefore,atthat
time,it replacedBS5499-5,thepreviousBritish
Standard.
Is it the law?
No.British Standards arenotlaw.Theyare Codes
of Practice,generallyaffectingonlynew products,
asopposedtothose previously produced.However,
it is possible for standards tobegivena type
of legal status when they are referred to within
legislation or government-issued guidance and
ApprovedCodesof Practice.
Whichfire escapesigns? Quick
guideto BSENISO7010
By Claire Rizos, Director, Clarity Safety Solutions Ltd, a health andsafety
consultancy in Oban,Scotland.
Wseems to be a rush of sales literature on the
20

21. Inthis case,therelevantlegislationis theHealth
andSafety (SafetySigns andSignals)Regulations
of 1996,alsoknownastheSafety Signs
Regulations.Theseregulations implementedEC
Directive92/58/EEC. Theyhavenotbeenupdated,
andthere’snoapparentplantochangethemjust
yettoincorporateBSENISO7010.Therefore,even
thoughsomesalesliteratureimpliesthat all your
safety signs (including fire escapesigns) mustbe
replaced,that simplyisn’t the case.
What do they look like?
Before1996,thestandard for fire escapeandother
safety signs wassetoutin BS5499.Signs looked
likethis, for example.
Thosewhoarelongerinthetoothwillrecallthefuss
whenwehadtoaddtherunning mantooursigns.
ThentheSafetySigns Regulationsbroughtanew
styleof fireescapesign—theonewiththeice-cream
box.
The guidance on these regulations published in
2009 (still the most current version) stated that
businesses could continue to use the BS5499-5
fireescapesignage if theypreferred.Luckily for
manyof us,BS5499-5,ouroldandtrusted standard
for fireescapesigns,wasusedasthebasis for
BSENISO7010.If youdidn’tputuptheEuropean
standard signs whentheybecameavailableafter
1996,yourbuildingis nowbackin fashion.
What should building managers do?
There’snorequirementtoreplacesigns,andit’s
highlyunlikelythatanysuchrequirementwillever
beintroduced.It’sbestnot tomixsign types; the
guidancerecommendsconsistencyin styleand
design throughout abuilding(e.g., BS9999:2008).
However,this is only arecommendation,so it isn’t
illegaltomixsign types.
Nevertheless,consistencywillbemuchmore
important in public buildings. Onthat basis,
if you’readdingafewsigns toabuilding that
consistently follows ECDirective92/58/EEC, it’s
worthseekingoutmatchingsigns,atleastfor the
timebeing,eventhoughthey’renotdesignedtothe
latest standard. If you’restartingfromscratchwith
anewbuilding, gowiththenewstandard. Andif
yoursituationis somewherebetweenthose two,do
whatseemsmost logical.
Atleast,thefire escapeandfirefightingequipment
signs all useveryfamiliarsymbols. If youstart
usingthem,youshouldn’t needtoretrainstaff. (The
samecan’tbesaidfor all thegeneralsafety signs
underBSENISO7010.). ■
21

22. ook at the ceiling of any public building and
22
you’ll notice that fire sprinkler systems are
Leverywhere. To the untrained observer, one
sprinkler system is probably very much the same
as another.
Onthecontrary,thereareseveraldifferenttypes
of firesprinkler systems.Eventheextinguishant
variesaccordingtothebuilding’senvironment
andtemperaturesettings. Eachsolution is colour
coded.
Thesprinkler systemwearefamiliarwithtodayhas
its roots in HiramStevensMaxim’s19thcentury
design.Afterits patentranout,HenrySParmalee
tookonthedesign in 1874toprotecthis piano
factory.
Incidentally,ratherthanbeingknownfor fire
sprinklers,HiramStevensMaxim’sbiggest
contributiontoengineeringwasthe ‘flying
machines’rideatPleasureBeachBlackpool
from1904.
Backtomodernsprinkler systems: thereare
eight differentcolour codesandeight varieties
of sprinkler taps. Thisarticleaimstogiveyouan
easy-to-understand reference guide.
Sprinkler tap designs
Theeight typesof sprinkler taps:
• Conventional
• Horizontal sidewall
• Verticalsidewall
• Recessedpendant
• Concealedpendant
• Upright
• Pendant
• Concealedhorizontal sidewall
Asprinkler tapasmost laypersons would
recognisethemwouldbethe conventional,
Firesprinkler systems:aguideto
designs,colourcodesandsuppliers
Written by Triangle Fire Systems, one of the UK’s leadingspecialists
in residential and domestic sprinklersystems.

23. upright versions.Conventionalsystems havea
spherical systemof distributionwhichpointstothe
ground likeashower head.
Similarly designed, though with nozzles pointing
downwards, pendant sprinkler systems work in a
similar way,but are recessed, concealed and less
intrusive.
The concealed pendant tap is discreet, with a baffle
to mask the nozzle. They are popular in offices and
public buildings.
Horizontalandverticalsidewallsprinklers
(including concealedhorizontalsidewallversions)
havemorefunctionsthanstandard sprinkler
systems.
Sprinkler colour codes
Aswellasthenozzle,anotherkeypart of any
sprinkler systemis thebulb. Thebulbcanvaryin
thickness. Coloursvaryaccordingtotemperature
settings, asdetailedin thetable below.
Thecolour codesseenaboverelatetotheglass
bulbcolour.Ordinarysprinkler systems have
orangeorredbulbs. Intermediate,yelloworgreen.
High temperaturebulbsarecolouredin blueup to
246 degrees Celsius, then purple up to 302 degrees
Celsius, and black for anything above. These fall in
theVeryExtraHigh andUltraHigh categories.
Types of fire sprinkler systems
Therearefourmaintypesof firesprinkler systems
whicharein common use:
• WetPipe;
• DryPipe;
• Deluge;
• Pre-Action.
Wet Pipe
WetPipesprinkler systems arethemost common
typeof sprinkler systems in use.Theyareseenin
offices andhousesandareso-called, asthewater-
basedextinguishant is storedunderpressurein its
pipes.Activationis immediate.
Dry Pipe
Wherepipesarelikelytofreeze,drypipesprinkler
systems areanalternativetothestandard wetpipe
systems.Nitrogengasorpressurised airis stored
in thepipes,whichareactivatedbeforebeing
followedbywater. Unlikeits wetpipeequivalents,
thereis aslight delay.
WetPipe
23
DryPipe

24. Delugesprinkler systems aretypically usedin areas
whererapidfire damageis amajor concern.For
example,warehouseloadingbaysandhighrise
windows.Theyaresimilarin design towetpipe
installations thoughwithonemajor difference: the
nozzleis alwaysopen. Anotherdifferenceis how
adeluge-basedsprinkler is triggered. This is viaa
specialalarmthat opensawaterrelease valve.
Thepre-action sprinkler systemis acombination
of wetpipeanddrypipesprinkler systems.They
aretypically usedinareasathighriskof water
damage.Waterisn’t storedin thepipes untila
firedetectionsystemdetectsafire. Firstly, the
deviceopensavalvewithinthepipesthat releases
thewater. This occursprior totheopeningof the
sprinkler heads.Onopening,its responsetimeis
asfast asastandard wetpipesprinkler system.
Who makes fire sprinkler systems?
Theworld’sleading manufacturerin firesprinkler
systems is TycoFire ProtectionProducts. Theyare
amultinationalcompanyformedin 1960by Arthur
J. Rosenbergwithfireprotectionandsecurity
productsthemainstayof their business.TheirHQ
is situated in Cork,Republicof Ireland.
Anotherprincipal manufactureris Wormald
International.TheyareanAustraliancompany,
whomatonetime,wereasubsidiaryof Tyco
International.Theywereformedin 1889by
brothers,JosephDawsonWormaldandHenry Percy
Wormald.Bothleft Edinburghfor Australiato
importMatherandPlatt’ssystems,manufactured
in NewtonHeath,Manchester.Afterbeinga
subsidiaryof Tyco,theywerebought byNewYork
Citybasedprivateequity company,Evergreen
Capital,L.P.(Australia, Fiji) in 2016.
Thereis alsoanumberof independentcompanies.
Agreatmany,basedin theUK,aremembersof the
British AutomaticFire SprinklerAssociation. The
professionalbodywasformedin 1974 andhas
affiliationswithoverseasbodies liketheAmerican
FireSprinklerAssociation. ■
WetPipe
24
DryPipe

25. FIREX Internationalis theonlyeventthatconnectstheglobalfire
andsecurity markets,andgivesfireandsecurity professionals
accesstotheverylatesttechnologyfromsuppliers acrosstheworld,
cutting-edgesolutionsandtheessentialknowledgetoensurelife
safety.Sowhetheryouworksolelyinthefireindustryoracrossboth
fireandsecurity,avisit toFIREXInternationalis amust.
Findoutmorebyvisitingour website
firex.co.uk
FIREXInternational
2018 takesplace
19 - 21June