Working as a district surveyor I’ve become aware of the number of engineers who don’t seem to know the new standard that defines performance requirements for various types of cables required to have resistance to fire. BS 7346-6 2005 Components for Heat & Smoke Control Systems – Part 6 Specification for Cable Systems was published in March 2005. The standard is nearly two years’ old and may have been missed by some CIBSE design engineers.
The new (DCLG) Approved Document B Fire Safety Volumes 1 & 2 (The ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø Regulations 2006 Edition) has recently been published, and the previous specified BS 6387 has been replaced by BS 7346-6 for larger cables to power life safety and fire fighting systems. The flaws inherent in BS 6387 have been replaced with a single sample, direct impact test method set out in BS 7346-6. Future updates of the BS 5588 series and others should pick up BS 7346-6 as a guide to cables required for meeting life safety and fire fighting objectives.
Keith Elves, ACIBSE, MIFE, FIET, senior manager Westminster District Surveyors
Source
ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø Sustainable Design