BS 5839 Codes: Applicable Codes

Part 1; Part 6; Part 8

By Don Scott

Apologies • Unfortunately both BS 5839 Part 6 and 8 are still not yet

completed and are work in progress as we speak

• They should be finalized shortly but too late for this conference

• Perhaps their changes may be communicated in the form of a Fact File at a later date

BS 5839 Part 8 Summary of Proposed Changes • Clause 20: Cables, reduction in cable diameter for suitability for

higher data transfer rates used for distributed voice alarm systems

• Revision to take into account and cross referencing new EN’s (54 -23 and 54 – 25)

• Clause 40: testing of emergency voice messages now monthly

• Annex C: removal of restriction caused by the assumption of 50% amplifier efficiency (class AB). This will lead to the use of smaller

power supplies in cases where high efficiency amplifiers are used.

• Removal of “Responsible Person” to “Premises Management”

Reasons for Revision 1. Findings from the Rose Park Fire 2. As a result of the research carried out by BRE regarding high

ceiling detection 3. Up-date references to reflect latest versions and new

standards

BS 5839 Part 1 : 2013

• This new edition of the CoP is not a full revision but technical and nomenclature changes

• A full revision will follow in due course

Nomenclature Changes Old Terminology New Terminology care home residential care premises fire service fire and rescue service responsible person premises management

New Title to Better Reflect Scope and Content

BS 5839, Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings – Part 1: Code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of systems in non-domestic premises

Requirement for Accurate & Unambiguous Information as to the Location of a Fire in Certain Applications • Clause 4 Need for a fire detection and fire alarm system and type

of system

• 4.2 Recommendations: c) Where occupants of a building are going to need assistance from staff to evacuate the building (e.g. in residential care homes and hospitals), the fire detection and fire alarm system should be addressable if the building has facilities for more than ten people to sleep.

Zone Plan: Definition, Guidance and Recommendations

• Clause 3 Terms and definitions

• 3.67 zone plan diagrammatic representation of a building, showing specific topographic information and the division of the building into detection zones It is now recognized that the provision of a Zone plan is of benefit to life safety and as such its provision has now been greatly emphasized

Zone Plan: Definition, Guidance and Recommendations • It is now required to have a zone plan adjacent to all CIE

• The absence of a zone plan is to be regarded as a Major Variation

to the standard

• The provision of the zone plan is now a required tick box on the Acceptance Certificate

• It is the responsibility of the premises management to ensure that the zone plan is kept up to date, especially if it references areas by name, such as shops etc.

Recording of Agreed Variations

Clause 7 Variations from the recommendations of this standard • Major non-compliances to the standard that are classed as

agreed variations should be clearly recorded in the log book so that they are readily available for future reference by maintenance companies and any other interested parties.

Visual Alarm Devices

Clause 3 Terms and definitions • 3.64 visual alarm device

• fire alarm device incorporating a flashing light

Clause 11 System components • 11.2 Recommendations

• m) Visual alarm devices should conform to BS EN 54-23

Visual Alarm Devices

Annex F (informative)

• Visual alarm device illumination characteristics

• This annex contains information extracted from LPCB CoP 0001

with regards to the illumination requirements, patterns and the minimum rating required or achieved for the various mounting scenarios

Ceiling Height Limits

• Firstly, the concept (confusion?) of rapid attendance has been dropped so Table 4 has been deleted

• “Limits of ceiling height (Category P systems and five minute fire and rescue service attendance)”

Table 3 has been amended in the light of the results from the BRE research project (supported by the FIA and ASD manufacturers and presented at the 2011 conference):

• Bringing ASD and beam height limits into line • Recognising the benefits of integrating type detection technologies

in such applications • Strongly suggesting (in notes to the table) the use of supplementary

detection (at an intermediate level) unless the risk of smoke stratification is minimal

Ceiling Heights – intermediate height detection For ASD systems – Clause 22.7 c) For beams detectors - Clause - 22.5 d)

Automatic Transmission of Fire Alarm Signals

• In residential care homes, facilities should be provided for

automatic transmission of alarm signals to an alarm receiving centre

• In residential care homes, a staff alarm should not incorporate any delay in summoning of the fire and rescue service when the fire alarm system operates, but there may be a delay in the general alarm signal, provided all staff are made aware of the fire alarm signal

Delay in Summoning the Fire and Rescue Service

• Ensure that any ARC used has transmission of fire alarm signals in their scope

• Alarms from heat detectors or sprinkler systems are now included along with manual call points as the type of alarms which generally do not initiate staff alarms

False Alarm Management Clause 35 Measures to limit false alarms

• 35.2.7 Filtering measures

• 35.2.7.1 Commentary

• Where an investigation period is employed, the fire and rescue

service ought not to be called until the outcome of the investigation is known (except in residential care homes where it is necessary to summon the fire and rescue service as soon as the fire alarm system operates).

False Alarm Management

• Alarms from heat detectors or sprinkler systems are now included

along with manual call points as the type of alarms which are excluded from Filtering Measures

• Filtering measures should NOT be applied to signals from fire alarm systems in residential care homes

Beam Detector Coverage

Servicing Clause 45 Inspection and servicing

• As the service engineer would probably not be aware of any

agreed variations he cannot therefore be expected to comment on any non-compliances found during service

• If he does refer to a non-compliance this cannot then be assumed that he has reviewed the whole system and highlighted all non-compliances

• A service is only to verify the operation of the system as it is presently installed

Normative References and Annex

• Annex C has been changed from an “Informative” to an

“normative” annex Clause 2 Normative references • List has been updated to include “new” or latest versions of

references or publications

Other Amendments

Clause 3 Terms and definitions • 3.9 coincidence

• arrangement designed so that an output is obtained only when

at least two independent input triggering signals are present at the same time

• NOTE This is not be mistaken for “double knock”, which is a colloquial term often used for an arrangement whereby an output is given only when two successive signals are received from the same device.

Other Amendments cont. Clause 3 Terms and definitions

• 3.9 premises management

persons having day-to-day control of the premises, the fire detection and fire alarm system(s) and implementation of the fire procedures

Other Amendments cont. Clause 11 System components Reference is made to third party certification as a means of ensuring components are fit for purpose and that BS EN 54 Part 13 can be used to ensure system compatibility

Other Amendments cont. Clause 11 System components • k) CIE should conform to BS EN 54-2

• NOTE 1 BS EN 54-2 contains optional performance characteristics

which are not necessarily provided in all CIE, even if third party certificated against BS EN 54-2. It needs to be ensured that the CIE provided has appropriate facilities to enable compliance with all the recommendations of this British Standard.

Other Amendments cont.

Clause 22 Spacing and siting of automatic fire detectors Recommendations are given as to the use of in-rack detection for racks containing high value, high risk materials or are higher than 8m

Other Amendments cont. Clause 22 Spacing and siting of automatic fire detectors An optical beam smoke detector may be installed at an angle from the horizontal, pointing down from the ceiling, in order to provide supplementary detection [i.e. in addition to beams located at or near the ceiling] to detect of a stratified smoke layer within a high space.

Other Amendments cont.

Clause 22 Spacing and siting of automatic fire detectors Where an aspirating smoke detection system is used to protect spaces with high ceilings (>25m) and there is a risk that the smoke could stratify before reaching the ceiling, sampling should be provided at multiple levels using drop-pipe arrangements at the wall and, where practical, within the main space.

Other Amendments cont. Clause 25 Power supplies The installer of the 230V mains supply is responsible for ensuring suitable double pole isolation devices, according to BS7671:2008 are utilized for the fire alarm system