BS9991

[nearlythere]

Little advice please.

Is BS9991 accepted by Building Control as a suitable and acceptable alternative to Approved Document B - Fire Safety: Volume 1 - Dwelling houses on the main land? Anyone having any problems in this regard?

[Dinnertime Dave]

I have seen it used for flats only twice in my area.

[kurnal]

Bs9991 is accepted and used as a design code. It is currently up for review after only 3 years. I have used it several times, there is much that I am uncomfortable with including the trade offs for bs9251 sprinklers, inner rooms as bedrooms, it tries to cover sheltered housing and fails abysmally and there are contradictions and errors in the section covering atria. All in my humble opinion of course .

[wee brian]

The main reason they are reviewing 9991 now is because of the issues with sheltered housing.

[Dinnertime Dave]

The main reason they are reviewing 9991 now is because of the issues with sheltered housing

Removal of sprinklers then!

[colin todd]

The production of BS 9991 suffered from only three things. A lack of sufficient (or sufficiently broad) expertise in the group who drafted it, unseemely haste to get it out to earn dosh for BSI and a view that you can do what you like if you put in sprinklers cos they are the cure to everthing from a hangover to venereal disease.  Were it not for these minor problems it would be a wonderful standard, that would allow us all to sleep safely in the premises in which most people die from fire.  Bad things happen when good men look the other way. Use ADB and BS 5588-1, both of which were written by a group of people who knew what they were doing.

[nearlythere]

The production of BS 9991 suffered from only three things. A lack of sufficient (or sufficiently broad) expertise in the group who drafted it, unseemely haste to get it out to earn dosh for BSI and a view that you can do what you like if you put in sprinklers cos they are the cure to everthing from a hangover to venereal disease.  Were it not for these minor problems it would be a wonderful standard, that would allow us all to sleep safely in the premises in which most people die from fire.  Bad things happen when good men look the other way. Use ADB and BS 5588-1, both of which were written by a group of people who knew what they were doing.

Dot. We really have to forget about the cave dwelling era and accept that it is not domestic building design that kills people, it is how they live their lives.

[colin todd]

You are right and you are wrong, Nearly. We design buildings to forgive people their sins, kind of like the Good Friday agreement. Bad lifestyles should not be a capital offence.

[Dinnertime Dave]

a view that you can do what you like if you put in sprinklers cos they are the cure to everthing from a hangover to venereal disease.

Your right Colin, but brigades up and down the country have the same view. I bet they would be quite good for a hangover though!

[colin todd]

Glad you agree, Suppers. Actually sprinklers are really fantastic and of great value in many applications but they have to be the right application and the systems have to be properly engineered so that, if they are critical they are also reliable.