The Government has released three new amendments to Approved Document B: Fire Safety Volumes 1 and 2, which will begin to come into effect from 2 March 2025.
The government’s Approved Documents provide guidance on how to meet the latest Building Regulations. Approved Document B – fire safety gives guidance on fire safety, including issues such as structural fire protection, means of escape, fire service access and fire spread.
The first amendment booklet (2025 Approved Document B amendment booklet) will come into effect on this date and introduces new guidance around the provision of sprinklers in care homes, as well as removing the references to BS 476 ‘Fire tests on building materials and structures – Method for determination of the fire resistance of non-loadbearing elements of construction’ in relation to reaction of fire and roofs and only classifications according to BS EN 13501 will be accepted.
Amendments in the second booklet (2025 Approved Document B amendment booklet) will come into force on 30 September 2026, subject to transition provisions. This includes amendments relating to second staircases in 18m+ residential buildings.
And, finally, the third amendment booklet (2029 Approved Document B amendment booklet) comes into force on 2 September 2029, removing all references to BS 476 in relation to fire resistance. After this date, the national Reaction to Fire Tests and Classifications listed under BS 476 will be withdrawn fully and only classifications according to BS EN 13501 will be accepted.
Currently, Approved Document B operates a dual system for reaction to fire and roofs and fire resistance testing and classification for construction products. This includes both the National Classes (BS 476) and the European Standard (BS EN 13501 series).
The government said: “The National Classes are seldom used by industry, but certain sectors still rely on fire resistance tests for their products. Recognising the specific needs for these parts of industry, we are implementing changes to the guidance in two stages – first removing references to BS 476 associated with reaction to fire and roofs then in a later stage removing references to BS 476 associated with fire resistance.
“The European Standard (BS EN 13501), deemed more current and robust than the National Classes, will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for reaction to fire and roofs classifications.”
Matthew Powell of the Wood Protection Association explained: “For years individual countries developed their own fire test standards, but in the mid-1980s it was decided to develop a harmonised European Union test so that materials tested in one country can be deemed suitable for sale in another without having to be retested. At the time of publication of the reaction to fire standards in 2002 and 2005 equal weight was given to both the British and EU standards, but now the UK government has decided to phase out the British Standard and replace it with the EU version.
“Now by 2 March 2025, WPA members and the wider industry can no longer use BS 476 for reaction to fire testing, and will have to only test their products according to the European BS EN 13501 standard. WPA suspects almost everyone in this sector has already done the EU testing so it’s long been UK strategy to move in that direction.
“When it comes to fire resistance tests, WPA understands a lot of companies are still using the British Standard testing due to historic reasons, so there’s still a lot to do in the next five years to get ready for the final change. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the regulator for construction products in the UK, has been looking carefully at the market and is carrying out testing to both flame retardant treated plywood and fire doors to make sure they comply.
“While this is more work in the short term, once British products are tested to BS EN 13501, if they aren’t already, then it does open that product’s market up to the whole of the European Union for potential sales.”
