The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) have recently launched a new guide to help responsible persons and duty holders of sprinkler protected buildings
The freely available publication, entitled Sprinkler Protected Buildings: A Guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holders, summarises the main obligations imposed on the owner or occupier of a building or structure fitted with a sprinkler or water mist system. You can download the guide here.
Outlining the duties laid out in legislation, the guide also covers details around using third-party certified systems and installers, the proper maintenance of fire suppression systems, and the different requirements between residential/domestic systems and industrial/commercial systems. It also provides details on water mist systems, what a responsible person must do in the event that a fire suppression system becomes non-operational, and how to minimise water damage.
Automatic sprinkler systems are a vital component in providing fire safety for buildings and their users, and as the guide states: “are universally recognised as the most effective way to protect people and property from fire. Evidence to support this contention can be found in BIF 19 Sprinkler Reliability and in the universal support enjoyed by sprinklers from both the fire and rescue service and the insurance industry.”
