Installation Standards
For a Fire Sprinkler systems to operate properly and successfully deal with a fire, it must be correctly designed, installed and then maintained.
It is therefore essential that the system is designed using a specification that has been tried and tested and proved to provide the level of protection desired and using components that have themselves also be tested and approved for use in those systems.
In the UK the design, installation and maintenance of fire sprinkler systems is currently covered either by
BS 9251:2005 (supersedes DD251:2000) for domestic and residential property and
BS 5306 ptII or BS EN 12845 for industrial and commercial installations.
In addition to these Standards the Loss Prevention Council have issued a series of LPC Rules, which provide further guidance.
European Standard BS EN12845 is in the process of replacing BS5306ptII.
In many parts of the world NFPA Standards are accepted.
NFPA 13 covers industrial and commercial installations,
NFPA 13D covers domestic installations and
NFPA 13R covers residential installations
The design, installation and maintenance of all fire sprinkler systems should only be carried out by properly trained, qualified and experienced contractors.
The FSA provides the only training accredited by FIRAS - click here for details.
The FSA supports 3rd-party Certification of Installers where greater assurance is required. This can be achieved either through FIRAS (Warrington Certification) for Residential Installers or through LPC (BRE Certification) for Industrial/Commercial Contractors.
Together with the use of appropriate Standards for design and training for installers, it is essential that only components that have been independently tested and approved should be used in fire sprinkler systems.