BS 8519:2020

This British Standard gives recommendations and guidance on the selection and installation of fire-resistant power and control cable systems which need to maintain their circuit integrity for life safety and fire-fighting. It also gives specific recommendations for electrical system design for such applications, and for fire survival times.

This British Standard is primarily intended for use in buildings which, due to their size, height, form or use, require the installation of life safety and fire-fighting systems, e.g. sprinkler pumps, wet riser pumps, smoke control systems, fire-fighting and evacuation lifts or other systems as required by the fire engineered strategy.

It covers:

• the source of supply;

• the distribution voltage [high voltage (HV) or low voltage (LV)]; and

• the appropriate location of the main intake rooms, HV switchrooms, LV switchrooms, transformer rooms, generator rooms, risers, fire life safety equipment plant rooms and fire‑fighting/evacuation lift motor rooms/shafts.

The British Standard can also be used for systems which need to maintain their circuit integrity during a fire because the function they support is critical for business continuity, property protection or environmental protection reasons.

This British Standard does not give recommendations for those installations covered in BS5839‑1, BS5839‑8, BS5839‑9 and BS5266‑1, but makes reference to these standards.