BS 9999:2017

This standard BS 9999:2017 Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. Code of practice is classified in these ICS categories:

• 13.220.01 Protection against fire in general
• 91.040.01 Buildings in general

This British Standard gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management and use of buildings to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around buildings.

This British Standard is not applicable to the following types of building, which are covered in BS 9991:

1. dwellings (single-family dwelling houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes);

2. residential accommodation blocks (e.g. for students or hospital staff), with individual bedrooms and the provision of kitchen/sanitary facilities constructed within a fire compartment;

3. specialized housing.

It is not applicable to houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) or buildings in which occupants receive medical care. It might have only limited applicability to certain specialist buildings and areas of buildings (e.g. areas of lawful detention).

This British Standard is applicable to the design of new buildings, and to material alterations, extensions and material change of use of an existing building.

NOTE Attention is drawn to the Building Regulations 2010 [1] and equivalent national variations ([3] to [5]) in respect of the definition of material alterations, extensions and material change of use.

It also provides recommendations and guidance on the ongoing management of fire safety in a building throughout the entire life cycle of the building, including measures for designers to ensure that the overall design of a building assists and enhances the management of fire safety. It can be used as a tool for assessing existing buildings, although fundamental change in line with its recommendations might be limited or not practicable.

The recommendations and guidance given in this British Standard are intended to safeguard the lives of building occupants and fire-fighters. Whilst some of the recommendations and guidance might also assist in the achievement of other fire safety objectives – such as protection of property, the environment, communities and business/service viability – additional measures might be necessary which are outside the scope of this British Standard.

This British Standard does not cover fire safety design strategies for extreme events such as terrorist actions.