BS 7899-1:1997

Committees responsible
Foreword
Code of practice
Introduction
1 Scope
2 Informative references
3 Definitions
4 Nature of hazards to life and health from fires
5 Factors which contribute to hazard to life and
    health in fire
6 Integration of factors contributing to hazards
    from toxic gases, smoke and heat in fire
7 Steps to be considered for assessment of hazards from
    toxic gases, smoke and heat in fire
Annexes
A (informative) Application and limitations of small
    scale tests
B (informative) Simple worked example to illustrate the
    principles of a toxic hazard analysis
Table
B.1 Example FED calculation data for materials A and B
Figures
B.1 Flame spread rate for two materials
B.2 Relative toxic hazard of two materials
List of references

Gives guidelines for fire safety practitioners eg manufacturers, architects, planners and engineers on factors for consideration in the assessment of hazard to life and health by fires in structures (buildings and transport).

This Part of BS 7899 is intended to provide guidance, for fire safety practitioners, including manufacturers, architects, planners and engineers, on the factors which need to be considered when assessing the hazard to life and health presented by fires in structures (buildings and transport). The assessment can be applied to various possible fire scenarios in order to determine if conditions hazardous to life could develop, and to estimate the risk that they might occur. If the development of hazardous conditions is considered possible in any particular scenario it is necessary to estimate the time taken for the development of conditions capable of incapacitating occupants and to compare it with the time required for escape. Where conditions are considered unacceptable it is possible to estimate the effects that alterations may have on the possible hazards.

Because of the great complexity of fires, the standard cannot provide an absolute guarantee of safety, but it does set out the major parameters that need to be considered, with guidance on practical methods for making assessments.