Fire Protection
What SANS 10400: Part T – Fire Protection Says
What the Act Says
Essentially the legislation is concerned quite simply with the need for all buildings to be designed, constructed and equipped so that in the event of fire:
- the occupants or people using the building will be protected – including persons with disabilities;
- the spread and intensity of any fire within buildings, and the spread of fire to any other buildings, will be minimized;
- sufficient stability will be retained to ensure that such building will not endanger any other building: provided that in the case of any multi-storey building, no major failure of the structural system shall occur;
- the generation and spread of smoke will be minimized or controlled to the greatest extent reasonably practicable; and
- adequate means of access, and equipment for detecting, fighting, controlling and extinguishing such fire, is provided.
The requirements of the Act will be deemed to have been satisfied if the design, construction and equipment of buildings complies with SANS 10400 Part T and satisfies the local authority.
The Act also specifies several offences that owners of buildings need to avoid, including the need for fire extinguishers that comply with SANS 10105. Also, if people do anything to obstruct escape routes in buildings, they will be guilty of an offense.
What the Standard Says
The regulations for Fire Protection are contained in a 91 page document published by the SABS, SANS 10400: Part T Fire Protection. Much of the information is the same as that published in the 1990 version of the Standard that you can download from this site.
SANS 10400 Part T is broken down into several parts:
Requirements
The bulk of the Standard is made up of a vast number of different “requirements” that relate not only to dwelling houses, but to every other possible type of building, from hospitals to parking garages.
The requirements for effective fire protection include:
- general requirements,
- regulations relating to safety distances,
- fire performance,
- fire resistance of occupancy-separating and division-separating elements,
- fire stability of structural elements or components,
- tenancy-separating elements,
- partition walls and partitions,
- protection of openings (Note that the drawings in SANS 10400 – 1990 that illustrate this have not changed),
- raised access and suspended floors of combustible material,
- roof assemblies and coverings (the drawings remain unchanged in the new version of the Standard) including thatch,
- ceilings,
- floor coverings,
- internal finishes,
- provision of escape routes,
- exit doors,
- feeder routes,
- emergency routes,
- dimensions of components of escape routes,
- width of escape routes,
- basements,
- stairways and other changes of level along escape routes (the drawing that shows the position of doors in relation to a change in level has not changed),
- ventilation of stairways in an emergency route,
- pressurization of emergency routes and components,
- openings in floors,
- external stairways and passages,
- lobbies, foyers and vestibules,
- marking and signposting,
- provision of emergency lighting,
- fire detection and alarm systems,
- provision and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment, installations and fire protection systems,
- water reticulation for fire-fighting purposes,
- hose reels,
- hydrants,
- automatic sprinkler and other fixed extinguishing systems,
- portable fire extinguishers,
- mobile fire extinguishers,
- fire-stopping of inaccessible concealed spaces,
- protection in service shafts,
- services in structural or separating elements,
- smoke control,
- air-conditioning systems and artificial ventilation systems,
- lift shafts,
- lifts,
- firemen’s lift,
- stretcher lift,
- stage and backstage areas,
- eating arrangements in auditoriums or halls and on grandstands,
- parking garages,
- operating theatres and intensive, high or critical care units,
- installation of liquid fuel dispensing pumps and tanks,
- installation of other tanks,
- warehousing of dangerous goods,
- dangerous goods signage,
- access for fire-fighting and rescue purposes,
- resumed fire resistance of building materials and components,
- building materials,
- guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation (this is completely new),
- health care facilities (this is also completely new).
Safety Distances
Although there are other provisions, including the classification of the type of external wall, the table below may be used to establish safety distances where walls do not contain windows or other openings. For ordinary “dwelling houses” where the area of elevation facing any boundary is not more than 7,5 m2, such safety distance may be reduced to 0,5 m.
Fire Resistance
There are several tables (five in all) that indicate requirements for compliance with “Presumed fire resistance of building materials and components”.
This table shows what is required for “structural walls”.
This table shows what is required for “non-structural walls and partitions”.
Rational Designs
The design requirements include the need for a competent person to ensure that the level of fire safety is adequate. This is particularly important in large and public buildings.
This drawing shows the basic fire safety engineering process.
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Refuse Disposal
Good afternoon,
I would like to know how many fire extinguishers is needed per square meter for home and office space.
This has nothing to do with the National Building Regulations
Good day
when shall firefighters and fire marshal shall attend a refresher training?
Regards
Nkosinathi Thango
Hi good People
I am a builder and completed a new garage. The owner moved the exit door (normal meranti 800mm)
next to the house and there is a bathroom window 500mm from the door. The building inspector does not
want to issue the occupation, saying the door must be 1000mm from the outside window.
If I install a fire door there would this then be legal according to sans 1253 ? or should we demolish the door and move the door to the opposite wall.
There is a fire door going into the house inside the garage.
Thank you very much.
Hi Industrial building of 2150m2 under roof – mainly warehousing with offices of approx 300m2 of the 2150m2 — what is the extent of the fire detection required – Jan 2021 Cape Town?/ Lulu Stroebel Realnet property consultant broker of spaces
Good Day
Please advise if all business properties are required to have a fire hydrant?
Long story short, I am an trustee in a sectional tittle scheme. someone removed a fire hose reel to move it without obtaining the necessary documentation
i know it is illegal to tamper with or remove fire safety equipment, but for the life of me I cannot find the Act it is stipulated in.
Please guide me to where I access the laws and regulations on hydrants, reels extinguishers etc.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated
You are correct Melanie. The door needs to be controlled by a device to ensure easy exit and closed when not in use . The fire door must remain shut during a fire because they have a fire rating example 2hourly rating, Some child/children play hide and seek or are curious and could wonder in the store room within seconds( that’s how much of time it take for an incident to occur)
Hi Jacques
The smoke detectors does not have to be indicated, however the smoke detection system should be serviced every year. The smoke detection system must have been installed in accordance with SANS 10139, which would require the plans to be submitted to the local authority and inspection to see if they are installed as on the plans. Thus, when the people service the fire alarm and detection system, they can just have a look on the plans to see where the detectors are situated to test if they are still in working order
Hi Jacques, The SANS10400 does not go into detail about visibility etc. Here is an extract from this section:
4.31 Fire detection and alarm systems
4.31.1 Any building containing an occupancy classified as
a) F1, with a floor area of more than 500 m2; or b) H1, H2, E2 or E3, irrespective of height or floor area,
shall be equipped with a fire detection system and alarm system that is designed, installed and maintained by competent persons in accordance with SANS 10139.
NOTE 1 The term ‘fire detection system’ is used here to describe any type of automatic sensor network and associated control and indicating equipment. Sensors may be sensitive to smoke, heat, gaseous combustion products or radiation. Normally the control and indicating equipment operates a fire alarm system and it may perform other signalling or control functions as well. Automatic sprinkler systems can also be used to operate a fire alarm system.
NOTE 2 The factors which have to be considered when assessing what standard of fire alarm, automatic fire detection or voice alarm or communication system is to be provided will vary from one set of premises to another. Therefore, the appropriate standard will need to be considered on a case by case basis.
4.31.2 All occupied areas within a building that exceeds 30 m in building height or contains any storey exceeding 5 000 m2 in floor area, other than a building contemplated in 4.31.1, shall be equipped with a category M and a category L fire detection system, and an alarm system designed, installed and maintained by competent persons in accordance with SANS 10139.
4.31.3 Any occupancy classified as A1, A2, C1, C2 or F1 shall have a manually activated visual and audible alarm system that is designed, installed and maintained by competent persons in accordance with SANS 10139.
You might want to contact the department that deals only with Fire.
Hi..
I work in a building where there are hidden smoke detectors ( above suspended ceiling). There are no markers or any indication where these “hidden” smoke detectors are or any indication below the ceiling that these detectors are functional. Is this correct or should there be some indication.
Hi Hendrik, That is a question that only a building inspector can answer for you, please contact your local planning department.
Hi Trevor, Yes by law it is.
Hi Shaun, The management of your complex are obliged to have regular checks and services done on the equipment. This is part of the municipal fire department duties. You can contact them and report this and they will make management do the right thing.
Jared please see my reply below 🙂
Hi Jared, I is not simply a matter of how high above the FFL a hose reel must be. It all depends on the design of the system where the water pressure, size of pipes and distance from the mains is calculated. This is not covered in detail in SANS10400 but is referred to in SANS 2001-DP2 or SANS 2001-DP6. Here is a diagram that shows the scheme:
Hi everyone is there a standard height adobe the floor level that a hose reel must be?
Hi everyone.
I’m to install a 30m fire hose reel and was wondering if there is a spacious high above the FFL that is must be?
Hi there, I’d like to know in my complex all the fire hoses boxes don’t have keys, the glass has been broken and all missing, boxes are locked. Is this legal as no one knows who has the keys to open the fire hose Boxes? Also some have had last service in 2015. What right do we have about this issue?
Hi Kgomotso, you need to ask the fire department this falls under their regulations.
Hi what is a possible fines that one may get if caught misusing firefighting equipment
What is the maximum area of warehouse space one can have without dividing into partitions in warehouse?
Hi there,
Is it a legal requirements for a building operating as a business to have a fire alarm installed and if so, is this requirement dependent on the size of the building?
Many Thanks
Hi Monique, that is not a Building Regulations question but actually is under the fire and safety standards regulations. Contact your local planning department and they can help you.
How many sprinklers to put in a 800 sqm store ?