C O N T E X T 1 1 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 0 19 Andrew Forecast BS 9999 and historic buildings BS 9999: 2008 can be a useful way of providing risk-specific fire safety assessment for historic buildings when used with the necessary knowledge and experience. The Building Regulations 2000 (as amended) make requirements to ensure that reasonable levels of safety are provided for people in and around a building in the event of fire. Technical guidance on how that ‘reasonable’ level may be achieved is given in Approved Document B (ADB). This describes recommended methods of achieving the functional objectives of the building regulations and is, by its nature, prescriptive. It aims to be all-encompassing for common property types and uses (with a few exceptions such as schools and hospitals), which further ingrains its prescriptive nature. To allow for greater flexibility in design and the wider use of modern (or historic) materials, fire safety engineering is recognised as an alternative approach to meeting the functional requirements of fire safety legislation. In this approach, the proposed fire safety strategy and overall design are developed using sound fire engineering principles. A suitably qualified and experienced fire engineer would normally be engaged to undertake this and to provide justification for the proposals. Design flexibility beyond ADB has not usually been feasible without a fire engineer. BS 9999:2008 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings has been introduced to bridge this gap. It provides an ‘advanced approach’ to fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings (with The derelict 19th century Hartwood mental hospital in North Lanarkshire was severely damaged in 2004 by a fire caused by vandals. (Photo: Historic Scotland) the exception of individual homes). ADB analyses risk based on purpose group and prescribes the relevant fire safety provisions accordingly. The BS 9999 approach allows for risks to be assessed with greater accuracy based on more detailed analysis. Its position within the range of official guidance falls between ADB and fire safety engineering. It is intended to be used by architects and fire safety managers as a structured approach to risk-based design where varying physical and human factors can be taken into account. The approach is based on fire engineering principles in which, for example, the existence of high ceilings might be used to justify longer travel times to final exits because, in the event of fire, the smoke layer will take longer to fall and affect escape routes.
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