Introduction to Fire Safety Management

the design and construction of the drainage for a building
may be of any type, but it must be adequate.
In the same way, the regulations relating to the fi re
safety of buildings are not in the main prescriptive but
outline certain functional requirements, for example
the Building Regulations require that all buildings have
‘appropriate means of escape in case of fi re’.
The Building Regulations are enforced by local
building control authorities, which work under the
auspices of the government department responsible for
planning. It is the local building control authorities who
normally decide whether or not a particular approach
to satisfying the functional requirements of the Building
Regulations is adequate.
In order to provide some helpful guidance to designers
and constructors, the DCLG issues detailed guidance
on how the functional requirements of the Building
Regulations may be met. This detailed guidance takes
the form of ‘Approved Documents’; these documents
have the same status as all approved Codes of Practice.
In the case of fi re safety DCLG have issued ‘Fire
Safety – Approved Document B’ to the Building Regulations
2000 (Revised 2006).
The Building Regulations are divided into various
‘parts’. Part ‘B’ of the regulations deals with the main
fi re safety requirements for all buildings.
There are two volumes:
➤ Approved Document B (Fire Safety) – Volume 1:
Dwellinghouses (2006 Edition)
➤ Approved Document B (Fire Safety) – Volume 2:
Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2006 Edition).
Part B of the regulations is further subdivided into the
following fi ve sections:
➤ B1 Means of warning and escape
➤ B2 Internal fi re spread (linings)
➤ B3 Internal fi re spread (structure)
➤ B4 External fi re spread
➤ B5 Access and facilities for the fi re service.
Table 9.1 provides a summary of the functional requirements
of the regulations relating to fi re safety.
In addition to ‘Approved Document B’ the Building
Regulations also provide direction on ‘access to and use
of buildings’ in ‘Approved Document M’ for all persons,
but particularly those with disabilities.
The Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations,
Disability Discrimination Act and Discrimina tion
(Employment) Regulations all require arrangements to be
established to ensure all persons can safely gain access
and use facilities and do not differentiate these requirements
from those required in the event of an emergency.
Fire protection in buildings
Thus due consideration must be made when accessing
the requirements for those with disabilities.
9.4 Building construction and design –
preventive and protective measures
Designing and maintaining a ‘safe’ building is the fi rst
step to ensuring reasonable levels of fi re safety for the
building and its occupants in the event of a fi re. Without
a safe building, all the efforts of management to provide
systems that prevent fi res occurring or ensure emergency
evacuation will be of little or no effect. The fundamental
features that provide a basis for both building
and life safety in all buildings are:
➤ Elements of structure
➤ Compartmentation
➤ Internal linings.
9.4.1 Elements of structure
An element of structure is defi ned as being part of a
building, which supports the building, i.e. a load-bearing
part, for example:
➤ Any part of a structural frame (beams and columns)
➤ Any load-bearing wall (other than part which is only
self-load-bearing)
➤ A fl oor or any element that supports a fl oor.
A roof structure is not considered as an element of
structure unless the roof provides support to an element
of structure or which performs the function of a fl oor.
The elements of structure should continue to
function in a fi re. They should continue to support and
maintain the fi re protection to fl oors, escape routes and
access routes, until all occupants have escaped, or
have been rescued. In order to achieve this load bearing
elements of structure are required to have a demonstrable
standard of fi re resistance.
The degree of fi re resistance for any particular
building depends upon its use, size and location.
Elements of structure are required to have specifi c
fi re resistance in order to:
➤ Minimise the risk to the occupants, some of whom
may not evacuate the building immediately
➤ Reduce the risk to fi re fi ghters who may be engaged
in fi re fi ghting or rescue operations
➤ Prevent excessive fi re damage and collapse of the
building
➤ Prevent excessive transfer of heat to other buildings
and structures.
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