Principles of fire protection in buildings

The design of all new buildings and the design of extensions or modifications to existing buildings must be approved by the local planning authority. 

Design data for new and modified buildings must be retained throughout the life of the structure. 

Building Legislation Standards are concerned mainly with safety to life and therefore consider the early stage of fire and how it affects the means of escape, but also aim to prevent eventual spread to other buildings. 

If a building is carefully designed and suitable materials are used to build it and maintain it, then the risk of injury or damage from fire can be substantially reduced. Three objectives must be met  

Materials are tested by insurance bodies and fire research establishments. The purpose of the tests is to classify materials according to the tendency for flame to spread over their surfaces. As with all standardized test methods, care must be taken when applying test results to real applications. 

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