APPROVED DOCUMENT ‘B’ – FIRE SAFETY

The 2000 edition of Approved Document B “Fire Safety” identifies situations where fire resisting doorsets described as ‘fire doors’ are needed, as well as specifying the level of protection required and refers to the appropriate test standards. Appendix B sets out specific requirements for fire doorsets and their testing. BS 476 Pt 22: Method for the determination of fire resistance on non load-bearing elements of the construction. Part 22 is now being replaced by the new European standard BS EN 1634-1:2000 ‘Fire Resistance tests for doors and shutter assemblies’. This is a far more onerous standard than BS476 and it is important to ensure products selected and specified meet this new requirement.

Within Approved Document B certain doorsets within a building are identified as where smoke control doorsets are required; tested to BS476 Section 31.1. BS 476 Pt 31 Section 31.1 1983 Method for measuring smoke penetration through doorsets and shutter assemblies. Those doorsets identified as smoke control doors designated by a S after the fire rating i.e. FD30S, FD60S etc should have’ a leakage rate not exceeding 3m3/m/hr from the head and jambs when tested at 25Pa pressure.

Where products are suitable for use on fire or smoke doors, products are denoted with the below symbols.