The importance of compliant fire detection systems and proper fire protection cannot be overstated, especially for businesses. Statistics reveal that 44% of businesses fail to reopen after a fire, and companies that do not reopen within 10 days of a disaster are less likely to survive.
Moreover, the survival rate of companies without a disaster recovery plan is less than 10%. This underscores the critical need for robust fire protection and adherence to national standards to ensure both life safety and business continuity.
Fire protection in South Africa is vital for every building, safeguarding both lives and property. To ensure consistency and quality in this area, a hierarchy of legislation, standards, and guidelines has been implemented to mitigate poor workmanship and provide clear direction for designers and installers of fire detection systems.
Legislative framework
The legislative framework governing fire safety in South Africa follows a distinct hierarchy. At its apex is the Constitution, followed by Acts of Parliament, alongside those made by provincial legislatures and municipal councils. At the foundational level are ‘delegated’ legislation, such as regulations.
Central to fire safety is the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). This legislation mandates that all buildings be designed, constructed, and equipped in a manner that caters to potential fire events. Compliance with the OHSA’s requirements is generally satisfied if the building’s design, construction, and equipment adhere to SANS 10400 Part T and are approved by the local authority. It is important to note that the act also outlines various offences that building owners must avoid, including the need for compliant fire protection. Non-compliance in this regard will render the responsible person liable to prosecution.
South African National Standards
Legislation pertaining to the fire detection industry is primarily supported by the National Building Regulations (NBR) and the Standards Act (an act of parliament). The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) plays an important role in this process, engaging with a broad representation of industry experts to develop and adopt national standards.
The complete suite of SANS 10400 provides comprehensive guidelines for the national building regulations, comprising parts A through XA. Two parts are particularly relevant for fire detection systems:
• SANS 10400: Part A serves as the core section for the structural design of a building, encompassing aspects such as building occupancies. This is necessary for the correct layout of fire protection systems.
• SANS 10400: Part T specifically covers fire protection and drills. It details the various ‘deemed to satisfy’ standards essential for the design, installation, and maintenance of fire protection systems. A first step in determining the location and requirements of a fire detection system is to determine the occupancy of the building, as outlined in SANS 10400 Part A.
Within the NBR, designs for fire protection systems can be approached in two ways:
• ‘Deemed to satisfy’ designs must be in complete accordance with the established codes of practice.
• ‘Rational design’ is an alternative that allows registered engineers to design a system when strict compliance with SANS standards is not feasible. In such cases, rational designs must be proven through engineering calculations to meet or exceed the requirements outlined in the SANS standard.
A thorough risk assessment is crucial when evaluating fire detection systems. This assessment should consider factors such as the size of the building, its occupancy, and storage details, applicable to both existing and new constructions. The legal requirement for a fire detection system is referenced in SANS 10400-T.
Fixed fire detection systems
The SABS TC21-01 subcommittee has published 39 standards for fixed fire detection and extinguishing systems, with 19 of these specifically targeting fire detection. These standards are made available for purchase and use by the industry. Some of these standards are direct copies under licence from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), British Standards, and European Standards, while others have been modified for local use or are home-grown where no suitable international standards were applicable.
These standards collectively provide the necessary guidance for selecting the correct equipment, along with compliant design and installation to ensure system functionality. Just as important as the initial design and installation is maintenance. Neglecting regular maintenance once a system is installed can lead to severe consequences, including injury, loss of life, and property damage.
SANS 10400: Part T covers where it is necessary to install a compliant fixed automatic fire detection or suppression system. This would be determined by the size and occupancy of the building, as set out in SANS 10400: Part A. It also stipulates which relevant standard must be used for design and installation. Some examples include:
• SANS 10139 for fixed fire detection systems.
• SANS 322 for fire detection in hospitals, used in conjunction with SANS 10139.
• SANS 246 for electronic data processing rooms (such as data centres and server rooms).
• SANS 10287 for sprinkler systems (an updated version will be released this year).
• SANS 15779 for condensed aerosol fire extinguishers.
• SANS 530-9 for emergency voice communication systems (referenced by SANS 10139).
• SANS 7240-16 &19 for emergency public address and evacuation, also referenced by SANS 10139.
• SANS 1850 for smoke extraction and ventilation in kitchen and restaurant systems.
• SANS 1066, the code of practice for remote centres receiving signals from fire and security services. (A working group will update this to reflect BS 9518.)
Categories of systems as per
SANS 10139
There is currently no standard in South Africa that addresses fire detection in residential buildings; SANS 10139 applies to non-residential buildings. Fire alarm systems, installed in buildings, typically aim to satisfy one or two principal objectives (or both): the protection of life and the protection of property. Other possible objectives, such as protection against business interruption and environmental protection, are also likely to be satisfied by the recommendations provided for property protection.
Due to the wide variety of applications, systems are classified into various categories, as outlined below.
Category L systems: protection of life:
• Category L1: These systems are installed throughout all areas of the building, providing the earliest possible warning of fire to maximise escape time for occupants.
• Category L2: Installed only in defined parts of the building, these systems should include the coverage necessary for a Category L3 system. Their additional objective is to provide early warning of fire in areas with a high fire hazard level and/or high fire risk.
• Category L3: Designed to warn of fire at an early enough stage to enable all occupants to escape safely before escape routes become impassable due to fire, smoke, or toxic gases. Achieving this often requires installing detectors in rooms that open onto an escape route.
• Category L4: Systems installed specifically within the escape routes, which include circulation areas and spaces like corridors and stairways. The primary objective of an L4 system is to enhance occupant safety by providing warning of smoke within these escape routes. Installation of detectors in additional areas is not precluded, and the system could still be classified as L4.
• Category L5: These systems are unique in that their protected area(s) and/or detector locations are designed to satisfy a specific fire safety objective that does not fall under the above categories. Such designs are often based on a localised need for fire detection in only part of a building, potentially compensating for deviations from normal guidance, or forming part of the operating system for another fire protection system. An L5 system can range from a single automatic fire detector in one room (where an outbreak of fire would pose undue risk) to comprehensive detection throughout large building areas, for instance, where structural fire resistance is below typical specifications.
Category P systems: protection of property:
• Category P1: These automatic fire detection systems are installed throughout the building. Their objective is to provide the earliest possible warning of fire to minimise the time between ignition and the arrival of fire-fighters.
• Category P2: Installed only in defined parts of the building, the objective of P2 systems is to provide early warning of fire in areas where there is a high fire hazard, or areas where the risk to property or business continuity from fire is high. These can range from a few rooms to entire floors.
Documentation and business continuity
Upon completion of a fire detection system installation, thorough documentation is required. This includes a Certificate of Completion and all other relevant documentation as specified by SANS 10139, SANS 246 and SANS 322, among others. This documentation must clearly state the type of system and the building’s occupancy, and it must be completed by the installer or commissioner, including their SAQCCfire registration number. If the installed system deviates from the standard, it must be signed off by a registered person with the correct competency.
This article covers the standards pertaining to fire, SANS 10139, which is based on the British Standard BS 5389. This has recently been updated, and a working group will make the appropriate updates to 10139 in the coming months. Other standards that apply to gas suppression include SANS 14520, SANS 306 Part 4 (for CO2 systems), and SANS 369 Parts 1 and 2, which govern the actuation of gas systems.
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