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The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:
Committee reference FSH/12
Draft for comment 20/30396452 DC

Foreword

Publishing information

This part of BS 5446‑4 is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 30 November 2020. It was prepared by Technical Committee FSH/12, Fire Detection and Alarm Systems. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Relationship with other publications

BS 5446 is published in the following parts:

Part 2: Specification for heat alarms;
Part 3: Specification for fire and carbon monoxide alarm systems for deaf and hard of hearing people; and
Part 4: Specification for multi-sensor fire alarms using any combination of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide sensors.

This part of BS 5446 is aligned with the Working Group drafts of prEN 14604 (dated 21/02/2018) and prEN 54‑31 (dated 12/10/2018). The former includes several significant changes from BS EN 14604:2005. The latter was presented to CEN-TC72 (N3063) as the first example of how to prepare a product standard using the Open Descriptions (OD) approach (see Introduction).

For information, prEN 14604 includes the following changes compared to BS EN 14604:2005:

as required by the mandate, Clause 4 has been revised to state all the product characteristics, and Clause 5 has been revised to state all the corresponding tests;
additional product characteristics are specified for ingress for foreign bodies;
the sound output test method was modified;
product characteristics for smoke alarms using radio links have been added;
product characteristics for visual alarm indication have been added;
alarms with built-in batteries are required to automatically be connected to their power source on installation (8.3 in the revised standard);
requirements in 4.2.4.2.1, 5.2.2.2.1 and Annex M were revised and now require primary battery powered smoke alarms to have a minimum of 3 years battery service life, and details of the assessment of battery service life are included;
mains powered smoke alarms are required to have an integral back-up power supply;
the alarm silence facility test function was revised and replaced by temporary disablement and alarm muting;
a new Clause 6, “Assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP)”, has been added;
a new Clause 7, “Classification and designation”, has been added;
a new Clause 8, “Marking, labelling and packaging”, has been added;
text on the content of the user manual has been added in Clause 8; and
a new Annex A, Annex L, Annex M and Annex N have been added.

Information about this document

This publication can be withdrawn, revised, partially superseded or superseded. Information regarding the status of this publication can be found in the Standards Catalogue on the BSI website at bsigroup.com/standards, or by contacting the Customer Services team.

Where websites and webpages have been cited, they are provided for ease of reference and are correct at the time of publication. The location of a webpage or website, or its contents, cannot be guaranteed.

Use of this document

This British Standard follows the Open Descriptions (OD) approach being considered by TC72 for the EN 54 series. The OD approach provides for a common technical language to express the performance of a product. As such the only requirement of such European standards is that the manufacturer publishes a Declaration of Performance using the descriptors defined. For this British Standard the technique of using simple descriptors has been adopted, but the option of a descriptor “0” has been omitted.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its requirements are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “shall”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Where words have alternative spellings, the preferred spelling of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is used (e.g. “organization” rather than “organisation”).

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Other requirements for multi-sensor fire alarms might be specified by general legislation on, for example, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), safety and the environment.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Introduction: Open Descriptions

Many of the product standards in the EN 54 series fall under the Construction Product Regulation (CPR) [1] and, as such, are cited in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) as Harmonized standards (hENs). They will subsequently be transferred to the UK list of designated standards to support the new UKCA mark from 1 January 2021. The CPR [1] places constraints on how the EN 54 product standards are prepared and an approach using “Open Descriptions” is being phased in to realize the “common technical language” expected by the CPR [1] and thus facilitate ongoing citation in the OJEU.

In the past, the EN 54 series specified the minimum performance using pass/fail criteria. The CPR [1] does not permit pass/fail criteria. This contradiction can be overcome by using descriptions of performance, which are allowed by the CPR [1], particularly if the descriptions are open (allow open trade for products with different performances). This “Open Descriptions” (OD) approach introduces standard descriptors “X” and “0” to express, respectively, when an optional characteristic is not provided (X) and when the performance of a characteristic is not within defined criteria (0). Other descriptors (e.g. “1”, “2”, “A1”, “A2”) express when the performance of a characteristic is within defined criteria. Together, these descriptors establish a “common technical language” which can be used by member states to specify the requirements for the components of fire detection and alarm systems (FDAS).

The OD approach is being considered for the EN 54 series. It will be easy to recognize those parts which have adopted the OD approach because the descriptors/options and corresponding criteria for each product characteristic are expressed in tabular form.

The OD approach is focused on providing the “common technical language” for expressing the performance of a product under the CPR [1] to be used by the manufacturer in the Declaration of Performance (DoP) required by the CPR [1].

This British Standard requires a DoP, as described in Annex A, which is analogous to the DoP required by the CPR [1].

1 Scope

This part of BS 5446 specifies requirements and type test methods for multi-sensor fire alarms, using one of the following combinations of sensors:

smoke and heat;
smoke and carbon monoxide;
carbon monoxide and heat; and
smoke, carbon monoxide and heat.

It is applicable to multi-sensor fire alarms intended solely for permanent installation on ceilings or walls of dwellings, and to multi-sensor fire alarms suitable for use in leisure accommodation vehicles (LAVs).

It is not applicable to multi-sensor fire alarms incorporating ionization smoke sensors.

NOTE 1 Equipment conforming to this part of BS 5446 might not be suitable for use in boats used as a means of accommodation on inland waterways, due to the corrosive atmosphere.

NOTE 2 Although not covered by this part of BS 5446, equipment is available for use with multi-sensor fire alarms to provide a suitable warning system for use by deaf and hard of hearing people (see BS 5446‑3).

NOTE 3 This part of BS 5446 does not cover the requirements for devices intended for incorporation in fire detection and alarm systems (see BS EN 54‑1).

NOTE 4 This part of BS 5446 does not include detection of carbon monoxide as a toxic gas (see BS EN 50291‑1).

NOTE 5 This part of BS 5446 does not include detection of fire using heat only (see BS 5446‑2).

2 Normative references

3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviations

3.1 Terms and definitions

3.2 Symbols and abbreviations

4 Product characteristics and test procedures

4.1 General testing methods

4.2 Indicators

4.3 Nominal activation conditions/sensitivity

4.4 Response to slowly developing fires, ageing and contamination

4.5 Response delay (response time)

4.6 Variation in supply voltage

4.7 Fire sensitivity

4.8 Durability of normal activations/sensitivity

5 Testing, assessment and sampling methods

5.1 Provision for tests

5.2 Test schedule

6 Assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP)

6.1 General

6.2 Type testing

6.3 Factory production control (FPC)

7 Marking, labelling and packaging

7.1 Marking concerning the multi-sensor fire alarm device

7.2 Content of the user manual

7.3 Additional marking of the radio frequency modules

7.4 Packaging

Bibliography

BS 5446-4:2020

Fire detection and fire alarm devices for dwellings - Specification for multi-sensor fire alarms using any combination of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide sensors

Current

Published:

30 Nov 2020