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What is BS 9991:2024 - Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings about?
The UK's most widely used fire safety standard, BS 9991:2024 gives guidance on ensuring an adequate degree of life safety is achieved in the event of fire in residential buildings, and provides a level of protection for property and businesses in proximity to residential buildings.
Who is BS 9991:2024 - Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings for?
The standard will be used by anyone involved in buildings fire protection, in particular:
- architects;
- building designers;
- fire risk assessors;
- fire safety engineers;
- builders;
- fire and rescue services; and
- regulators (building control & fire officers).
What does BS 9991:2024 - Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings cover?
BS 9991:2024 gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management and use of the following building types, to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around such buildings:
- dwellings (single-family houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes);
- blocks of flats;
- residential accommodation blocks (e.g. for students or hospital staff), with
- individual bedrooms and the provision of kitchen/sanitary facilities;
- specialized housing; and
- care homes.
Why should you use BS 9991:2024 - Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings?
- Comprehensive guidance: BS 9991 offers detailed recommendations on fire safety tailored specifically to residential buildings, addressing various building types and fire safety scenarios. This comprehensive guidance ensures that fire protection measures are appropriate and effective for residential environments.
- Protection of all occupants: The standard ensures that fire safety measures are designed to protect everyone in and around residential buildings, including vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. It helps ensure equitable protection across the board.
- Protection of firefighters, property and the environment: In addition to occupant safety, the standard includes provisions for assisting fire and rescue services and providing environmental protection.
- Clear design and management principles: BS 9991 provides clear principles for the design and ongoing management of residential buildings, making it easier for professionals to implement fire safety systems that meet national expectations and adapt to the building's unique needs.
- Incorporation of latest best practices: The 2024 standard reflects the latest legislation as well as emerging trends in fire protection, ensuring that professionals are using the most up-to-date methods and technologies in fire safety planning.
- Focus on residential-specific challenges: Residential buildings present unique fire safety challenges (e.g. the presence of sleeping occupants, and high-rise configurations). BS 9991 addresses these specific challenges in its guidance, ensuring a more effective fire safety approach for such environments.
- Mitigation of fire risks: By following the standard, professionals can design buildings that proactively mitigate fire risks, from construction materials to building layouts, ensuring that potential fire hazards are addressed early in the design phase.
- Consistency in fire safety approaches: BS 9991 helps standardize fire safety practices across different residential projects, ensuring consistent application of safety principles and reducing variability that could lead to higher fire risks.
- Support for innovation in design: The standard encourages innovative approaches to fire safety in modern residential architecture, such as in high-density urban living or sustainable building design, while maintaining safety as a priority.
What has changed?
BS 9991:2024 supersedes BS 9991:2015. Changes have been made to ensure the recommendations are aligned with new legislation, plus:
- in respect of fixed firefighting systems, and in view of the lack of evidence in support of the efficacy of other systems at this time, the standard has been updated to refer solely to sprinkler systems;
- there are no longer any explicit exclusions on timber;
- the scope of the standard has been limited in terms of reaction-to-fire classifications of load-bearing elements of structure to better reflect the available evidence on the use of mass timber in medium and high residential buildings, though this applies to all materials, not just timber;
- this change also removes the link between reaction-to-fire classification and number of stairs;
- the limit on building height is capped at 100m in the scope, based on the general principles given in the SFPE guide on very tall buildings. Additional considerations for buildings over 50m are detailed in the text where appropriate; and
- residential care is now included in the scope.