User Manual

15
Siemens Switzerland Ltd
Building Technologies Division
1.6. Regulations
Building owners are often caught between the demands of the fire authorities and those of the conservationists.
The primary concern of the fire authorities is the safe evacuation of the building occupants and the provision of
adequate fire-fighting equipment. On the other hand, the conservationists are primarily concerned with
maintaining the authenticity of the building itself and are reluctant to see the introduction of preventive measures
that have any degree of negative impact on the structure and aesthetics of the building.
In general national and international fire regulations are primarily concerned with life safety and less concerned
with protecting assets. Fulfilling these life-safety regulations and the associated building codes is, of course,
mandatory. However, the number of national regulations and guidelines related to asset protection is steadily
rising, as the importance of cultural heritage on the local economy becomes better understood.
National and international Codes of Practice (CoP) cover all publicly accessible buildings, but do not make any
specific recommendations to address the specific risks and demands of historical buildings. In the majority of
cases they do not apply to existing buildings, except where the purpose of the building has been changed due to
more recent modifications. Typical regulations of this type include the following:
· EU
o EN54-1 Fire detection and fire alarm systems. Introduction
o EN54-14 Fire detection and fire alarm systems. Planning, design, installation,
commissioning, use and maintenance
· DE
o DIN VDE 0833-1 Alarm systems for fire, intrusion and hold-up. Part 1: General requirements
o DIN VDE 0833-2 Alarm systems for fire, intrusion and hold-up. Part 2: Requirements for fire
alarm systems
· UK
o BS 5839-1: 2013 Code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of
systems in non-domestic premises
o BS 9999:2008 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of
buildings
o Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwelling houses)
· USA
o NFPA 72 Fire safety CoP for regular buildings
o NFPA 1 Uniform fire Code
o NFPA 101 Life Safety Code
However some countries have introduced guidelines specifically aimed at the protection of historical buildings,
although mostly on a voluntary basis:
· Scotland (Technical Advice Notes –TANs)
o TAN 11: Fire Protection Measures in Scottish Traditional Buildings (1997)
o TAN 14: The Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Historic Buildings (1998)
o TAN 22: Fire Risk Management in Heritage Buildings (2001)
o TAN 28: Fire Safety Management in Heritage Buildings (2005)
These four documents were subsequently replaced in 2010 by the documents:
o Fire Safety Management in Traditional Buildings Parts 1 and 2 (Guide for Practitioners 7)
· USA
o NFPA 914: Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures
o NFPA 909: Code for the Protection of Cultural Resources
Over and above any codes and regulations, it is the moral responsibility of the building owner and its
management to protect visitors and staff from fire hazards. Visitors are usually not familiar with the building
layout or the location of fire exits and fire escapes. Visitors may also vary greatly in physical condition, age and
mental awareness. Each of these factors can be dramatically intensified during the stress situation created by an
emergency event such as a fire alarm or building evacuation.