BWF COLUMN: Recent government amendments to the fire safety guidance in Approved Document B

BWF Technical Director, Kevin Underwood, discusses the recent government amendments to the fire safety guidance in Approved Document B, which is set to take effect between March 2025 and September 2029

BWF Technical Director, Kevin Underwood

The changes include transitioning from the national classification system (BS 476) to the European Standard (BS EN), expanding sprinkler requirements in all new care homes, in addition to introducing new fire resistance classifications for building products.

On 2 September 2024, the government issued three amendment documents that make changes to the fire safety guidance in Approved Document B.

First document

• Takes effect from March 2025;

• Makes changes to the classification of reaction to fire and the classification of roofs introduces new guidance around the provision of sprinklers in care homes; 

• Makes changes to the information required to comply with Regulation 38 – fire safety information – as described in Section 17 of Approved Document B. 

Second document

• Takes effect from September 2026;

• An update to the document published in March this year that introduced a requirement for a second escape stair in residential buildings over 18m in height.

Third document

• Takes effect from September 2029;

• Makes changes to the classification of fire resistance and affects the classification of fire doors.

The publication of these amendments followed a written ministerial statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Following a consultation, the government decided to extend the provision of sprinklers in Approved Document B to all new care homes irrespective of height.

Changes to the guidance also removed previous allowances associated with the provision of sprinklers in care homes. Going forward, new care homes will be expected to limit compartment sizes to 10 beds while ensuring self-closing devices are fitted to doors.

Implementing these changes in two stages

Currently, Approved Document B operates a dual system for reaction to fire and roofs in addition to fire resistance testing and classification for construction products.

The guidance references both the National Classes (BS 476) and European Classes – BS EN 13501 series, e.g, BS EN 13501-1 for classifications using data from reaction to fire tests and 13501-5 for classifications using data from external fire exposure to roofs tests. The government considered that the National Classes were seldom used by industries that require classifications for reaction to fire or for roofs, but recognised that certain sectors, such as fire door manufacturers, still rely on national (BS 476) fire resistance tests for their products. 

In recognition of the specific needs for these parts of industry,  changes to the guidance will be implemented in two stages: firstly, removing references to BS 476 associated with reaction to fire and roofs in the March 2025 amendments; secondly, removing references to BS 476 associated with fire resistance in the September 2029 amendments.

The March 2025 update to guidance removes the national classification system (BS476) for reaction to fire and roofs from Approved Document B. The European Standard (BS EN), which is more current than the National standard (BS 476), will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for reaction to fire and roofs classifications.

Timber fire doors

Fire doors aren’t classified for their reaction to fire performance and so the changes in the first amendment document don’t affect fire door producers other than to ensure they provide the fire safety information required by section 17 of Approved Document B. The second amendment relates to stairs and there’s no changes that affect fire doors other than in protecting the additional escape routes and stairway. The changes in the third amendment document, however, will have a significant impact on the fire door sector where the majority of products are certified to the National System – e.g. FD30 and FD30S.

Moving to the European System will require manufacturers to develop a portfolio of European testing, which must meet the requirements for sampling and follow the rules-based system for any extension to scope. As timber fire doors have an extensive set of extended application rules in BS EN 15269-3 – i.e. there’s a specific standard for extended application – the guidance given in clauses B1 to B5 of Approved Document B prevents the use of expert judgement Due to the ‘systems’ approach to fire door manufacture; the burden of testing will rest on a relatively few door leaf and blank manufacturers. 

An enormous amount of work needs to be completed between now and September 2029; this must be carried out against a background of uncertainty regarding the regulation of construction products and the capacity and functional issues identified within the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report and Independent Review of the Construction Product Testing Regime.

For further information on the BWF, visit the website: www.bwf.org.uk.