BS 9991:2024 provides recommendations for fire safety in the design, management, and use of residential buildings. It’s a crucial document for ensuring the safety of occupants and providing a fire-safe environment. It complements, but does not replace, Approved Document B (which provides guidance on meeting the Building Regulations). BS 9991 is broader in scope, offering best-practice recommendations that go beyond the minimum legal requirements.
BS 9991:2024 – Summary of Changes
- Scope Expansion: BS 9991 now explicitly includes residential care homes, recognising their unique fire safety needs.
- Stricter Smoke Control: Mandatory active smoke ventilation systems are now required in common areas (corridors, lobbies), with coordinated detection and ventilation. The informative annex on smoke control is now normative (mandatory).
- Height-Based Requirements: Buildings with a single stairway are now restricted to 18m in height (previously higher). Buildings over 18m must have sprinklers and more than one stairway is now recommended, and evacuation alert system.
- Inclusive Evacuation: The standard emphasises Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for vulnerable occupants.
- European Fire Door Standards: New fire doors must meet EN 13501-2 standards, including Sa4 smoke leakage requirements (four-sided sealing).
- Timber with Conditions: Load bearing timber elements in external walls are now permitted, but need fire classification of A2-s1, d0.
- Competency: Emphasises the need for accredited professionals.
Changes in BS 9991:2024 and Their Impact
The 2024 revision introduces several critical updates impacting various aspects of residential fire safety. Here’s a breakdown, including how these changes relate to smoke ventilation and Surespan’s products:
1. Enhanced Smoke Control and Performance-Driven Specifications
BS 9991:2024 moves away from vague descriptions towards clear, performance-driven specifications and reinforces the need for proactive smoke control. Components like smoke vents must meet rigorous reaction-to-fire criteria (A2-s1, d0 classification), and active smoke ventilation systems are now mandatory in essential areas like corridors and lobbies. This ensures effective smoke management during an emergency. Crucially, coordination between smoke detection systems and ventilation units is now mandated.
Surespan’s smoke vents are designed to meet these standards, offering measurable improvements in safety. All Surespan smoke vents are CE-marked and BS EN12101-2 compliant, providing independent verification of their performance. Surespan’s automated vent solutions respond instantly to fire detection, activating in perfect synchronisation to clear smoke while preserving compartmentalisation. This dual approach prevents smoke logging and minimises the risk of fire spread.
These units are designed for easy installation, featuring thermally broken lids and insulated upstands for optimal energy efficiency. They are available in various sizes and can be customised to meet specific project requirements.
Specific Smoke Control Enhancements:
BS 9991:2024 introduces specific smoke control requirements based on building height, reflecting the increasing complexity of fire safety in taller structures:
- Up to 18m (and for Lift Lobbies): While natural ventilation may be suitable for some lower-rise buildings, all evacuation lift lobbies require specific protection against smoke ingress. Venting systems must be designed to prevent smoke from entering the lobby without directly extracting air from it. Surespan offers bespoke venting solutions for lift lobbies to meet this requirement.
- 18m to 30m: Natural AOVs are not permitted above 18m.
- 30m to 60m: Mechanical smoke ventilation or pressurisation systems are required above 30m, replacing natural smoke shafts.
- Over 60m: For high-rise buildings exceeding 60m, mechanical systems must adhere to the pressure differential principles outlined in BS EN 12101-13.
2. Inclusive Safety Design and PEEPs
A major advancement is the introduction of a more inclusive approach to fire safety, incorporating Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs). This acknowledges that occupants have diverse needs during an emergency, especially vulnerable groups requiring additional support. Surespan’s systems are engineered to support extended evacuation times, with features ensuring fail-safe operation and adaptability for assisted evacuation protocols. This results in a design that enhances occupant safety and meets regulatory demands.
3. Including Residential Care Homes
Section 10 of BS 9991:2024 significantly expands the standard’s scope to include residential care homes explicitly. This recognises the unique fire safety challenges in these environments, where occupants may have limited mobility or cognitive impairment.
4. Revised Sprinkler, Lift, and Evacuation Alert Guidance
The new standard includes several key updates related to fire suppression and evacuation:
Sprinkler Systems:
- A revised height limit for buildings that include a single stairwell, which is now limited to 18m.
- For buildings exceeding 18m, a second stairwell is required unless a fire-engineered solution is approved.
- Any building that is above 11m will now require sprinkler installation.
- Sprinkler systems in buildings over 18m must conform to BS 9251 (Category 4).
- BS EN 12845 must be used in ancillary spaces over 100m².
Evacuation Alert Systems:
- Evacuation alert systems, which must adhere to BS 8629, are now required in buildings taller than 18 metres.
Evacuation Lifts:
- Each escape stairway should have an associated evacuation lift.
- Evacuation lifts should be accessed via a dedicated evacuation lift lobby or be located in the evacuation stairs.
- Dedicated evacuation lift lobbies must be provided with smoke protection equivalent to that of the staircases.
- Lifts must comply with BS EN 81-20, while upcoming guidance in BS EN 81-76 is expected to address advanced evacuation options, such as self-evacuation.
- Buildings over 50 metres must design all lifts as firefighting lifts capable of also serving as evacuation lifts.
5. Changes to Timber Usage and Fire Door Classification
BS 9991:2024 now permits the use of load-bearing timber elements in external walls, provided they meet a reaction-to-fire classification of A2-s1, d0 or better. The new standard now implements European classifications for fire doors. Specifically, EN 13501-2 smoke leakage requirements (Sa4) introduce a four-sided sealing mandate for fire doors, ensuring enhanced containment of smoke during fire events.
6. Open Plan Design Limitations
The standard introduces specific limitations on open-plan designs to mitigate fire risks associated with kitchen hobs. Open-plan apartments are limited to 16 m x 12 m. Notably, sufficient distances should be maintained between cooking appliances and escape routes from habitable rooms.
Practical Examples: Surespan Solutions in Action
Scenario |
Surespan Solution |
Benefits |
|---|---|---|
High-rise apartment building requiring smoke control in common areas |
Bespoke Smoke Vent with concealed actuators and daily ventilation |
Maintains safe, tenable conditions during fire events; supports extended evacuation processes; integrates seamlessly with modern building designs. |
Care home needing silent operation for a dementia-friendly environment |
Smoke Vent with Access featuring low-noise actuators |
Ensures effective smoke control while minimising disruptive noise, creating a calm and secure environment for vulnerable residents. |
Multi-storey development requiring digital compliance records |
Surespan’s BIM-compatible product data |
Streamlines compliance and handover processes; simplifies maintenance management; supports the integration of digital building systems (supporting the “Golden Thread” of information). |
Expanded Applications and a Risk-Based Approach
By adopting a risk-based approach, BS 9991:2024 encourages implementing systems that go beyond basic compliance. All Surespan smoke vent products are NBS and ISO-accredited, ensuring adherence to rigorous quality standards. Many models offer polycarbonate or glazed options, effectively functioning as rooflights, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including industrial settings, corridors, and communal spaces. Surespan’s innovative solutions exemplify this philosophy, offering practical benefits that enhance overall fire safety and streamline operational management.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Fire Safety
As fire safety evolves, BS 9991:2024 sets the course for future innovations. Surespan is dedicated to staying ahead of these changes by continually refining its smoke ventilation solutions. The commitment to integrating the latest technologies and meeting evolving regulatory demands means Surespan’s products not only comply with current standards but are also prepared for future challenges.
BS 9991:2024 also introduces competency frameworks for designers, contractors, and fire risk assessors, emphasising the need for accredited professionals to oversee and implement fire safety measures effectively. The standard aligns with the increasing industry focus on competency as a key factor in ensuring fire safety compliance.
It outlines the necessity for designers and contractors to demonstrate sufficient skills, knowledge, and experience in fire safety, with a particular focus on third-party product certification and digital record-keeping. Additionally, fire risk assessors must be suitably qualified to evaluate risks in complex residential settings. The standard reinforces the expectation that all responsible individuals should follow structured competency frameworks, such as those outlined in BS 8670-1:2024, to ensure best practices in fire safety management.
With an emphasis on digital integration, BIM compatibility, enhanced user interfaces, and robust performance under extreme conditions, Surespan’s offerings are designed for tomorrow’s residential developments. Explore our full range of Smoke Ventilation Solutions and discover how our innovative approach is paving the way for safer, more resilient living environments.
For more information or to discuss your project’s specific requirements, please contact our team of experts.
