It is fundamental that property owners and construction organizations remain aware of the latest commercial and residential building safety requirements.

Most fire safety legislation for commercial buildings has been superseded by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) – which in turn will be superseded by the 2021 Fire Safety Bill once it has been passed by Parliament.

The main difference is that the Fire Safety Bill encompasses anyone who could be at risk from a fire on commercial premises. This goes beyond employees to include visitors and potentially members of the public. Broadly speaking, the Fire Safety Bill applies to any area of a building not considered to be an ‘individual private’ home, such as a family home or a single residence in a block of flats.

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The standard for fire safety in commercial buildings

To provide necessary guidance on fire safety, BSI developed standard BS 9999:2017 Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings – Code of practice.

BS 9999 gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management, and use of buildings to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around them. It also provides guidance on the ongoing management of fire safety within a building throughout its entire life cycle, including guidance for designers to ensure that the overall design of a building assists and enhances the management of fire safety.

It is applicable to the design of new buildings and to material alterations, extensions, and material changes of use of an existing building.

BS 9999 aligns the standard with current good practice, new technology, and consistency with other revised fire safety standards, namely BS 9990 and BS 9991.

This standard also features updated recommendations for smoke and heat control; fire curtain barrier assemblies; mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning systems; shopping complexes; and ducting.

Users of this British Standard are likely to work within the design environment associated with a particular construction project governed by legislation, processes, constraints, programs, and deliverables that might vary depending on-premise type, location, client, and regulatory requirements.

BS 9999 will be of use to architects; building managers; fire safety engineers; fire risk assessors; building control personnel; fire and rescue personnel; installers of fire and smoke alarms, sprinklers, and smoke and heat control systems; and inspectors for certification and installation schemes.

BS 9999 is not applicable to the following types of buildings, which are covered in BS 9991: dwellings (single-family dwelling houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes) and residential accommodation blocks (e.g. for students or hospital staff), with individual bedrooms and the provision of kitchen/sanitary facilities constructed within a fire compartment.

Ensure your organization is complying with fire safety in commercial buildings by adding standard BS 9999 to your collection today.

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