Foreword

Publishing information

The development of this PAS was facilitated by BSI Standards Limited and published under licence from The British Standards Institution. It came into effect on 31 December 2020.

Acknowledgement is given to Colin Todd, as the technical author, and the following organizations that were involved in the development of this PAS as members of the steering group:

• CBRE PMFM UK
• Consumer and Public Interest Network
• Fire Industry Association
• Institution of Fire Engineers
• Lendlease
• Metro Safety Ltd
• National Fire Chiefs Council
• National Residential Landlords Association
• National Security Inspectorate
• National Social Housing Fire Strategy Group
• NHS England/NHS Improvements
• Savills (UK) Limited
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• University College London

Acknowledgement is also given to the members of a wider review panel who were consulted in the development of this PAS.

This PAS has been developed and published by BSI, which retains its ownership and copyright, except for Annex A, Annex D and Annex E (see Use of this document). BSI Standards Limited as the publisher of the PAS reserves the right to withdraw or amend this PAS on receipt of authoritative advice that it is appropriate to do so. This PAS will be reviewed at intervals not exceeding two years.

This PAS is not to be regarded as a British Standard. It will be withdrawn upon publication of its content in, or as, a British Standard.

The PAS process enables a code of practice to be rapidly developed in order to fulfil an immediate need in industry. A PAS can be considered for further development as a British Standard, or constitute part of the UK input into the development of a European or International Standard.

At the time of publication of this PAS, there are, potentially, certain restrictions in the measures that can be taken by a fire risk assessor to comply with the recommendations of this PAS, arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in a hospital, health and safety considerations might take precedence over fire risk assessment, such as to preclude the level of inspection of certain areas of the hospital recommended in this PAS.

Supersession

Together with PAS 79‑2, this part of PAS 79 supersedes PAS 79:2012, which is withdrawn.

Relationship with other publications

PAS 79 is published in two parts:

• Part 1: Premises other than housing – Code of practice;
• Part 2: Housing – Code of practice.

PAS 9980 , which is in the course of preparation at the time of publication of this current PAS, will give recommendations for fire risk appraisal and assessment of external wall construction and cladding of blocks of flats.

Information about this document

PAS 79 was first prepared, in 2005, by BSI in association with C.S. Todd & Associates Ltd, with the support and encouragement of the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Northern Ireland Fire Safety Panel, the latter of which represents building control and licensing authorities in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service. It was subsequently revised in 2007 and 2012. Those revisions and this current revision were, again, drafted by C.S. Todd & Associates Ltd.

This is a full revision of the document, and introduces the following principal changes.

• PAS 79 has been split into two parts, with PAS 79‑1 dealing with non-housing premises and PAS 79‑2 dealing with housing premises.
• The scope of this new Part 1 of PAS 79 excludes blocks of flats, sheltered housing, extra care housing, supported housing and certain houses in multiple occupation (i.e. those falling within the scope of the relevant fire safety legislation), all of which are addressed in a new Part 2 of PAS 79.
• PAS 79‑1 is a code of practice, whereas PAS 79:2012 was a guide. PAS 79:2012 was already written in the form of a code of practice, and the change in status is simply to recognize this, noting that guides are not usually of such a nature as to sustain a reliable claim of compliance.
• The technical content has been subject to amendment in the light of experience in the use of PAS 79:2012.
• There is new guidance on the consideration to be given to external wall construction and cladding, which takes into account knowledge, current at the time of publication, arising from the fire disaster at Grenfell Tower, a high-rise block of flats in London, in 2017.
• There is recognition of pre-occupation fire safety assessments, a term now defined in this PAS, and a clarification to avoid confusion between those assessments and the fire risk assessment to which this PAS refers.
• There is even greater emphasis on competence of fire risk assessors and reference to future competence standards in consequence of the Hackitt Review of building regulations and fire safety, which was ordered by the Government following the fire at Grenfell Tower. It is also noted in this PAS that fire safety specialists with experience only in the design of new buildings might not possess an appreciation of standards against which older buildings were designed and the possible continued acceptability of such standards.
• Changes to, and publication of relevant new, British Standards have been taken into account.

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

As a code of practice, this PAS takes the form of guidance and recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification, and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading.

Any user claiming compliance with this PAS is expected to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.

It has been assumed in the drafting of this PAS that the execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified and competent people, for whose use it has been produced.

The copyright for Annex A, Annex D and Annex E of this PAS, and for the electronic copies of the separately available pro formas (including the modified versions for use in Scotland and Northern Ireland), is owned by C.S. Todd & Associates Ltd. Purchasers of this PAS are authorized to use the pro formas contained within Annex A and Annex D, and the separately available electronic copies, and to make an unlimited number of copies for their own use, without infringement of copyright. However, following the recommendations given in this PAS does not necessitate use of these pro formas.

This PAS is not intended to constitute a textbook on fire safety, and it is not to be regarded as a substitute for knowledge of fire safety principles and the practical use and application of fire protection measures or an understanding of the premises, their features, usage and occupancy. In carrying out the fire risk assessment, there is likely to be a need for reference to other codes of practice and guidance documents on specific aspects of fire prevention, fire protection and management of fire safety, a number of which are listed in the Bibliography. Moreover, this PAS is not intended to provide guidance on the detailed requirements of the relevant fire safety legislation. Such guidance can be found in the relevant government guidance documents listed in the Bibliography.

Presentational conventions

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

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”).

The word “should” is used to express recommendations of this PAS. The word “may” is used in the text to express permissibility, e.g. as an alternative to the primary recommendation of the clause. The word “can” is used to express possibility, e.g. a consequence of an action or an event.

Notes and commentaries are provided throughout the text of this PAS. Notes give references and additional information that are important but do not form part of the recommendations. Commentaries give background information.

It is envisaged that, when a fire risk assessment is audited for compliance with this PAS, the audit will be based on the recommendations only.

Contractual and legal considerations

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

Compliance with a PAS cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Attention is drawn to the legislation described in the Introduction to this PAS and to guidance available from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service.

PAS 79-1:2020

Fire risk assessment - Premises other than housing. Code of practice

Current

Published:

31 Dec 2020