BS 5306-8:

Current Proposed Revisions

by By Keith Goodwin Chair FIA Services Council

Introduction
Keith Goodwin Managing Director of the Anderstore Group Chairman, Services Council Member of the FSH2 Committee of BSI Member of the 5306 Working Group, a sub-committee of FSH2

Todays Presentation
Overview of revision process for BS 5306-8 Broad trends in the revision Detail on current proposed changes Many minor changes detail only Broad agreement on most proposed changes Some proposals in need of settlement More detailed look at these as we go

Overview of Revision Process

Current revision: BS 5306-8:2000 All British Standards subject to 5-year Review Review therefore well overdue Also, following influencing factors: Introduction of RRFSO and other UK fire-safety legislation in Scotland and NI Publication of CLG Guidance

Overview of Revision Process

Work started by BS 5306 Working Group late 2005 Several factors causing delay: Need for fine precision over wording Difficulties in arriving in consensus Complications from BSI editing

Overview of Revision Process

Currently still with Working Group Current Proposed document is still: * Private circulation * Work in progress Work still to be done: * Getting consensus from Working Group re small extinguishers * Getting decision from FIA re current proposals

Overview of Revision Process

After consensus and decisions, next steps: FSH2 Approval Public consultation Publication Above three steps could be completed within 3-4 months Need to push forward on outstanding work first though!

Broad Trends
Overall, current revision seeks to: Reflect new(!) legislation Reflect new terminology Generally improve, clarify and simplify

Detail of Current Proposed Minor Changes

For example Wording changes: * To reflect legislation * To reflect current terminology (e.g. hazard and risk) Removal of informative only comments re: alternative methods of covering F-Class hazards These minor changes not covered further today

Detail of Current Proposed Minor Changes

Clause 5.4.3 Discharge of powder extinguishers. Clause 5.5 Colour coding Clause 6.3 Accessibility and travel distance Clause 8.2.1 Class A fires in carbonaceous solids

Clause 5.4.3: Discharge of Powder Extinguishers

The discharge of a powder extinguisher in a confined space can cause a sudden reduction of visibility which can temporarily jeopardize escape, rescue or other emergency action. For this reason water-based extinguishers are preferred for use indoors.

Clause 5.5: Colour Coding

The colour coding of all portable extinguishers in a new installation, including the size of the colour coded area, should conform to BS 7863.

Clause 6.3: Accessibility &Travel Distance

Extinguishers should be available for immediate use at all times. Extinguishers should be sited in such a way that it is not necessary to travel from the site of any fire to reach an extinguisher further than the following maximum distances: class A: 30 m; class B: 10 m; class C: 30 m; class D: case by case basis, by expert advice; class F: 5 m. Siting should also take into account situations where the travel distance necessitates passage through doors. Extinguishers provided to deal with special fire risks should be sited near to the fire risk concerned, but not so near as to be inaccessible or place the operator in undue danger in case of fire.

Clause 8.2.1: Class A Fires in Carbonaceous Solids

Class A materials are generally present in all premises and occupancies. The basic scale of provision of extinguishers where these are the only primary first aid means of fire defence is that, on each storey, there should be at least two extinguishers with a Class A rating sited in accordance with the provisions of clause 7. Where, as a result of a risk assessment, it is determined portable fire-fighting equipment should be installed, the lowest level of provision likely to provide a realistic level of protection can be calculated by the total class A rating of all extinguishers on that storey. This should be not less than 0.065 floor area of storey (in m) and should not be less than 26A (see note). This requirement corresponds to a floor area of 400 m.

Proposals Only
Worth noting: These are the current proposals only Subject to change

Any Questions?