EXPERT ADVICE

An overview of the current texts and standards for the fire protection of your installations

The protection objectives are directly related to the risk analysis of the installation, the number of people occupying it, the height of the structure and the specific risks.

6 min

The regulatory requirement set in France by law, decrees, orders, and circulars (or by certain insurers) determines the level of performance to be achieved in relation to the safety objective applicable to the installation.

The protection objective is directly derived from an analysis from the risks inherent in the installation, the number of people occupying it, the height of the structure, and the specific risks. They are not the same in a hospital, a high-rise building, a mountain chalet or a tunnel and an energy production and storage plant.

• For fire resistance, the level of performance is defined in terms of duration, expressed in minutes. An EI120 product will be impervious to hot gases and fumes and will hermetically seal for 2 hours.
• For reaction to fire, a reaction-to-fire classification system of the materials used is required.

With NUVIATech Protection solutions, allows each site to be equipped according to its characteristics.

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Sensitive sites/Structures classified for the protection of the environment (ICPE in France)

In France, in addition to the provisions of the Labour Code, when an establishment is subject to the legislation on works classified for environmental protection, he must comply with the provisions of Title I of Book V of the Environmental Code. These categories include electricity and water production and distribution sites, the hydrogen industry, SEVESO classified sites, but also engineering works and construction.

Most of the ministerial decrees issued in application of these texts contain fire prevention measures (location, design of structures, fire-fighting equipment, etc.).

The NUVIATech Protection range offers you state-of-the-art solutions to meet these requirements.

Public-Access Buildings

In France, public establishments are classified according to their activity and the number of employees they can accommodate. According to this dual classification, the regulation provides for various provisions against fire risks (location of buildings, structure of installations, clearances, smoke extraction, separation of activities at risk, firefighting equipment etc.).

The amended Order of 25 June 1980 (Ministry of the Interior) approves the general provisions of the safety regulations against the risks of fire and panic in public establishments. These provisions are in addition to those of the Labour Code.

5th category public establishments have measures like those of the labour code.

High-rise buildings

High-rise buildings are classified into different types according to their activity. The regulations according to this classification, provide a series of measures against the risk of fire (location of buildings, structures of installations, clearances, smoke extraction, separation of activities at risk, firefighting equipment etc.).

The amended Order of 30 December 2011 (Ministry of the Interior) includes safety regulations for the construction of high-rise buildings and their protection against the risks of fire and panic.

Residential buildings

The amended decree of 31 January 1986 Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Housing relates to fire protection in residential buildings (building structure, clearances, etc.).

Timber construction

As for all other types of structures, the law regulates the fire protection of timber constructions.

Timber structural elements directly exposed to the fire depend on the NFEN1995 standard (EUROCODES 5).

Depending on their calorific value, construction materials are classified into five categories with their correspondences in the table below:

For timber construction, the fire rating depends on the type of wood, hardwood, dense wood, softwood, as well as its dimensions and the level of humidity.

The fire behaviour observed on wood and wood-based materials can be considerably improved with NUVIATech Protection products. The range contains several penetrating fire retardants which, once applied at the time of manufacture or by impregnation in an autoclave, will provide fire protection and make the wood classified as flame-retardant (C or M2) wood classified as non-flammable (B or even A2 or M1).

Tunnels/Engineering structures

Regarding tunnels, fire regulations distinguish three types of infrastructure: tunnels for guided public transport systems, road tunnels and railway tunnels.

In France, the regulations are included in the Highway Code, the Transport Code, the Town Planning Code, and the Defence Code. The regulations concerning the safety of tunnels for linear transport infrastructures are defined by several laws and regulations:

Naval/Marine

In the marine sector, large ships, yachts, and cruise ships must have products that meet the SOLAS – Safety of Life at Sea and IMO – International Maritime Organisation standards regarding passive fire protection.

Workplaces

Articles R. 4216-1 to R. 4216-30 and R. 4216-32 to R. 4216-34 concerns the Contracting Authorities during workplace construction. They relate to the provisions regarding fire prevention and protection that must be observed by the Contracting Authorities during construction or during modifications, extensions, or alterations to the workplace. These include provisions for clearances, smoke control, space heating, storage, and handling of flammable materials.

Articles R. 4227-1 to R. 4227-41 and R. 4227-55 to R. 4227-57 concern user employers. They relate to the provisions concerning fire prevention and protection in the workplace that employers must observe. These include provisions for clearances, emergency lighting, space heating, storage and handling of flammable materials, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, and fire safety procedures.

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ESSOC/ELAN Law

ELAN: law introducing major changes from 2018 in terms of fire safety for all categories of buildings. It creates the concept of mid-rise buildings for buildings that are not high-rise, but which present significant risks due to their height.

ESSOC: law introducing the concept of “Construction permit”, allowing derogations from regulatory provisions, particularly in terms of fire safety, with the aim of encouraging technical and architectural innovation. In this case proof must be provided to ensure the results equivalent to the constructive regulatory provisions that are achieved.

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The test/classification standards

Define how the performance of a solution is measured,
Describe the equipment needed to perform the test, the type of load applied, its duration, how performance is measured and sometimes what should be emphasised in the test report..

Classification standards :
Issues a notice report indicating the performance level (REI) obtained by the solution tested according to the test standard.

In France, the decree of 22 March 2004, amended by the decree of 14 March 2011, imposed the new European test and classification methods. It also specifies the methods of proof required on French territory, i.e., a fire classification report, drawn up by an approved French laboratory (CSTB, EFECTIS, CERIB, LNE, etc.).

Fire tests on NUVIATech Protection products were carried out in accordance with the European standards cited in NF EN 13501-1, standard for reaction to fire, and NF EN 13501-2 and more for the resistance of building construction elements, according to the modified order by the Ministry of the Interior on 22 March 2004.