VIEWPOINT
CLEARING THE SMOKE - FIRE TERMS EXPLAINED
Matt Neary, National Sales Manager at Knauf Insulation
AS REGULATIONS AROUND building safety continue to evolve, merchants need to be able to advise specifiers on how those requirements affect insulation choice. Successful compliance starts with understanding, but it can be overwhelming trying to differentiate between the many different terms and how they relate to each other.
That’s why this month we will ‘clear the smoke’ around some key fire safety terminology.
Approved Document B Approved Document B is the official guidance to meeting Part B of the Building Regulations for England. The document addresses multiple regulatory requirements, from appropriate materials for construction to warning systems, means of escape and fire spread. The document is divided into two parts: Volume 1 for dwellings and Volume 2 for buildings other than dwellings.
It’s worth noting that while regulations set the minimum standards, other organisations including local authorities, clients and insurers can all set more stringent requirements for development based on local needs, policy objectives or risk management concerns. Approved Document B should always be the starting point for determining specification, but it’s important to collate additional requirements as early as possible and integrate these digitally with your fire safety data to maintain the golden thread.
Fire resistance
Now that we’ve established the overall framework, we can take a closer look at some of the terms used to classify aspects of fire safety.
18
‘Fire resistance’ refers to a system or build-up’s ability to resist or prevent the passage of fire from one distinct area to another, as well as the resistance to the transfer of excessive heat. This is a vital consideration. Fire resistance prevents fire and hot gases from spreading through a building, maintains the integrity of the structure and enables the safe exit of occupants. Systems that provide fire resistance are extensively tested using BS or EN standards.
According to Approved Document B, fire resistance is measured in blocks of 30 minutes, with 30 minutes being the minimum amount of time most elements are expected to last. For taller buildings and higher-risk building types, times of up to 120 minutes are expected, but you should check the table provided in Approved Document B for more information.
Always use a product designed for the application to ensure it will deliver the desired performance.
Reaction to fire
The second critical term to unpack is ‘reaction to fire’, which refers to the inherent combustibility of a material. In more practical terms, this refers to the extent that a material contributes to the development and spread of fire by acting as a fuel source. A reaction to fire test is
performed with the given product attached to one of a few different standardised substrates, so it’s important that a substrate of the same class is used in the end application.
Euroclass classification All CE or UKCA marked insulation materials in Europe are given a Euroclass reaction to
fire classification, which indicates whether the material will ignite, emit smoke, or produce flaming droplets.
Insulation materials appear across the full range of classification. Typically, polystyrene insulation tends towards ‘E’ and ‘F’ classifications, meaning they are either easily flammable, will contribute significantly to a fire, or are untested. At the other end of the scale, most glass and rock mineral wool insulation is non- combustible.
Important note: This table is intended for illustrative purposes only. Products made from the materials listed here won’t necessarily hold these reactions to fire classifications, so always check the fire safety information for individual products before recommending them.
Non-combustible Given the evolving Approved Document B guidance, products that present minimal or no risk of contributing to fire will make the specification process more straight-forward. So it’s important to be familiar with the A1 and A2-s1,d0 classifications. Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification products meet the highest possible level of non-combustibility for thermal
insulating products when classified to BS EN 13501-1. This certification indicates that a product is non-combustible and will not contribute to the development of a fire. Insulation with Euroclass A2-s1,d0 reaction to fire classification is also considered non-combustible in accordance with England’s Building Regulations, which ban the use of combustible materials in certain applications, limiting use of materials to those achieving A2-s1,d0 or better. A2-s1,d0 products make no significant contribution to fire, and will produce little or no smoke and no flaming droplets.
Meeting requirements and minimising risk Fire safety legislation and guidance is complex and evolving.
Like all compliance, the real world will test the limits of it and guidance will change. The best advice you can give to your customers in 2024 is that they use insulation products that are non-combustible in all applications, regardless of the height or use of the building, to ensure they meet fast- evolving compliance, satisfy local requirements, and remove as much risk as possible from their projects. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
