The notification is not related to any one specific construction product / service.

The additonal Guidance to Technical Guidance Document B (Fire Safety) will apply to all buildings and will set out minimum standards to provide effective and adequate means of egress in flat buildings to ensure the safety of occupants. The additional guidance specifically relates to open plan flats, extended corridor travel distances and minor clarifications relating to refuges and firefighting shafts.

Draft 2019 Additional Guidance to ‘Technical Guidance Document B, 2006’

The additional guidance proposed relates to Open Plan Flats; extended corridor travel distances; smoke control in corridors; and other minor changes.

This additional guidance to TGD B 2006 provides:

• Open Plan Flats

o Inclusion of a new Section 1.6 relating to open plan flats

o specific measures on the means of escape appropriate in open flats (irrespective of height).

o guidance on the fire protection required between bedrooms and the main living area and protection of the kitchen area,

o appropriate maximum travel distance within an open plan flat,

o the provision of sprinkler protection within the open plan flat,

o Provision for adequate ‘remoteness’ of the main kitchen cooking appliances from the escape route, where an open kitchen is proposed

• Corridors

o Inclusion of a new Section 1.7 relating to extended corridor travel distances

o maintaining tenability in common escape routes corridors lobbies and escape stairs as well as the ventilation of smoke and toxic gases

o The provision of appropriate ventilation systems for corridors

• Other changes

o clarification with respect to the provision of refuge spaces generally in the lobby or escape stairs in all relevant buildings of Purpose Group 1(c) Flats

o Clarification in respect of the provision of dedicated firefighting lobbies in flat buildings with a floor over 20 metres

It is envisaged that the additional guidance (Sections 1.6 and 1.7) will complement the current guidance provided in Technical Guidance Document B, 2006, for adequate means of escape from flats – Section 3, and Section 5 of BS 5588-1:1990, and Section 1.4 of Technical Guidance Document B, 2006.

The other changes noted in the additional guidance seek to clarify existing requirements in respect of the provision of refuges (S 1.4.15) and Firefighting Lobbies (S 5.3) in buildings containing flats. This is due to the fact that codes of practice, particularly BS 5588-1, 5588-5, and BS 5588-8 cited to provide guidance in addition to the provisions of TGDB 2006 also contain a small number of provisions that are contrary to the design philosophies of TGDB 2006, and to the recommendations of the report of the Fire Safety Task Force, ‘Fire Safety in Ireland’, published in 2018.

The proposed changes are to the following parts of the Technical Guidance Document only:

• Transitional Arrangements (Pg. 2) – New transitional arrangements pursuant to the additional guidance included.

• Contents (Pg. 13) – Contents modified to include new Sections 1.6 and 1.7.

• Use of the Document (Pg. 15) Section 1.0.8 – New text to include references to Sections 1.6 and 1.7 for design for means of escape.

• Definitions (Pg. 17) Section 1.0.9 – New definition added for ‘open plan flat’.

• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (Pg. 51) Section 1.4.14.4 – additional sentence to 1st Paragraph to clarify requirements for fire detection and alarm systems for open plan flats.

• Provisions for People with Disabilities (Pg. 51) Section 1.4.15 – Additional paragraph to clarify the requirements for refuges in buildings containing flats.

• Open Plan Flats (Pg. 59 – 60) Section 1.6 – Additional Section to provide additional guidance in respect of open plan flats.

• Corridors serving flats (Pg. 60 – 61) Section 1.7 – Additional section to provide additional guidance in respect of corridors serving flats.

• Provision of Firefighting Shafts (Pg. 130) Section 5.3.2 – additional sentence to 2nd paragraph to clarify requirements for firefighting lobbies in buildings containing flats.

• Appendix F (Pg. 166 – 167) – 3 no. additional reference standards added