Bs7273-4 (again)

[Tom W]

http://www.fia.uk.com/filemanager/root/site_assets/fact_files/fiafactfiles_0050_bs_7273-4_guide.pdf

Fresh guidance from the friendly folks at the FIA 

[kurnal]

Wow who wrote that? Useful background information (I think).

Not sure how as a risk assessor I would verify whether an existing addressable  system was compliant though.

[Tom W]

One thing people should be aware of is that now with better understanding of the BS a large number of products have had to be re-classified. So you may of accepted it as a Cat A but now find its a Cat C.

We are lucky as ours have been bumped up a category.

[Wiz]

Piglet, are you saying BS7273-4 can be hard to understand?

And a lack of understanding caused some manufacturers to unwittingly wrongly recommend their products for use in certain categories when they were wrong to do so?

I'm not surprised. I've always thought that that particular BS was an overcomplicated overkill and then presented in a confusing manner.

Maybe someone will one day write an unconfusing explanation of all of it. Better still, maybe someone could re-write the whole BS to make it more practical and achievable.

I am impressed that the FIA guidance has noticed the problem of the recommendation that the monitoring of the loss of protocol data on an addressable system is possibly impossible to achieve at the interface on most, if not all, currently available equipment. I've been saying this since the BS came out and no-one has, so far, proved me wrong!

[colin todd]

I think they have wiz.

[Wiz]

Have what, Colin? 

Written an unconfusing explanation?

Re-written the whole thing?

However, If they have proven me wrong about the addressable interface, then I wish that they had told me! 

I try to keep up with these things, but I suppose I am not as quick-witted as some of my fellow Firenetters, and I must have missed it!

Can someone please enlighten me?

[Tom W]

Wiz, we never specify which of our products are applicable to any particular area. We refer people to the BS and tell them which of our products meets each category. I make sure that this is never done unless we have done the risk assessment. Its not for us to say.

Fortunately all of this is actually good for us as its upped our categories, the problem lies with other manufacturers who's products have been downgraded.

I think its actually a good standard and yes we wrongly classified a couple of our products but at least we are big enough to admit our mistake and not try and bury it. Thats for manufacturers though. The standard is ideal for specifiers, installers, enforcers etc Appendix A is really usefull. Categorise the door A (High) B (Med) C (Low) then match it with the door retainer displaying that mark.

Its made the whole process very simple rather than having to cross reference countless bits of guidance.