ELECTRICIANS GUIDE

ELECTRICIANS
GUIDE TO FIRE
DETECTION AND
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Published by The Institution of Engineering and Technology, London, United Kingdom

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales
(no. 211014) and Scotland (no. SC038698).

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is the new institution

formed by the joining together of two great institutions; the IEE(Institution
of Electrical Engineers) and the IIE (The Institution of Incorporated
Engineers). The new Institution is the inheritor of the IEE brand and all its
products and services, such as this one, which we hope you find useful.

2010, 2014 The Institution of Engineering and Technology

First published 2010

Second edition 2014

This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention. All
rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may be
reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, only with the prior permission in
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Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG1 2AY, United Kingdom.

Copies of this publication may be obtained from:

The Institution of Engineering and Technology
PO Box 96, Stevenage, SG1 2SD, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1438 767328
Email: sales@theiet.org
www.theiet.org/wiringbooks

While the author, publisher and contributors believe that the information and guidance given in this
work are correct, all parties must rely upon their own skill and judgement when making use of them.
The author, publisher and contributors do not assume any liability to anyone for any loss or damage
caused by any error or omission in the work, whether such an error or omission is the result of
negligence or any other cause. Where reference is made to legislation it is not to be considered as legal
advice. Any and all such liability is disclaimed.

Extracts from BS 5839-1:2013 and BS 5839-6:2013 are reproduced within this Publication with the
permission of the BSI Standards Limited. Copyright subsists in all BSI publications. British Standards
can be obtained in PDF or hard copy formats from the BSI online shop: www.bsigroup.com/shop or by
contacting BSI Customer Services for hard copies only: Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 9001, Email: cservices@
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ISBN 978-1-84919-763-2
eISBN 978-1-84919-764-9
Typeset in the UK by Carnegie Book Production, Lancaster
Printed by Polestar Wheaton
 Contents

Cooperating organisations 7

Acknowledgements 8

Preface 9

Chapter 1 Fire safety legislation 11

1.1 Introduction 11
1.2 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 12
1.3 Building Regulations 2010 (England and Wales) 17
1.4 Building Regulations Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales 20
1.5 The Housing Act 2004 21
1.6 Parallel application of the Fire Safety Order and Building Regulations 23
1.7 Building control, the fire and rescue authority and fire safety 23
1.8 Local Acts 23
1.9 Premises subject to licensing 24
1.10 Determination 24
1.11 Terminology 25

Chapter 2 The building control approvals process 27

2.1 Preliminary design stage: advice and consultation 27
2.2 Statutory consultation 28
2.3 Approval of plans 29
2.4 Amended plans 29
2.5 Alterations notices 29
2.6 Construction 30
2.7 Completion 30
2.8 Occupation 31
2.9 Web references 32

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 3

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Chapter 3 Introduction to Approved Document B: Fire safety 33
3.1 Notification 33
3.2 Summary 33
3.3 Supplementary guidance 34
3.4 Changes to Approved Document B 34
3.5 Northern Ireland (Technical Booklet E) 35

Chapter 4 Dwellings Approved Document B, Volume 1 37

4.1 Introduction 37
4.2 Means of warning and escape (B1) 38
4.3 Design principles 39
4.4 Fire detection and fire alarm systems in dwellings 40
4.5 Internal fire spread 48
4.6 Inspection, testing and certification 49
4.7 Maintenance 49

Chapter 5 Dwellings British Standard 5839-6 51

5.1 Introduction and Approved Document B 51
5.2 Scope of BS 5839-6 52
5.3 Grades of system 52
5.4 Categories of system 59
5.5 Selection of grade and category 62
5.6 Types of fire detector 66
5.7 Sheltered housing 69
5.8 The electrical installation 69
5.9 Model certificates 72

Chapter 6 Buildings other than dwellings Approved Document B,

Volume 2 79
6.1 Introduction 79
6.2 Performance 80
6.3 Design principles 81
6.4 Legislation 82
6.5 Fire alarm systems for flats 83
6.6 Fire alarm systems buildings other than flats 84
6.7 Automatic fire detection and fire alarm systems 85
6.8 Warnings for deaf and hard-of-hearing people 85
6.9 Particular premises 86
6.10 Property protection 87
6.11 Supply of information 87

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 4

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6.12 Risk assessments and responsible person 90
6.13 Cables (protected power circuits) 91

Chapter 7 Buildings other than dwellings British Standard 5839-1 93

7.1 Scope of BS 5839-1 93
7.2 Approved Document B 93
7.3 Categories of system 96
7.4 Selection of category 98
7.5 Departures (variations) from the Standard 101
7.6 Protection of life 102
7.7 Integrity and reliability of circuits 102
7.8 Evacuation strategy 104
7.9 Power supplies 105
7.10 Sound levels 113
7.11 Radio linked systems 113
7.12 Inspection, testing and certification 114
7.13 Maintenance 123

Chapter 8 BS 7671:2008 Requirements for electrical installations 129

8.1 Chapter 56 Safety services 129
8.2 Chapter 52 Selection and erection of wiring systems 130
8.3 Section 422.2 Conditions for evacuation in an emergency 130
8.4 Protection against overload 132
8.5 Section 527.2 Sealing of wiring system penetrations 132

Chapter 9 British Standards 133

9.1 Introduction 133
9.2 BS 5839 Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings 134
9.3 BS 9999 Code of Practice for fire safety in the design, management
and use of buildings 135
9.4 BS 5588 Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings 135
9.5 BS 7974 Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design
of buildings 136
9.6 Equipment standards 137
9.7 BS 7273 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures 139
9.8 BS EN 14604 Smoke alarm devices 140
9.9 BS 8519 Selection and installation of fire-resistant power and control
cable systems for life safety and fire-fighting applications 140
9.10 Test standards 140

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 5

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Chapter 10 Scottish building standards 141
10.1 Introduction 141
10.2 Legislation 141
10.3 Scottish building standards guidance documents 142
10.4 Procedures 143
10.5 Electrical installations 146
10.6 Guidance on electrical work not requiring a warrant 147

Index 151

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 6

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 Cooperating
organisations
The author acknowledges the contribution made by the following organisations in the
preparation of this Guide.

BEAMA Installations Ltd Institution of Engineering and

Eur Ing M.H. Mullins BA CEng FIEE FIIE Technology
P. Sayer IEng MIIE GCGI
National Association of Professional
British Cable Association Testers and Inspectors
C K Reed IEng MIIE F Bertie MIET
S Hopkins
Scottish Building Standards Division
Department for Communities and Local J MacGregor
Government
Reviewer
A. Burd
C.S. Todd MSc FIFireE FBEng MIRM MSFPE
K. Bromley
CPhys FInstP CEng FIET
Electrical Contractors Association
Author
G. Digilio IEng FIET ACIBSE MSLL
P.R.L. Cook CEng FIET
Electrical Contractors Association of
The author would like to record special
Scotland (t/a SELECT)
thanks to Eur Ing L. Markwell MSc BSc
D. Millar IEng MIIE MILE
CEng MIET MCIBSE LCGI for his particular
Fire and Security Association assistance in preparing the publication.
M. Turner

Health and Safety Executive

K. Morton CEng FIET

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 7

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 Acknowledgements

References to British Standards are made with the kind permission of BSI. Complete copies
can be obtained by post from:
BSI Customer Services
389 Chiswick High Road
London W4 4AL
Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 9001
Fax: +44 (0)20 8996 7001
Email: cservices@bsi-global.com
Web: www.bsi-global.com
Department for Communities and Local Government building regulations publications
including:
ff Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Procedural Guidance
ff Approved Document B: Fire safety

Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems 8

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 Preface

The Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems is one of a number of
publications prepared by the IET to provide guidance on electrical installations in buildings.
This publication is concerned with fire detection and fire alarm systems and must be read
in conjunction with the legislation, Approved Document B and the British Standards, in
particular BS 5839-1 and BS 5839-6.
Designers and installers should always consult these documents to satisfy themselves of
compliance.
It is expected that persons carrying out work in accordance with this Guide will be competent
to do so, competence being a statutory requirement of the Electricity at Work Regulations.

Scope
This guide has been prepared for electrical installation designers and contractors involved in
the design, installation and/or maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems in England
and Wales. Guidance on the requirements for Scotland is given in Chapter 8, prepared with
the assistance of the Scottish Building Standards.

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 Index
A Building control, the fire and rescue
Alterations (to dwellings) 4.4.5
Alterations notices 2.5
Amended plans 2.4
Apartments 4.4.6, 6.5
Approval of plans 2.3
Approvals process chap 2
Approved Document B chap 3
Approved Document B and
BS 5839-1 chap 7
Approved Document B and
BS 5839-6 chap 5
Approved Document B changes 3.4
Approved Document B, Volume 1
dwellinghouses chap 4
Approved Document B, Volume 2
buildings other than
dwellinghouses chap 6
Arbitrary values 7.5.2
Assembly buildings 6.9.4
Automatic fire detection and fire
alarm systems 6.7
B Carbon monoxide fire
British Standards chap 9
BS 5446 9.6.1
BS 5588 9.4
BS 5839-1 chap 7, 8.1, 9.2
BS 5839-6 chap 5, 9.2
BS 7273 9.7
BS 7346 9.6.3
BS 7671:2008 chap 8
BS 7974 9.5
BS 8519 9.9
BS 9999:2008 6.4.1, 9.3
BS EN 14604 9.8
BS EN 54 9.6.2
Building control approval
process chap 2
Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
authority and fire safety 1.7
Building Regulations 2010
(England and Wales) 1.3
Building Regulations and Fire
Safety Order 1.6, 1.10
Building Regulations Scotland
and Northern Ireland 1.4
Building (Scotland) Act 2003 chap 10
Building standards, Scotland chap 10
Buildings other than dwellings chap 6
C
Cable colours 7.9.6
Cable fire performance
requirements 8.3
Cable installation 7.9.6
Cables
enhanced 7.9.6
fire-resisting 7.9.6
protected power circuits 6.13
selection 7.9.6
standard 7.9.6
detectors 5.6.3, 7.13.6
Care homes 7.4.2
Categories of system 5.4. 5.5,
7.3, 7.4
Categories for dwellings 5.4
Category L (life) 7.3.2
Category M (manual) 7.3.1
Category P (property) 7.3.3
Certificates, model 5.9, 7.12.2
Certification 4.6, 5.9, 7.12
Circuits 7.7
Commissioning 4.6
Completion 2.7
Construction 2.6
Consultation 2.2
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D Fire spread 4.5
Deaf and hard-of-hearing people 6.8
Definitions 1.11
Departures (variations) from the
Standard 7.5
Design principles 4.3, 6.3
Design stage: advice and
consultation 2.1
Design certificate 5.9.1, 7.12.2
Detectors 5.6
carbon monoxide 5.6.3, 7.13.6
flame 5.6.4
heat 5.6.2
multi-sensor 5.6.5
optical 5.6.1
smoke 5.6.1
Determination 1.10
Dwellings chap 4, chap 5
Dwellings, fire alarm and
fire detection systems 4.4
E Heat detectors 5.6.2
Electrical installation 5.8, 7.9, chap 8
Electrical installations,
Scottish 10.5
Electrical work not requiring
a warrant, in Scotland 10.6
Electricity supplies 4.4.3, 7.9
Enhanced fire-resisting cables 7.9.6
Equipment standards 9.6
Evacuation condition
categories 8.3
Evacuation strategy 7.8
Extensions 4.4.5
F J, K
Fire alarm and fire detection
systems in dwellings 4.4
Fire alarm system power
supply units 7.9.4
Fire alarm systems 6.5, 6.6, 6.7
Fire detection and fire alarm
systems in dwellings 4.4
Fire detectors 5.6
Fire precautions 6.12.3
Fire-resisting cables 7.9.6
Fire risk assessment, for dwellings 5.5.3
Fire safety legislation chap 1
Fire Safety Order 2005 1.1, 1.2, 2.8.2
Fire Safety Order and Building
Regulations 1.6, 1.10
Electricians Guide to Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Index
Fire system grades 5.3
Fires, relative frequency
in dwellings 5.5.3
Flame detectors 5.6.4
Flats 4.4.6, 6.5, 6.9.6
G
Grade A system 5.3.1
Grade and category 5.5
Grade B system 5.3.2
Grade C system 5.3.3
Grade D system 5.3.4
Grade E system 5.3.5
Grade F system 5.3.6
Grades for dwellings 5.5.3
Grades of system 5.3, 5.5
Group homes 6.9.2
H
Hand-over 4.6.3
Hospitals 6.9.1
Houses in multiple
occupation 4.4.8, 6.5.3
Houses, large 4.4.4
Housing Act 2004 1.5
I
Inspection, testing and
certification 4.6, 7.12
Integrity and reliability of circuits 7.7
Internal fire spread 4.5
Ionisation smoke detectors 5.6.1
No entries
L
Landlords 6.5.4
Large houses 4.4.4
Legislation chap 1, 6.4
Legislation, Scottish 10.2
Licensing 1.9
Life protection 7.3.2, 7.6
Local Acts 1.8
Local authority building control chap 2
M
Mains power supplies 7.9.3
Maintenance 4.7, 7.13
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 Index

Manual systems 7.3.1 S

Means of warning and
escape (B1) 4.2
Model certificates 5.9, 7.12.2
Multi-sensor fire detectors 5.6.5
N Segregation of fire systems 7.9.2
Northern Ireland 1.2.6, 1.4.2, 3.5
Notification 3.1
O Shopping complexes 6.9.3
Occupation 2.8
Operation and maintenance
instructions 6.11.2
Optical smoke detectors 5.6.1
P Building Regulations 9.1.1
Parallel application of the Fire
Safety Order and Building
Regulations 1.6
Particular premises 6.9
Performance 6.2
Plans 2.3, 2.4
Power supplies 4.4.3, 7.9
Preliminary design stage:
advice and consultation 2.1
Premises subject to licensing 1.9
Procedures, Scottish 10.4
Property protection 6.10, 7.3.3
Protection of life 7.3.2, 7.6
Provision of fire detection and
fire-fighting equipment 1.2.5
Safety services 8.1
Schools 6.9.5
Scotland 1.2.6, 1.4.1, chap 10
Scottish building standards
guidance documents 10.3
Selection of category 5.5, 7.4
Selection of grade 5.5
Sheltered housing 4.4.7, 6.5.2
Smoke alarm installation
requirements 4.4
Smoke detectors 5.6.1
Sound levels 7.10
Standards referenced in the
Standby supplies 7.9.5
Statutory consultation 2.2
Supplies 7.9
Supply of information 6.11
System categories 5.4, 5.5, 7.3, 7.4
System grades 5.3, 5.5
T
Terminology 1.11
Test standards 9.10
Testing 4.6.1, 7.13
Types of fire detector 5.6
U
Unsupervised group homes 6.9.2

Q V
No entries Variations 7.5.3

R W
Radio links 4.4.3, 4.4.9, 7.11
RCBOs 4.4.3
RCDs 4.4.3
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)
Order 2005 1.1, 1.2, 2.8. 2
Reliability of circuits 7.7
Residential care homes 7.4.2
Responsible person 1.2.2, 1.11, 6.12
Risk assessment 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 6.12
Wales 1.4.3
Wardens 6.5.4
Warning and escape 4.2
Warnings for deaf and
hard-of-hearing people 6.8
Warrants chap 10
Web references 2.9
X, Y, Z
No entries

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