05 June 2009
Tony Morris

British Standard BS 9999:2008,  which came into effect on 1 October last year, is a code of practice for fire safety in designing, managing and occupying buildings. It is one of the pieces of guidance and advice which amplify UK fire safety laws such as the Fire Safety Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

On 6 April 2009, BS 9999 replaced the majority of the BS 5588 series of 12 documents, which covered fire safety in building design and use for different building types and users. 

Though it is primarily aimed at designers, fire engineers and fire safety managers, BS 9999 (available at www.lexisurl.com/hsw881 at £290) is also of use to contractors, site supervisors and site safety officers, owners, tenants, occupants, facilities managers and security staff.

All in one

The Standard is intended as a complete fire safety guidance package that can be applied to existing buildings, intended alterations, extensions and changes of use, as well as to the design of new buildings. The 439-page document's recommendations are intended to safeguard the lives of people occupying a building or in the immediate vicinity, as well as firefighters.

The standard is written with a basic assumption that the features it describes will require management and maintenance, throughout the life of a building. Whatever fire safety provisions there are, they can be seriously compromised by poor management, inadequate facilities for firefighting or a lack of adequate fire safety measures in the construction phase.

Fire safety systems provided at the design and engineering stage can only function properly under good management and a risk-based approach to the maintenance, inspection, testing and training schedules of the building's fire safety arrangements.

The Standard prescribes effective fire safety management, which can contribute to the protection of people in and around buildings by:

• working to prevent fires
• monitoring  fire risks and taking action to eliminate or reduce the risk
• raising awareness of the types of people using a building, such as people with disabilities and expectant mothers
• ensuring that fire safety measures and fire escapes are kept in working order
• training staff and organising and practising emergency evacuation plans
• taking command in the event of a fire, until the fire and rescue services arrive.

BS 9999 is a coordinated package, covering the four main areas that influence safety measures:

• fire safety management
• provision of means of escape
• protection of escape facilities and building stability in the event of fire
• access and facilities for firefighting.

The Standard is designed to help those responsible for fire management follow the "advanced approach", the middle tier of a three-level system for fire management guidance. Below it is the "general approach", which involves simply following government codes, and above is "fire safety engineering", set out in BS 7974, which allows designers more scope for innovation and which may be the only practical way to achieve a satisfactory standard  in some large and complex buildings or those with several uses.

Where a building is designed and managed inclusively to provide access for all users under the Disability Discrimination Act, the facilities should also be used to improve egress. Disability emergency planning arrangements should not be restricted to helping wheelchair users. Fire safety arrangements for people with disabilities should include employees and visitors with hearing impairment or partial sight. Staff should be trained to handle incidents and to operate tested emergency plans.  

BS 9999 emphasises assessing risk and risk profiling to create appropriate preventative and protective fire safety measures, which will include information, instruction, training and supervision. A competent person carrying out a fire risk assessment has to work out the risk profile: that is, the potential consequences of a fire for people and property. The risk profile will then dictate the required level of fire prevention management and fire safety provisions for the building.

Anyone who claims compliance with BS 9999 is expected to be able to justify any action that deviates from its recommendations. Some variation might be necessary for specialist buildings, but it has been assumed that appropriately qualified and experienced people will be in charge of executing the Standard.

Tony Morris is technical director, Fire Safety Services, at the Compliance Management Division of quality, health, safety and environment specialists Bureau Veritas, www.bureauveritas.co.uk

Categories:
Fire, Safety, Article