HTM 81 FireCode

Firecode
Health Technical Memorandum 81: Including Amendment 1

Fire precautions
in new hospitals
London: HMSO
Contents
C row n copyright 1996
A pplications for reproduction should be m ade to H M SO C opyright U nit
First published 1996
ISBN 0-11-322249-1
HMSO
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Contents
About this publication
This H ealth Technical M em orandum
(H TM ) provides guidance on the design
of fire precautions in new hospitals and
m ajor extensions to existing hospitals. It
supersedes the existing docum ent of the
sam e nam e first published in 1987. In
relation to the design of new hospitals,
this docum ent also supersedes the
guidance in N ucleus Fire Precautions
Recom m endations published in 1989.
H TM 81 is a code of practice w hich
recognises the special requirem ents of
fire precautions in the design of new
hospital prem ises and should allow the
current statutory regulations to be
applied sensibly w ithin a fram ew ork of
understanding. Fire safety is not
dependent only on the physical fire
precautions provided, and H TM 81
recognises the interaction betw een
physical fire precautions, the
dependency of the patient, the fire
hazards w ithin the hospital, the
m anagem ent policies, and the
availability of sufficient and adequately
trained staff in achieving an acceptable
level of fire safety w ithin hospitals.
The guidance in this H ealth Technical
M em orandum satisfies all the
requirem ents of Part B of Schedule 1 of
the 1991 Building Regulations.
H TM 81 has been prepared by a
w orking group chaired by N H S Estates
and in association w ith the N ational Fire
Policy A dvisory G roup (N FPA G ) w hich is
chaired by N H S Estates and includes:
the H om e O ffice;
the D epartm ent of the
Environm ent;
the C hief and A ssistant C hief Fire
O fficersA ssociation;
the Fire Research Station;
the N ational A ssociation of
H ospital Fire O fficers; and
representatives from the N H S.
The prim ary rem it of N H S trusts w ith
regard to fire safety is the safety of
patients, visitors and staff. For all
prem ises under their control, trusts w ill
need to select and effectively im plem ent
Contents
a series of m easures to achieve an
acceptable level of fire safety, taking
into account:
the guidance in this H ealth
Technical M em orandum ;
the relevant guidance contained
in other parts of Firecode;
all relevant legislation and
statutes;
the advice and approval of local
building control and fire
authorities.
The H om e O ffice w ill distribute this
H ealth Technical M em orandum to all
chief fire officers and has recom m ended
that it be used in conjunction w ith other
parts of Firecode, w hen advice is sought
from fire authorities.
Contents
1
Contents
1. Introduction and scope page 3
1.1 G eneral application
1.5 N on-N H S hospitals
1.6 A lternative solutions
1.9 Status of guidance
1.12 Scope of H TM 81
1.13 U se by com petent persons
1.14 C onsultation
1.16 Fire safety during building operations
1.18 O ther Firecode guidance
2. Glossary of terms page 7
3. Principles of life safety page 10
3.1 Introduction
3.3 Progressive horizontal evacuation
3.7 Separation of patient access areas from other parts
of the hospital
3.12 Staffing levels
4. Communications page 13
4.1 Principle
4.3 O bservation
4.4 A larm and detection system s
5. Means of escape page 14
5.1 Principle
5.3 Progressive horizontal evacuation
5.4 Storeys up to 12 m etres above ground level
w ith a floor area of less than 1000 m
5.7 Storeys up to 12 m etres above ground level
w ith a floor area of m ore than 1000 m
5.9 Storeys over 12 m etres above ground level
5.16 C om partm ent/departm ent relationships
5.19 Sub-com partm entation
5.23 Exits from sub-com partm ents
5.27 G lazing in sub-com partm ent w alls
5.30 Travel distances
5.31 Single direction of escape
5.35 Total travel distance
5.38 H ospital streets
5.43 Fire brigade access to hospital streets
5.45 W idth of escape routes
5.47 Vertical escape
5.54 M attress evacuation
5.56 W idth of stairw ays not intended for m attress
evacuation
5.57 A ll stairw ays
5.58 A dditional requirem ents for stairw ays
5.59 Final exits
5.64 External escape routes
5.66 Em ergency and escape lighting
5.67 Background
5.77 Special requirem ents for intensive therapy
units (ITU )
5.83 Plant areas
6. Containment page 34
6.1 Principle
6.2 Elem ents of structure
6.5 C om partm entation
6.10 Elem ents of structure and com partm ent w alls
6.12 G lazing in a com partm ent w all
6.13 Transfer grilles
6.14 Junction of com partm ent w alls w ith roofs
6.15 O penings in floors and com partm ent w alls
6.17 Protected shafts
6.25 Protected lobbies
6.28 Fire hazard room s and areas
6.32 G lazed screens
6.34 Transfer grilles
6.35 Ventilation ductw ork
6.39 C avity barriers
6.47 O penings in barriers
6.48 C avity barriers above operating departm ents
6.51 Internal spread of flam e linings
6.55 Rooflights
6.56 Therm oplastic m aterials
6.63 External fire spread
6.67 Space separation
6.70 C anopies
6.71 Surfaces of external w alls
6.72 Surfaces of roofs
6.73 Junction of w alls and low -level roofs
6.75 Junction of com partm ent and sub-
com partm ent w alls and external w alls
6.77 A dditional requirem ents for the operation of H VA C
system s
6.77 D esign of H VA C system s
6.81 Location and operation of fire dam pers
6.84 O peration of ventilation plant
6.85 A dditional requirem ents for car parks
6.89 A ll car parks
6.90 O pen-sided car parks
6.91 C ar parks w hich are not open-sided
6.94 Sprinklers
6.102 Effect on other fire precautions
7. Fire extinguishment page 60
7.1 Principle
7.3 Site access
7.7 A ccess around the hospital
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7.11 A ccess and facilities for the fire brigade
7.14 H ospitals not provided w ith hospital streets
7.19 N um ber and location of fire-fighting shafts
7.21 D esign and construction of fire-fighting shafts
7.24 H ospitals provided w ith a hospital street
7.27 Fire m ains
7.30 First-aid fire-fighting equipm ent
7.34 Venting of basem ents
7.42 M echanical sm oke extract
7.44 C onstruction of outlet ducts and shafts
Appendix A Periods of fire resistance page 68
Appendix B Doors and doorsets page 70
Appendix C Thermoplastic materials page 73
Appendix D Fixing of fire dampers page 75
Appendix E Construction and fixing of cavity
barriers page 76
Appendix F Fire drawings page 77
References page 78
Other publications in this series page 82
About NHS Estates page 83
2
Contents
Contents
3
1.0 Introduction and scope
General application
1.1 This technical m em orandum provides recom m endations and
guidance for designers, on the fire safety m easures w hich should be
incorporated into the design of new hospitals. It supersedes H TM 81 (first
published in 1987), H TM 81 Supplem ent 1 and N ucleus Fire Precautions
Recom m endations. It com es into operation on 1 Septem ber 1996.
1.2 It should be used in the design of:
a. new N H S hospitals;
b. m ajor new extensions to existing N H S hospitals;
c. m ajor alterations to existing N H S hospitals;
d. change of use of an existing building into an N H S hospital;
e. those parts of an existing N H S hospital w hich are used as m eans of
escape from a new hospital extension.
1.3 G uidance on fire safety in existing hospitals is available in H TM 85
Fire precautions in existing hospitals. G uidance on fire safety in existing
N ucleus hospitals is available in N ucleus fire precautions
recom m endations.
1.4 H TM 81 should be used as guidance on fire safety in all parts of a
hospital, including departm ents or areas providing ancillary services w hich
are planned as an integral part of a hospital building.
Non-NHS hospitals
1.5 This docum ent m ay also be used as good practice guidance for the
provision of fire precautions in new non-N H S hospitals registered under
Part II of the Registered H om es A ct 1984.
Alternative solutions
1.6 The range of N H S prem ises providing patient care facilities is
extensive, and the guidance in this docum ent m ay not be appropriate for
all types of building. H ow ever, it is expected that N H S clients, designers,
and building control and fire authorities, w ill exercise a degree of
judgem ent based on a full understanding of the problem and taking into
account such things as:
the type of care being provided;
the m obility of the patients;
the planned staffing levels;
the age of the patients;
the size of the prem ises.
The Registered Homes (Northern
Ireland) Order 1992
It is not possible to accurately define
major alterations; capital cost and
area are not necessarily reliable
guides. It is left to the professional
judgement of the project team in
consultation with the enforcing
authorities to determine whether the
guidance in this document is
appropriate to a particular project.
Contents
1.7 This docum ent describes one w ay of achieving an acceptable
standard of fire safety w ithin new N H S hospitals, but it is recognised that
there m ay be other w ays of achieving a sim ilar standard by adopting a fire
safety engineering approach. There is no obligation to follow the guidance
in this docum ent. A fire safety engineering approach that takes into
account the total fire safety package can provide an alternative approach
to fire safety. If an alternative approach is used, the responsibility is placed
upon the user to dem onstrate that the approach achieves sim ilar fire safety
objectives to this docum ent.
1.8 A ny new building w hich does not provide departm ents to w hich
patients have access and w hich is:
a. detached from the m ain hospital; or
b. joined to the m ain hospital by a linking corridor w hich contains no
accom m odation
should be designed in accordance w ith the guidance in the D epartm ent of
the Environm ents A pproved D ocum ent to Part B of Schedule 1 of the
1991 Building Regulations together w ith other appropriate guidance.
Status of guidance
1.9 H TM 81 is a C ode of Practice prepared by a w orking group under the
direction of the D epartm ent of H ealths N ational Fire Policy A dvisory G roup
and has no statutory force; it is a set of standards w hich recognises the
problem s special to hospitals. It should allow the current statutory regulations
to be applied sensibly w ithin a fram ew ork of understanding. The m easures in
this docum ent satisfy all the requirem ents of Part B of Schedule 1 of the 1991
Building Regulations.
1.10 W hen using this docum ent it is im portant to recognise that it is not
possible to m ake com prehensive recom m endations covering all
eventualities and it should alw ays be borne in m ind that the purpose of
hospitals is to provide m edical treatm ent and/or nursing care. The com plex
nature of hospitals w ill som etim es require a m ore flexible approach to
ensure that the correct balance is achieved betw een fire safety and the
requirem ents for treatm ent and nursing care. This should be done on the
basis of professional judgem ent and an understanding of the nature of the
problem s. H ow ever, care should be taken to avoid com prom ising the safety
of patients, visitors and staff.
1.11 In the design of hospitals no reliance is placed on external rescue by
the fire brigade or m anipulative types of escape appliance such as chutes
or portable ladders. This docum ent has been prepared on the basis that in
an em ergency the occupants of any part of a hospital should be able to
m ove, or be m oved, to a place of relative safety w ith assistance from staff
only.
Northern Ireland Part E of the
Building Regulations (Northern
Ireland) 1994
4
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5
Scope of HTM 81
1.12 The central purpose of this docum ent is to provide guidance on the
standards of fire safety expected in new N H S hospitals. A s fire safety is not
dependent only on the physical fire precautions provided, this docum ent
also considers the fire safety im plications of:
a. the dependency of the patient;
b. fire hazards w ithin the hospital;
c. m anagem ent policies; and
d. availability of sufficient and adequately trained staff.
Use by competent persons
1.13 The guidance in this docum ent has been prepared on the
understanding that it w ill be used by com petent persons w ho have
sufficient technical training and actual experience or technical and other
qualities, both to understand fully the dangers involved and to undertake
properly the m easures referred to in this docum ent.
Consultation
1.14 Because of the com plex and changing nature of hospitals and the
often conflicting requirem ents betw een fire safety and nursing care, it is
essential that early consultation takes place betw een the design team , the
client, the hospital fire safety adviser and all relevant enforcing authorities.
D epending on the nature of the schem e it m ay also be advantageous to
involve the client insurers in the consultation process.
1.15 It is not possible to provide absolute safety from fire. The guidance
in this docum ent should reduce the risk to patients, visitors and staff as far
as is reasonably practicable.
Fire safety during building operations
1.16 A significant num ber of fires occur as result of building activity. The
site activities of contractors should be adequately supervised and
controlled. The trust should ensure that adequate precautions against fire
are in place and the specialist fire safety adviser should m aintain regular
contact w ith contractors to ensure that the local fire safety policy is being
com plied w ith.
1.17 G uidance on fire safety on construction sites is provided by:
a. Fire prevention on construction site
(1)
;
b. Standard fire precautions for contractors engaged on C row n
w orks
(2)
.
N ote: (1) A joint code of practice published by the Building Em ployers C onfederation, the Loss
Prevention C ouncil, and the N ational C ontractors G roup (ISBN 0-902167-17-0).
(2) Published by D epartm ent of the Environm ent, H M SO (ISBN 0-11-75223-5).
Contents
Other Firecode guidance
1.18 The guidance in H TM 81 has been prepared on the understanding
that the new hospital or hospital extension, w hen com pleted, w ill be
m anaged in accordance w ith the guidance in Firecode: Policy and
principlesand H TM 83 G eneral fire precautions. The contents of the
hospital should as far as practicable com ply w ith guidance in H TM 87
Textiles and furniture.
1.19 This H TM should also be read in conjunction w ith the guidance
contained in the latest revisions of the follow ing Firecode docum ents:
Policy and principles;
H TM 82 A larm and detection system s, 1996 edition;
H TM 83 Fire safety in healthcare prem ises G eneral fire precautions;
H TM 85 Fire precautions in existing hospitals;
H TM 84 Fire safety in residential care prem ises;
(1)
H TM 86 Fire risk assessm ent in hospitals;
H TM 87 Textiles and furniture;
FPN 1 Laundries;
FPN 3 Escape bed lifts;
FPN 4 M ain kitchens in hospital prem ises;
FPN 5 C om m ercial enterprises on hospital prem ises;
FPN 6 A rson prevention and control in N H S healthcare prem ises;
FPN 7 Fire precautions in patient hotels;
FPN 8 A tria on hospital prem ises;
FPN 10 Fire precautions in hospital laboratries.
(1) N orthern Ireland only.
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2.0 Glossary of terms
2.1 For the purposes of this docum ent the follow ing term s are defined:
auto-suppression: m echanical m ethods of fire suppression w hich
are activated autom atically such system s m ay include w ater
sprinklers and C O
2
flooding system s;
basement storey: a storey w ith a floor w hich at som e point is
m ore than 1.2 m below the highest level of ground adjacent to the
outside w all;
cavity barrier: a construction provided to close a concealed space
against the penetration of sm oke or flam e, or provided to restrict
the m ovem ent of sm oke or flam e w ithin such a space;
circulation space: the com m unication routes both w ithin the
departm ent/m anagem ent unit and giving access to other parts of
the hospital, and to all necessary fire escape exits;
class 0 surface spread of flame: the classification achieved by a
m aterial or com posite product w hich is either:
a. com posed throughout of m aterials of lim ited com bustibility; or
b. a class 1 m aterial (w hen tested in accordance w ith BS476:
Part 7: 1971 or 1987) w hich, w hen tested in accordance w ith
BS476: Part 6: 1981 or 1989, has a fire propagation index (I) of
not m ore than 12 and a subindex (i
1
) of not m ore than 6;
compartment: a building or part of a building, com prising one or
m ore room s, spaces or storeys, constructed to prevent the spread of
fire to or from another part of the sam e building, or an adjoining
building;
compartment floor: a fire-resisting floor used to separate one fire
com partm ent from another and having a m inim um period of
resistance of 60 m inutes;
compartment wall: a fire-resisting w all used to separate one fire
com partm ent from another and having a m inim um period of
resistance of 60 m inutes (or 30 m inutes in single-storey hospitals);
emergency lighting: lighting provided for use w hen the pow er
supply to the norm al lighting fails;
escape lighting: that part of the em ergency lighting w hich is
provided to ensure the escape routes are illum inated at all m aterial
tim es;
final exit: the term ination of an escape route from a building giving
direct access to a place of safety outside the building;
fire door: a door or shutter provided for the passage of persons, air
or objects w hich, together w ith its fram e and furniture as installed
in a building, is intended w hen closed, to resist the passage of fire
and/or gaseous products of com bustion and is capable of m eeting
specified perform ance criteria to those ends;
fire hazard room: a room or other area w hich, because of its
function and/or contents, presents a greater hazard of fire occurring
and developing than elsew here;
Class 0 is not a classification identified
in any British Standard test
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fire hazard: a set of conditions in the operation of a product or system
w ith the potential for initiating a fire;
fire resistance: the ability of an elem ent of building construction,
com ponent or structure to fulfil, for a stated period of tim e, the
required load-bearing capacity, fire integrity and/or therm al insulation
and/or other expected duty in a standard fire resistance test;
fire stop: a seal provided to close an im perfection of fit or design
tolerance betw een elem ents or com ponents, to restrict the passage of
fire and sm oke;
height of a hospital: the distance from ground level at the low est side
of the building m easured to the surface of the top floor, other than a
top floor or floors used exclusively for building services;
material of limited combustibility: either:
(i) a non-com bustible m aterial; or
(ii) any m aterial of density 300 kg/m
3
or m ore w hich, w hen tested in
accordance w ith BS476: Part 11, does not flam e, and w hose rise
in tem perature on the furnace therm ocouple is not m ore than
20
o
C ; or
(iii) any m aterial w ith a non-com bustible core of 8 m m thickness or
m ore, having com bustible facings (on one or both sides) not m ore
than 0.5 m m thick; or
(iv) any m aterial of density less than 300 kg/m
3
w hich, w hen tested in
accordance w ith BS476: Part 11, does not flam e for m ore than
10 seconds and w hose rise in tem perature is not m ore than 35
o
C
on the centre (specim en) therm ocouple and not m ore than 25
o
C
on the furnace therm ocouple;
non-combustible: any m aterial w hich is capable of satisfying the
perform ance requirem ents specified in BS476: Part 4, or any m aterial
w hich w hen tested in accordance w ith BS476: Part 11 does not flam e
or cause any rise in tem perature on either the centre (specim en) or
furnace therm ocouple;
patient access areas: those areas of the hospital to w hich patients
have reasonable access either w ith or w ithout supervision;
place of safety: a place w here persons are in no danger from fire;
progressive horizontal evacuation: evacuation of patients aw ay from
a fire into a fire-free com partm ent or sub-com partm ent on the sam e
level;
protected shaft: a shaft w hich enables persons, air or objects to pass
from one com partm ent to another, and w hich is enclosed w ith fire-
resisting construction;
relevant boundary:
(i) the actual boundary of the prem ises; or
(ii) the boundary of the site w hich the side of the building faces, and
w hich is parallel, or at an angle of not m ore than 80
o
to the side
of the building;
(iii) the centre line of a road, railw ay, river or canal w hich adjoins the
actual boundary;
(iv) a notional boundary established betw een buildings, if tw o or m ore
buildings share the sam e site;
8
Contents
refuge: a place of tem porary safety w ithin a building. This m ay be
an adjoining com partm ent or sub-com partm ent capable of holding
all those threatened, w ithout a significant change in level and from
w hich there is potential for further escape should that becom e
necessary;
sub-compartments: areas into w hich the building can be divided
to reduce travel distance and w hich provide 30 m inutesresistance
to fire;
sub-compartment wall: a fire-resisting w all used to separate one
sub-com partm ent from another and having a m inim um period of
resistance of 30 m inutes;
travel distance: the horizontal distance to be travelled by a person
from any point w ithin the floor area to the nearest adjoining
com partm ent, sub-com partm ent, escape stairw ay or external exit,
having regard to the layout of w alls, partitions, fittings and
furniture;
unprotected area: in relation to a side or external w all of building,
this m eans:
(i) a w indow , door or other opening; and
(ii) any part of an external w all w hich has a period of fire
resistance less than that required for the elem ents of structure
(integrity and loadbearing capacity only), and w hich provides
less than 15 m inutesfire resistance (insulation); and
(iii) any part of the external w all w hich has com bustible m aterial
m ore than 1 m m thick attached or applied to its external face,
w hether for cladding or any other purpose. (C om bustible
m aterial in this context is a m aterial w hich is neither non-
com bustiblenor a m aterial of lim ited com bustibility.)
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3.0 Principles of life safety
Introduction
3.1 In hospitals, particularly in patient access areas, the im m ediate and
total evacuation of the building in the event of fire m ay not be possible or
desirable. Patients w ith restricted m obility, patients w ho use w heelchairs,
and bedbound patients cannot negotiate escape routes, particularly
stairw ays, unaided. Patients under m edication m ay require staff assistance,
and patients w ho are dependent on electrical/m echanical equipm ent for
their survival cannot alw ays be disconnected and m oved rapidly w ithout
serious consequences.
3.2 This docum ent has been prepared on the assum ption that there are
sufficient and adequately trained staff on duty in a hospital to provide
assistance w ith any necessary evacuation in the event of fire. H ow ever,
despite this, the evacuation of an entire hospital in the event of fire w ould
be an enorm ous exercise in w hich patients m ight be placed at risk due to
traum a or their m edical condition. Should evacuation becom e necessary it
should be based on the concept of progressive horizontal evacuation, w ith
only those people directly at risk from the effects of fire being m oved.
Progressive horizontal evacuation
3.3 The principle of progressive horizontal evacuation is that of m oving
patients from an area affected by fire through a fire-resisting barrier to an
adjoining area on the sam e level, designed to protect the occupants from
the im m ediate dangers of fire and sm oke (a refuge). The patients m ay
rem ain there until the fire is dealt w ith, or aw ait further evacuation to
another sim ilar adjoining area or dow n the nearest stairw ay. This procedure
should give sufficient tim e for non-am bulant and partially am bulant
patients to be evacuated dow n stairw ays to a place of safety, should it
becom e necessary to evacuate an entire storey.
3.4 A ctive fire protection system s such as detection system s, w arning
system s and fire suppression system s m ay be incorporated into the
building so that the tim e available for escape is m axim ised. This feature
m ay be m ost beneficial for the occupants of adjacent spaces rather than
those in the space im m ediately affected by the fire.
Requirement
3.5 Every storey containing patient access areas w ithin a hospital should
be designed to provide for progressive horizontal evacuation.
3.6 Patient areas to w hich non-am bulant and partially am bulant patients
have access should not be located on storeys w here evacuation in a fire
em ergency w ould necessitate travelling up a stairw ay to a final exit.
Chapter 5.0 provides additional
guidance on progressive horizontal
evacuation.
In certain hospitals where patients are
able to escape without assistance,
other escape strategies may be
acceptable
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11
Separation of patient access areas
from other parts of the hospital
3.7 In addition to the requirem ent for progressive horizontal evacuation,
hospitals should also be designed to m inim ise the possibility of fires from
the non-patient access areas affecting the patient access areas of hospitals.
3.8 For the purposes of this docum ent only, patient access areas are
categorised, in relation to dependency, as follow s:
a. norm al dependency: all patients except those classified as very
highdependency;
b. very high dependency: those w hose clinical treatm ent and/or
condition creates a high dependency on staff; for exam ple, those in
intensive therapy units, special care baby units, and operating
departm ents.
3.9 N on-patient access areas, for the purposes of this docum ent only,
are divided into:
a. hazard departm ents: departm ents/m anagem ent units w hich contain
high fire loads and/or significant ignition sources. H azard
departm ents should preferably be separated by distance from any
patient access areas and should not adjoin them , either horizontally
or vertically, unless additional precautions are provided;
b. non-hazard departm ents: departm ents/m anagem ent units w hich do
not contain high fire load and/or significant ignition sources. N on-
hazard departm ents m ay adjoin patient access areas, either
horizontally or vertically, provided they are separated from them by
com partm ent w alls and floors.
Requirement
3.10 Patient access areas should alw ays be in different com partm ents
from non-patient access areas.
3.11 D epartm ents/m anagem ent units should be located in accordance
w ith Table 1.
Staffing levels
3.12 The provision of an adequate num ber of staff w ho have received
effective fire safety training is the best first-line defence against fire. This is
particularly im portant at night w hen levels of activity in the hospital are
reduced. The presence of trained staff w ho can respond quickly and
effectively to any fire em ergency is a vital factor in lim iting the
consequences of a fire, particularly w here dependent patients are involved.
Hazard departments are listed in
Table 1
Hospitals by their very nature contain
people who are at greater risk from
fire than in other buildings. The term
normal dependency in this
document relates to the occupancy
profile of patient access areas of
hospitals and not to the general
population
The classification normal
dependency also includes high
dependency as defined in HTM 85
Fire precautions in existing hospitals
Contents
12
3.13 The guidance in this docum ent has been prepared on the
understanding that adequate num bers of staff w ill alw ays be available.
It is the responsibility of m anagem ent to ensure that this is so and devise
suitable arrangem ents to provide for the safe evacuation of patients, in
accordance w ith the em ergency evacuation plan.
Requirement
3.14 W hen the departm ent/m anagem ent unit is in use, there should
be a m inim um of tw o staff present at all tim es. These staff should have
received training in the m ethods of patient evacuation appropriate to the
dependency of the patients and be fam iliar w ith the evacuation procedures at
their place of w ork.
3.15 W here the num ber of patients in the departm ent/m anagem ent unit is
above 30, the m inim um num ber of staff present at all tim es should be
increased to three.
Table 1 Recom m endations for the location and fire separation of fire hazard departm ents in relation to
patient access areas
Patient access area
H azard departm ent N orm al dependency Very high dependency
A trium See FPN 8
Boilerhouse 60 + auto-suppression
C entral staff change 60 60 + auto-suppression
C entral stores 60 + auto-suppression
C om m ercial enterprises See FPN 5
60 60 + auto-suppression
Flam m able store 60 + auto-suppression
H ealth records 60 60 + auto-suppression
Laundry 60 + auto-suppression
M ain electrical sw itchgear 60 + auto-suppression
M ain kitchens 60 + auto-suppression
M ain stores 60 + auto-suppression
M edical gas stores* 60 + auto-suppression
Pathology 60 60 + auto-suppression
60 60 + auto-suppression
60 + auto-suppression
W orks 60 + auto-suppression
Key
60 May be adjacent but should always be separated by 60 minute fire-resisting construction. 60 minutes fire resistance may be reduced under certain
circumstances; if sprinklers are fitted see paragraphs 5.6 and 5.8.
60 +auto-suppression Preferably separate; however, if adjacent should be separated by 60 minute imperforate construction together with auto-suppression
in the hazard department. The imperforate construction should comply with the guidance in paragraphs 6.63 to 6.76.
should not be located adjacent to very high dependency departments.
* N ote: M edical gas stores should alw ays be located in separate buildings. H TM 2022 M edical gas pipeline system sgives guidance
Refuse collection/
incineration
Pharm aceutical
(m anufacturing)
C entral Sterile Supplies
or H ospital Sterilizing
and D isinfecting U nit
This is an operational requirement
and cannot be enforced through the
current Building Regulations
Contents
13
4.0 Communications
Principle
4.1 The design and construction of the building should ensure that fires
are detected at the earliest possible opportunity and that suitable w arning
is then given to the occupants and the em ergency services.
4.2 The provision of adequate m eans for detecting a fire and raising
the alarm is of vital im portance. Early detection perm its tim e for orderly
evacuation and allow s the fire to be tackled at an earlier stage, thus
m inim ising the dam age caused. D etection is dependent on staff
observation and the autom atic alarm and detection system s. Firecode:
H TM 82 A larm and detection system sgives guidance on the design of
new system s and the renew al and upgrading of existing alarm and
detection system s in hospitals.
Observation
4.3 The early detection of fire by people is probably the best form of
detection, and the design and layout of an area can m ake a positive
contribution to fire safety. W ithin a patient access area the m ost im portant
aspect is the num ber of beds visible from the staff base, w hich is the base
from w hich all staff w ork and w here inform ation is stored and exchanged.
A lthough it is unlikely that the staff base w ill be perm anently staffed, a
location w hich provides good observation w ill im prove the likelihood of a
fire being detected at an early stage.
Alarm and detection systems
4.4 The provision of effective fire alarm system s in hospitals is a vital
com ponent of the overall fire safety strategy to protect patients, staff and
property from fire. Firecode: H TM 82 A larm and detection system s
provides general principles and technical guidance on the design,
specification, installation, com m issioning, testing, operation and
m aintenance of fire alarm system s in hospitals. It should be read in
conjunction w ith BS5839: Part 1: 1988 Fire detection and alarm system s
for buildings: C ode of practice for system design, installation and servicing.
Requirement
4.5 A larm and detection system s should be designed in accordance w ith
the guidance in Firecode: H TM 82 A larm and detection system s, 1996
edition.
Contents
14
5.0 Means of escape
Principle
5.1 The design and construction of the hospital should ensure that, at all
m aterial tim es, patients, visitors and staff can m ove aw ay from a fire to a
place of tem porary safety inside the hospital on the sam e level, from w here
further escape is possible to a place of safety outside the building.
5.2 This section provides guidance on m eans of escape by reference to:
a. the potential for horizontal evacuation, w hich is achieved by dividing
the storey into com partm ents and sub-com partm ents;
b. the height above ground of the treatm ent area;
c. travel distances and escape routes;
d. the provision of an adequate num ber of stairw ays to facilitate
vertical escape;
e. em ergency and escape lighting.
Progressive horizontal evacuation
5.3 The need for progressive horizontal evacuation in patient access areas
of hospitals is discussed in C hapter 3. This principle w ill be m et if the
requirem ents below are achieved.
Requirement
Storeys up to 12 metres above ground level with a floor area of less
than 1000 m
5.4 Every storey w ith a floor area of less than 1000 m and w hich
contains patient access areas should:
a. contain no m ore than 30 patients;
b. be divided into a m inim um of tw o com partm ents.
5.5 W here a com partm ent provides sleeping accom m odation, the
m axim um num ber of beds in the com partm ent should be no m ore than
20.
5.6 In storeys above ground floor level, w here sprinklers are installed, the
fire-resistance of the com partm ent w alls required by 5.4(b) above m ay be
reduced to 30 m inutes (integrity and insulation).
Contents
Storeys up to 12 metres above ground level with a floor area of more
than 1000 m
5.7 Every storey up to 12 m etres above ground, w hich has a floor area
of m ore than 1000 m , and w hich contains patient access areas, should be
divided into a m inim um of three com partm ents. O ne of these
com partm ents m ay be a hospital street (see paragraphs 5.38 to 5.44
below ).
5.8 In storeys above ground floor level, w here sprinklers are installed,
the fire resistance of the com partm ent w alls required by 5.7 above m ay be
reduced to 30 m inutes (integrity and insulation).
Storeys over 12 metres above ground level
5.9 Every storey over 12 m etres above ground, w hich contains patient
access areas, should be divided into a m inim um of four com partm ents.
W here no hospital street is provided, each com partm ent should have a
m inim um floor area of 500 m
2
; w here one of the com partm ents is a
hospital street, the area of the hospital street m ay be less than 500 m
2
.
5.10 W here sprinklers are installed, the m inim um floor area of each
com partm ent required by 5.9 above m ay be reduced to 350 m
2
.
General
5.11 In a fire em ergency each com partm ent should be capable of
accom m odating, as w ell as its norm al occupants, the designed occupancy
of the m ost highly occupied adjoining com partm ent.
Exits from compartment
5.12 Exits from com partm ents should be by w ay of circulation space only
and provided in accordance w ith the guidance in Figure 1.
5.13 From w ard bedroom s only it is acceptable to directly escape to:
a. an adjacent w ard bedroom in an adjoining com partm ent or sub-
com partm ent; or
b. a circulation space in an adjoining com partm ent or sub-
com partm ent.
See Figure 2.
5.14 W here a storey is divided into three or m ore com partm ents, the exits
from each com partm ent should be located so that there are at least tw o
alternative exits w hich provide horizontal escape to adjoining but separate
com partm ents.
5.15 The above requirem ents do not preclude the use of escape routes
across flat roofs. Figure 3 show s the lim ited circum stances w here these are
perm itted.
It is not possible to give precise
recommendations on the location
of alternative exits; the aim should
be locate these as far apart as
practical and if possible in opposite
walls. In a fire situation at least
one exit should always be available
15
5.0 Means of escape
Contents
16
5.0 Means of escape
Figure 1 Requirem ents for progressive
horizontal evacuation
(Paragraphs 5.4 to 5.15)
i. Storeys up to 12 metres above ground with a
floor area of less than 1000 m
2
minimum of two
exits required as indicated below
Exit A a stairw ay or final exit
Exit B to the adjoining com partm ent
ii. Storeys up to 12 metres above ground with a
floor area of more than 1000 m
2
minimum of three
exits required as indicated below
Exit A a stairw ay or final exit
Exit B to an adjoining com partm ent
iii. Storeys over 12 metres above ground; minimum
of three exits required as indicated below
Exit A a stairw ay
Key..................................
circulation space
m inim um of tw o exits required as indicated below
Exit C to the hospital street
Exit D a stairw ay or final exit
m inim um of tw o exits required as indicated below
area of hospital street m ay be less than 500 m
2
Exit C to the hospital street
Exit D a stairw ay
com partm ent com partm ent
one tw o
A
B
A
one tw o
A
B
A
B B
com partm ent
three A
one tw o
A
B
A
B B
A A
com partm ent
B
com partm ent
three four
one tw o
B
C C
D hospital street D
com partm ent com partm ent com partm ent
one tw o three
B B
C C C
D hospital street D
OR
OR
m inim um area
of each
com partm ent
500 m
2
or
350 m
2
if
sprinklers are
fitted
M axim um of 30 patients on each storey
W here com partm ent provides sleeping
accom m odation m axim um of 20 beds in
each com partm ent
Contents
17
5.0 Means of escape
w ard bedroom w ard bedroom
Figure 2 Escape from w ard bedroom s
(Paragraph 5.13)
Compartment 1 Compartment 2
N otes:
i. the escape door in the
com partm ent w all should be available
for use at all tim es and should never be
locked;
ii. the bedroom door and the escape
door should be opposite each other and
the route betw een them kept clear;
iii. escape should be from circulation
space through one w ard bedroom only,
through the com partm ent w all then
through one w ard bedroom only to the
circulation space.
Compartment 1 Compartment 2
N ote:
i. in this instance escape from the
circulation space in com partm ent 2
should not be via the w ard bedroom
into com partm ent 1
Key..................................
circulation space
w ard bedroom
Contents
18
5.0 Means of escape
Figure 3 Perm issible escape routes across flat roofs
(Paragraph 5.15)
N ote: hatched area of roof to be constructed as an
elem ent of structure
i. Escape route across a flat roof to external ground
for patients and staff
H ospital
edge of roof
External ground
ram p to ground
level if required
w here xis less than 3 m the
w all should contain no
unprotected areas, be non-
com bustible and contain no
extract ducts.
iii. Enclosed escape route across a flat roof to an
escape stairway for patients and staff
H ospital
edge of roof
Stairs
w here xis less than 3 m the
w all should contain no
unprotected areas, be non-
com bustible and contain no
extract ducts.
ii. Escape route across a flat roof for staff only
H ospital
edge of roof
Stairs
w here xis less than 3 m the w all
should contain no unprotected
areas, be non-com bustible and
contain no extract ducts.
iv. Enclosed escape route across a flat roof to
another building for patients and staff
H ospital
edge of roof
H ospital
w here xis less than 3 m the w all
should contain no unprotected
areas, be non-com bustible and
contain no extract ducts.
N ote: the travel distance across
the flat roof is included in the
m easurem ent of travel distance.
3 m m in
x
3 m m in
3 m m in
x
3 m m in
3 m m in
x
3 m m in
3 m m in
x
3 m m in
Contents
Compartment/department relationships
5.16 The provision of com partm ents to facilitate progressive horizontal
evacuation should not be looked upon only in term s of m eans of escape.
The m anagem ent responsibilities, such as the extent of the area under their
control, the day-to-day m anagem ent, fire drills, the m anagem ent of
evacuation etc w ill have a significant im pact on the design, integrity, size
and configuration of com partm ents.
Requirement
5.17 The boundaries of departm ents should be com partm ent w alls.
5.18 A dditional requirem ents for com partm entation are provided in
C hapter 6.
Sub-compartmentation
5.19 The m axim um size of com partm ent perm itted by this docum ent,
although appropriate for fire containm ent (see paragraph 6.7 below ), is
nevertheless considered too large if the area contains patient access areas.
In the event of fire a large num ber of patients could be overcom e by the
spread of fire, sm oke and toxic gases. Therefore, com partm ents containing
patient access areas should be divided into sm aller sub-com partm ents to
lim it the num ber of patients w ho m ay be affected by a fire.
Requirement
5.20 A com partm ent should be sub-com partm ented if either:
a. it has a floor area greater than 750 m ;
b. it contains departm ents to w hich m ore than 30 patients w ill have
access at the sam e tim e;
c. it contains sleeping accom m odation for m ore than 30 patients.
5.21 Sub-com partm ents should be enclosed by w alls having a m inim um
period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes, w hich should term inate at the
underside of either:
a. a com partm ent floor; or
b. a roof; or
c. a ceiling w hich is non-dem ountable and im perforate and has a
m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes, w hen tested from
below in accordance w ith BS476: Parts 20 and 22.
5.22 A ll openings in sub-com partm ent w alls should be protected to
provide a m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes.
19
5.0 Means of escape
Contents
Exits from sub-compartments
5.23 Each sub-com partm ent should be provided w ith a m inim um of tw o
exits by w ay of circulation spaces (or from w ard bedroom to w ard
bedroom ) to adjoining but separate com partm ents or sub-com partm ents.
5.24 The solution illustrated in Figure 4 is not acceptable and should be
avoided.
Openings in sub-compartment walls for ductwork
5.25 D uctw ork passing through sub-com partm ent w alls need not be
provided w ith autom atic fire shutters provided that:
a. the duct serves only one sub-com partm ent; and
b. the ductw ork and supports have a m inim um period of fire resistance
of 30 m inutes (integrity only) w hen tested in accordance w ith the
relevant parts of BS476.
See Figure 14.
Transfer grilles
5.26 To reduce the possibility of sm oke transfer betw een sub-
com partm ents, transfer grilles should not be provided in sub-com partm ent
w alls.
20
5.0 Means of escape
Figure 4 Exits from sub-com partm ents
A
SC1 SC3
SC2
The sub-com partm entation in exam ple A is unacceptable
since a fire in SC 3 w ould block the exit from SC 1
and SC 2.
B
SC1 SC3
SC2
The sub-com partm entation in exam ple B is acceptable
since a fire in any one sub-com partm ent w ould not block
the safe exit from others.
Contents
Glazing in sub-compartment walls
5.27 U ninsulated fire-resisting glazed screens m ay only be provided in
sub-com partm ent w alls provided they satisfy the follow ing requirem ents:
a. the glazing should provide a m inim um period of 30 m inutes fire
resistance (integrity only);
b. the area of glazing should be lim ited to a m axim um of 1 m
2
in any
one room .
5.28 There is no lim it on the use of glazed screens w hich provide a
m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes (integrity and insulation).
5.29 W here sprinklers are fitted there is no lim it on the use of glazed
screens w hich provide a m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes
(integrity only).
Travel distances
5.30 The distance to adjacent com partm ents, hospital streets, sub-
com partm ents, stairw ays and final exits should be lim ited to ensure that
the occupants can escape from the effects of a fire w ithin a reasonable
period of tim e.
Requirement
Single direction of escape
5.31 The m axim um travel distance before there is a choice of escape
routes should be no m ore than 15 m etres.
5.32 A ny part of an enclosed escape route w hich has single direction of
escape only, should be protected by 30 m inute fire resisting construction.
See Figure 5.
5.33 O nly glazing w hich provides a m inim um period of fire resistance of
30 m inutes (integrity and insulation) m ay be provided on circulation spaces
giving a single direction of escape. W here a sprinkler system is installed
there is no requirem ent for insulation.
5.34 Escape from an inner room via an access room is perm itted provided
the access room is not a fire hazard room .
Total travel distance
Requirement
5.35 The m axim um travel distance w ithin a com partm ent should be no
m ore than 60 m etres to:
a. each of tw o adjoining com partm ents; or
b. an adjoining com partm ent and to a stairw ay or final exit.
See Figure 6.
21
5.0 Means of escape
Contents
22
5.0 Means of escape
Figure 6 Travel distance w ithin a com partm ent
(Paragraph 5.35)
C om partm ent 1 C om partm ent 2 C om partm ent 3
i. Maximum travel distance no more than
60 metres to each of two adjoining compartments
OR
C om partm ent 1 C om partm ent 2
ii. Maximum travel distance no more than
60 metres to an adjoining compartment and
to a stairway
60 m etres m axim um
60 m etres m axim um 60 m etres m axim um
Figure 5 Single direction of escape
Travel distance 15 m etres m axim um
30 m inute fire-resisting construction
Contents
5.36 The m axim um travel distance from any point w ithin a sub-
com partm ent should be no m ore than 30 m etres to:
a. an adjoining com partm ent or sub-com partm ent;
b. a stairw ay or final exit.
See Figure 7.
5.37 Single direction escape travel distance is an elem ent of m axim um
travel distance.
Hospital streets
5.38 In the design of hospitals, the concept of the hospital street as the
m ain com m unication route is w idely used. The hospital street provides an
essential link betw een hospital departm ents and stairw ays and lifts; it is the
m ain circulation route for staff, patients and visitors. A lthough m any
hospitals w ill be provided w ith hospital streets, they are not an essential
requirem ent.
5.39 A hospital street is a special type of com partm ent w hich connects
final exits, stairw ay enclosures and departm ent entrances. It has tw o
functions from a fire safety aspect:
a. it w ill serve the fire brigade as a fire-fighting bridgehead; and
b. if the spread of fire w ithin a departm ent cannot be brought under
control, the occupants of the departm ent affected m ay be
evacuated via the hospital street to parts of the hospital not affected
by the fire.
23
5.0 Means of escape
i. Maximum travel distance no more
than 30 metres to an adjoining compartment
or sub-compartment
Sub-com partm ent C om partm ent or
sub-com partm ent
OR
ii. Maximum travel distance no more than 30 metres
to a stairway or final exit
Sub-com partm ent
Stairw ay or final exit
Figure 7 Travel distance w ithin a sub-com partm ent
(Paragraph 5.36)
Contents
24
5.0 Means of escape
Requirement
5.40 A hospital street should:
a. be constructed to the sam e fire-resisting standards as a fire
com partm ent;
b. have a m inim um clear w idth of 3 m etres;
c. be divided into a m inim um of three sub-com partm ents, each w ith a
m axim um length of 30 m etres;
d. at ground floor have a m inim um of tw o final exits located:
(i) at every extrem ity of the hospital street;
(ii) so that the m axim um travel distance betw een final exits is no
m ore than 180 m etres m easured along the length of hospital
street;
(iii) so that the m axim um distance from a com partm ent exit to a final
exit is no m ore than 90 m etres;
e. at upper levels, have access to a m inim um of tw o stairw ays each in
separate sub-com partm ents, w hich are located so that:
(i) the m axim um distance betw een stairw ays does not exceed
60 m etres;
(ii) the m axim um single direction of travel w ithin the street does not
exceed 15 m etres;
(iii) the m axim um distance from a com partm ent exit to a stairw ay is
no m ore than 30 m etres;
f. contain no other accom m odation except sanitary accom m odation.
See Figures 8 and 9.
5.41 Entrances from the hospital street to adjoining com partm ents should:
a. not be located in the sam e street sub-com partm ent as entrances to
stairw ays and lift enclosures;
b. be located so that an alternative m eans of escape from each
com partm ent is alw ays possible, see Figure 9.
5.42 A ll stairw ays should be located so that the m axim um travel distance
from the exit from the stairw ay enclosure to the final exit of the hospital
street is no m ore than 60 m etres.
Fire brigade access to hospital streets
5.43 A m inim um of tw o stairw ays should term inate w ithin 15 m etres of a
final exit w hich itself is w ithin 18 m etres of a suitable fire brigade access
point (see also paragraphs 7.7 to 7.29).
Additional requirements for hospital streets with only
three sub-compartments
5.44 O n upper storeys stairw ays should be provided in tw o of the three
sub-com partm ents and the third sub-com partm ent should be capable of
accom m odating all the occupants of the largest adjoining com partm ent.
Contents
25
5.0 Means of escape
M axim um distance
90 m etres to a final exit
M axim um distance
60 m etres to a final exit
Lifts Lifts
Figure 8 G round floor hospital streets
i. Basic design
M inim um w idth of street 3 m etres
Final exit at every extrem ity
H ospital accom m odation H ospital
accom m odation
Final exit
m inim um w idth of
street 3 m etres
accom m odation
Final exit
60 m inute fire-resisting
com partm ent w alls
ii. Basic sub-division
accom m odation
H ospital
accom m odation
H ospital accom m odation H ospital accom m odation
60 m inute fire-resisting M axim um travel distance
com partm ent w alls betw een final exits 180 m etres
Street sub-divisions
sub-com partm ent w alls
Contents
26
5.0 Means of escape
Figure 9 H ospital streets on upper floors
i. Basic design
H ospital accom m odation
accom m odation
ii. Basic sub-division H ospital accom m odation
accom m odation
The arrangem ent indicated below is not acceptable, as a
fire affecting the hatched area of the hospital street
w ould prevent escape from com partm ents 1 and 2
C om partm ent 3 C om partm ent 1 C om partm ent 2
Stairw ay enclosures m axim um
60 m apart
Lifts
Lifts
15 m
m axim um
single direction
of escape travel
distance
15 m
m axim um
single direction
of escape travel
distance
30 m m axim um travel
distance to nearest
stairw ay
Stairw ay enclosures m axim um 60 m apart
Street sub-division 30 m inute fire-
resisting sub-com partm ent w alls
H ospital street
Key...............................
H ospital street
Contents
Width of escape routes
5.45 G enerally w ithin departm ents w here beds and patient trolleys are
being m oved, the w idth of the circulation spaces required for these
activities should be adequate for escape purposes. H ow ever, elsew here the
w idth of escape routes should be determ ined by the num ber of people
w ho w ould norm ally be expected to use them in an em ergency.
Requirement
5.46 In departm ents and areas w here beds or patient trolleys w ill not be
used, the m inim um clear w idth of escape routes should be:
a. for up to 200 people 1100 m m ;
b. for over 200 people an additional 275 m m for every
additional 50 people.
Vertical escape
5.47 In hospitals the practice of designating certain stairw ays as escape
stairw ays and others as com m unication stairw ays only, is not acceptable,
since in an em ergency any stairw ay w ill be used if necessary. Therefore all
stairw ays should be designed as escape stairw ays.
5.48 The m ajority of hospitals w ill norm ally contain an adequate num ber
of stairw ays due to functional requirem ents.
5.49 In hospitals designed to com ply w ith the guidance in this docum ent,
the provision of lifts specifically for the evacuation of patients is not
considered necessary.
Requirement
5.50 Every hospital should be provided w ith a m inim um of tw o stairw ays.
W here hospitals are provided w ith hospital streets the stairw ays should be
located w ithin the hospital street. In hospitals not provided w ith hospital
streets, stairw ays should be provided to each com partm ent.
5.51 Stairw ays should be located so that an alternative m eans of escape is
alw ays available from every com partm ent and sub-com partm ent.
5.52 External stairw ays should not be provided for escape purposes.
Table 3 Provision of stairw ays
N um ber of patient beds N um ber of stairw ays
on any one upper storey
1 100 2
101 200 3
201 300 4
301 400 5
Guidance on suitable widths of
circulation routes within hospital
departments, for operational
purposes, is available in Health
Building Note 40 Common
activity spaces
27
5.0 Means of escape
Contents
5.53 Stairw ays should alw ays be rem ote from each other so that in the
event of fire at least one is available for evacuation purposes.
Mattress evacuation
Requirement
5.54 A ll stairw ays to areas w hich provide sleeping accom m odation should
be designed to perm it the evacuation of patients on m attresses (m attress
evacuation).
5.55 Table 4 provides guidance on acceptable dim ensions.
Table 4 W idth of stairw ays (m m )
Stair w idth M inim um landing w idth M inim um landing depth
1300 2800 1850
1400 3000 1750
1500 3200 1550
1600 3400 1450
1700 3600 1400
1800 3800 1350
N otes on Table 4:
(i) the table gives various stairw ay w idths and associated landing w idths and depths, all
of w hich allow m attress evacuation but vary in their capacity to enable pedestrian
passing w hen the stairw ay is being used for m attress evacuation;
(ii) the dim ensions refer to clear w idths betw een handrails;
(iii) the stair w idth is not determ ined by the num ber of people expected to use the flight
in a fire em ergency, but on the requirem ents of m attress m anoeuvrability, and as
such the guidance in A pproved D ocum ent K in relation to landing depths need not
be applied.
Width of stairways not intended for mattress evacuation
Requirement
5.56 W here stairw ays are provided to areas not including patient sleeping
accom m odation, the w idth of the stairw ay should be determ ined from the
guidance in paragraph 5.46 above.
Remoteness is not necessarily
governed by distance; it may be
achieved by fire-resisting construction
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All stairways
Requirement
5.57 A ll stairw ays should term inate at ground level and:
a. provide access to the outside; or
b. discharge to a route from the base of the stairw ay to the outside,
w hich provides the sam e period of fire resistance as the protected
shaft and w hich contains no accom m odation, except that perm itted
for a protected shaft; or
c. discharge to a hospital street.
Additional requirements for stairways
5.58 A dditional requirem ents for the enclosure and ventilation of
stairw ays are provided in paragraphs 6.17 to 6.27 below .
Final exits
5.59 G enerally w ithin hospitals, m any of the final exits w ill also be used
as everyday access to the hospital and consequently should be designed to
perm it access for people w ith restricted m obility. H ow ever, there m ay be
som e exits provided only for escape purposes.
5.60 The design of all exits should recognise the often conflicting
requirem ents of m eans of escape and security of the hospital. It is not
possible to provide definitive guidance on this issue; how ever, any solution
should be agreed betw een the enforcing authorities, the hospital
m anagem ent and its security advisers.
Requirement
5.61 Final exit doors should open outw ards and should never be provided
w ith locks requiring a key for opening.
5.62 A utom atic final exit doors should be freely openable by hand under
any condition, including pow er failure; otherw ise, adjacent non-autom atic
outw ard opening doors should be provided.
5.63 Final exit doors from patient access areas should not be provided
w ith a step, and should open onto an area w hich is level for a distance of
one m etre.
External escape routes
5.64 Should it becom e necessary to evacuate an entire hospital or part of
a hospital, adequate external assem bly positions should be available.
Suitable positions m ay be roadw ays, hard standings or suitably designed
parts of the landscaping.
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5.0 Means of escape
Contents
Requirement
5.65 The follow ing points should be considered w hen designing external
escape routes:
a. the location of assem bly positions to perm it access for am bulances;
b. the provision of adequate artificial lighting;
c. the provision of adequate paved footpaths and dropped kerbs to the
assem bly points;
d. the gradients of external escape routes;
e. the proxim ity of external escape routes to the external w all of the
hospital.
Emergency and escape lighting
5.66 For hospitals the general guidance on em ergency lighting contained
w ithin BS5266: Part 1: 1988 is supplem ented by H TM 2007 Electrical
services: supply and distribution, H TM 2011 Em ergency electrical
servicesand the C IBSE guide Lighting guide for hospitals and health
buildingsw hich provide additional guidance on hospital em ergency
lighting and details of the electrical supply required.
Background
5.67 Irrespective of the requirem ents for fire safety, w ithin hospitals there
is an operational requirem ent to provide em ergency lighting. The H TM s
and the C IBSE guide m entioned above provide considerable guidance on
the design of em ergency electrical services for hospitals. The guidance in
this docum ent has been prepared on the understanding that generally, in
m ost of the departm ents of a hospital, the em ergency lighting system s w ill
also provide escape lighting of an adequate standard.
5.68 To enable essential hospital services to be m aintained, m ost hospitals
are provided w ith standby generators w hich operate w hen there is a failure
of m ains electricity. These are designed to provide an em ergency electrical
supply w ithin 15 seconds of a m ains failure. In those areas of the hospital
w here a 15 second response tim e is unacceptable for clinical or health and
safety reasons (for exam ple operating theatres and stairw ays), battery back-
up, w ith a typical response tim e w ithin 0.5 seconds, is provided.
5.69 Electrical distribution w ithin hospitals is generally provided by
essential and non-essential electrical circuits. These are norm ally
segregated; how ever, w here this is not possible, essential services cables
are w ired in fire-resistant cable.
5.70 C onsequently, w ithin hospitals em ergency lighting is provided by
separately w ired and controlled essential and non-essential electrical
circuits. The lum inaires connected to the essential circuits are designed to
provide betw een 30 and 50 per cent of the norm al lighting level in the
event of failure of the m ains supply.
This is an operational requirement
and cannot be enforced through the
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5.0 Means of escape
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5.71 In addition to the above, w ithin each hospital departm ent separate
circuits are provided for circulation spaces. Therefore, failure of a lighting
circuit supplying a circulation space w ill not affect the lighting circuits in
the adjacent room s and vice-versa. G enerally, hospital streets are also
supplied w ith independent essential and non-essential circuits. This large
num ber of electrical circuits should ensure that w hen one lighting circuit
fails as a result of fire, the other circuits w ill still provide acceptable levels
of lighting.
Requirement
5.72 Em ergency electrical services should be designed to com ply w ith the
requirem ents of H TM 2007 Electrical services: supply and distribution
and H TM 2011 Em ergency electrical services.
5.73 In the event of failure of m ains supply the essential lighting circuits
should be designed to provide betw een 30 and 50 per cent of the norm al
lighting level.
5.74 The distribution boards for the essential and non-essential circuits
m ay be in the sam e location but should be in separate m etal cabinets.
5.75 In those areas w here a 15 second response tim e w ould be
considered hazardous (for exam ple stairw ays), em ergency lighting should
be provided by battery back-up giving a typical response tim e w ithin 0.5
seconds and a m inim um duration tim e of three hours.
5.76 In those areas of hospitals w hich are not provided w ith essential and
non-essential circuits as required by H TM 2007 and H TM 2011, escape
lighting should be provided in accordance w ith BS5266: Part 1: 1988 w ith
a m inim um duration tim e of three hours.
Special requirements for intensive therapy units (ITU)
5.77 In these departm ents any m ovem ent or evacuation of patients m ay
be life-threatening; consequently additional precautions are required to
address the im plications of:
a. a fire and sm oke in a com partm ent either adjacent or below ;
b. a fire and sm oke w ithin the departm ent itself.
5.78 The aim of any design should be to prevent a fire in an adjacent
com partm ent either on the sam e storey or on a storey above or below
requiring the evacuation of an intensive therapy unit. The
com partm entation and H VA C system s should be designed so that an
adequate period of tim e is provided to enable a fire to be detected and
extinguished before it threatens the occupants.
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5.0 Means of escape
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Requirement
5.79 To reduce the possibility of sm oke entering an ITU departm ent, w ith
the exception of doors off the hospital street, every door opening in the
com partm ent w all should be provided w ith a protected lobby, each door of
w hich w ill provide a m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes.
Sub-compartmentation in ITU departments
5.80 Intensive therapy units should be divided into tw o sub-com partm ents,
to separate the nursing areafrom the utility area. The follow ing
provides an exam ple:
sub-compartment one
staff base;
bed areas;
clean utility;
dirty utility;
linen store;
status laboratory.
sub-compartment two
entrance area;
staff changing;
staff rest room s;
sem inar room s;
cleanersstore;
m ain equipm ent store;
bulk store;
on-call area.
See Figure 10.
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5.0 Means of escape
FD 30*
60 m inute FR w all
N on FR w all
FD 30S
protected
lobby
Figure 10 Special requirem ents for intensive therapy units
Sub-com partm ent 1 Sub-com partm ent 2
staff base entrance area
bed areas staff changing
clean utility staff rest room s
dirty utility sem inar room s
linen store cleanersstore
status laboratory m ain equipm ent store
on-call area
Lobby arrangem ent
Intensive therapy unit
C irculation space
D oor indicated thus * m ay be held open
on autom atic door hold open devices
w hich activate only on the operation of
the alarm and detection system in ITU
or the adjacent com partm ents
Contents
Heating and ventilation systems
5.81 The H VA C system s provided to intensive therapy units are designed
so that the pressure w ithin the departm ent is m aintained at slightly above
that of the adjacent areas. In a fire em ergency the continuing operation of
these system s w ill assist in preventing sm oke and other products of
com bustion entering the intensive therapy unit.
Requirement
5.82 In intensive therapy units, the H VA C system s should be designed so
that they continue to operate in a fire em ergency. The shut-dow n of these
system s should be on the instruction of the fire brigade and should be
controlled from rem ote panels located at either the departm ent entrance
or adjacent to the m ain fire alarm indicator panel.
Plant areas
5.83 The m eans of escape from plantroom s should be designed to take
account of the fire hazard presented by the equipm ent or contents of the
room and any hindrance to the m ovem ent of the occupants, for exam ple
low headroom .
Requirement
5.84 The escape route should be clear of obstructions.
5.85 W here a m inim um of tw o exits are provided, the m axim um travel
distance from any point w ithin a plantroom should not exceed 25 m etres
to the nearest exit from w here alternative m eans of escape are provided.
O f this 25 m etres the m axim um single direction of escape should not
exceed 12 m etres.
5.86 W here only one exit is provided, the m axim um travel distance should
not exceed 12 m etres.
5.87 W here only one exit is provided, or w here there is a danger of
people being trapped, alternative m eans of escape such as ceiling hatches
and ladders should be considered.
5.88 W here the risk of fire is low , the travel distances m ay be increased to
35 m etres w here there is an alternative m eans of escape and 25 m etres
w here a single direction of escape only is provided.
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5.0 Means of escape
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6.0 Containment
Principle
6.1 The design and construction of the hospital shall:
a. provide sufficient resistance to the effects of fire and m aintain its
structural stability to provide adequate tim e for escape and
extinguishm ent;
b. inhibit the spread of fire and sm oke w ithin the building;
c. inhibit the spread of fire to adjacent buildings.
Elements of structure
6.2 To prevent the prem ature failure of the structure, the load-bearing
elem ents of the building are required to have a m inim um period of fire
resistance, in term s of resistance to collapse or failure of load-bearing
capacity. The purpose of providing the structure w ith fire resistance is:
a. to m inim ise the risk to the occupants, m any of w hom m ay still be in
a tem porary place of safety w ithin the hospital aw aiting evacuation;
b. to reduce the risk to fire-fighters;
c. to reduce the danger to people in the vicinity of the building.
6.3 For the purposes of this docum ent, elem ents of structure are:
a. a colum n, beam , or other m em ber form ing part of a structural
fram e;
b. a load-bearing w all;
c. a floor;
except w here the structure supports a roof w hich is not essential for the
stability of a w all required to have a period of fire resistance.
Requirement
6.4 The m inim um period of fire resistance provided by the elem ents of
structure should be as Table 5.
Compartmentation
6.5 The requirem ent for com partm entation in patient access areas of
hospital is discussed in C hapter 5. W ithin patient access areas,
com partm entation is used to divide a storey into places of tem porary safety
w hich m ay be used for patient refuge. In addition, com partm entation
prevents rapid fire spread throughout the building and reduces the chance
of fires becom ing large.
34
Contents
6.6 G enerally w ithin hospitals the m axim um size of a com partm ent is
determ ined by its use: the size of the hospital departm ent determ ines the
size of a com partm ent (see paragraph 5.17).
Table 5 Fire resistance of elem ents of structure
U nsprinklered Sprinklered
30 m inutes 30 m inutes
N otes:
Elem ents of structure in relation to basem ents includes the ground floor slab.
W here one side of a basem ent is (due to the slope of the ground) open at ground level,
giving an opportunity for sm oke venting and access for fire-fighting, it m ay be
appropriate to adopt the standard of fire resistance applicable to above-ground
structures for elem ents of structure in that storey.
W here a partial sprinkler system is installed, the reduction in the fire resistance is not
autom aticbut should be assessed in the specific context of the extent of the sprinkler
system .
Requirement
6.7 The m axim um area of a com partm ent should not exceed:
a. 2000 m in a m ulti-storey hospital;
b. 3000 m in a single-storey hospital.
6.8 The m inim um period of fire resistance (integrity and insulation)
provided by com partm ent w alls should be:
(i) single-storey hospitals 30 m inutes*
(ii) sprinklered hospitals 30 m inutes
storeys up to 12 m etres above
ground level
(iii) all other hospitals including 60 m inutes
basem ent and floor over
12 m etres above ground
* except w here this conflicts w ith the requirem ents of Table 1.
6.9 A ll com partm ent floors are considered as elem ents of structure and
should satisfy the requirem ents of Table 5.
H ospitals w ith basem ents over
10 m etres deep
H ospitals w ith basem ents no m ore
than 10 m etres deep
H ospitals w ith a top floor over
30 m etres above ground
H ospitals w ith a top floor betw een
12 and 30 m etres above ground
H ospitals w ith a top floor no m ore
than 12 m etres above ground
Single-storey hospitals
35
6.0 Containment
Contents
36
6.0 Containment
Figure 11 Elem ents of structure
Elem ents of structure:
a load-bearing w all, a colum n,
a beam and a floor
Floor
Beam
C olum n
Elem ents of structure:
a colum n, beam , or other
m em ber form ing part of a
structural fram e
Internal load-
bearing w all
Internal load-
bearing w all
Contents
Elements of structure and compartment walls
6.10 Elem ents of structure and com partm ent w alls required to have a
m inim um period of fire resistance of 60 m inutes or m ore, should be
constructed of m aterials of lim ited com bustibility. The m aterials used
should be type i, ii, or iii as defined in C hapter 2.
6.11 W here sprinklers are installed throughout, the requirem ent for
elem ents of structure and com partm ent w alls to be constructed of
m aterials of lim ited com bustibility does not apply.
Glazing in a compartment wall
6.12 A ny glazing provided in a com partm ent w all should have the sam e
period of fire resistance (integrity and insulation) as the com partm ent w all.
Transfer grilles
6.13 To reduce the possibility of sm oke transfer betw een com partm ents,
transfer grilles should not be provided in com partm ent w alls.
Junction of compartment walls with roofs
6.14 C om partm ent w alls should be taken up to the underside of the roof
covering or deck, and fire-stopped to m aintain the fire resistance.
Openings in floors and compartment walls
6.15 A ll openings in floors and com partm ent w alls should be protected to
provide at least the sam e period of fire resistance as the com partm ent
structure.
6.16 To m aintain the integrity of com partm entation, openings should be
lim ited to:
a. doors w hich have a period of fire resistance not less than that of the
com partm ent structure (see A ppendix B below );
b. openings for pipes of not m ore than 160 m m diam eter w hich if
exposed to a tem perature of 800
o
C w ill not soften or fracture to the
extent that flam es or hot gases w ill pass through the w all of the
pipe;
c. pipes of m aterials other than those in (b) above, of not m ore than
40 m m diam eter;
d. pipes of any diam eter w hich are provided w ith a proprietary seal
w hich has been show n by test (for the diam eter of pipe proposed)
to m aintain the fire resistance of the com partm ent structure;
e. ventilation ducts w hich com ply w ith the requirem ents of BS5588:
Part 9 (see Figure 12);
f. refuse and laundry chutes of non-com bustible construction w hich
are accessed through fire-resisting doors;
g. protected shafts.
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6.0 Containment
Contents
Protected shafts
6.17 O penings in floors for stairw ays, lifts, escalators, and pipes and ducts,
not com plying w ith paragraph 6.15 above, should be enclosed in a
protected shaft w hich has the sam e period of fire resistance (integrity,
insulation and, w here applicable, load-bearing capacity) as the
com partm ent floor.
6.18 The protected shaft should form a com plete barrier to fire betw een
the different com partm ents w hich the shaft connects and be constructed
from m aterials of lim ited com bustibility.
6.19 A ny internal glazing provided to a protected shaft should have the
sam e period of fire resistance (integrity and insulation) as the protected
shaft.
6.20 The use of rooflights over protected shafts used for stairw ays should
be lim ited to those w hich provide a class 1 surface spread of flam e on both
upper and low er surfaces.
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6.0 Containment
Figure 12 Fire dam pers in com partm ent w alls
(Paragraphs 6.16, 6.36 and 6.81)
C om partm ent
w all
Fire
stopping
D uctw ork
Fire
dam per
Actuation of fire dampers:
i. in accordance w ith BS 5588: Part 9;
ii. by the operation of the alarm
detection system in the com partm ents
either side of the com partm ent w all.
Contents
6.21 The use of protected shafts should be lim ited to:
a. stairw ays;
b. lifts;
c. escalators;
d. chutes;
e. ducts;
f. pipes.
6.22 N o accom m odation m ay be included w ithin protected shafts.
6.23 Pipes conveying oil or gas, and ventilation ductw ork, should not be
located in the sam e protected shaft as a stairw ay or lift.
6.24 M eans for ventilating protected shafts to provide sm oke clearance
should be provided, at the top of the shaft, as follow s:
a. for a protected shaft containing a stairw ay an openable w indow ,
or sim ilar, providing an area of 1 m ;
b. for a protected shaft containing a lift or lifts, a perm anent opening
of 0.1 m for each lift.
Protected lobbies
6.25 Protected shafts for stairw ays and lifts should be provided w ith
protected lobbies, except w here they are accessed from a hospital street.
6.26 Protected lobbies should not be located so that they form part of a
through route; that is, they should not be located across a corridor if the
corridor continues beyond the protected lobby. See Figure 13.
6.27 Protected lobbies should:
a. be constructed from m aterials of lim ited com bustibility and have the
sam e fire resistance as the protected shaft;
b. contain no other accom m odation except that allow ed for protected
shafts.
Fire hazard rooms and areas
6.28 For m ost building types it is norm ally required to protect escape
routes w ith fire-resisting w alls, ceilings and doors (protected corridors). In
hospitals this is not considered acceptable since the excessive num ber of
fire-resisting doors, all fitted w ith self-closing devices, w ould be a
hindrance to staff and patients during the everyday running of the hospital.
For this reason the technique advocated for hospitals is to identify and
segregate fire hazard room s by at least 30 m inutes fire-resisting
construction.
Opening windows are not required
to be automatically operated
Except pipes conveying oil as part of
the operating mechanism of a
hydraulic lift, and ventilation
ductwork provided for the purposes
of pressurising the stairway
39
6.0 Containment
Contents
40
6.0 Containment
Figure 13 Protected lobbies to stairw ays
i. stairway accessed from a circulation space
(protected lobby required)
FD 30S
Protected
lobby
FD 30S
C irculation space
iii. The arrangement illustrated below
is not acceptable as the protected lobby is
across the circulation route
C irculation
space Protected
lobby
ii. stairway accessed from a hospital sreet
(protected lobby not required)
FD 30S
H ospital street
Contents
6.29 The follow ing are exam ples of fire hazard room s:
chem ical stores;
cleanersroom s;
clothes storage;
dayroom s;
disposal room s;
laboratories;
lift m otor room s;
linen stores;
patient bedroom s provided for:
(i) elderly people;
(ii) those suffering from a m ental illness;
(iii) people w ith learning difficulties;
staff changing and locker room s;
store room s;
w ard kitchens;
X-ray film and record stores;
all room s w ithin the m ain laundry in w hich delivery, sorting,
processing, packing and storing are carried out.
Requirement
6.30 Fire hazard room s and areas should be enclosed in 30 m inutes fire-
resisting construction (integrity and insulation). W alls m ay be term inated at
ceiling level provided that:
a. the ceiling is non-dem ountable and has a m inim um period of fire
resistance of 30 m inutes, w hen tested (com plete w ith any lighting
units) from below in accordance w ith BS476: Parts 20 and 22;
b. ducts perforating the ceiling are fitted w ith fire shutters operated by
fusible links;
c. conduits, pipes etc perforating the ceiling are fire-stopped and
com ply w ith the requirem ents of paragraph 6.16 above.
6.31 W here sprinklers are installed, there is no requirem ent to enclose fire
hazard room s in fire-resisting construction.
Glazed screens
6.32 U ninsulated fire-resisting glazed screens m ay only be provided in
w alls enclosing the follow ing fire hazard room s:
a. dayroom s;
b. laboratories;
c. laundry betw een supervising office and w ork area only.
The m axim um area of glazing should be lim ited to 1 m in
any one room .
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6.0 Containment
Contents
6.33 There is no lim it on the use of glazed screens w hich provide a
m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes w hen tested to the
relevant parts of BS476 (integrity and insulation).
Transfer grilles
6.34 To reduce the possibility of sm oke transfer betw een com partm ents,
transfer grilles should not be provided to fire hazard room s.
Ventilation ductwork
6.35 Ventilation ductw ork should com ply w ith the requirem ents of
BS5588: Part 9 and H TM 2025 Ventilation in healthcare prem ises.
6.36 D uctw ork passing through com partm ent and sub-com partm ent w alls
should be provided w ith fire dam pers in accordance w ith Figures 12 and
14.
6.37 D uctw ork passing through, or over, fire hazard room s should be
provided w ith fire dam pers in accordance w ith Figure 15.
6.38 D uctw ork passing through cavity barriers should be provided w ith fire
dam pers in accordance w ith Figure 16.
Cavity barriers
6.39 C oncealed spaces or cavities in the construction of a building m ay
perm it the rapid spread of fire and sm oke. It is possible for fire and sm oke
to be transferred to areas rem ote from the seat of the fire by w ay of
uninterrupted concealed spaces. For this reason it is essential that fire-
resisting barriers are provided to restrict the size of these concealed spaces.
6.40 In hospitals, the sub-division provided through the requirem ents for
hazard protection, sub-com partm entation and com partm entation is such
that generally the additional sub-division of ceiling voids for cavity barriers
is not required. The exception to this is w here sub-com partm ent w alls, and
w alls to fire hazard room s, are term inated at 30 m inute fire-resisting
ceilings.
6.41 Irrespective of the above, there is a requirem ent to prevent the inter-
connection of horizontal and vertical cavities.
6.42 G uidance on the construction and fixing of cavity barriers is provided
in A ppendix E.
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6.0 Containment
Contents
43
6.0 Containment
Figure 14 Fire dam pers in sub-com partm ent w alls
(Paragraphs 6.36 and 6.82)
i. ductwork passing through
sub-compartment wall
Sub-com partm ent
w all
Fire
stopping
D uctw ork
Fire
dam per
i. in accordance w ith BS5588: Part 9
ii. by fusible link w ith a nom inal operating
tem perature of 74
o
C
iii. if sprinklers are fitted, by the operation of the alarm
and detection system in the sub-com partm ents either side
of the sub-com partm ent w all.
ii. ductwork serving one compartment only
Sub-com partm ent 1 Sub-com partm ent 2 Sub-com partm ent 3
D uctw ork
Fire Fire
stopping stopping
Sub-com partm ent Sub-com partm ent
w all w all
i. fire dam pers not required
ii. ductw ork in sub-com partm ents 2, 3 etc to have 30 m inutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) w hen tested to the
relevant parts of BS476.
Contents
44
6.0 Containment
Figure 15 Fire dam pers to fire hazard room s
(Paragraphs 6.37 and 6.82)
i. ductwork passing through but not
serving fire hazard room
30 m inute fire- 30 m inute fire-
resisting w all resisting w all
D uctw ork
Fire Fire
stopping stopping
Fire hazard
room
i. fire dam pers not required;
ii. ductw ork in the hazard room to have 30 m inutes fire resistance
(integrity and insulation) w hen tested to the relevant parts of BS476.
ii. ductwork passing over fire hazard room fitted
with fire-resisting ceiling
D uctw ork
Fire-resisting ceiling
30 m inute fire- 30 m inute fire-
resisting w all resisting w all
Fire hazard
room
i. fire dam pers not required;
ii. ceiling to be non-dem ountable and have a m inim um period of fire resistance
of 30 m inutes, w hen tested (com plete w ith any lighting units) from below
in accordance w ith BS476 Parts 20 and 22.
iii. ductwork serving fire hazard rooms
i. ducts should not pass through the
hazard room if the duct serves the fire
hazard room and other room s beyond
the fire hazard room ;
ii. the fire hazard room should be
served by spurs fitted w ith fire dam pers
operated by fusible links;
iii. w here flexible connections are used
they should com ply w ith BS5588:
Part 9 and not pass through the fire-
resisting w alls
Supply ductw ork
Fire dam per
Fire hazard O ther room
room
Fire dam per
Extract ductw ork
Contents
45
6.0 Containment
Figure 16 D uctw ork passing through cavity barriers
(Paragraphs 6.38, 6.47 and 6.82)
i. ductwork fitted with
the damper
C avity
barrier
Fire
dam per
D uctw ork
i. in accordance w ith BS5588: Part 9
ii. by fusible link w ith a nom inal operating
tem perature of 74
o
C
ii. ductwork serving one compartment only
C avity
barrier
D uctw ork
D uctw ork
i. non-com bustible
ii. has a m inim um period of fire resistance of 30 m inutes
(integrity) w hen tested to BS476 Part 24
Contents
Requirement
6.43 W ith the exception of the ceiling void above operating departm ents
(see below ), 30 m inute fire-resisting barriers should be provided to sub-
divide concealed roof or ceiling voids. These should be positioned to
coincide w ith sub-com partm ent w alls and w alls to fire hazard room s.
6.44 The m axim um area of uninterrupted roof or ceiling void should not
exceed 400 m .
6.45 30 m inute fire-resisting cavity barriers should also be provided:
a. to prevent the inter-connection of vertical and horizontal cavities;
b. at the intersection of fire-resisting construction and elem ents
containing a concealed space (Figure 17 provides exam ples);
c. w ithin the void behind the external face of rainscreen cladding, at
every floor level and on the line of com partm ent w alls abutting the
external w all.
6.46 C avity barriers should not be provided:
a. in cavity w alls as illustrated in Figure 18; or
b. in double-skin insulated roof sheeting as illustrated in Figure 19(i); or
c. below a floor next to the ground or oversite concrete providing:
(i) the cavity is less than 1 m in height; or
(ii) it is not accessible by persons; and
(iii) there are no openings in the floor such that it is possible for
com bustibles to accum ulate in the cavity.
Openings in barriers
6.47 O penings in barriers should be lim ited to those for:
a. doors w hich have at least 30 m inutes fire resistance;
b. pipes (see paragraph 6.16);
c. cables or conduits;
d. openings fitted w ith a suitably m ounted autom atic fire shutter;
e. ducts w hich, unless they are fire-resisting, are fitted w ith a suitably
m ounted autom atic fire shutter w here they pass through the cavity
barrier. See Figure 16.
Cavity barriers above operating departments
6.48 The com plexities of ventilation ductw ork system s above operating
departm ents m ean that the provision of cavity barriers w ould seriously
com prom ise service access and m eans of escape for m aintenance staff.
6.49 A dditionally, operating departm ents have restricted access, they are
w ell supervised w hen in use, and hazard areas are enclosed w ithin fire-
resisting construction.
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47
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Figure 17 C avity barriers interrupting concealed spaces
(Paragraph 6.45)
i. cavity wall ii. void above suspended ceiling
Section Section
iii. cavity wall iv. cavity wall
Plan Plan
w all w ith
cavity
cavity barrier
com partm ent
floor
cavity barrier
w all w ith cavity
fire-resisting
w all
cavity barrier
w all w ith cavity
fire-resisting
door
cavity barrier
suspended ceiling
fire-resisting w all
(but not a
com partm ent w all)
alternatively carry w all
up to the underside of
com partm ent floor
Contents
48
6.0 Containment
Figure 18 C avity w all not requiring cavity barriers
(Paragraph 6.46)
Section through cavity wall
close cavity at
the top of the w all
(unless cavity is
totally filled w ith
insulation)
close cavity at
the top of the
opening
opening
tw o leaves of brick,
block or concrete each
at least 75 m m thick,
100 m m m axim um cavity
w idth
Figure 19 C avity barriers in double-skinned insulating roof sheet
(Paragraph 6.46)
i. acceptable without cavity barriers
The insulation should m ake contact w ith both skins of sheeting
ii. cavity barriers required
N ote: C om bustible m aterials should not be placed in
or exposed to the cavity, except for:
i. tim ber lintels, w indow or door fram es, or the
ends of tim ber joists;
ii. pipes, conduit or cable;
iii. D PC , flashing cavity closer or w all tie;
iv. therm al insulating m aterial
Contents
Requirement
6.50 C avity barriers should not be provided over operating departm ents.
Internal spread of flame linings
6.51 The surface finish applied to w alls and ceilings can contribute to the
spread of a fire. Som e finishes w ill transfer fire from one area to another
very quickly by surface spread of flam e. This not only m akes the fire
difficult to control, but provides additional fuel, w hich w ill increase the
severity of the fire.
6.52 Surface finishes w hich can be effectively tested for surface spread
of flam eare rated for perform ance by reference to the m ethod specified
in BS476: Part 7: 1971 or 1987 under w hich m aterials or products are
classified 1, 2, 3 or 4, w ith C lass 1 being the highest.
6.53 C lass 0 is the highest product perform ance classification; how ever, it
is not a classification identified in any British Standard test.
Requirement
6.54 W all and ceiling finishes should m eet the classifications in Table 6.
Table 6 Lim itations on w all and ceiling finishes
Location W alls C eilings
C irculation spaces C lass 0 C lass 0
O ther room s C lass 0 C lass 1
Sm all room s (m ax 4 m ) C lass 1 C lass 1
N otes:
The lim itations on surface finishes do not apply to:
(i) the dem ountable sanitary back panelscom m only used in hospitals to provide access
for m aintenance behind w ashhand basins, toilets, show ers etc; and
(ii) room s providing a specialist function (for exam ple audiology booths) w here other
functional criteria dictate the surface finish.
Rooflights
6.55 Rooflights should also m eet the requirem ents of Table 6. H ow ever,
plastic rooflights w ith a C lass 3 rating for surface spread of flam e m ay be
used, provided that the lim itations im posed by paragraph 6.59 below are
observed.
Thermoplastic materials
6.56 Therm oplastic m aterials (see A ppendix C ) w hich cannot m eet the
perform ance requirem ents given in Table 6 m ay be used in rooflights and
lighting diffusers in suspended ceilings, if they com ply w ith the
requirem ents in paragraphs 6.58 and 6.59 below .
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Contents
6.57 The guidance on the use of thermoplastic lighting diffusers
applies irrespective of whether the lighting diffuser forms part of
the ceiling or is attached to the soffit of, or suspended beneath, a
ceiling.
Requirement
6.58 Therm oplastic rooflights and lighting diffusers w ith a classification of
low er surface of TP(a) m ay be used in all locations, except stairw ays, w ith
no restrictions on:
a. the m axim um area of each diffuser or rooflight;
b. the m axim um total area of diffusers and rooflights;
c. the m inim um separation betw een diffusers and rooflights.
6.59 Therm oplastic rooflights and lighting diffusers w ith a classification of
low er surface TP(b) and rooflights w ith a C lass 3 rating m ay be used in all
areas, w ith the follow ing restrictions:
a. the m axim um area of each diffuser or rooflight should be no m ore
than 5 m ;
b. the m axim um total area of diffusers and rooflights, as a percentage
of the floor area of the space in w hich they are located, should be
no m ore than 15 per cent;
c. the m inim um distance betw een diffusers and rooflights should be
not less than 3 m etres.
6.60 Therm oplastic rooflights w ith a classification of upper surface TP(b)
should not be used.
6.61 Therm oplastic lighting diffusers should not be used in a fire-resisting
ceiling unless they have been satisfactorily tested as part of a ceiling
assem bly that provides the appropriate fire protection.
6.62 The m inim um distance from a relevant boundary of therm oplastic
rooflights w ith a classification of upper surface of TP(a) should be not less
than 6 m etres.
External fire spread
6.63 In certain circum stances it m ay be necessary for the external w alls or
roofs of a hospital to provide a period of fire resistance to prevent fire
spreading to adjacent buildings or parts of the sam e building in different
com partm ents.
6.64 For w alls, this requirem ent is determ ined by a com bination of space
separation betw een buildings and the am ount of unprotected area w ithin
the w alls.
6.65 G enerally, roofs are the topm ost elem ent of the building and as a
consequence are not required to provide a period of fire resistance from
below . H ow ever, w here a low -level roof abuts an external w all of a patient
access area, a portion of the roof should provide som e fire resistance, to
prevent the fire spreading through the roof to other parts of the sam e
building in different com partm ents.
50
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Contents
Requirement
6.66 W ith the exception of unprotected areas, the m inim um period of fire
resistance provided by external w alls should be as in Table 7.
Table 7 M inim um period of fire resistance of external w alls
H eight to the top floor M inim um period of fire resistance
N ot m ore than 5 m etres 30 m inutes
O ver 5 m etres 60 m inutes
N otes:
1. The m inim um period of fire resistance relates to integrity and load-bearing capacity. The
m inim um provision for insulation is 15 m inutes, unless the external w all is less than one
m etre from a boundary or adjacent building, w hen the requirem ent for insulation
should be the sam e as that for integrity and load-bearing capacity.
2. A n external w all w hich is also an elem ent of structure should com ply w ith Table 5.
Space separation
6.67 In hospitals up to 12 m etres in height the m axim um percentage of
unprotected area in an external w all, in relation to the distance to adjacent
com partm ents, buildings or boundaries, should be determ ined from the
graph in Figure 20.
6.68 In hospitals over 12 m etres in height the m axim um percentage of
unprotected area in an external w all, in relation to the distance to adjacent
com partm ents, buildings or boundaries, should be determ ined from the
m ethods set out in the BRE Report: External fire spread: building
separation and boundary distances.
6.69 W hen calculating the am ount of unprotected area:
a. sm all unprotected areas as indicated in Figure 23 m ay be
disregarded;
b. an external surface of com bustible m aterial m ore than 1 m m thick
should be counted as an unprotected area am ounting to half the
actual area of the com bustible m aterial.
Canopies
6.70 Provided a canopy is m ore than 1 m from a relevant boundary, the
provision for space separation m ay be disregarded.
Surfaces of external walls
6.71 The surfaces of external w alls of hospitals should provide a surface
spread of flam e classification of C lass 0.
Surfaces of roofs
6.72 A ll hospital roof coverings should have a m inim um designation of
A C , w hen tested in accordance w ith BS476: Part 3: 1958.
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52
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Figure 20 Perm itted unprotected area Method of determining the amount of
(Paragraph 6.67) unprotected area in an external wall
N otes:
i. Figure 21 provides guidance on how to
establish the relevant boundary;
ii. a relevant boundary m ay also be a notional
boundary betw een tw o buildings on the sam e
site; Figure 22 provides guidance on establishing
the notional boundary;
iii. w here the building is fitted w ith sprinklers
throughout, the distance to the relevant
boundary m ay be halved subject a m inim um
distance of 1 m etre being m aintained
D istance betw een face
of building and relevant
boundary (m )
12.5
10
7.5
5
2.5
0
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Percentage of unprotected area
Figure 21 Relevant boundary area
For a boundary to be relevant it should
a. coincide w ith; or
b. be parallel w ith; or
c. be at an angle of not m ore than
80
o
to
the side of the building
C
this boundary is
parallel to and
therefore relevant
to side D
B D
this boundary
coincides w ith and is
therefore relevant A
to side B
this boundary is
parallel to side A
the centre line of a road,
river, canal or railw ay m ay
be a relevant boundary
this boundary is less than
80
o
to side C and is
therefore relevant
to side C
Contents
53
6.0 Containment
Figure 22 N otional boundary
site boundary
notional
boundary
Building A Building B
The notional boundary should be set in the area betw een the tw o buildings using the follow ing rules:
a. the buildings should be on the sam e site;
b. the notional boundary is positioned so that one of the buildings w ould com ply
w ith the provisions for space separation having regard to the am ount of its
unprotected area;
(In practice, if one of the buildings is existing, the position of the boundary w ill
be set by the space separation factors for that building)
d. the siting of the new building, or the second building if both are new , can then
be checked to see that it also com plies using the boundary as the relevant
boundary for the second building.
com pliance w ith the provisions for space
separation in respect of building A
com pliance w ith the provisions for space
separation in respect of building B
Figure 23 U nprotected areas w hich m ay be disregarded in relation to space separation
(Paragraph 6.69)
Unprotected areas which may be disregarded Dimensional restrictions
for space separation purposes
represents an unprotected area of not
m ore than 1 m
2
w hich m ay consist of
tw o or m ore sm aller areas w ithin an
area of 1 m 1 m
represents an area of not
m ore than 0.1 m
2
4 m m inim um distance
1.5 m m inim um
distance
dim ension unrestricted
The unprotected area of the
external w all of a stairw ay
form ing part of a protected
shaft m ay be disregarded for
separation distance purposes
Contents
Junction of walls and low-level roofs
6.73 W here a roof abuts an external w all, the roof should provide a
m inim um period of fire resistance of 60 m inutes (integrity and insulation)
for a distance of 3 m etres from the w all. See Figure 24.
6.74 W here sprinklers are installed throughout the area below the low -
level roof, the requirem ent of paragraph 6.73 above does not apply.
Junction of compartment and sub-compartment walls
and external walls
6.75 W here:
a. a com partm ent w all (or sub-com partm ent w all) m eets an external
w all;
or
b. a protected shaft m eets an external w all,
a one m etre-w ide storey-height strip of external w all, w hich has a sim ilar
period of fire resistance, should be provided to prevent lateral fire spread.
See Figure 25.
6.76 W here sprinklers are installed on both sides of the com partm ent
(sub-com partm ent w all), the requirem ents of paragraph 6.75 do not apply.
Additional requirements for the operation
of HVAC systems
Design of HVAC systems
6.77 Ventilation is used extensively in healthcare prem ises for prim ary
patient treatm ent in operating departm ents, intensive therapy units and
isolation suites. It is also installed to ensure com pliance w ith quality
assurance of m anufactured item s in pharm acy and sterile supply
departm ents and to protect staff from harm ful organism s and toxic
substances, for exam ple in laboratories. G uidance on the general design of
ventilation system s in available in H TM 2025 Ventilation in healthcare
prem ises.
6.78 In the event of a fire, large quantities of sm oke and toxic gases can
be given off w hich potentially could be transferred through the ductw ork
to room s and areas rem ote from the fire. Therefore m easures are required
to:
a. prevent a fire from entering or leaving the ductw ork;
b. lim it the spread of fire, sm oke and other products of com bustion
w ithin the ductw ork;
c. prevent a breach in the integrity of an enclosing fire-resisting
elem ent of construction w here penetrated by ductw ork.
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6.0 Containment
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55
6.0 Containment
Figure 24 Fire resistance at junction of external w alls and low -level roofs
(Paragraph 6.73)
3 m etres
Shaded area of low -level roof
(including any rooflights) to
provide a m inim um period of fire
resistance of 60 m inutes
(integrity and insulation)
Low -level roof
(flat or pitched)
w ith no fire resistance
External w all
no fire resistance
Figure 25 Junction of com partm ent or sub-com partm ent w alls w ith external w alls
(Paragraph 6.75)
com partm ent or
sub-com partm ent w all
External w all
m inim um 1 m
in length
Plan
M inim um distance betw een
openings 1 m m easured
on the diagonal
com partm ent or
sub-com partm ent w all
Plan
Contents
Requirement
6.79 Ventilation system s should be designed and installed to com ply w ith
H TM 2025 Ventilation in healthcare prem isesand BS5588: Part 9: 1989
C ode of practice for ventilation and air-conditioning ductw ork, and the
guidance below .
6.80 Ventilation system s should not be com m on to both patient areas and
hazard departm ents. Fresh air intakes should be positioned to avoid the
possibility of the intake of sm oke and toxic gases.
Location and operation of fire dampers
6.81 Fire dam pers in ductw ork passing through com partm ent w alls should
be actuated:
a. in accordance w ith BS5588: Part 9; and
b. by the operation of the alarm and detection system in the
com partm ents either side of the com partm ent w all.
See Figure 12.
6.82 Fire dam pers in ductw ork passing through sub-com partm ent w alls,
cavity barriers and w alls enclosing fire hazard room s should be actuated by
therm al release m echanism s only. See Figures 14, 15 and 16.
6.83 Therm ally actuated release m echanism s should be set to operate at
74
o
C .
Operation of ventilation plant
6.84 The ventilation plant should not be autom atically shut dow n on the
operation of the autom atic fire alarm and detection system . The shut-dow n
of the system should be under the instruction of the fire brigade and
should be controlled from panels located either at departm ent entrances or
adjacent to the m ain fire alarm indicator panels.
Additional requirements for car parks
6.85 Buildings or parts of buildings used as parking for cars and other light
vehicles have a w ell-defined fire load w hich is not particularly high.
6.86 There is som e evidence that fire spread is unlikely from vehicle to
vehicle. A dditionally, w here the car park is w ell ventilated there is a low
probability of fire spread from one storey to another.
6.87 Ventilation is the im portant factor and, as heat and sm oke cannot be
dissipated as readily from a car park that is not open-sided, few er
concessions are m ade. The follow ing guidance is concerned w ith three
ventilation m ethods: open-sided (high level of ventilation), natural
ventilation, and m echanical ventilation.
6.88 W here it is proposed to include car parking under any part of the
hospital, the follow ing additional requirem ents should be provided.
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Requirement
All car parks
6.89 A ccess from the car park to the hospital should be through a
protected lobby. In addition, vertical access from the car park to the
hospital should be via a stairw ay or stairw ays, provided w ith protected
lobbies, serving the car park storeys and providing access to only one
storey of the hospital.
Open-sided car parks
6.90 W here the car park has perm anent openings at each level, having an
aggregate ventilation area of not less than 5 per cent of the floor area, of
w hich half should be in tw o opposing w alls, no additional m echanical
ventilation is required.
Car parks which are not open-sided
6.91 W here car parks do not have the standard of ventilation set out in
paragraph 6.90, they are not regarded as open-sided. H ow ever, they w ill
still require som e ventilation; this m ay be by natural or m echanical m eans.
6.92 In car parks w hich are not open-sided, the follow ing provision of
natural ventilation is considered adequate:
a. each storey should be ventilated by perm anent openings, having an
aggregate ventilation area of not less than 2.5 per cent of floor area
at that level;
or
b. sm oke vents should be placed at ceiling level, having an aggregate
perm anent opening of not less than 2.5 per cent of the floor area
and arranged to provide a through draught.
6.93 In basem ent and enclosed car parks it m ay not be possible to obtain
the m inim um requirem ents for natural ventilation set out in paragraph
6.92. In such cases m echanical ventilation should be provided as follow s:
a. the system should be independent of any other ventilation system
and be designed to operate at six air changes per hour for norm al
petrol vapour extraction, and at ten air changes per hour in a fire
condition;
b. the system should be designed to run in tw o parts, each part
capable of extracting 50 per cent of the rates set out in (a) above,
and designed so that each part m ay operate singly or
sim ultaneously;
c. each part of the system should have an independent pow er supply
w hich w ould operate in the event of failure of the m ains supply;
d. extract points should be arranged so that 50 per cent of the outlets
are at high level, and 50 per cent at low level;
e. the fans should be rated to run at 400
o
C for a m inim um of 60
m inutes, and the ductw ork and fixings should have a m elting point
of not less than 800
o
C .
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6.0 Containment
Contents
Sprinklers
6.94 The guidance in this docum ent does not require the installation of
sprinklers in patient care areas of hospitals. H ow ever, the design team
m ay w ish to adopt a different approach to fire safety by using sprinklers
specifically designed to provide life safety protection, as an integral part of
the fire safety strategy.
6.95 A sprinkler has tw o functions:
to detect a fire at an early stage; and
to distribute w ater on the fire area in order to lim it or extinguish the
fire.
6.96 Life-safety system s are defined in BS5306: Part 2: 1990 as
... sprinkler system s form ing an integral part of m easures required for the
protection of life. The perform ance of life safety sprinklers can be
enhanced by the specification and installation of quick response sprinkler
heads w hich enable the activation of the system quickly after the heads
have reached their operating tem perature. This response is quicker than
conventional heads w hich have been developed for property protection.
6.97 The tim e interval to the sprinkler head to reaching its operating
tem perature and the release of w ater through the system is dependent on
the therm al inertia of the head. The degree of therm al inertia in the head is
determ ined by the sensitivity of the head. The sensitivity of the sprinkler
head is expressed by its response tim e index (RTI); this is a constant,
independent of gas tem perature and velocity. Q uick response sprinkler
heads have a very low RTI value, w hen com pared to an average soldered
strut type, or the 8 m m glass bulb type. The quick response head w ill react
m ore quickly to a given fire because of its low er therm al inertia, even
though the nom inal tem perature of operation is the sam e as the other
sprinkler heads.
6.98 W here it is proposed to install life-safety sprinklers in hospitals, the
sprinkler system should be designed and installed in accordance w ith the
guidance below .
6.99 The sprinkler installation should be designed and installed in
accordance w ith the guidance in BS5306: Part 2: 1990 Fire extinguishing
installations and equipm ent on prem ises, and Rules for autom atic
sprinkler installationsissued by the Loss Prevention C ouncil.
6.100 In patient access areas of hospitals the sprinkler system should be a
life safety system , fitted w ith quick response heads as defined in the LPC
Technical Bulletin TB20: 1994.
6.101 A reas of the hospital not provided w ith sprinkler protection should
be separated from those areas w hich are of 60 m inute fire-resisting
structure.
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6.0 Containment
Contents
Effect on other fire precautions
6.102 In those parts of the hospital w here sprinkler system s are provided
the affect of sprinklers on the overall package of fire precautions has to be
considered to ensure that a cost-effective fire safety strategy is provided.
W here sprinklers are installed in hospital prem ises in accordance w ith the
above guidance, som e of the requirem ents of this docum ent m ay be
m odified to take account of the affect of sprinkler operation at an early
stage of fire developm ent.
6.103 W here sprinklers are installed to the guidance above the follow ing
guidance m ay be m odified:
progressive horizontal evacuation (paragraphs 5.4 to 5.10);
glazing in sub-com partm ent w alls (paragraphs 5.27 to 5.29);
elem ents of structure (paragraphs 6.2 to 6.4 and 6.10);
com partm entation (paragraphs 6.5 to 6.11);
fire hazard room s and areas (paragraphs 6.28 to 6.34);
external fire spread (paragraphs 6.63 to 6.76);
num ber and location of fire-fighting shafts (paragraphs 7.19 and
7.20).
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Contents
7.0 Fire extinguishment
Principle
7.1 The design and construction of the hospital should ensure that fires
can be extinguished effectively and quickly by the occupants or by the
em ergency services. A dequate provision should be m ade around the
building and w ithin the site to enable fire appliances to gain access to the
building.
7.2 The fire brigade, once alerted, w ill attend the fire quickly and once
there, should be provided w ith adequate facilities for the protection of life
and property. Particular m atters w hich require consideration are:
a. site access;
b. vehicular access around the buildings for fire appliances;
c. access into the building for the fire-fighting personnel;
d. the provision of fire m ains w ithin the building;
e. venting for heat and sm oke from basem ent areas.
Site access
7.3 W hen considering site access for the fire brigade the follow ing
should be considered:
a. the location and num ber of site access points;
b. the design of the internal roadw ays w ith respect to w idth, radii of
bends, gradients, clearance betw een and under buildings;
c. the w eight and turning circle of the fire appliances.
7.4 H ealth Building N ote (H BN ) 45 External w orks for health buildings
provides guidance on the design and construction of hospital roads.
Requirement
7.5 A m inim um of tw o site access points, suitable for use by the fire
brigade, should be provided for fire appliances. Their location should be
agreed w ith all relevant authorities.
7.6 N ew hospital roads w hich m ay be used by fire appliances should
com ply w ith the guidance in H BN 45 and that in Table 8.
One fire brigade access point may be
an emergency access point dedicated
solely for fire brigade use
60
Contents
Table 8 Typical vehicle access route specification
1
Pum p 3.7 m 3.1 m 16.8 m 19.2 m 3.7 m 12.5
H igh reach 3.7 m 3.1 m 26.0 m 29.0 m 4.0 m 17.02
N otes
1. Fire appliances are not standardised. Som e fire services have appliances of greater
w eight or different size. In consultation w ith the fire authority, building control
authorities m ay adopt other dim ensions in such circum stances.
2. Because the w eight of high reach appliances is distributed over a num ber of axles, it is
considered that their infrequent use of a carriagew ay or route designed to 12.5 tonnes
should not cause dam age; how ever, structures such as bridges should have the full
17 tonnes capacity.
Access around the hospital
7.7 A ccess around a hospital is required to enable high reach appliances,
such as turntable ladders and hydraulic platform s, to be used, and to
enable pum ping appliances to supply w ater and equipm ent for fire-fighting
and rescue activities.
Requirement
7.8 W here access is provided to an elevation in accordance w ith Table 9,
overhead obstructions should be avoided in the zone indicated in
Figure 26.
7.9 Turning facilities should be provided in any dead-end route that is
m ore than 20 m etres long. This can be by ham m erhead or turning circle,
designed on the basis of Table 8.
7.10 A ccess for fire appliances to hospitals not fitted w ith fire m ains
should com ply w ith the guidance in Table 9.
M in carrying
capacity
(tonnes)
2
M in
clearance
height
M in turning
circle
betw een
w alls
M in turning
circle
betw een
kerbs
M in w idth of
gatew ays
M in w idth of
road
betw een
kerbs
A ppliance
type
61
Contents
Table 9 Fire brigade access around hospitals not fitted w ith fire m ains
up to 2000 up to 9 w ithin 45 m etres pum p
over 9 15% of perim eter high reach
2000 to 8000 up to 9 15% of perim eter pum p
8000 to 16,000 up to 9 50% of perim eter pum p
16,000 to 24,000 up to 9 75% of perim eter pum p
over 24,000 up to 9 100% of perim eter pum p
N ote
The total floor area is the aggregate of all floors w ithin the building.
Access and facilities for the fire brigade
7.11 In low -rise hospitals w ithout deep basem ents, the needs of fire
brigade access w ill be m et by a com bination of the norm al m eans of
escape, and the m easures required for vehicular access around the hospital.
7.12 The requirem ents for additional facilities for the fire brigade are
determ ined by:
a. the height of the building;
b. the depth of basem ents;
c. floor area;
d. the provision of hospital streets.
7.13 The additional facilities w hich m ay be required are:
a. fire m ains;
b. fire-fighting shafts.
Hospitals not provided with hospital streets
Requirement
7.14 H ospitals five or m ore storeys high, or w ith a basem ent at m ore than
10 m etres below ground or access level, should be provided w ith fire-
fighting shafts containing fire-fighting lifts.
7.15 H ospitals w ith a storey of 600 m or m ore, together w ith a floor over
three storeys above ground or access level, should be provided w ith fire-
fighting shaft(s) w hich need not include fire-fighting lifts.
Type of appliance Provide vehicle access to: H eight of top storey
above ground (m )
Total floor area m
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63
Figure 26 Relationship betw een building and access roads or hardstandings for high reach appliances
(Paragraph 7.8)
overhead obstructions to be avoided in this zone
face of building at ground level or
vertical plane of projecting upper storey
C D
A B
hardstanding or access road obstruction
Type of appliance
Turntable ladder H ydraulic platform
D im ension (m ) D im ension (m )
A . M axim um distance of near edge of 4.9 3.0
hardstanding from building
B. M inim um w idth of hardstanding 5.0 5.5
C . M inim um distance of further edge of 10.0 7.5
hardstanding from building
D . M inim um w idth of unobstructed space N /A 2.2
(for sw ing of appliance platform )
N ote:
H ardstanding for high reach appliances should be as level as possible and should not exceed a
gradient of 1 in 12
Contents
64
7.16 H ospitals w ith tw o or m ore basem ent storeys, each exceeding 1000
m in area, should be provided w ith fire-fighting shaft(s) w hich need not
include fire-fighting lifts.
7.17 A ccess for fire appliances w here dry fire m ains are provided should
be w ithin 18 m etres of each fire m ain inlet connection point. The inlet
should be visible from the appliance.
7.18 A ccess for fire appliances w here w et m ains are provided should be to
w ithin 18 m etres, and w ithin sight, of a suitable entrance giving access to
the m ain, and in sight of the inlet for the em ergency replenishm ent of the
suction tank for the m ain.
Number and location of fire-fighting shafts
Requirement
7.19 The num ber of fire-fighting shafts required should be such that there
is at least one for every 1000 m (or part thereof), or if the hospital is fitted
w ith sprinklers, the num ber of fire-fighting shafts should com ply w ith
Table 10.
Table 10 Location of fire-fighting shafts (H ospitals provided w ith sprinklers)
Less than 1000 1
1000 to 2000 2
O ver 2000 2 plus 1 for every additional
1500 m or part thereof
7.20 In addition, fire-fighting shafts should be located so that every part
of every storey, other than fire brigade access level, is no m ore than
60 m etres from the entrance to a fire-fighting lobby, m easured along a
route that is suitable for laying hose.
Design and construction of fire-fighting shafts
7.21 Fire-fighting stairw ays and lifts should be approached from inside the
hospital through a fire-fighting lobby.
7.22 Fire-fighting shafts should be equipped w ith fire m ains having outlet
connections and valves in every fire-fighting lobby except at access level.
M inim um num ber of
fire-fighting shafts
Floor area of largest
storey over 20 m etres
above ground level (m )
Contents
7.23 Fire-fighting shafts should be designed, constructed and installed in
accordance w ith the recom m endations in the follow ing sections of BS5588:
Part 5:
a. Section 2 Planning and construction;
b. Section 3 Fire-fighting lift installation;
c. Section 4 Electrical services.
Hospitals provided with a hospital street
Requirement
7.24 Fire-fighting shafts are not required in hospitals provided w ith
hospital streets.
7.25 A ll hospital streets should have fire m ain outlets located at
departm ent entrances, so that every part of every storey is no m ore than
60 m etres from a fire outlet connection, m easured along a route w hich is
suitable for laying hose.
7.26 In hospitals five or m ore storeys high, or hospitals w ith a basem ent
at m ore than 10 m etres below ground or fire service access level, lifts for
use by the fire brigade are required. These should be:
a. located w ithin the hospital street im m ediately adjacent to a
stairw ay;
b. accessed directly off the hospital street; and
c. w ithin 18 m etres of an entrance suitable for use by the fire brigade.
Fire mains
7.27 A fire m ain should be located in every fire-fighting shaft, or as
required by paragraph 7.25 above.
7.28 In hospitals w ith a floor over 60 m etres above ground or access
level, w et rising m ains should be provided. W here fire m ains are provided
in hospitals w hich are low er than this, either w et or dry m ains are suitable.
7.29 W et or dry fire m ains should be designed and installed in accordance
w ith BS5306: Part 1.
First-aid fire-fighting equipment
7.30 G enerally there should be tw o w ater extinguishers or extinguishers
of an equivalent m edium , of 9 litre capacity or the equivalent, for every
400 m or part thereof. Extinguishers using C O
2
or other m edia should be
provided as required. Fire blankets should be provided in all cooking and
pantry areas. G uidance on the m eans of extinguishing various classes of
fire is provided in Firecode: H TM 83 Fire safety in healthcare prem ises:
G eneral fire precautions.
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Requirement
7.31 H and-held extinguishers, fire blankets and hose reels should be
provided as necessary.
7.32 Portable extinguishers should com ply w ith BS5423 and be inspected
and m aintained in accordance w ith BS5306: Part 3.
7.33 H ose reel installations, if provided, should conform to the relevant
section of BS5306: Part 1.
Venting of basements
7.34 In addition to the m easures above there m ay be a need in case of fire
to rem ove heat and sm oke from basem ents. In a fire involving a basem ent,
the products of com bustion tend to escape via stairw ays, m aking access
difficult for the fire brigade. Venting can reduce this problem , im prove
visibility and low er tem peratures, m aking access for the fire brigade less
difficult.
7.35 Sm oke outlets provide a route for heat and sm oke to escape to the
open air from the basem ent level(s). They can also be used by the fire
brigade to let cooler air into the basem ent.
Requirement
7.36 Sm oke outlets connected directly to the open air should be provided
from every basem ent storey, except for any basem ent storey w hich:
a. has a floor area of less than 200 m ;
b. is not m ore than 3 m etres below the adjacent ground level.
7.37 Sm oke outlets should:
a. be positioned at high level in the space they serve;
b. be evenly distributed around the perim eter of the building;
c. discharge into the open air outside the building.
7.38 In each basem ent com partm ent/sub-com partm ent the com bined
cross-sectional area of all sm oke outlets should be not less than 2.5 per
cent of the com partm ent/sub-com partm ent floor area.
7.39 If the outlet term inates at a point that is not readily accessible, it
should be kept unobstructed and covered w ith a m etal grille or louvre.
7.40 If the outlet term inates at a point w hich is readily accessible, it m ay
be covered by a suitably indicated panel or pavem ent light w hich can be
broken out or opened.
7.41 O utlets should not prejudice the use of escape routes.
Mechanical smoke extract
7.42 A s an alternative to natural venting, providing the basem ent is fitted
w ith a sprinkler system to BS5306: Part 2, a m echanical extract system m ay
be provided.
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7.43 The air extraction system should provide at least ten air changes per
hour and be capable of handling gas tem peratures of up to 400
o
C for not
less than one hour. It should com e into operation autom atically on the
activation of:
a. the sprinkler system ; or
b. the alarm and detection system .
Construction of outlet ducts and shafts
7.44 O utlet ducts and shafts, including any bulkheads over them , should
be enclosed in non-com bustible fire-resisting construction.
7.45 W here there are natural sm oke outlet shafts from different
basem ent com partm ents of the sam e basem ent storey, or from different
basem ent storeys, they should be separated from each other by non-
com bustible fire-resisting construction.
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Contents
Appendix A Periods of fire resistance
A1. The performance of those elements of the building which are required
to achieve a specified period of fire resistance is determined by reference to
BS 476: Parts 20 to 24: 1987 (or in respect of items assessed before 1 January
1988, BS 476: Part 8). Performance is assessed against one or more of the
following criteria:
a. resistance to collapse (load-bearing capacity), which applies to load-
bearing elements;
b. resistance to fire penetration (integrity), which applies to fire-separating
elements; and
c. resistance to the transfer of excessive heat (insulation), which applies to
fire-separating elements.
A2. The table below summarises the specific requirements for each element
in terms of the three performance requirements above.
A3. A suspended ceiling should not be relied upon to contribute to the fire
resistance of a compartment floor.
Specific periods of fire resistance for building elements
Part of building Load-bearing Integrity (minutes) Insulation Method of
capacity (minutes) (minutes) exposure
Structural frame, beam see Table 5 Exposed faces
or column
Load-bearing wall see Table 5 Each side separately
Compartment floor 60 60 60 From the underside
(see paragraph A3 above)
Compartment wall 60* 60* Each side separately
Single-storey hospitals 30 30
Sub-compartment wall 30 30 Each side separately
Wall to a fire hazard room 30 30 Each side separately
Protected shaft 60 60 60 Each side separately
Fire-fighting shafts: 120 120 120 From side remote from shaft
a. construction
separating the shaft 60 60 60 From shaft side
from the building
b. construction
separating fire-fighting
stairway from fire- 60 60 60 Each side separately
fighting lift shaft and
fire-fighting lobby
Cavity barrier not applicable 30 15 Each side separately
Fire-resisting ceiling
as described in paragraphs not applicable 30 30 From below
5.21 and 6.30(2)
* may be reduced if sprinklers are installed; see paragraph 6.8
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N otes:
BS 476 tests Part 21 for load-bearing elem ents
Part 22 for non-load-bearing elem ents
Part 24 for ductw ork
BS 476: Part 23: Fire protecting suspended ceilingsis not appropriate for hospitals.
69
Appendix A Periods of fire resistance
Contents
Appendix B Doors and doorsets
B1. Fire doors should have the appropriate perform ance as indicated in
Table B1. In the table the doors are identified by their perform ance under
BS476: Part 22, in term s of integrity for a period of m inutes, for exam ple
FD 30. A suffix (S) is added for doors w here restricted sm oke leakage at
am bient tem peratures is needed. U nless pressurisation techniques
com plying w ith BS5588: Part 4 are used, doors w ith the suffix Sshould
also have a leakage rate not exceeding 3 m
3
/m /hour (head and jam bs only)
w hen tested at 25Pa under BS476: Part 31.1. The m ethod of test exposure
is from each side of the doors separately, except in the case of lift doors,
w hich are tested from the landing side only.
Table B1 Location of fire doors
Location of door M inim um period of fire resistance
Sub-com partm ent w all FD 30S
Fire hazard room s FD 30S
In a com partm ent w all FD 30S single-storey hospitals
FD 30S storeys up to 12 m etres
above ground in hospitals fitted w ith
sprinkler
FD 60S elsew here
To a protected shaft containing
a lift, or stairw ay or escalator
i. accessed from a hospital street FD 30S
ii. elsew here FD 30S to each of the tw o sets of
doors to the lobby
To a protected shaft containing FD 60S
chutes, ducts and pipes
W ithin a cavity barrier FD 30
Door closers
B2. W ith the exception of fire doors to patient bedroom s and doors
w hich are kept locked shut, fire doors should be fitted w ith an autom atic
self-closing device.
B3. In patient bedroom s, self-closing devices m ay im pede patient
evacuation from the bedroom in a fire em ergency.
B4. W ithin hospitals it is acceptable for fire doors on circulation routes to
be held open on autom atic door releases provided that all of the follow ing
criteria can be satisfied:
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a. the door release m echanism should conform to BS5839: Part 3:
1988 and be fail-safe (that is, in the event of a fault or loss of
pow er the release m echanism should be triggered autom atically);
b. all doors fitted w ith autom atic door releases should be linked to the
alarm and detection system ;
c. all autom atic door releases w ithin a com partm ent/sub-com partm ent
should be triggered by all of the follow ing:
(i) the actuation of any autom atic fire detector w ithin the
com partm ent/sub-com partm ent;
(ii) the actuation of any m anual fire alarm call point w ithin the
com partm ent/sub-com partm ent;
(iii) any fault in the fire w arning system ;
(iv) any loss of pow er to the fire w arning system ;
d. autom atic door releases m ust be provided w ith a ready m eans of
m anual operation from a position at the door;
e. each door fitted w ith an autom atic door release should be closed at
a predeterm ined tim e each night and rem ain closed throughout
sleeping hours. If for reasons of m anagem ent this is im practicable, it
should be the specific responsibility of a com petent m em ber of staff
to operate the release m echanism at least once a w eek to ensure
that:
(i) the m echanism is w orking effectively;
(ii) the doors close effectively onto their fram es.
Transfer grilles
B5. Transfer grilles should not be provided in fire-resisting doorsets. Fire
doors should not be undercut.
Identification
B6. A ll fire doors, including each leaf of double doors, should be
provided w ith an identification disc. The disc should be a m inim um of
45 m m in diam eter, clearly indicating the fire-resisting standard of the
door, for exam ple FD 30, FD 30S, FD 60 etc.
Doors on escape routes
B7. Fire doors on escape routes should be side-hung or pivoted.
Revolving doors, turnstiles and shutters are not acceptable on escape
routes and should not be used.
B8. Sliding doors are acceptable on escape routes provided they convert
to outw ard-opening doors w hen subjected to reasonable pressure from any
direction. In the case of pow ered sliding doors they should in addition be
provided w ith a m onitoring system to ensure that they fail safe to the fully
open position in the event of a pow er failure.
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B9. D oor sw ings should not obstruct the circulation space or escape
route designed w idth. H ow ever, doors to cupboards etc w hich are norm ally
locked m ay open onto circulation routes, but it is recom m ended that such
doors should open through 180
o
to avoid obstruction.
B10. Fire doors across escape routes providing alternative m eans of escape
should be double-sw ing and those across escape routes providing single
direction of escape should open in the direction of escape.
B11. Fire exit doors to room s containing m ore than 30 persons should
open outw ards from the room .
B12. Fire doors across circulation routes should be fitted w ith glazed
observation panels to the upper part of the door.
Additional guidance
B13. A dditional guidance on the specification of doors and doorsets is
available in H TM 58 D oorsets.
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Appendix C Thermoplastic materials
C1. A therm oplastic m aterial m eans any synthetic polym eric m aterial
w hich has a softening point below 200
o
C if tested to BS2782: Part 1:
M ethod 120A : 1976. Specim ens for this test m ay be fabricated from
the original polym er w here the thickness of m aterial of the end product
is less than 2.5 m m .
C2. A therm oplastic m aterial in isolation cannot be assum ed to
protect a substrate, w hen used as a lining to a w all or ceiling. The
surface rating of both products m ust therefore m eet the required
classification. If, how ever, the therm oplastic m aterial is fully bonded to
a non-therm oplastic substrate, then only the surface rating of the
com posite w ill need to com ply.
C3. C oncessions are m ade for therm oplastic m aterials used for
w indow s, rooflights, and lighting diffusers. They are described in
paragraphs 6.56 to 6.62.
C4. For the purposes of the requirem ents of paragraphs 6.51 to
6.62, therm oplastic m aterials should either be used according to their
classification 03, under the BS476: parts 6 and 7 tests, if they have
such a rating, or they m ay be classified TP(a) rigid, TP(a) flexible, or
TP(b) according to the follow ing m ethods:
TP(a) rigid:
(i) rigid solid pvc sheet;
(ii) solid (as distinct from double- or m ultiple-skin)
polycarbonate sheet at least 3 m m thick;
(iii) m ulti-skinned rigid sheet m ade from unplasticised pvc or
polycarbonate w hich has C lass 1 rating w hen tested to
BS476: Part 7: 1971 or 1987;
(iv) any other rigid therm oplastic product, a specim en of w hich,
w hen tested to BS2782: 1970 as am ended in 1974:
m ethod 508A , perform s so that the test flam e extinguishes
before the first m ark, and the duration of flam ing or
afterglow does not exceed 5 seconds follow ing rem oval of
the burner.
TP(a) flexible:
flexible products not m ore than 1 m m thick w hich com ply w ith
the Type C requirem ents of BS5867: Part 2 w hen tested to
BS5438, Test 2 1989 w ith the flam e applied to the surface of
the specim ens for 5, 15, 20 and 30 seconds respectively, but
excluding the cleansing procedure; and
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Contents
TP(b):
(i) rigid solid polycarbonate sheet products less than 3 m m thick, or
m ultiple skin polycarbonate sheet products w hich do not qualify as
TP(a) by test; or
(ii) other products w hich, w hen a specim en of the m aterial betw een
1.5 and 3 m m thick is tested in accordance w ith BS2782: 1970, as
am ended in 1974: m ethod 508A , has a rate of burning w hich
does not exceed 50 m m /m inute. (If it is not possible to cut or
m achine a 3 m m thick specim en from the product, a 3 m m test
specim en can be m oulded from the sam e m aterial as that used for
the m anufacture of the product.)
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Appendix C Thermoplastic materials
Contents
Appendix D Fixing of fire dampers
D1. A ll fire dam pers should be installed so that they m aintain their
integrity against the passage of fire for the required period of fire
resistance. A fire dam per should be adequately fixed into or to the
construction it is protecting. A fire dam per w hich is supported only by
the ductw ork in w hich it is located, or by tim ber battens, fram es or
other m ethods w hich do not provide the fire resistance required, is not
acceptable.
D2. Fire dam pers provided in 30 m inute fire-resisting ceilings should
be adequately supported either by the ceiling or from the structural
soffit. In the ceiling situation it also essential to ensure that the integrity
of the fire-resisting ceiling is m aintained. It is not acceptable to form an
opening, install a diffuser or grille and fit a fire dam per above, if the
gap betw een the ceiling opening and the fire dam per does not achieve
30 m inutes fire resistance.
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Appendix E Construction and fixing of cavity barriers
E1. Every cavity barrier should be constructed to provide at least 30
m inutes fire resistance, except for a cavity barrier in a stud w all or partition
w hich m ay be form ed of:
a. steel at least 0.5 m m thick; or
b. tim ber at least 38 m m thick; or
c. polythene sleeved m ineral w ool, or m ineral w ool slab, in either case
under com pression w hen installed in the cavity; or
d. calcium silicate, cem ent-based or gypsum -based boards at least
12.5 m m thick.
E2. A cavity barrier m ay be form ed by any construction provided for
another purpose if it m eets the provisions for cavity barriers.
E3. C avity barriers should be tightly fitted to rigid construction and
m echanically fixed in position w herever possible. W here this is not possible
(for exam ple in the case of a junction w ith slates, tiles, corrugated sheeting
or sim ilar m aterials) the junction should be fire-stopped.
E4. C avity barriers should also be fixed so that their perform ance is
unlikely to be m ade ineffective by:
a. m ovem ent of the building due to subsidence, shrinkage or
tem perature change, and m ovem ent of the external envelope due to
w ind;
b. collapse in a fire of any services penetrating them ;
c. failure in a fire of their fixings;
d. failure in a fire of any m aterial or construction w hich they abut. For
exam ple, if a suspended ceiling is continued over the top of a fire-
resisting w all or partition, and direct connection is m ade betw een
the ceiling and the cavity barrier above the line of the w all or
partition, prem ature failure of the cavity barrier can occur w hen the
ceiling collapses. H ow ever, this does not arise if the ceiling is
designed to provide fire protection of 30 m inutes or m ore.
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Contents
Appendix F Fire drawings
F1. To adequately assess the fire precautions at design stage, a set of
fire draw ings should be prepared using sym bols based on BS1635.
F2. In order to adequately assess the com pliance w ith the requirem ents
of this guidance, the draw ings should show in sufficient detail the
detection and alarm system s, the m eans of escape, the structural fire
precautions, the portable and fixed fire-fighting equipm ent, sm oke
control/ventilation arrangem ents, and access and facilities for the fire
brigade.
F3. A typical set of fire draw ings w ould com prise of:
a. a location plan;
b. a site plan;
c. a floor plan of each storey, prepared at a scale of not less
than 1:200;
d. a floor plan of each departm ent, prepared at a scale of not less than
1:100 and preferably at a scale of 1:50;
e. a set of elevations.
F4. D uring the construction of a project, variations to the structure and
the layout frequently occur; these variations should not subvert the
integrity of the agreed fire precautions. The variations should be recorded
on the fire plans so that on com pletion an as builtset of draw ings can
be prepared.
F5. The as builtdraw ings should be held by the hospital, so that any
proposed future alterations can be checked against the fire draw ings to
ensure that the integrity of fire safety is m aintained in accordance w ith the
recom m endations in this docum ent.
This is an operational requirement and
cannot be enforced through the
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Contents
References
Acts and Regulations
Registered Homes Act 1984. H M SO 1984.
SI 2768: 1991 The Building Regulations. H M SO 1991.
SI 1180: 1992 The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations.
H M SO , 1992.
Building Regulations 1991: approved document B: fire safety.
D epartm ent of the Environm ent, H M SO 1992.
Firecode publications
Policy and principles. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
Nucleus fire precautions recommendations. D epartm ent of H ealth,
H M SO 1989.
Directory of fire documents. D epartm ent of H ealth, H M SO 1987.
Health Technical Memoranda
82. Firecode: alarm and detection systems. N H S Estates, H M SO 1989.
(new edition in preparation)
83. Fire safety in healthcare premises: general fire precautions.
N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
85. Fire precautions in existing hospitals. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
86. Fire risk assessment in hospitals. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
87. Firecode: textiles and furniture. N H S Estates, H M SO 1993.
88. Fire safety in health care premises. D H SS, H M SO 1986. (new
edition in preparation)
Fire Practice Notes (FPNs)
1. Laundries. D epartm ent of H ealth, H M SO 1987.
3. Escape bed lifts. D epartm ent of H ealth, H M SO 1987.
4. Hospital main kitchens. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
5. Commercial enterprises on hospital premises. N H S Estates,
H M SO 1992.
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Contents
6. Arson prevention and control in NHS healthcare premises.
N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
7. Fire precautions in patient hotels. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
8. Atria on hospital premises. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
9. NHS healthcare fire statistics 1994/95. N H S Estates, H M SO 1996.
10. Fire precautions in hospital laboratories. N H S Estates, H M SO
1996.
Firecode in Scotland: policy and principles. Scottish O ffice H om e and
H ealth D epartm ent, H M SO 1994.
Fire safety: new health buildings in Scotland. Scottish H om e and
The guide to means of escape and related safety measures in
existing houses in multiple occupation in Scotland. Scottish H om e and
Health Building Notes (HBNs)
40. Common activity spaces:
Vol 1 Public areas. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
Vol 2 Treatment areas. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
Vol 3 Staff areas. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
Vol 4 Circulation areas. N H S Estates, H M SO 1995.
45. External works for health buildings. N H S Estates, H M SO 1992.
Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs)
58. Building components: Internal doorsets. N H S Estates, H M SO
1989. (out of print)
2007 Electrical services: supply and distribution. N H S Estates, H M SO
1993. (issued in 4 parts)
2011 Emergency electrical services. N H S Estates, H M SO 1993. (issued in
4 parts)
2022 Medical gas pipeline systems. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994. (issued in
5 parts)
2025 Ventilation in healthcare premises. N H S Estates, H M SO 1994.
(issued in 4 parts)
79
References
Contents
British Standards
BS476 Fire tests on building materials and structures
Part 3: 1958External fire exposure roof tests. (Superseded in 1975 but
rem ains current for the D epartm ent of the Environm ent)
Part 4: 1970 (1984) N on-com bustibility test for m aterials.
Part 7: 1987 (1993) M ethod for classification of the surface spread of
flam e of products.
Part 11: 1982 (1988) M ethod for assessing the heat em ission from
building m aterials.
Part 20: 1987M ethod for determ ination of the fire resistance of
elem ents of construction (general principles).
Part 21: 1987M ethods for determ ination of the fire resistance of
elem ents of construction.
Part 22: 1987M ethods for determ ination of the fire resistance of non-
loadbearing elem ents of construction.
Part 23:1987M ethods for determ ination of the contribution of
com ponents to the fire resistance of a structure.
Part 24: 1987M ethod for determ ination of the fire resistance of
ventilation ducts.
Part 31M ethods for m easuring sm oke penetration through doorsets
and assem blies.
Section 31.1: 1983M ethod of m easurem ent under am bient
tem perature conditions.
BS 2782 Methods of testing plastics
Part 1Therm al properties
Methods 120A, 120B, 120D, and 120E: 1990D eterm ination of
Vicat softening tem perature of therm oplastics.
BS 2782: 1970 Methods of testing plastics(Superseded in 1990 but
rem ains current for the D epartm ent of the Environm ent)
BS 5266 Emergency lighting
Part 1: 1988C ode of practice for the em ergency lighting of prem ises
other than cinem as and certain other specified prem ises used for
entertainm ent.
BS 5306 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises
Part 1: 1976 (1988) H ydrant system s, hose reels and foam inlets.
Part 2: 1990Specification for sprinkler system s.
Part 3: 1985C ode of practice for selection, installation and
m aintenance of portable fire extinguishers.
BS 5423: 1987 (1995) Specification for portable fire extinguishers
BS 5438: 1989 Methods of test for flammability of textile fabrics
when subjected to a small igniting flame applied to the face or
bottom edge of vertically oriented specimens
BS 5588 Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of
buildings
Part 4: 1978C ode of practice for sm oke control in protected escape
routes using pressurization.
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References
Contents
Part 9: 1989C ode of practice for ventilation and air conditioning
ductw ork.
BS 5839 Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings
Part 1: 1988C ode of practice for system design, installation and
servicing.
Part 3: 1988Specification for autom atic release m echanism s for certain
fire protection equipm ent.
BS 5867 Specification for fabrics for curtains and drapes
Part 2: 1980 (1993) Flam m ability requirem ents.
Miscellaneous references
Fire prevention on construction sites: the joint code of practice on
the protection from fire of construction sites. Building Em ployers
C onfederation, Loss Prevention C ouncil and the N ational C ontractors
G roup, 1995.
Standard fire precautions for contractors engaged on Crown works.
Standing C om m ittee on Fire Precautions, D epartm ent of the Environm ent,
H M SO , 1995.
LPC Rules for automatic sprinkler installations. Loss Prevention
C ouncil, 1994 (includes Technical Bulletins).
CIBSE Lighting guide: Hospitals and health care buildings (LG2).
C hartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (C IBSE) 1.
81
References
Contents
82
(G iven below are details of all H ealth Technical
M em oranda available from H M SO . H TM s m arked (*) are
currently being revised, those m arked ( ) are out of print.
Som e H TM s in preparation at the tim e of publication of
this H TM are also listed.)
1 A nti static precautions: rubber, plastics and fabrics
2 A nti static precautions: flooring in anaesthetising
areas (and data processing room s), 1977.
3
4
2005 Building m anagem ent system s, 1996.
6 Protection of condensate system s: film ing am ines
2007 Electrical services: supply and distribution, 1993.
8
2009 Pneum atic air tube transport system s, 1995.
2010 Sterilizers, 1994, 1995.
2011 Em ergency electrical services, 1993.
12 to 13
2014 A batem ent of electrical interference, 1993.
2015 Bedhead services, 1994, 1995.
16
17 H ealth building engineering installations:
com m issioning and associated activities, 1978.
18 Facsim ile telegraphy: possible applications in D G H s
19 Facsim ile telegraphy: the transm ission of pathology
reports w ithin a hospital a case study
2020 Electrical safety code for low voltage system s, 1993.
2021 Electrical safety code for high voltage system s, 1993,
1994.
2022 M edical gas pipeline system s, 1994.
2023 A ccess and accom m odation for engineering
services, 1995.
2024 Lifts, 1995.
2025 Ventilation in healthcare prem ises, 1994.
26 C om m issioning of oil, gas and dual fired boilers:
w ith notes on design, operation and m aintenance
2027 H ot and cold w ater supply, storage and m ains
services, 1995.
28 to 29
2030 W asher-disinfectors, 1995.
2031 Steam supply for sterilization*
32 to 34
2035 M ains signalling, 1996.
36 to 39
2040 The control of legionellae in healthcare prem ises
a code of practice, 1993.
2045 A coustics, 1996.
46 to 49
2050 Risk assessm ent in the N H S estate, 1994.
51 to 54
2055 Telecom m unications (telephone exchanges), 1994.
Component Data Base (HTMs 54 to 80)
54.1 U ser m anual, 1993.
55 W indow s, 1989.
56 Partitions, 1989.
57 Internal glazing, 1995.
58 Internal doorsets, 1989.
59 Ironm ongery
60 C eilings, 1989.
61 Flooring, 1995.
62 D em ountable storage system s, 1989.
63 Fitted storage system s, 1989.
64 Sanitary assem blies, 1995.
65 H ealth signs*
66 C ubicle curtain track, 1989.
67 Laboratory fitting-out system , 1993.
68 D ucts and panel assem blies, 1993.
69 Protection, 1993.
70 Fixings, 1993.
71 M aterials m anagem ent m odular system *
72 to 80
Firecode
82 A larm and detection system s, 1989.
83 Fire safety in healthcare prem ises: general fire
precautions, 1994.
85 Fire precautions in existing hospitals, 1994.
86 Fire risk assessm ent in hospitals, 1994.
87 Textiles and furniture, 1993.
88 Fire safety in health care prem ises: guide to fire
precautions in N H S housing in the com m unity for
m entally handicapped/ill people, 1986.
H ealth Technical M em oranda published by H M SO can be
purchased from H M SO bookshops in London (post orders
to PO Box 276, SW 8 5D T), Edinburgh, Belfast,
M anchester, Birm ingham and Bristol, or through good
booksellers. H M SO provide a copy service for publications
w hich are out of print; and a standing order service.
Enquiries about H ealth Technical M em oranda (but not
orders) should be addressed to: N H S Estates, D epartm ent
of H ealth, Publications U nit, 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar
Lane, Leeds LS1 6A E.
Other publications in this series
Contents
83
About NHSEstates
N H S Estates is an Executive A gency of the D epartm ent of
H ealth and is involved w ith all aspects of health estate
m anagem ent, developm ent and m aintenance. The A gency
has a dynam ic fund of know ledge w hich it has acquired
during 30 years of w orking in the field. U sing this
know ledge N H S Estates has developed products w hich are
unique in range and depth. These are described below .
N H S Estates also m akes its experience available to the field
through its consultancy services.
Enquiries about N H S Estates should be addressed to:
N H S Estates, Publications U nit, D epartm ent of H ealth,
1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6A E.
Telephone 0113 254 7000.
http://w w w .dem on.co.uk/nhsestates/hpage.htm l/
Some NHS Estates products
Activity DataBasea com puterised briefing and design
system for use in health buildings, applicable to both new
build and refurbishm ent schem es. NHS Estates
Design Guidescom plem entary to H ealth Building
N otes, D esign G uides provide advice for planners and
designers about subjects not appropriate to the H ealth
Building N otes series. HMSO
Estatecode user m anual for m anaging a health estate.
Includes a recom m ended m ethodology for property
appraisal and provides a basis for integration of the estate
into corporate business planning. HMSO
Concodeoutlines proven m ethods of selecting contracts
and com m issioning consultants. Reflects official policy on
contract procedures. HMSO
Works Information Management System
a com puterised inform ation system for estate
m anagem ent tasks, enabling tangible assets to be put into
the context of servicing requirem ents. NHS Estates
Health Building Notesadvice for project team s
procuring new buildings and adapting or extending
existing buildings. HMSO
Health Guidance Notesan occasional series of
publications w hich respond to changes in D epartm ent of
H ealth policy or reflect changing N H S operational
m anagem ent. Each deals w ith a specific topic and is
com plem entary to a related H TM . HMSO
Health Technical Memorandaguidance on the design,
installation and running of specialised building service
system s, and on specialised building com ponents. HMSO
Health Facilities Notesdebate current and topical
issues of concern across all areas of healthcare provision.
HMSO
Encode show s how to plan and im plem ent a policy of
energy efficiency in a building. HMSO
Firecode for policy, technical guidance and specialist
aspects of fire precautions. HMSO
Capital Investment Manual Databasesoftw are
support for m anaging the capital program m e. C om patible
w ith C apital Investm ent M anual. NHS Estates
Model Engineering Specificationscom prehensive
advice used in briefing consultants, contractors and
suppliers of healthcare engineering services to m eet
D epartm ental policy and best practice guidance.
NHS Estates
Quarterly Briefinggives a regular overview on the
construction industry and an outlook on how this m ay
affect building projects in the health sector, in particular
the im pact on business prices. A lso provides inform ation
on new and revised cost allow ances for health buildings.
Published four tim es a year; available on subscription
direct from N H S Estates. NHS Estates
Item s noted H M SO can be purchased from H M SO
Bookshops in London (post orders to PO Box 276, SW 8
5D T), Edinburgh, Belfast, M anchester, Birm ingham , C ardiff
and Bristol or through good booksellers.
NHS Estates consultancy service
D esigned to m eet a range of needs from advice on the
oversight of estates m anagem ent functions to a m uch
fuller collaboration for particularly innovative or exem plary
projects.
Enquiries should be addressed to: N H S Estates C onsultancy
Service (address as above).
Contents
Contents

HTM 81 FireCode

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Health Technical Memorandum 81: Including Amendment 1

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