The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

PART E Fire safety

Application and interpretation

32.—(1) Regulations 33 and 35(3) shall not apply to a prison within the meaning of the Prisons Act (Northern Ireland) 1953(1) or any other place of lawful detention.

(2) In this Part—

“Dwelling” means a self-contained unit of residential accommodation occupied (whether or not as a sole or main residence)—

(a)

by a single person or by people living together as a family; or

(b)

by not more than 6 people living together as a single household, including a household where care is provided for residents;

“Dwellinghouse” means a dwelling on one or more storeys which is detached or forms part of a building from all other parts of which it is divided only vertically and does not include a flat;

“Flat” has the meaning assigned to it by regulation 2 in Part A;

“Internal linings” means the materials lining any partition, wall, ceiling or other internal structure;

“Means of escape” means structural means whereby, in the event of a fire, a safe route or routes is or are provided for people to travel from any point in a building to a place of safety; and

“Place of safety” means a place, outside the building, in which people are in no danger from fire within the building.

Means of escape

33.  A building shall be so designed and constructed that in the event of a fire there is—

(a) where appropriate, adequate means of automatic detection;

(b) adequate means of giving warning; and

(c) adequate means of escape, which can be safely and effectively used at all material times.

Internal fire spread – Linings

34.  To inhibit the spread of fire within a building the internal linings shall—

(a) offer adequate resistance to the spread of flame over their surfaces; and

(b) where they are located in a circulation space, have a low rate of heat release or a low rate of fire growth when ignited.

Internal fire spread – Structure

35.—(1) A building shall be so designed and constructed that, in the event of a fire, its stability will be retained for a reasonable period.

(2) A wall common to two or more buildings shall be so designed and constructed that it provides adequate resistance to the spread of fire between those buildings and for the purposes of this paragraph a dwellinghouse in a terrace and a semi-detached dwellinghouse shall be considered as a separate building.

(3) To inhibit the spread of fire within it, a building shall be adequately sub-divided with fire-resisting construction.

(4) A building shall be so designed and constructed that the spread of fire (and in particular smoke) within concealed spaces in its structure and fabric is adequately inhibited.

External fire spread

36.  The external walls and roof of a building shall be so designed and constructed that they afford adequate resistance to the spread of fire over them, and from one building to another, having regard to—

(a) in the case of an external wall - the use, position and height of the building; and

(b) in the case of a roof - the use and position of the building.

Facilities and access for the Fire and Rescue Service

37.—(1) A building shall be designed and constructed with such reasonable facilities as are necessary to assist the Fire and Rescue Service in ensuring the safety of people in and about the building in the event of a fire.

(2) Reasonable provisions shall be made within the boundary of the premises for access to the building by fire and rescue appliances for the purpose of paragraph (1).

(1)

1953 c. 18 (N.I.)