BS 7974 provides a framework for the application of fire safety engineering (FSE) principles to the design of buildings, giving recommendations and guidance for the protection of people, property and the environment from fire. It is supported by the PD 7974 series of Published Documents that contain guidance and information on how to undertake detailed analysis of specific aspects of fire safety engineering in buildings.
PD 7974-1 to PD 7974-7 have also been updated to provide a summary of the current state of the art (and it is intended that they will continue to be updated in the future as new theories, calculation methods and/or data become available):
- PD 7974-1, Initiation and development of fire within the enclosure of origin;
- PD 7974-2, Spread of smoke and toxic gases within and beyond the enclosure of origin;
- PD 7974-3, Structural response and fire spread beyond the enclosure of origin;
- PD 7974-4, Detection of fire and activation of fire protection systems;
- PD 7974-5, Fire service intervention;
- PD 7974-6, Evacuation;
- PD 7974-7, Probabilistic fire risk assessment.
The general approach to fire safety engineering (FSE) described in the standard can be applied to all types and uses of buildings or to facilities such as tunnels and process plants.
Primary users of the standard will be:
- Fire safety engineering practitioners
- Regulators
- Building Control Bodies
- Members of the fire and rescue service
- Architects
- Engineers
- Universities (for teaching and research)
- Government departments such as the Ministry of Defence
- Related industries such as insurers and systems engineers
