Bs 5839 Part 6 Pdf 198
Fernande Westmoreland
BS 5839 Part 1[1] provides recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems for non-domestic premises. Recommendations for fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises are given in BS 5839-6. It does not recommend whether or not a fire detection and alarm system should be installed in any given premises, nor does it provide any exceptions for non-domestic premises which are under construction.
BS 5839 Part 1[1] does not cover systems whose primary function is to control or extinguish fire (such as sprinklers or automatic extinguishing systems), but does cover the secondary alarm signal generated by such systems. It also does not cover voice alarm systems (which are separately addressed in BS 5839-8), or systems that integrate fire alarm functions with non fire related functions. It also does not cover manually or mechanically operated notification devices, such as hand-cranked bells.
Fire detection and alarm systems are installed in premises in order to protect either life, property or both. Other objectives, such as the protection against business interruption or protection of the environment are likely to be met by the recommendations of BS 5839 Part 1.[1]
No recommendations are made in BS 5839 Part 1[1] as to which (if any) category to specify for any given premises (although it does include examples of typical categories of typical buildings in Annex A). System category recommendations can be found in BS 9999.
BS 5839-9:2011, Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency voice communication systems, part 9 in the series of national standards, covers the design, installation and maintenance of emergency voice communication systems where they form part of a fire safety strategy. The 2011 version replaced an earlier 2003 version and reflects more recent regulatory and legislative requirements for building evacuation, including for people with a disability.[3]
BS 5839 part 6 provides a framework of guidance for domestic smoke alarm installations. Within the standard, a series of grades are defined, and it is these grades that are used to identify the type and scope of systems needed for domestic properties. It also provides a handy key to quickly identify the features of smoke alarms on sale. This concise article will help you to find the most appropriate smoke alarm system and make sense of a specification you may have been asked to meet.
BS 5839 part 6 is referenced by building inspectors when assessing newly constructed houses or extension work to existing buildings. They make use of the grading system within the standard to clearly specify the type of system required for the given property.
We hope this summary has helped explain the relevance and real life applications of the British Standard for fire detection in domestic premises. If you would like further details about the other gradings within BS 5839 part 6: 2019, then click here to visit a page which breaks the standard down fully. To browse a selection of alarms conforming to either Grade D or Grade F, simply follow the links from the images below.
This document is intended as a guide to BS 5839 Part 6: 2019 and is not a substitute for reading the Code of Practice itself. Instead, it's designed to help make the implications and recommendations of BS 5839 Part 6 more clearly understood, and to offer advice on how to design, install, commission, and maintain a system that meets the requirements, with reference to the 2019 amendments.
BS 5839-6 is the key standard for fire detection in domestic premises. The standard is used by architects and other building professionals, enforcing authorities, installers, and contractors, and applies to domestic premises accommodating single families, houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and sheltered housing (housing and common areas). It is written to assist such professionals in compliance and will help make installations easier to audit, but its guidance for simpler systems may be used by non-specialists.
BS 5839 Part 6 is not intended for householders themselves, but to provide guidance and recommendations for architects and other building professionals, enforcing authorities, contractors, and others responsible for implementing fire precautions in buildings. Householders should instead refer to the Government guidelines in Approved Document B Volume 1.
BS 5839 Part 6 is primarily concerned with saving lives and reducing injuries. However, it does contain within it recommendations for helping to reduce property damage too. Good fire safety practice and adherence to the Code can give the best possible early warning of fire and so reduce the financial impact as well as human suffering.
It should also be noted that existing premises with alarm systems installed according to previous versions of the Code, such as those complying with older Building Regulations that reference BS 5839-6: 2004 or 2013, do not automatically need to replace or amend their systems to meet the latest edition.
BS 5839 Part 6 grades fire detection systems from Grade F up to Grade A. Generally speaking, the greater the fire risk and the more demanding the application, the more comprehensive the system needs to be. This relates to system engineering, not level of protection.
BS 5839 Part 6 acknowledges the advantages of the single battery-operated smoke alarm for existing premises, though tamper-proof batteries are preferred. They are simple to install and offer protection at very low cost. Battery-operated smoke alarms conforming to BS EN 14604: 2005, a specification for the manufacturing and performance of smoke alarms, are recommended. Battery operated smoke alarms are typically suitable for owner-occupied buildings (existing buildings) with up to two storeys.
Other HMOs where each dwelling comprises a single room:
Mixed system: Grade A Category LD2 in common areas, in accordance with BS 5839-1: 2017 Category L2, and with connected heat detectors in bedsits which have cooking facilities. Additionally, Grade D1 Category LD1 in the bedsit itself (not connected to the communal system) to protect the sleeping occupant(s).
Other HMOs where each dwelling comprises a two or more rooms:
Mixed system: Grade A Category LD2 in common areas, in accordance with BS 5839-1: 2017 Category L2. Additionally, Grade D1 Category LD2 in the dwelling itself (not connected to the communal system) to protect the sleeping occupant(s).
Three to six storey house converted to self-contained flats (prior to 1991 Building Regulations):
Mixed system: Grade A Category LD2 in the common areas, in accordance with BS 5839-1: 2017 Category L2 and with a connected heat detector in each flat (connected to the communal system), plus Grade D1 Category LD3 in each flat (not connected to the communal system) to protect the sleeping occupant.
CO fire sensors are not very common in the domestic market and only react to a specific subset of fires, so the Code only allows them under strict conditions. As with normal CO alarms that are used near boilers, CO fire sensors detect carbon monoxide released during incomplete combustion, but are set to react at a much lower parts-per-million (ppm) threshold. Generally this type of alarm should only be used in systems of Grades A and C according to requirements identified in risk assessment, but can then be used in combination with, or in place of, smoke alarms if the device gives a fault warning in advance of the sensor's end-of-life similar to a low battery warning.
It had an immediate impact on architects, system designers, installers, and landlords in both the private and public sectors, all of whom were required to familiarise themselves with these important recommendations. Landlords in particular needed to abide by these recommendations, as legal liability with regard to 'duty of care' would undoubtedly become a serious issue should a fire occur in an inadequately protected property.
In September 2004, the Code of Practice was extensively revised and updated by the publication of BS 5839 Part 6: 2004 which superseded BS 5839 Part 6: 1995, which is now withdrawn. The changes therein are important and need to be fully understood and appreciated by all those with responsibility for fire safety in domestic dwellings, as the Government's Building Regulations referenced the 2004 version.
The 2019 revision has removed Grades E (mains-powered, no backup) and B (a mix of domestic and commercial alarm systems), split Grades D and F into two parts each (1 for tamper-proof batteries, 2 for user-replaceable batteries), and now officially acknowledges the option of connecting CO alarms into the same interlink system as smoke and heat alarms. The example recommendations for the Grade and Category of system in various types of property have been revised based on those changes and also has increased the level of protection required in rented dwellings. There is also an increased focus on testing and maintenance of installed systems. The Government has updated the Building Regulations to refer to this new revision.
First launched in 1995, British Standard BS 5839-6 has long established itself as a key reference standard for specifiers, architects and fire safety personnel, outlining the specific systems that should be installed for the purpose of life safety and property protection. Covering the implementation of fire precautions in domestic premises, including HMOs and sheltered housing, throughout both the dwelling units and common areas, the Standard is applicable to both new build and materially altered dwellings (in conjunction with regional building regulations) as well as existing properties. The recommendations can be applied to the fire detection components of combined domestic fire and intruder alarm systems, or fire and social alarm systems.
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