Document Number: EDS 07-0116

Version: 3.0
Date: 08/01/2016

THIS IS AN UNCONTROLLED DOCUMENT, THE READER MUST CONFIRM ITS VALIDITY BEFORE USE
ENGINEERING DESIGN STANDARD

EDS 07-0116

FIRE PROTECTION STANDARD FOR UK POWER NETWORKS

OPERATIONAL SITES

Network(s): EPN, LPN, SPN

Summary: This engineering design standard sets out the requirements for Fixed Suppression
Systems, Portable Fire Suppression Equipment, Detection Systems and Fire Risk
Assessments within operational sites across the three licence areas which
constitute UK Power Networks (Operations)

Owner: Mark Dunk Date: 08/01/2016

Approved By: Barry Hatton Approved Date: 03/02/2016

This document forms part of the Companys Integrated Business System and its requirements are mandatory throughout UK
Power Networks. Departure from these requirements may only be taken with the written approval of the Director of Asset
Management. If you have any queries about this document please contact the author or owner of the current issue.

Applicable To
UK Power Networks External
All UK Power Networks G81 Website

Asset Management Contractors

Capital Programme ICPs/IDNOs

Connections Meter Operators

HSS&TT

Network Operations

UK Power Networks Services

Legal
Fire Protection Standard for UK Power Networks Document Number: EDS 07-0116
Operational Sites
Version: 3.0
Date: 08/01/2016

Revision Record

Version 3.0 Review Date 03/02/2019

Date 08/01/2016 Author Mark Dunk
Why has the document been updated Updated to include responses to Legal department
questions and comments and to clarify purpose of document.
What has changed - Section 2 (Scope) revised to include ref to Premises, Section 3 (Glossary and
Abbreviation) table added to comply with template, Section 4.2.1 (Responsible Persons) maintenance
responsibilities added, Section 4.3 (Arrangements) clarification of application added, Section 5.7 CDM
ref updated, Section 6.1 FRA scope revised in table 1, Section 6.3 FRA frequencies revised in table
2 , Section 10.3 portable FE spec revised. BS reference added, Section 11 Fire Pro details added
(11.1), Section 14 (Dependent Documents) added, Sections Appendix D VESDA details added
(D1.3), D1.4 Performance test of links highlighted.
Document transferred onto a new template and rules applied, review date extended.
Version 2.0 Review Date 13/05/2016
Date 25/04/2014 Author Mark Dunk / Kevin Mills
Revised to address issues raised by legal team and include reference to non-operational sites

Version 1.0 Review Date 13/05/2016

Date 18/02/2013 Author Kevin Mills
Original

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Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Policy Life Cycle ........................................................................................................ 6
2 Scope ....................................................................................................................... 7
3 Glossary and Abbreviations ................................................................................... 7
4 Detail ........................................................................................................................ 8
4.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Organisational Responsibilities .................................................................................. 8
4.2.1 Responsible Persons................................................................................................. 8
4.2.2 Relevant Person ........................................................................................................ 8
4.2.3 Managers .................................................................................................................. 8
4.2.4 All Staff ...................................................................................................................... 9
4.3 Arrangements: (General Fire Precautions, Systems and Procedures) ....................... 9
5 Primary Legislation and Compliance ................................................................... 10
5.1 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 .................................................... 10
5.2 The Building Act 1984 ............................................................................................. 10
5.3 The Building Regulations 2000 ................................................................................ 10
5.4 Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 ............................................................ 11
5.5 The Fire Safety (Employees Capabilities) (England) Regulations 2010 .................. 11
5.6 London Building Act 1939 ........................................................................................ 11
5.7 The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) ................... 13
5.8 Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) ... 13
5.9 The Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 . 13
5.10 The Electricity Quality, Safety and Continuity Regulations (ESQC) 2002................. 14
5.11 Hampshire Building Act 1983 .................................................................................. 14
5.12 Berkshire Act 1986 .................................................................................................. 14
5.13 Other Local Enactments .......................................................................................... 14
6 Risk Assessment ................................................................................................... 14
6.1 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 9 Risk Assessment ........... 14
6.2 Prevention ............................................................................................................... 16
6.3 Review Frequency ................................................................................................... 16
7 Emergency Escape Routes ................................................................................... 17
7.1 Travel Distances...................................................................................................... 18
7.2 Limitations on Travel Distance ................................................................................. 19
7.3 Escape Routes with Dead-End Conditions .............................................................. 20
7.4 Inner Rooms ............................................................................................................ 20

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7.5 External Stairways ................................................................................................... 21

7.6 Doors and Exits ....................................................................................................... 21
7.7 Escape Signs .......................................................................................................... 21
7.8 Emergency Lighting ................................................................................................. 22
7.9 Access..................................................................................................................... 22
8 Fire Compartmentation ......................................................................................... 22
8.1 Building Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B' Volume 2 (2000
Edition) Buildings Other Than Dwelling Houses....................................................... 23
8.2 Breaching Fire Separation ....................................................................................... 23
8.3 Fire Doors ............................................................................................................... 24
8.3.1 Fire Rating of Doors ................................................................................................ 24
8.4 External Doors......................................................................................................... 24
8.5 Transformers and other Plant Located within Other Buildings ................................. 24
9 Space Separation .................................................................................................. 25
9.1 Building Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B' Volume 2 (2000
edition) Buildings Other Than Dwelling Houses ....................................................... 25
9.2 Boundaries .............................................................................................................. 25
9.3 Separation ............................................................................................................... 26
9.4 High Risk ................................................................................................................. 26
9.5 Equipment Separation ............................................................................................. 27
9.6 Unprotected Areas................................................................................................... 27
9.7 Transformers in Urban Locations............................................................................. 27
9.8 Open Air Transformers ............................................................................................ 27
9.9 Coolers .................................................................................................................... 27
10 Fire Protection and Detection Equipment............................................................ 28
10.1 Provision of Fire Protection Equipment .................................................................... 28
10.1.1 Grid and Primary Switchrooms ................................................................................ 28
10.1.2 Internally Located Grid and Primary Transformers .................................................. 28
10.1.3 Externally Located Transformers ............................................................................. 28
10.1.4 Coolers .................................................................................................................... 28
10.1.5 Indoor Distribution Substations ................................................................................ 28
10.1.6 Outdoor Distribution Substations ............................................................................. 28
10.2 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 13 (Fire-Fighting and
Fire Detection) ......................................................................................................... 29
10.3 Fire Protection Equipment ....................................................................................... 29
10.4 Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers ............................................................ 30
10.5 Fire Alarms .............................................................................................................. 30
11 Automatic Fire Suppression Systems ................................................................. 31

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11.1 Fire Pro Potassium Carbonate based system ....................................................... 32

11.2 Sprinklers ................................................................................................................ 32
11.3 Water Mist Systems................................................................................................. 32
11.4 Gas Flooding Systems ............................................................................................ 33
11.5 Fixed Fire Fighting Systems Gas Extinguishing Systems ..................................... 33
11.6 Fire Extinguishing Installations (CO2) Carbon Dioxide Systems ............................ 33
11.7 CO2 Requirements for Surface Fires ....................................................................... 34
11.7.1 Basic Quantity ......................................................................................................... 34
11.7.2 Un-Closable Openings ............................................................................................ 35
11.7.3 Limits of Un-Closable Openings .............................................................................. 35
11.7.4 Compensation ......................................................................................................... 35
11.7.5 Forced Ventilation ................................................................................................... 36
11.8 Occupied Buildings .................................................................................................. 36
12 Fire Training and Information ............................................................................... 37
12.1 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 21 (Training) ........................ 37
12.2 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 20 (Provision of Information
to Employers and the Self-Employed from Outside Undertakings ............................ 38
12.3 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 19 (Provision of Information
to Employees) ......................................................................................................... 38
12.4 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 22 (Co-operation and Co-
ordination) ............................................................................................................... 38
12.5 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 23 (General Duties of
Employees at Work) ................................................................................................ 39
12.6 Employees Responsibilities ..................................................................................... 39
13 Reference Documents ........................................................................................... 39
14 Dependent Documents.......................................................................................... 39
Appendix A - Risk Assessment........................................................................................ 40
A.1 Fire Plan .................................................................................................................. 40
Appendix B - Emergency Escape Routes ....................................................................... 41
B.1 Further Guidance on Emergency Escape Lighting ................................................... 41
B.2 Work Level of Lighting ............................................................................................. 41
Appendix C - Space Separation ....................................................................................... 42
C.1 Boundaries .............................................................................................................. 42
Appendix D - Detection Equipment ................................................................................. 47
D.1 Methods of Fire Detection........................................................................................ 47
Appendix E - Fire Training and Information .................................................................... 49
E.1 Fire Safety Training Checklist .................................................................................. 49

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1 Introduction
This document sets out to provide guidance on the broad fire safety legislative
responsibilities and current fire safety standards as well as maintaining best practice from
previous documentation.

Fires at operational sites are infrequent; however, when there is an incident the results are
catastrophic and in some cases, have caused serious injury and/or death.

In the case of fires in operational sites, because of the risk of electrocution, fire-fighting by
the fire brigade is unlikely to be undertaken, until a representative of the site operator is on
hand to give assurances that the electricity has been isolated. As such, fires in sub-stations
have the potential to continue to burn and, if additional fuel becomes available, grow for a
significant period of time.

There are a number of risks associated with operational sites fires.

Life risk the risk to life at most operational sites will be significantly reduced by the lack of
occupying personnel. The likelihood of persons being present in the event of a fire will be
very low, however, the consequences of a human presence at the time of a transformer fire
may have severe consequences. This includes members of the general public who may be
in close proximity to the outside of operational sites or may have gained unauthorised entry.

Environmental risk - there will almost certainly be a detrimental effect on the environment
by the release of fire effluent into the atmosphere and although releases of insulating oil are
typically controlled by bunds, once fire-fighting foam/water is applied the fire run off may well
go to ground causing significant contamination, particularly if water courses are adjacent or
aquifers or fresh water bore holes present in the path of the run off plume.

Business continuity risk in the event of a fire at a primary/grid transformer site the built in
redundancy should ensure the continuity of supply, however, if the fire is allowed to spread
to adjacent transformers there is a likelihood of prolonged interruption of supply which will
have a significant impact on company Customer Interruptions (CI) and Customer Minutes
Lost (CML).

Reputation risk it is clear from incidents where supply has been lost for prolonged periods
that the business reputation of the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) has been damaged,
this may affect share price and even customer base. Loss of supply has a significant impact
on Customer Interruptions (CI) and Customer Minutes Lost (CML) which are reportable
directly to the Regulator and can have a real cost impact in the form of fines. Where
significant environmental damage has been caused, the loss of reputation could be as
severe as or perhaps worse than in the case of prolonged loss of supply.

Heritage risk where buildings have a heritage value, fire damage may result in
irreplaceable loss.

1.1 Policy Life Cycle

This Engineering Design Standard forms part of a chain of documents to ensure a common
and consistent approach to the Operation, Inspection and Maintenance life cycle of the asset
sets.

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2 Scope
The purpose of this document is to provide background and guidance regarding the
requirements and mitigation methods concerning the fire resilience and protection of UK
Power Networks operational sites. The information is aimed towards allowing the reader to
make an informed decision on how best to discharge the legal obligations and protect
operational sites and adjacent properties from fire.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 uses the non-exhaustive term premises
when describing its scope; this includes any non-domestic workplace vehicle or installation
used for UK Power Networks business. This document is intended to provide guidance for
all operational areas and installations and for offices located on operational substation sites;
main offices with no operational areas are to be covered by the relevant PMS (Property
Management Services) document PMS 04 103.

The standard set by this document is that all new operational sites and modifications to
existing operational sites shall be assessed for fire risk at the design, construction,
modification and completed stages of the development and that the appropriate fire safety
requirements are met in existing premises.

Where office space is incorporated within the footprint or curtilage of an operational site a
combined Fire Risk Assessment addressing the risks and usage of each facility is to be
undertaken to ensure that the safety of operatives and staff in each area is not
compromised.

By following the advice and utilising the information in this standard, UK Power Networks
shall ensure that the responsibilities set by the applicable legislative Acts, Regulations and
Orders are complied with and discharged. The advice on fire risk assessment, emergency
escape routes, compartmentation, space separation, fire suppression and detection
equipment, and training and information shall be followed to ensure that UK Power Networks
fulfil its statutory responsibilities and reduce the consequences of fire.

Fire risk from overhead lines and overhead structures coming into contact with vegetation or
other structures is not considered in this document.

This fire protection standard has been prepared to ensure that UK Power Networks comply
with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

3 Glossary and Abbreviations

Term Definition

CI Customer Interruptions
CML Customer Minutes Lost
DNO Distribution Network Operator
FRA Fire Risk Assessment
UK Power Networks UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd consists of three electricity
distribution networks:
Eastern Power Networks plc (EPN).
London Power Network plc (LPN).
South Eastern Power Networks plc (SPN).

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4 Detail
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that fire precautions (such as fire
suppression equipment, fire detection and warning, conditions relating to emergency routes
and exits) should be provided (and maintained) where necessary. This document gives
guidance on the standards that should be applied to all operational sites to ensure that
adequate fire safety measures are provided. Maintenance of the provisions and information
and training are also included as they too are crucial components of an effective fire safety
strategy.

Structural fire precautions are important to ensure a safe building and relevant requirements
of the Building Regulations are included in the appropriate sections.

4.1 Purpose

The responsible persons of UK Power Networks will ensure the safety from fire of all
relevant persons on, in, or in the vicinity of the premises by effective planning, organisation,
control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures.

4.2 Organisational Responsibilities

4.2.1 Responsible Persons

The organisations responsible person and nominated responsible persons in section 9 of

HSS 01 055 Fire Risk Assessment, have the duty for ensuring the Health, Safety and
Welfare of all relevant persons on the premises and in particular the provision of suitable and
sufficient systems and procedures.

Article 3 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 defines who the responsible
person for the premises is and in line with the obligations under EC Directives, wherever
there is an employer they will continue to be responsible for the safety of their employees
and relevant persons.

The responsible person will be responsible not only for the safety of employees, but for that
of any person lawfully on the premises, or in the immediate vicinity of the premises and at
risk from a fire on the premises.

The responsible person must ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and
devices provided in respect to fire safety are maintained in an efficient state and in efficient
working order and in good repair.

Specific designations for the role of the responsible person have been made for UK Power
Networks premises, in section 9 of HSS 01 055.

4.2.2 Relevant Person

A "relevant person" means any person who is or may be lawfully on the premises and any
person in the immediate vicinity of the premises who is at risk from a fire on the premises,
but does not include a fire-fighter who is carrying out emergency response duties.

4.2.3 Managers

All managers are responsible for the implementation of all fire safety procedures in an
emergency and for monitoring their safe and effective application.

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4.2.4 All Staff

All staff have responsibility for the following:
Ensuring all policies, procedures and standards are followed and adhered to at all times;
Carrying out all activities in a safe manner;
Their own personal safety;
The general safety of persons on the premises.
4.3 Arrangements: (General Fire Precautions, Systems and Procedures)
It is expected that the following arrangements will be applied, as appropriate, to all Grid,
Primary and Enhanced/Intermediate Secondary substation sites. It is expected that Basic
Secondary sites, because of their arrangement and size will only require a fire risk
assessment (refer to section 6.3 for definitions).
An adequate means of escape will be provided for all persons on the premises;
The means of escape will be signed, maintained, kept free of obstruction, sources of
combustion and ignition sources and be available for use at all times;
Appropriate levels of fire resisting construction will be used to contain and compartment
any fire that occurs. Appropriate separation distances or alternative methods will be used
to prevent or restrict the spread of fire;
Where necessary appropriate fixed suppression systems will be installed to contain,
control or extinguish any fire;
The means of escape will be adequately illuminated and provided with emergency
lighting if required;
The premises will be provided with an adequate and suitable means for warning all
persons in case of fire;
An appropriate means for fire suppression in order to provide safe egress will be
provided and maintained in efficient working order, in the case of many Secondary sites
this will be a suitable and tested portable fire extinguisher provided by the visiting
working party;
A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment will be prepared, regularly reviewed, and its
significant findings acted upon;
Procedures will be produced to deal with specific issues such as:
Safe evacuation;
Smoking.
For all sites employees will be provided with comprehensible and relevant information
regarding:
The risks identified from the risk assessment;
Any notification of risk by other employees;
The preventative and protective measures;
Escape routes and alarms.
Staff should be made aware of the identities of persons nominated to carry out specialist
role in the event of an emergency (if required);
The employer of any other employees, or any other person working on the premises, will
be provided with the same information as the responsible persons employees;
All necessary systems required as part of the general fire precautions (or other general
systems or appliances required to be satisfactorily maintained to prevent the likelihood of
fire) will be tested and maintained by specialist contractors in accordance with the
relevant code of practice.
Full records of these measures will be kept and made available for audit by any relevant
statutory body.

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5 Primary Legislation and Compliance

This section highlights the various acts that relate wholly or partially to fire safety and is
included to provide reference and background to the main aims of this document.

5.1 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order contains the legal requirements for managing fire
safety in premises. It repeals virtually all existing legislation by consolidating previous
requirements into one statutory instrument.

The adequacy of fire safety measures in a building is judged on compliance with the Order.
The Order applies to all UK Power Networks operational sites.

The main requirement of the Order is for the responsible person to carry out a Fire Risk
Assessment and to minimise the consequences of fire by:

Prevention by making sure fires dont start;

Precautions by installing fire detection equipment, structural fire safety components,
or fire suppression equipment to minimise the damage from fire;
Procedures by planning the actions to take before and in the event of a fire.

It is an offence to contravene the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and if found
guilty the responsible person could be liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

5.2 The Building Act 1984

There are a number of different legislative documents which reference fire safety in
buildings. The Building Act 1984 governs building work in the UK; it is applicable to the
majority of buildings however, exemptions to it exist.
These are set out in Section 4 (B) of the act. This section states: Nothing in this Part of this
Act with respect to building regulations, and nothing in any building regulations, applies in
relation to- (b) a building belonging to statutory undertakers.

5.3 The Building Regulations 2000

By virtue of the exemption granted to Statutory Undertakers, these regulations will not be
applicable, however, a reasonable level of Fire Safety will need to be achieved. Approved
Document B to the Building Regulations, sets out guidance in relation to fire safety for
buildings under construction or alteration. It is worth noting that this document is quite
generic and some of its recommendations might not be appropriate to buildings such as
substations. This said the Approved Document is worth using to reference best practice.

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5.4 Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004

This legislation introduced new powers and requirements with respect to a range of building
related issues. Not all sections of the Act have been enacted and some of them would
require the development of new regulations by the Secretary of State to give them effect.
The range of subjects currently covered is:

Sustainability;
Crown buildings;
Security;
Historic buildings;
Removal of exemptions;
Report on the building stock;
Local authority registers of information; and
Enforcement measures.

Section 5 of this Act includes the removal of the exemption from Building Regulations,
granted to Statutory Undertakers by the Building Act of 1984. At this time, Section 5 is not
enacted.

Confirmation of this was received by email (below) from Mr. Ian Drummond (Head of the
Competent Person and Legislation Team) at the Department of Communities and Local
Government;

Section 5 of the 2004 Act has not been commenced and therefore the exemption for
statutory undertakers in section 4 of the Building Act 1984 remains in place. Please note that
the part of the exemption relating to educational buildings is no longer capable of use as
legislation for both England and Wales has removed the power of the Secretary of State to
approve the plans for such buildings.

5.5 The Fire Safety (Employees Capabilities) (England) Regulations 2010

These regulations are intended to ensure that all fire safety tasks are allocated to
employees with the necessary skill and experience to do them safely. It applies to all tasks
carried out in the course of the business, not just those (such as carrying out risk
assessments) which relate directly to health and safety. There was nothing to suggest that
regulation 13(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 should
not apply as regards fire safety and these regulations simply re-impose a duty.

There is no direct guidance as regards to the judgment of competence.

5.6 London Building Act 1939

This Act only applies to Inner London and is incorporated within the Building (Inner London)
Regulations 1985. This legislation allows the relevant Councils, to require fire safety
measures for new and altered buildings, which would be in addition to those usually required
to achieve compliance under the Building Regulations. Inner London Boroughs in which the
London Building Act 1939 applies to all or some parts.

Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham,

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth,
Westminster.

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Figure 1 Inner London Boroughs within Greater London.

Buildings controlled under the London Building Act 1939 include:

A special fire risk area includes an area where any of the following apparatus is installed
(iii) electrical oil-cooled transformers or oil-filled switchgear each with an oil capacity in
excess of 250 litres operating at a supply voltage in excess of 1,000 volts.
The relevant Council may impose conditions for the provision and maintenance of;
Fire alarms;
Automatic fire detection systems;
Fire extinguishing appliances and installations;
Effective means of removing smoke in case of fire;
Adequate means of access to the interior, exterior and site of the building for fire brigade
personnel and appliances.

The London District Surveyors Association (LDSA) Fire Safety Guide No.1 sets out a
number of areas which might need to be considered, in the case of the construction or
alteration of a substation, these include:
The walls and roof being of non-combustible construction and achieving 4 hours fire
resistance. If they are connected to another building, the openings shall be on the
external wall furthest removed from the main building;
If oil-cooled transformers or switchgear are provided in a building, they should be located
against an outer wall and be separated from the remainder of the building by non-
combustible construction achieving 4 hour fire resistance;
Ventilation to the outside of the building should be provided and maintained.

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5.7 The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)

These regulations place duties on the client, designer and contractor to ensure works can be
completed with limited risk to health and safety of persons. An outline of the duties of each is
shown as follows:
a) The client should ensure that steps are taken to adequately manage the project;
b) The client should ensure that the designer and contractor are provided with the
appropriate pre-construction information;
c) The designer should not commence work unless the client is made aware of his duties
and a competent CDM manager is appointed to the project;
d) The designer should avoid foreseeable risks in construction, use and maintenance of
the project when preparing and modifying the design;
e) The contractor should not commence work unless the client is made aware of his duties;
f) The contractor shall plan, manage and monitor the project so far as reasonably
practicable, to ensure it is carried out without risk to health and safety;
g) The Contractor shall also provide all necessary training and information to workers to
ensure they can carry out their tasks without risk to health and safety;
h) Prior to commencing work, the contractor must ensure the site is secured to prevent un-
authorised access.

5.8 Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002

(DSEAR)

A hazardous area classification assessment needs to be undertaken to establish the level

and frequency of hazardous atmosphere present. An operational risk assessment should be
carried out, to determine the risk/mitigation requirements.

5.9 The Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations

2009

These Regulations apply to any premises in England where:

a) The premises are used as a railway station;
b) Members of the public have access to the premises (whether on payment or otherwise);
c) There is a railway platform in the premises which is an enclosed underground platform.
Any room containing any electricity generator, transformer or switchgear, other than one in
which any machinery for operating an escalator, passenger conveyor or lift is installed, must
be provided with a means for fighting fire comprising a system which is activated
automatically in that part of the premises in case of fire.

Any material which is used in the construction of an internal wall or ceiling in any public area
must be of limited combustibility. To inhibit the spread of fire within the premises, any
material which is applied to the surface of an internal wall or ceiling in any public area must:

a) Adequately resist the spread of flame over the surface; and

b) Have, if ignited, either a rate of heat release or a rate of fire growth, which is reasonable
in the circumstances.

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All practicable steps must be taken to supervise the carrying out, by persons other than
members of staff, of any work of construction or maintenance in the premises which
presents a risk to persons in case of fire.

5.10 The Electricity Quality, Safety and Continuity Regulations (ESQC) 2002

Regulation 11(d) requires generators and distributors to take reasonable precautions to

protect against the risk of fire. In deciding which measures to implement, duty holders should
consider the risk of fire or explosion and the impact of such fire or explosion in the particular
circumstances. Factors to be considered include: selection of switchgear with non-flammable
insulation, the nature of the environment surrounding the equipment, and the need for
automatic fire extinguishing equipment.

5.11 Hampshire Building Act 1983

Controls any substance likely to involve special hazard to persons engaged in operations for
the purposes of the extinction of fire and the protection of life and property, in case of fire
and allows the fire authority to prescribe standard uniform signs or symbols or warning
notices, indicating the nature of any substance to which this section applies and the danger
from fire arising there from.

5.12 Berkshire Act 1986

Similar to the Hampshire Act in that it considers hazardous substances and signage. The act
precludes its application to electricity or energy boards.

5.13 Other Local Enactments

A number of local acts set out requirements for fire brigade access to buildings, they also set
out requirements for additional uniform signage for areas of special hazard for the safety of
persons extinguishing fires. In most cases, the requirements do not apply to electricity or
energy boards.

6 Risk Assessment
All operational (occupied and non-occupied) site Fire Risk Assessments are to be held
electronically in the UKPN Asset Register and a hard copy shall be left in each location
covered by the assessment.

All non-operational site Fire Risk Assessments are to be held electronically on iCass and a
hard copy shall be left in each location covered by the assessment.

Any hazards identified that could impact on the ability of operatives and/or staff to evacuate
safely shall be communicated to those affected.

6.1 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 9 Risk Assessment

The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which
relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the measures they need to take
to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on them by the Order. The nature
of the assessment will vary according to the type and use of the premises, the persons who
use or may use the premises, and the risks associated with that use. A risk assessment
should be reviewed regularly by the responsible person to keep it up to date, valid and to
reflect any significant changes that may have taken place.

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The Order contains a requirement to record the prescribed information if five or more
persons are employed and this maintains consistency with Health and Safety legislation. The
prescribed information comprises the significant findings of the risk assessment and any
group of persons identified as being especially at risk. Under the Order, the threshold of five
or more persons includes those employees who may work from or in another place away
from the premises concerned.
The responsible person must also keep a record if the premises are subject to any statutory
licence, or if required by an alterations notice under the Order in relation to the premises.
Where a dangerous substance, as defined in article 2 of the Order, is present in or on the
premises the risk assessment must include consideration of all the matters listed in Part 1 of
Schedule 1. These include the amount of the substance and its hazardous properties and
the circumstances of the work including the work processes, use and storage.
It is accepted that other persons who are competent to carry out such a risk assessment
may record the prescribed information at the request of, and on behalf of, the responsible
person. In such cases this may be accepted as being recorded by the responsible person.
In compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, for all Operational sites,
a competent person must make a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment of the risks to
which relevant persons are exposed. For the purpose of identifying the general fire
precautions they must comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on them by or
under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Where a Fire Action Plan is
developed in conjunction with the local Fire Brigade representative, the factors in Appendix
A Risk Assessment must be considered.
It is important to note that The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that an
assessment is made of all premises whether occupied or not. The procedure for ensuring
that a valid fire risk assessment which identifies likely hazards and foreseeable events is
completed for all premises and that any necessary remedial actions are addressed is
detailed in HSS 01 055.
The correct Fire Risk Assessment form to be used for each kind of site is as follows:

Site Classification Site Type FRA Form

Grid Substation PAS 79

Complex
Primary Substation PAS 79

Grid Substation HSS 01 055a

Standard
Primary Substation HSS 01 055a

Enhanced Secondary Substation PAS 79

Intermediate Secondary Substation HSS 01 055a

Basic Secondary Substation HSS 01 055b

Tunnel UKPN owned Cable Tunnel and PAS 79

Local Authrity owned Subway

Occupied Building Occupied Building PAS 79

Table 1 Fire Risk Assessment Forms

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6.2 Prevention

Article 4 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets out the main general fire
precautions requirements with respect to fire suppression and fire detection, emergency
routes and exits, and their maintenance, including measures to mitigate the effects of fire.
The principles of reduction of risk remain and the overarching objective of the Order is to
ensure that relevant persons are safe from fire. The fundamental principle of a fire risk
assessment is to identify the failings in the fire safety measures in the premises and to take
corrective action at the earliest opportunity.

Article 8 of the Order imposes on the responsible person the duty to implement the
preventive and protective measures which have been evaluated in the risk assessment. By
virtue of this article, the responsible person is under a duty to ensure that general fire
precautions are in place to ensure the safety of any of his employees, or of any relevant
persons who are not his employees.

6.3 Review Frequency

In order to ensure compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: Part 2,
section 9-3 and based on the probability and severity of an event occurring all Fire Risk
Assessments will be reviewed in line with the following frequencies:

Site Classification Site Type Frequency

Grid Substation Annually
Complex
Primary Substation Annually

Grid Substation Every Two Years

Standard
Primary Substation Every Two Years

Enhanced Secondary Substation Annually

Intermediate Secondary Substation Every Two Years

Basic* Secondary Substation Plant / location review by

Substation Inspector, revised
FRA following circumstance
change

UKPN Cable Tunnel Annually

Tunnel
Local Authority owned Subway Every Two Years

Occupied Buildings Occupied Buildings Annually

Table 2 Fire Risk Assessment Review Frequency

* Due to their low risk nature and location the compliance of an existing Basic Secondary Substation FRA will be
reviewed by the UK Power Networks Substation Inspector as part of the planned inspection process and who will
record whether there have been any plant or equipment replacement activities or whether there have been any
changes in the immediate vicinity to the substation e.g. construction development work on the substation
boundary. The recording of any changes will trigger the requirement for a new FRA to be conducted at the site.

Each review will be carried out by a suitably trained and qualified person and each
assessment will be signed and dated following completion.

Any defects, which require remedial work, found during review of an operational site
assessment will be recorded on the assessment and on the Asset Database.

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Any defects, which require remedial work, found during review on a non-operational site
assessment will be recorded on the assessment and on the Asset Register.

NOTE:

Grid and Primary Substation:

Complex Sites Subterranean or with building comprising more than 2 storeys.

Standard Normal ground mounted substation comprising building with 1 or 2 storeys.
Secondary Substation:
Enhanced Substation which is accessed through another building, accessed via a ladder
or is situated within a High Risk Location (see Section 8.4)
Intermediate Substation located within, or adjacent to (within 4m), another building but
with direct access.
Basic Substation located within a public area but not within 4m of another building or
structure.

7 Emergency Escape Routes

Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons, the responsible
person must ensure that routes to emergency exits from premises and the exits themselves
are kept clear at all times. The extent of the emergency routes and exits necessary will be
determined by the findings of the risk assessment, taking full account of all the relevant
circumstances of the premises.

The following requirements must be complied with in respect of premises where necessary
in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons.

(a) Emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety;
(b) In the event of danger, it must be possible for persons to evacuate the premises as
quickly and as safely as possible;
(c) The number, distribution and dimensions of emergency routes and exits must be
adequate having regard to the use, equipment and dimensions of the premises and
the maximum number of persons who may be present there at any one time;
(d) Where necessary emergency doors must open in the direction of escape;
(e) Sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as
emergency exits;
(f) Emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and
immediately opened by any person who may require using them in an emergency;
(g) Emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs; and
(h) Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency
lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.

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7.1 Travel Distances

Emergency escape travel distances should meet the distances specified in the Building
Regulations 2000 document B Volume 2 (section 3: Horizontal Escape and section 4:
Vertical Escape). Operational sites are to be classed in Table 2 p34 of that document as
Purpose group 6 Industrial - Normal Hazard.

For this purpose group horizontal escape distance where more than one escape direction is
provided is 45m and for only one escape direction 25m.

However, transformers are described in Building Regulations 2000 document B Appendix E

p143 as special fire hazard and therefore where transformers are located inside buildings
the Purpose group changes to 2-7 Places of Special Fire Hazard and escape distances will
be reduced to a maximum travel distance of 18m where two escape directions are available
or 9m maximum travel distance if only one escape route is provided to comply with these
regulations.

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7.2 Limitations on Travel Distance

The purpose groups highlighted in yellow below are applicable to UK Power Networks
operational sites although it may be necessary to consider the requirements of other groups
in the development of substation schemes.

Maximum travel distance where

travel is possible in:

Purpose Use of the premises or One direction More than one

Group part of the premises only (m) direction (m)

2(a) Institutional 9 18

2(b) Other residential:

a. In bedrooms 9 18
b. In bedroom corridors 9 35
c. Elsewhere 18 35

3 Office 18 45

4 Shop and commercial 18 45

5 Assembly and recreation:

a. Buildings primarily for 9 18
disabled people
15 32
b. Areas with seating in
rows 18 45
c. Elsewhere
6 Industrial Normal Hazard 25 45
Higher Hazard 12 25
7 Storage and other non- Normal Hazard 25 45
residential Higher Hazard 12 25
27 Place of Special Fire 9 18
Hazard

2-7 Plant room or rooftop

plant:
a. Distance within the
room 9 35
b. Escape route not in 18 45
open air (overall travel
distance)
c. Escape route in open
60 100
air (overall travel
distance)
Table 3 Limitations on Travel Distance

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When assessing travel distances it is necessary to consider the distance to be travelled by

people when escaping, allowing for walking around equipment, plant storage units, etc. The
distance should be measured from all parts of the premises to the nearest place of
reasonable safety which is:

A protected stairway enclosure (a storey exit);

A separate fire compartment from which there is a final exit to a place of total safety; or;
The nearest available final exit.

From each cable basement there shall be a minimum of two points of egress, ideally
diagonally opposite across the room. No egress shall lead into another basement or
confined space.

Emergency access and egress via ladders should only be provided where it is impossible to
provide stairs.

All emergency egress points from corridors and stairs are to exit into open air or a protected
corridor. Routes which require access to another room are not permitted.

7.3 Escape Routes with Dead-End Conditions

If a premises has escape routes from which escape can be made in one direction only (a
dead end), then an undetected fire in that area could affect people trying to escape. To
overcome this problem, the travel distance should be limited and one or more of the
following solutions utilised:

Fit an automatic fire detection and warning system in those areas where a fire could
present a risk to the escape route;
Protect the escape route with fire-resisting construction to allow people to escape safely
past a room in which there is a fire;
Provide an alternative exit.

7.4 Inner Rooms

Where the only way out of a room is through another room, an unnoticed fire in the outer
room could trap people in the inner room. This means of exit should be avoided where
possible. If, however, this cannot be achieved then adequate warning of a fire should be
provided by any one of the following means:

A vision panel between the two rooms providing adequate vision to give an indication of
the conditions in the outer room and the means of escape;
An automatic smoke detector in the outer room that will sound a warning in the inner
room.

In addition, the following points should also be considered:

Access rooms should be under the control of the same person as the inner room;
In accordance with the Building Regulations, the travel distance from any point in the
inner room to the exit from the access room should be restricted to escape in one
direction only, unless there are alternative exits from the access room;
No one should have to pass through more than one access room while making their
escape;
The outer room should not be an area of high fire risk.

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7.5 External Stairways

To be considered a viable escape route, an external stairway should normally be protected

from the effects of a fire along its full length. This means that any door, window (other than
toilet windows) and walls within 1.8m horizontally and 9m vertically below any part of the
stairway should be fire-resisting. Windows should be fixed shut and doors self-closing.

7.6 Doors and Exits

Good escape routes to a final exit will be of little benefit if the occupants are not able to get
out of the building and quickly disperse from the area to a place of total safety. It is also
important to consider where people will go once they have evacuated from the premises.

The matters that must be considered include the following:

Final exit doors should be quickly and easy to open without a key or code in the event of
a fire;
Final exit doors should not lead people into an enclosed area from which there is no
further escape;
Where a final exit discharges into an enclosed area, further access to a place of total
safety should be available by means of further doors or gates that can be easily opened
in a manner similar to the final exit.

When required for means of escape purposes and where necessary due to numbers and
risk, exit doors should open outwards. Where the doors are also required for fire resisting
purposes then they should be self-closing and fitted with a closing device.

Doors from rooms containing operational plant are to be fitted with emergency escape
devices to BS EN 1125, i.e. full width panic bars. If a door is used solely for escape
purposes then it should have no means of being opened from the outside. Ironmongery must
be sufficient as to allow single action escape in an emergency without the use of a key.

7.7 Escape Signs

In simple premises, a few signs indicating the alternative exit(s) might be all that is needed.

In more complex premises, a series of signs directing people along the escape routes
towards the final exit may be required.

Escape signs should meet the following criteria:

They should provide clear, unambiguous information to enable people to safely leave a
building in an emergency;
Every escape route sign should, where necessary, incorporate or be accompanied by, a
directional arrow. Arrows should not be used on their own;
The escape route to the nearest exit should be indicated by a suitable sign(s).

All signs must comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations)
1996 and it must be pictographic. The pictogram can be supplemented by text if this is
considered necessary to make the sign easily understood, but fire safety signs cannot be
text only.

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7.8 Emergency Lighting

The primary purpose of emergency escape lighting is to illuminate escape routes, but it also
illuminates safety equipment. The size and type of premises and the risk to the occupants
will determine the complexity of the emergency escape lighting required. In simple single
storey premises where shared lighting or torches are not appropriate, single stand-alone
escape lighting units may be sufficient and these can sometimes be combined with exit or
directional signs. The level of general illumination should not be significantly reduced by the
sign.

In larger, more complex Grid and Primary Substations, a more comprehensive system of
fixed automatic escape lighting is likely to be needed. This will be particularly true in
premises with extensive basements.

In specific work areas the levels of illumination shall be in accordance with Health and
Safety Guidance (HSG) 38 Lighting at Work and Chartered Institute of Building Services
Engineers (CIBSE) Code for Lighting. (see Appendix C Emergency Escape Routes);
Sealed non-maintenance 3 hour rated cells shall be utilised for battery or 3hr self-
contained non-maintained battery conversion kits housed within general purpose
luminaries and may include emergency exit signs to be tested annually and replaced
as required;
Emergency lighting levels to be in accordance with BS 5266-7:1999 / BS EN 1838:1999.

7.9 Access

As a general principle there should be access for fire appliances to small buildings (up to
2000m2 with a top story up to 11 metres above ground) to either:

15% of the perimeter; or

Within 45metres of the floor plan area of the building, whichever is the least onerous.

8 Fire Compartmentation
In accordance with the Electricity Council Recommendations and The Enclosed Major
Substation Civil Engineering Standards the roof and walls of transformers in enclosures shall
have a minimum fire resistance of 4 hours.

Building elements elsewhere such as corridors and stairwells shall be designed to provide a
minimum of 1 hours fire resistance.

Consideration should be given to risks at specific locations, the provision of fire suppression
methods (see section 11) and additional levels of fire compartmentation where debris or fire
may affect a publicly accessible area.

Due to the low probability of a fire occurring in a transformer cooler, a transformer cooler will
require no specific fire rating. However, where a transformer is present a fire wall shall
provide separation between adjacent coolers and transformers and extend 1m higher and
2m wider than any oil containing equipment or completely enclose the transformer unit.

Based on the minimum periods of fire resistance for non-sprinkler single storey industrial
buildings (not greater than 5m high) specified in Building Regulations 2000 Part B Table A2,
switchrooms and switchouses of all voltages shall continue to be designed for 1 hour fire
resilience as specified in the current UK Power Network documents.

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8.1 Building Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B' Volume 2 (2000
Edition) Buildings Other Than Dwelling Houses

The spread of fire within a building can be restricted by sub-dividing it into compartments
separated from one another by walls and/or floors of fire-resisting construction. The object is
two-fold:

To prevent rapid fire spread which could trap occupants of the building; and
To reduce the chance of fires becoming large, on the basis that large fires are more
dangerous, not only to occupants and fire and rescue service personnel, but also to
people in the vicinity of the building.

The appropriate degree of sub-division depends on:

The use of and fire load in the building, which affects the potential for fires and the
severity of fires, as well as the ease of evacuation;
The height to the floor of the top storey in the building, which is an indication of the ease
of evacuation and the ability of the fire and rescue service to intervene effectively; and
The availability of a sprinkler system which affects the growth rate of the fire and may
suppress it altogether.

A compartment wall or floor should be provided where:

A wall is common to two or more buildings;

Parts of a building that are occupied mainly for different purposes. For example, ancillary
equipment installed in rooms containing oil or SF6 switchgear.

As defined in the Building Regulations Approved Document B Volume 2 (2000 edition)

Table A1, places of Special Fire Hazard should be enclosed with fire resisting construction.
Reference is made in Appendix E of the document that oil filled transformers and
switchgear, boiler rooms and other storage spaces for highly flammable substances
constitute places of Special Fire Risk.

Detailed guidance on fire Compartmentation is contained in Section 8 of Building

Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B'.

8.2 Breaching Fire Separation

To ensure effective protection against fire, walls and floors providing fire separation must form
a complete barrier, with an equivalent level of fire resistance provided to any openings such
as doors, ventilation ducts, pipe passages or refuse chutes. Where ventilation systems or
pipe work penetrate fire resisting or compartment walls, the breaches should comply with the
requirements of sections 9 and 10 of the Building Regulations 2000 document B Volume 2.
Additionally, the passing of services such as heating pipes or electrical cables through fire-
resisting partitions leaves gaps through which fire and smoke may spread. This should be
rectified by suitable fire stopping such as Intumescent Sealant or other proprietary products
available to suit particular types of construction. Such products should be installed by
competent contractors.

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8.3 Fire Doors

Specification for doors can be found in EDS 07-0105 Grid and Primary Civil Design
Standards.

8.3.1 Fire Rating of Doors

Doors and frames generally are to be galvanised steel, powder coated and where possible
incorporate a viewing panel.

The fire rating of doors will:

Generally be one hour fire resisting;

In transformer and cooler cells four hour fire rating;
In all other cases doors must meet the requirements of Table B1 in Appendix B of the
Building Regulations 2000 Document B.

8.4 External Doors

All external single and double leaf doors are to be certified to the appropriate agreed security
standard and rating (e.g. SEAP Class 3 / LPCB LPS 1175 Level 4) and be fitted with
appropriate ironmongery including panic bar escape door furniture complying with BS EN
1125.
Where practical, there shall only be one main access door with external door furniture, all
others are to be operated by internal panic bar systems only. The main access door is to
have a locking system matching the local existing key suite and/or the proximity card
system.
Electrically operated sliding or folding doors must comply to be certified to the appropriate
agreed security standard and rating with a mechanical means to open them in the event of a
power failure.

8.5 Transformers and other Plant Located within Other Buildings

Where transformers and/or other plant is located within other buildings, there is a risk that
any outbreak of fire within a transformer might spread to the main building. While Building
Regulations 2000 Approved Document B classes any room containing oil filled transformer
or switchgear, as a Place of Special Fire Hazard and recommends that these be enclosed
with 30 minute fire resisting construction. The UK Power Network requirement for this type of
installation is that all walls surrounding transformers in urban environments shall be
designed for 4 hour fire resilience.
Transformer enclosure ventilation shall be fitted with fire and smoke dampers in order to
prevent the spread of fire to other parts of the building. Ventilation systems shall be
protected against the effects of overpressure following a failure.
In addition to fire control measures mentioned above and in other parts of this document it is
essential that the Fire Risk Assessment findings and any additional control or management
requirements are discussed and agreed with the building owner. This agreement shall be
documented and the record saved onto the UKPN Asset Register and a hardcopy of the
record placed on site.

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9 Space Separation
Detailed guidance on fire Compartmentation is contained in Section 13 of Building
Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B'.

A fire in a building can have a significant effect on other buildings in its vicinity, spreading
between buildings if they are not adequately separated from one another. The following
sections outline some generic separation distances for buildings, based on the requirements
of the Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document B. It should be noted that the
separation distances should be calculated on a site to site basis referencing Appendix C in
this document as they vary considerably depending on the nature of the building / enclosure
and the amount of non-fire rated construction in the enclosing walls/perimeter.

9.1 Building Regulations 2000- Fire Safety - Approved Document 'B' Volume 2
(2000 edition) Buildings Other Than Dwelling Houses

The aim of the recommended separation distances in Approved Document B to the Building
Regulations 2000 (ADB) is to ensure that the building is separated from its boundary by at
least half the distance at which the total thermal radiation intensity received from an
unprotected area in the wall. This would be 12.6kW/m2 (in still air) with an assumed output
radiation intensity of 168kW/m2 (for industrial premises).

The provisions in ADB limit the extent of unprotected areas in the sides of a building which
will not give adequate protection against the external spread of fire from one building to
another. (A roof is not subject to the provisions unless it is pitched at an angle greater than
700 to the horizontal).

Any part of an external wall which has less than the specified amount of fire resistance given
in Appendix A table A2 of Approved Document B, is considered to be an unprotected area.

9.2 Boundaries

The use of the distance to a boundary, rather than to another building, in measuring the
separation distance, makes it possible to calculate the allowable proportion of unprotected
areas, regardless of whether there is a building on an adjoining site and regardless of the
site of that building or the extent of any unprotected areas that it might have. (A wall is
treated as facing a boundary if it makes an angle of 80o or less).

The space separation factor when calculated relevant to each building, refers to the
minimum distance required to the point midway between two opposing buildings, midway
across a public road/railway/canal or river, or to the site boundary. The boundaries for the
purposes of space separation fall into two main categories:

Notional Boundary; and

Relevant boundary.

The boundary between opposing buildings on the same site is termed notional boundary.
The relevant boundaries may include a notional boundary but generally include site
boundaries and centre lines of roads, railways, rivers and canals. Appendix D Space
Separation gives more detailed information and examples of boundary definitions.

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9.3 Separation
The space separation for buildings is calculated using the methods stipulated in Building
Regulations 2000 Approved Document B. One of the methods commonly used is the
enclosing rectangle method set out in the British Research Establishment (BRE) report
document BR 187 External Fire Spread: Building Separation and Boundary Distances; this is
explained in detail in Appendix C Space Separation.
In consideration of Fire Protection measures, the decision as to whether a transformer
should be enclosed, separated by an appropriate distance or screened by a fire wall should
depend upon adjacent risks both within the curtilage of the substation and outside of it.
In terms of external adjacent risks, the main consideration of risk will be associated with the
hazard of thermal radiation presented by a fire in the building to its surroundings, rather than
the hazards presented by the surroundings themselves. Assuming that the principles of good
space separation described in this section have been followed in relation to adjacent
buildings, fire spread to a substation from an external adjacent risk will be unlikely.
When considering the possibility of fire spread from a sub-station to an adjacent risk, again
assuming that the principles of space separation described in this section have been
followed, fire spread to an external adjacent risk will be unlikely.
Where the recommended separation distances between a substation (or other operational
building) and adjacent risks cannot be met and fire resisting walls etc., are utilised in
compensation, the recommended fire performance of the walls must be as stipulated in
Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document B. As an example, where the height of the
top storey is not more than 5m and the wall is less than 1m from the boundary, the fire
resistance (integrity and insulation) would need to be 1 hour.

It is recognised that whilst following Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document B

guidelines to achieve regulatory compliance might be acceptable, UK Power Networks may
choose to increase the fire protection to adjacent risks by increased levels of fire protection
or by installation of fire suppression systems. Where this is the case, the level of risk
associated with adjacent buildings is an important measure and the following list is based
upon the level of perceived risk, associated with these building types.
9.4 High Risk

Schools and colleges, but not adjacent school playing fields;

Nursery schools;
Railway Stations, in particular sub-surface;
Airports;
Hospitals;
Residential care homes;
Nursing Homes;
Sport stadia;
Heritage sites;
Buildings of combustible construction;
Shopping Centres;
Industrial sites containing large quantities of flammable materials (e.g. Petrochemical
storage or production, gas towers);
Large and heavily populated commercial buildings;
In all of the above, assuming that appropriate measures are in place for fire evacuations, fire
spread from an adjacent building should be of no greater life risk than an outbreak of fire
anywhere within that building.

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9.5 Equipment Separation

Referring to Appendix C the minimum separation distance between unprotected, open-air
transformers and coolers and buildings is 4m. When applied to the distance between two
unprotected transformers this equates to a minimum separation distance of 8m regardless of
voltage. This separation distance may be reduced by means of segregation by a 4 hour
rated firewall or by protection through partially or fully enclosing the transformers and
reducing the Enclosing Rectangle as defined in the Building Regulations 2000 Approved
Document B.

9.6 Unprotected Areas

In areas where boundary constraints do not present any problems, the limits of unprotected
areas in transformer room enclosures are relatively large. However, where significant
boundary constraints exist (e.g. city centre locations), boundary distances and un-protected
areas play a pivotal role in the location of transformers and the design of their enclosures.

9.7 Transformers in Urban Locations

Transformers located in city settings will generally be set in relatively compact sites. It is
likely that the separation distance to the relevant boundaries will be limited and in the order
of circa 1m to 4m. Therefore because of the restrictions on the maximum allowable
unprotected areas in each faade, in some scenarios, it may be a requirement to fully
enclose the transformer bay in fire rated construction.

9.8 Open Air Transformers

Open-air transformers by their very nature are not in a building however, there will be a
need to separate open air transformers from surrounding risks both on and off site. If the
convention on space separation is applied to open air transformers, a minimum separation
distance to the relevant boundary of 4m would be required. In the case of a number of open
air transformers being located on the same site, this would result in a separation distance of
8m between any two transformers.

9.9 Coolers

Coolers by their nature require large amounts of ventilation in order to operate efficiently, as
such these would be considered in the same light as open air transformers given that no
restrictions from compartment walls exist to restrict the spread of fire. Thus these would be
considered as being 100% unprotected areas for the purpose of space separation. If the
coolers can be located at an adequate distance (4m) from any boundary then a fire resisting
enclosure might not be necessary.

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10 Fire Protection and Detection Equipment

Fixed fire protection equipment is installed in order to:

To preserve the life of relative persons where a substation is located within or directly
adjacent to another building or within an area of high foot traffic;
Prevent the spread of fire to another part of a building in which a substation is
incorporated;
Prevent the spread of fire to another building in close proximity to a substation;
Prevent the total loss of a switchboard in the event of a failure of one or more
components.

Portable fire protection equipment is installed in order to ensure the safe egress of staff from
a building should an event occur.
Detection equipment is to be installed where point a) above applies but space or locations
are limiting factors.
10.1 Provision of Fire Protection Equipment
10.1.1 Grid and Primary Switchrooms
Grid and Primary switchrooms with non-oil filled switchgear Portable extinguishers.
Grid and Primary switchrooms with oil filled switchgear:

Two or more Oil Circuit Breakers Fixed suppression system;

One Oil Circuit Breaker Portable extinguishers.

10.1.2 Internally Located Grid and Primary Transformers

Internally located Grid and Primary transformers will be subject to the findings of a Fire Risk
Assessment (FRA). This FRA will be used to determine whether the location of the
transformer or the transformer housing requires a fixed suppression system to be installed.

10.1.3 Externally Located Transformers

Externally located Grid and Primary transformers will not have any form of fire suppression
installed provided that they meet the criteria for separation distances. Exceptions will be
identified by the Fire Risk Assessment.

10.1.4 Coolers
External coolers will not have any form of fire protection installed.

10.1.5 Indoor Distribution Substations

Indoor distribution substations will be subject to the findings of a Fire Risk Assessment. This
FRA will be used to determine whether the location of the substation requires a fixed
suppression system to be installed, a detection and alarm system if limitations prevail or
indeed no system if the substation is stand alone, not integral to another building and not in
close proximity to another building with openings overlooking.

10.1.6 Outdoor Distribution Substations

Outdoor distribution substations will not have any form of fire protection installed.

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10.2 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 13 (Fire-Fighting and
Fire Detection)

Where necessary to ensure the safety of persons in case of fire the responsible person must
ensure that the premises are, to the extent that it is appropriate, equipped with fire-fighting
equipment and with fire detectors and alarms. Any non-automatic fire-fighting equipment
must be easily accessible and, where necessary, indicated by signs.

Fire-fighting equipment should be considered as a means of both prevention and protection.

For example, preventing a small fire growing out of control and spreading beyond the area of
origin, affecting the means of escape or posing a risk to relevant persons.

The responsible person must, in order to safeguard the safety of all relevant persons,
nominate competent persons to implement fire-fighting measures. They must establish
necessary contacts with the emergency services particularly in relation to fire-fighting,
rescue work. Those contacts should include discussion of information the emergency
services may need to render effective emergency assistance.

10.3 Fire Protection Equipment

Fire extinguishers should be provided appropriate to the specific risks found in the premises.
The categories based on fuel and the means of extinguishing are as follows:
Class A Fire which involve solid materials such as wood, paper, cardboard, textiles,
furniture and plastics where there are normally glowing embers during combustion. Such
fires are extinguished by cooling, which is achieved using water.

Class B Fire which involve liquids or liquefied solids such as paints, oils or fats. These can
be further subdivided into:

Class B1 Fires which involve liquids that are soluble in water such as Methanol.
They can be extinguished by carbon dioxide, dry powder, water spray, light water
and vaporizing liquids.

Class B2 Fires which involve liquids not soluble in water, such as petrol and oil.
They can extinguished using foam, carbon dioxide, dry powder, light water and
vaporizing liquids.

Class C Fires which involve gases such as Natural Gas, or liquefied gases such as
Butane or Propane. They can be extinguished using foam or dry powder in conjunction with
water to cool any containers involved or nearby.

Class D Fire which involve metals such as Aluminium or Magnesium. Special dry powder
extinguishers are required to extinguish these fires, which may contain powdered graphite or
talc.

Class F Fires which involve high-temperature cooking oils or fats in large catering
establishments or restaurants.

Electrical Fires Fires involving electrical equipment or circuitry do not constitute a fire
class on their own, as electricity is a source of ignition that wil feed a fire until switched off or
isolated. But there are some pieces of equipment that can store, within capacitors, lethal
voltages even when isolated. Extinguishers specifically designed for electrical use like
carbon dioxide or dry powder units should always be used for this type of fire hazard.

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Where the particular fire risk is specifically located, e.g. flammable liquids, the appropriate
fire extinguisher should be near to the hazard, so located that they can be safely used. They
should be placed on a dedicated stand or hung on a wall at a convenient height so that
employees can easily lift them off (at about 1m for larger extinguishers, 1.5m for smaller
ones, to the level of the handle).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) portable extinguishers are recommended for most applications within
a substation environment. Previously Power fire extinguishers have been recommend in
addition to CO2 but in accordance with BS 5306-8:2015 Fire Extinguishing Installations and
Equipment on Premises, which states:

The discharge of a powder extinguisher within buildings can cause a sudden reduction of
visibility and can also impair breathing, which could temporarily jeopardise escape, rescue or
other emergency action. For this reason, powder extinguishers should generally not be
specified for use indoors, unless mitigated by a health and safety risk assessment.

For this reason the installation of powder fire extinguishers is no longer permitted in UK
Power Networks operational sites and a programme is in place to exchange the existing
units with CO2 units.

Ideally no one should have to travel more than 30m to reach a fire extinguisher.

Guidance on the selection and installation of fire extinguishers is given in BS 5306-8 and for
colour coding in BS 7863.

10.4 Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers

All portable fire extinguishers will require periodic inspection, maintenance and testing.
Depending on local conditions such as the likelihood of vandalism or the environment where
extinguishers are located, carry out brief checks to ensure that they remain serviceable.
Maintenance should be carried out at least annually by a suitably trained competent person.

New fire extinguishers should comply with BS EN 3. Guidance for maintenance of

extinguishers is in BS 5306-3.

10.5 Fire Alarms

In small premises that have a very low occupancy, suitable arrangements such as gongs,
whistles or air horns, combined with suitable training, may be acceptable.

The suitability and acceptability of electrical systems will be determined by the Fire Risk
Assessment and meet the requirements of BS 5839.

Where an electrical fire-warning system is necessary then a straightforward arrangement

typically includes the following:

Manual call points (break-glass call points);

Electronic sirens or bells;
A control and indicator panel.

If the building has areas where a fire could develop undetected or where people work alone
and might not see a fire, then it may be necessary to upgrade the fire-warning system to
incorporate automatic fire detection. If, for any reason, the system fails you must still ensure
that people in your premises can be warned and escape safely.

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The fire warning sound levels should be loud enough to alert everyone, taking into account
background noise (normally in a workplace - 65dba or 5dba above any background noise).
In areas with high background noise, or where people may be wearing hearing protectors,
the audible warning should be supplemented, e.g. with visual alarms.
Where a fire alarm/detection system is required it should be installed to BS 5839 type P2
(property protection). In cases where the detection system is considered to be required for
life safety, type L should be specified. If manual call points are to be provided as part of
the P2 system, the suffix M should be added.
Where fire detection and alarm systems are connected to the UKPN Network Control Centre
they must be designed to BS 5839 Fire Detection & Alarm Systems for Buildings to meet
enhanced P2 system with detectors mounted on selected beam soffits.
Where suppression systems are fitted they often rely on a building automatic fire detection
system (meeting the requirements of BS 5839) to activate them. These systems typically
incorporate devices such as:

Smoke detectors;
Multi sensors;
Flame detectors;
Aspirating smoke detectors.

Other types of fire detection equipment are described in Appendix E - Firefighting &
Detection Equipment.

11 Automatic Fire Suppression Systems

Building Regulations and other Acts, including local Acts, may have required fire protection
equipment and other facilities to be provided for the safety of people in the building and to
help fire fighters. Fire safety law places a duty to maintain such facilities in good working
order and at all times.

Fire detection and suppression systems shall be provided in all enclosed areas (areas not
open to the air) where oil containing plant is located. This should be by fusible link to the
gravity operating mechanism or from a fire detection system to the gravity operating
mechanism of the weight monitored CO2, Argonite or similar approved Suppression System.
An Argonite system is preferred due to its non-toxic properties but any system installed
should comply with the relevant BS/EN Standard. UKPN document EDS 07-0003 Enclosed
Major Substation Civil Engineering Standard also requires an analogue addressable open
protocol system fire detection system to BS5839-1:2002.

As the potential of an independent cooler fire is considered low it is not considered

appropriate to install a fire suppression system in transformer cooler bays where these are
separate to the transformer. Where a transformer is present or the risk of a cooler fire is a
concern the use of water filled coolers complete with a heat exchanger shall be considered.
Where this solution is not possible and there remains a concern about the fire risk then a fire
engineered solution incorporating a suppression system shall be implemented.

Fire suppression systems can include sprinklers and other types of fixed installations
designed to automatically operate and suppress a fire but not water mist systems which are
not British Standards approved and have been found to be difficult and expensive to test and
maintain.

All fire suppression systems are to be maintained annually by a competent person.

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11.1 Fire Pro Potassium Carbonate based system

Following technical research a successful test demonstration was carried out in July 2015 of
a potassium carbonate (K2CO3) based fire system developed by Fire Pro. The Fire Pro
system consists of individual units containing a stable solid compound that is activated by
heat; multiple units can be utilised to provide fire suppression cover in enclosed areas such
as switchrooms and enclosed transformer bays.

When activated the solid compound contained in each unit is transformed into a rapidly
expanding fire extinguishing condensed aerosol. The generated aerosol, consisting mainly of
Potassium salt-based K2CO3, H2O (vapor), N2 and CO2, is propagated and evenly distributed
in the enclosure under protection using its own momentum. Unlike gaseous agents, the total
flooding effect is achieved without increasing the pressure in the enclosure.

Fire extinguishing is accomplished by the interruption of the chemical chain reactions

occurring in the flame and not by oxygen depletion or cooling.

Maintenance shall be in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations and

replacement is every 15 years.

Currently the Fire Pro FP-1200 and FP-1200S systems are approved for use.

11.2 Sprinklers

Sprinkler systems can be very effective in controlling fires. They can be designed to protect
life and/or property and may be regarded as a cost-effective solution for reducing the risks
created by fire.

Sprinkler systems should normally extend to the entire building. In a well-designed system
only those heads in the immediate vicinity of the fire will actually operate. Sprinkler
installations typically comprise a water supply, pumps, pipe work and sprinkler heads.

There are different types of sprinkler design and each installation should be designed for the
fire hazard; taking into account the building occupancy, the fire load and its burning
characteristics and the sprinkler control characteristics.

Guidance on the design and installation of new sprinkler systems and the maintenance of all
systems is given in the Loss Prevention Council (LPC) Rules, BS EN 1284522 or BS 5306-
Part 2 1990 and should only be carried out by a competent person.

Routine maintenance may include checking of pressure gauges, alarm systems, water
supplies and must be completed in accordance with the manufacturers or installers
instructions.

11.3 Water Mist Systems

Water Mist fire suppression systems are not to be used on UK Power Networks operational
sites; there is no approved British Standard and the system requires the storage of a large
volume and mass of water that is difficult to accommodate in the design of schemes. The
system also requires periodic testing that could expose operatives to the risk of Legionella
infection and contact with other water borne diseases.

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11.4 Gas Flooding Systems

Total flooding fire-extinguishing systems are used primarily for protection against hazards
that are in enclosures or equipment that, in itself, includes an enclosure to contain the
extinguishing medium. The following are typical of such hazards, but the list is not
exhaustive:

Electrical and electronic hazards;

Telecommunications facilities;
Flammable and combustible liquids and gases.

The design, installation and activities to ensure proper system function of gaseous fire-
extinguishing systems shall be performed by those competent in fire extinguishing system
technology. Maintenance and installation shall only be carried out by qualified personnel and
companies.

11.5 Fixed Fire Fighting Systems Gas Extinguishing Systems

BS EN 15004-1:2008 specifies requirements and gives recommendations for the design,

installation, testing, maintenance and safety of gaseous firefighting systems in buildings,
plants or other structures, and the characteristics of the various extinguishers and types of
fire for which they are a suitable extinguishing medium.

It covers total flooding systems primarily related to buildings, plants and other specific
applications, utilizing electrically non-conducting gaseous fire extinguishers that do not leave
a residue after discharge. This document is not applicable to explosion suppression.

The use of non-toxic gas systems such as Argonite, FM-200 and Novec 1230 are preferred
over Carbon Dioxide systems.

11.6 Fire Extinguishing Installations (CO2) Carbon Dioxide Systems

Where gaseous fixed fire extinguishing systems are installed it is preferred that Carbon
Dioxide is not used. Where for operational or site specific reasons it is required it shall
conform to the following standards.

BS 5306 4:2001 specifies the requirements and gives recommendations for the provision
of carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems in buildings or industrial plant. These systems
are designed to convey carbon dioxide from a central source on the premises as and when
required for the extinction of fire or the protection of particular plant or parts of the premises
against possible fire risk.

This standard gives requirements and characteristic data for carbon dioxide, the types of
fires for which it is a recommended extinguishing medium, and requirements and
recommendations for the established types of piped system.

Where a fixed carbon dioxide extinguishing system is being considered for new or existing
buildings the appropriate authority shall be consulted. Where a fire detection and control
system is used in conjunction with a CO2 system it shall conform to the requirements of BS
5839-1, BS 6266 and BS 7273-1 and -2 where appropriate.

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Warning and instructional signs or notices should be positioned at the entrance to all
protected fire risk areas. In most cases where CO2, is installed, the actual hazard to
personnel is rather small, but the hazard will always be greater where the enclosure is large
and where carbon dioxide may enter adjacent spaces such as pits and basements.

The extent and type of warning must be designed to suit the particular site but British
Standard 5306 - 4:2001 requires signs, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, to be prominently
displayed at each manual control point (Figure 1) and at each entrance to the area protected
by the system (Figure 2).

Figure 1 Figure 2

Label to be displayed
Label to be displayed at
at the entrances to hazard area
manual control point.

Note: In All Premises

In existing premises where suppression systems are fitted the compartment/room into which
the system discharges must have signs as described in Figure 2 on every entry door to the
area protected by the system

In existing premises where suppression systems are fitted there shall be a sign that includes
pictograms fixed adjacent to the operating systems clearly describing how to fully disable the
system.
11.7 CO2 Requirements for Surface Fires

Enclosed switchrooms will have sufficient automatic CO2 cover to provide 100% flood
protection.

Enclosed transformers will have sufficient automatic CO2 cover to provide 100% flood
protection to one transformer. In addition, a reserve bank of CO2, equal in volume to the
automatic volume, will be installed for manual operation should it be required.

11.7.1 Basic Quantity

Multiply the volume to be protected (cubic metres) by the appropriate volume factor given in
Table 3 (Volume Factors) to give the mass of CO2 required in kilograms. This will protect an
enclosure containing materials requiring a design concentration of up to 34%.

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The volume to be used is the gross volume but it is permitted to deduct permanent,
impermeable elements of the building structure i.e. beams, stanchions, solid stairways and
foundations.
3
Volume of Space (m ) Volume Factor
3
(kg CO2/m )
<4 1.15
>4 <14 1.07
>14 <45 1.01
>45 <126 0.90
>126 <1400 0.80
>1400 0.74
Table 4 Volume Factors
Example
Room: 6m x 9m x 3m = 162m3
162m3 x 0.80kg/m3 = 129.6kg
11.7.2 Un-Closable Openings

Openings shall be arranged to close automatically before or simultaneously with the start of
the CO2 discharge. This can be done by self-closing door devices, fire curtains or steel
shutters.

If it is not possible to seal the opening, it is permissible for small openings to remain open
provided they do not exceed the limits shown below and are compensated by addition of
extra carbon dioxide.

11.7.3 Limits of Un-Closable Openings

The maximum area permitted is the smaller result of the following calculations:

An area in square metres, which is numerically equivalent to 10% of the volume in cubic
metres.
10% of the total area of all sides, top and bottom in square metres.

When un-closable openings exceed this limitation, the system should be designed by a
Local Application method.

11.7.4 Compensation

Additional CO2 needs to be applied at 5kg/m2 of the opening.

The additional quantity should be discharged through the regular pipework system and the
flow rate increased accordingly so that the additional quantity is discharged within the time
specified in BS 5306 Part 4.

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11.7.5 Forced Ventilation

When forced air ventilation systems are used, they shall, if possible, be shut down before or
simultaneously with the start of the CO2 discharge. If this cannot be done, additional CO2
must be applied.
If there is a short run down time but the quantity of air removed is significant, additional CO 2
must be applied. The additional CO2 must be discharged within the time specified in BS
5306 Part 4.
For calculation purposes, the volume of air removed in one minute will be replaced with CO 2
at the design concentration being used.

11.8 Occupied Buildings

In all buildings where new suppression systems are introduced or old systems are replaced
they shall conform to BS5306 Part 4 2001 and will include the following features;

Time delay devices:

For applications where a discharge delay does not significantly increase the
threat from fire to life;
Property, extinguishing systems shall incorporate a pre-discharge alarm with a
time delay sufficient to allow personnel evacuation prior to discharge;
Time delay devices shall be used only for personnel evacuation or to prepare
the hazard area for discharge;
Automatic/manual switch, and disable devices where required (maintenance functions);
Exit routes, which shall be kept clear at all times, and emergency lighting and adequate
direction signs to minimize travel distances;
Outward-swinging self-closing doors which can be opened from the inside, including
when locked from the outside;
Continuous visual and audible alarms at entrances and designated exits inside the
protected area and continuous visual alarms outside the protected area which operate
until the protected area has been made safe;
Appropriate warning and instructions signs;
Where required, pre-discharge alarms within such areas, which are distinctive from all
other alarm signals, and which, upon detection of the fire, will operate immediately on
commencement of time delay;
Means for prompt natural or forced-draft ventilation of such areas after any discharge of
extinguishers. Forced-draft ventilation will often be necessary.
Instructions and drills of all personnel within or in the vicinity of protected areas, including
maintenance or construction personnel who may be brought into the area, to ensure their
correct actions when the system operates.
Warning and instructional signs or notices should be positioned at the entrance to all
protected fire risk areas.
The extent and type of warning must be designed to suit the particular site but the British
Standard 5306 - 4:2001 requires signs, as specified in the Fire Protection Engineering
Standard, to be prominently displayed at each manual control point and at each entrance to
the area protected by the system.
In addition, existing premises where suppression systems are fitted shall be fitted with a sign
that includes pictograms fixed adjacent to the operating systems clearly describing how to
fully disable the system.

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12 Fire Training and Information

12.1 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 21 (Training)

The responsible person must ensure that his employees are provided with adequate safety
training -

at the time when they are first employed; and

on their being exposed to new or increased risks because of-
o their being transferred or given a change of responsibilities;
o the introduction of new work equipment;
o the introduction of new technology;

The training must be repeated on an annual basis and more frequent to take account of any
new or changed risks to the safety of employees concerned

The training must include suitable and sufficient instruction and training on the appropriate
precautions and actions to be taken by the employee in order to safeguard themselves and
other relevant persons on the premises.

The actions of staff if there is a fire are likely to be crucial to their safety and that of other
people in the premises. All staff should receive basic fire safety induction training and attend
refresher sessions at regular intervals.

The type of training should be based on the particular features of their premises and should:

Take account of the findings of the fire risk assessment;

Explain your emergency procedures;
Take account of the work activity and explain the duties and responsibilities of staff;
Be repeated periodically at periods not exceeding one year;
Be easily understandable by your staff and other people who may be present; and
Be tested by fire drills.

In simple premises this may be no more than showing staff the fire exits and giving basic
training on what to do if there is a fire. In complex premises with a high staff turnover and
many shift patterns, the organisation of fire safety training will need to be planned.

Fire Safety Training should include the following:

What to do on discovering a fire;

How to raise the alarm and what happens then;
What to do upon hearing the fire alarm;
The procedures for alerting contractors and visitors including, where appropriate,
directing them to exits;
The arrangements for calling the fire and rescue service.

With the responsibility for the provision of appropriate fire protection equipment it is also a
responsibility to check that all fire protection equipment is in the correct position, in
satisfactory order and that appropriate staff are trained in its use.

A Fire Safety Training Checklist is included in Appendix E - Fire Training & Information.

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12.2 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 20 (Provision of

Information to Employers and the Self-Employed from Outside Undertakings
The responsible person must notify other employers whose employees work in or around his
premises of any risks, and of preventive and protective measures. They must give any other
non-employees or self-employed persons appropriate instructions and information on risks.
The responsible person must also ensure that the employer of other employees working on
the premises, and any person from an outside undertaking working on the premises, is
notified so as to be able to identify the persons nominated to implement evacuation
procedures.
You must provide easily understandable information to employees and to employers of other
persons working in your premises about the measures in place to ensure a safe escape from
the building and how they will operate, such as:

Any significant risks to staff and other relevant persons that have been identified in your
fire risk assessment or any similar assessment carried out by another user and
responsible person in the building;
The fire prevention and protection measures and procedures in your premises and
where they impact on staff and other relevant persons in the building;
The procedures for fighting a fire in the premises; and
The identity of people who have been nominated with specific responsibilities in the
building.
12.3 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 19 (Provision of
Information to Employees)
The responsible person must ensure that his employees are given comprehensible and
relevant information about the risks to them that have been identified and the precautions
taken to ensure their safety
The responsible person must also provide details of the significant findings in the risk
assessment.
12.4 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 22 (Co-operation and Co-
ordination)
Where more than one responsible person shares, or has duties in respect of a premise each
must take all reasonable steps to co-operate and co-ordinate with the others in relation to
the measures they take, and inform the others of the risks to relevant persons arising out of
the conduct of their undertaking.
In premises where an explosive atmosphere may occur the responsible person who has
overall responsibility for the premises must co-ordinate the implementation of all the
measures to protect the relevant persons.
Where premises are shared, each responsible person will need to co-operate and co-
ordinate the findings of their separate fire risk assessments to ensure the fire precautions
and protection measures are effective throughout the building. This could include:
Co-ordinating an emergency plan;
Identifying the nature of any risks and how they may affect others in or about the
premises;
Identifying any fire-prevention and protection measures;
Identifying any measures to mitigate the effects of a fire; and,
Arranging any contacts with external emergency services and calling the fire and rescue
services.

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This co-ordination will normally be carried out by the competent Person carrying out the risk
assessment, but the responsible person maintains the legal duty and must check that the
necessary consultations have taken place.

12.5 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Article 23 (General Duties of
Employees at Work)

Similar to the duty contained in section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 every
employee whilst at work must take reasonable care of their own safety and other relevant
persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. They must co-operate with their
employer, and inform the employer of any work situation which they consider to be a serious
and immediate danger. They should also inform their employer or any other employee with
specific responsibility for the safety of their fellow employees of any shortcomings in the
employers protection arrangements for safety.

12.6 Employees Responsibilities

Employees also have a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of other
people who may be affected by their activities. This includes the need for them to inform
their employer of any activity that they consider would present a serious and immediate
danger to their own safety and that of others.

13 Reference Documents
EDS 07-0003 Enclosed Major Substation Civil Engineering Standards
EDS 07-0105 Grid and Primary Civil Design Standards
Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996
HSS 01 055 Fire Risk Assessment (internal document)
HSS 01 055a Sample Fire Risk Assessment Form (internal document)
HSS 01 055b Fire Risk Assessment Secondary Sites (internal document)
PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessment Guidance and a Recommended Methodology
PMS 04 103 Fire Precautions and Emergency Procedures at Occupied Sites
(internal document)
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

14 Dependent Documents
This document is referenced in the following documents, any of which may be affected by
updates.

EDS 07-0003 Enclosed Major Substation Civil Engineering Standard

EOS 07-0025 Management and Maintenance of Secondary Substation Legacy Fire
Safety Systems
EOS 09-0074 Energy Storage Device at Leighton Buzzard
HSS 01 055 Fire Risk Assessment

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Appendix A - Risk Assessment

A.1 Fire Plan

This will be specific to the premises and will detail the pre-planned procedures in place for
use in the event of a fire. This is to be developed in conjunction with the local fire brigade
representative.

The emergency plan must be recorded where:

A license under an enactment is in force;

An Alterations Notice under the Fire Safety Order requires it;
You are an employer and have five or more employees.

This shall (where appropriate) include the following features:

Action on discovering a fire;

Warning if there is a fire;
Calling the fire brigade;
Evacuation of the premises including those particularly at risk;
Power isolation;
Fire protection equipment;
Places of assembly and roll call;
Liaison with emergency services;
Identification of key escape routes;
Specific responsibilities in the event of a fire;
Training required.

Provision of information to relevant persons.

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Appendix B - Emergency Escape Routes

B.1 Further Guidance on Emergency Escape Lighting

An emergency escape lighting system should normally cover the following:

Each exit door;

Escape routes;
Intersections of corridors;
Outside each final exit and on external escape routes;
Emergency escape signs;
Stairways so that each flight receives adequate light;
Changes in floor level;
Windowless rooms and toilet accommodation exceeding 8m2;
Fire protection equipment;
Fire alarm call points;
Equipment that would need to be shut down in an emergency;
Areas in premises greater than 60m2.

It is not necessary to provide individual lights (luminaries) for each item above, but there
should be a sufficient overall level of light to allow them to be visible and usable. Emergency
escape lighting can be both maintained, i.e. on all the time, or non-maintained which only
operates when the normal lighting fails. Systems or individual lighting units (luminaries) are
designed to operate for durations of between one and three hours. In practice, the three-
hour design is the most popular and can help with maintaining limited continued use of your
premises during a power failure (other than in an emergency situation).

B.2 Work Level of Lighting

In specific areas the levels of illumination shall be in accordance with HSG 38 Lighting at
Work and CIBSE Code for Lighting as detailed below:

In switch rooms 500 lux maintained luminance with a uniform factor of 0.8 across the front
and rear elevation of all the switchgear, including spare bays.
In auxiliary rooms 500 lux maintained luminance with a uniform factor of 0.8 across the
front and rear elevation of island panel suites and wall mounted equipment.
In cable basement 100 lux maintained luminance lux with a uniform factor of 0.7 across the
entire floor area.
In transformer bays 300 lux maintained luminance with a uniform factor of 0.7 across the
entire floor area.

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Appendix C - Space Separation

The following information has been sourced and summarised from the British Research
Establishment paper BR 187 External Fire Spread: Building Separation and Boundary
distances.

C.1 Boundaries

The following diagrams extracted from Approved Document B show some general notional
and relevant boundaries:

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Using the enclosing rectangle method, the separation distance between buildings is
dependent on one main criterion, the percentage of unprotected openings in the building
facade relative to the size of the faade.
The area of the faade may not necessarily be the entire area of the faade of the building in
question, for the purposes of space separation the faade can be calculated as the section
of the building enclosed within a fire compartment as shown in the diagram below which is
extracted from BR 187:

The enclosing rectangle method is essentially based on enclosing the unprotected areas of
the faade in question with a rectangle to the nearest 3m dimension as shown in the
following diagram extracted from BR 187:

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The unprotected area within the rectangle is then calculated as a percentage of the
rectangle area, and then from the tables in BRE 187 the separation distance is determined.
The following example outlines the calculation of the separation distance between buildings
for a transformer enclosed in a 5m x 5m x 2.5m room using the enclosing rectangle method
as defined in BR 187.

For the purposes of this example, it is assumed that the entire face on the transformer room
is constructed of non- fire rated construction (i.e. unprotected area). The enclosing rectangle
is 6m x 3m as per Table 1 of BRE 187 External fire spread: building separation and
boundary distances (shown below).

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From the above table, and assuming the following:

Compartment facade area of 5m x 2.5m;
Enclosing rectangle of 6m x 3m;
Unprotected area of the compartment faade is 100%. Therefore the unprotected area is
as follows:

Area of the compartment faade x 100 =unprotected area (%)

Area of the enclosing rectangle
(5m x 2.5m) x 100 = 70%
(6m x 3m)
Therefore the unprotected area for the purposes of space separation is 70%.
For the above example and based on the assumptions given, the space separation is
required to be 3.5m to the relevant boundary.

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The following tables give generic minimum boundary separations for transformers in various
locations:

Enclosure Enclosing Area of Distance Allowable Allowable

faade size rectangle (m) enclosing from unprotected area unprotected area
(m) length x height rectangle (m2) boundary (non-fire rated (non-fire rated
(m) construction) (%) construction) (m2)

From 3.1 x 6x3 18 1 0 0

1 to 6 x 3
6x3 18 2 30 5.4

6x3 18 3 60 10.8

6x3 18 4 100 18

From 6.1 x 9x3 27 1 0 0

1 to 9 x 3
9x3 27 1.5 20 5.4

9x3 27 3 40 10.8

9x3 27 4 70 18.9

9x3 27 4.5 80 21.6

9x3 27 5 100 27

From 3.1 x 6x6 36 1 0 0

3.1 to 6 x 6
6x6 36 2 20 7.2

6x6 36 3 30 10.8

6x6 36 4 50 18

6x6 36 5 70 25.2

6x6 36 6 100 36

From 6.1 x 9x6 54 2 0 0

3.1 to 9 x 6
9x6 54 2.5 20 10.8

9x6 54 3.5 30 16.2

9x6 54 4.5 40 21.6

9x6 54 5 50 27

9x6 54 6 80 43.2

9x6 54 7 100 54

From 9.1 x 12 x 6 72 2 0 0
3.1 to 12 x 6
12 x 6 72 3 20 14.4

12 x 6 72 4 30 21.6

12 x 6 72 5 40 28.8

12 x 6 72 6.5 60 43.2

12 x 6 72 7 70 50.4

12 x 6 72 8 90 64.8

12 x 6 72 8.5 100 72

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Appendix D - Detection Equipment

D.1 Methods of Fire Detection

Fire detection and alarm systems are to be installed and maintained in accordance with BS
5839 Fire Detection & Alarm Systems for Buildings. Point heat detectors

Point heat detectors can be set to activate at a fixed temperature or for a specified rate of
rise over a short period. Generally heat detectors are less susceptible to unwanted (false)
alarms at the expense of slower response times compared to other types of detector. Heat
detectors are not suitable for protecting escape routes.

D.1.1 Point smoke detectors

Point smoke detectors use an optical sensor to detect light scattered by smoke particles and
will activate when enough smoke enters the sensing chamber. False alarms can be caused
by dust, steam or other fine particles entering the sensor.

D.1.2 Multi-sensor detectors

Multi-sensor detectors combine the sensors used in both smoke and heat point detectors to
respond to a wider range of phenomena with increased reliability. All point detectors only
respond to phenomena at the location of the detector and therefore are less suitable for
areas with strong air currents or open areas.

D.1.3 VESDA systems

An Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD) system based on the Very Early Smoke Detection
Apparatus (VESDA) system. The ASD system is to be designed and configured to be
suitable for transformer enclosure and substation operation and to operate with minimal false
alarms. Data on maintenance periods and procedures is to be provided by the manufacturer
and / or Designer.

D.1.4 Fusible links

Fusible links are used with spring loaded mechanical fittings and will melt at a given
temperature to automatically release equipment such as fire shutters or operate mechanical
switches. When the temperature is great enough to melt the link the spring mechanism is
released and the switch closes. The advantages of fusible links are that they are unlikely to
give a false alarm unless damaged and they require very minimal maintenance. Once
activated fusible links must be replaced. Recent isolated tests have indicated that
performance of the links may vary with age.

D.1.5 Flame detectors

Flame detectors measure specific frequencies of infra-red and ultra-violet light given off by
flames during combustion. Flame detectors rely on having line of sight to the fire and can be
suitable for large areas. As they do not detect smoke they are not affected by through drafts
or ventilation however their sensitivity and susceptibility to false alarms is very dependent on
the type of sensor used and the distance from the fire.

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D.1.6 Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors

Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors measure the increased amount of carbon monoxide given
off by smouldering fires or poorly ventilated fires with reduced oxygen levels. They are well
suited to detecting electrical cable fires during the incipient stages but have increased
maintenance and testing costs and shorter lifetimes for the sensor elements (typically less
than 5 years).
D.1.7 Beam smoke detection
Beam smoke detection uses a beam of light directed across a room to a receiver from a
transmitter to detect the presence of smoke. The alarm is activated when the intensity of the
light received from the transmitter is reduced by smoke partially obscuring the beam. Beam
smoke detection can be used to cover large areas and the locations for the transmitters and
receivers can be chosen to aid maintenance access, however beam detection can be
susceptible to faults or unwanted alarms caused by birds, dust, etc. obscuring the beam or
structural movement causing the beam to be misdirected.
D.1.8 Video detection
Video detection uses computer algorithms to analyse images from CCTV cameras for smoke
movement and flames. As it does not directly sample smoke, video detection is able to
monitor large open areas, however, the computer equipment is relatively expensive and
because it does not meet the requirements of BS5839-1, video detection should not be
installed as a stand-alone system within a building. Because the system relies on being able
to see a fire the system cannot detect smoke in the dark and will not detect any fire if a
camera is obscured (this is unlikely to signal a fault to the fire alarm system either). For
these reasons video detection is mainly used to supplement existing fire alarm and CCTV
systems.

D.1.9 Aspirating smoke detection

Aspirating smoke detection has a very sensitive smoke detector situated in a panel. Small
diameter pipework with regularly spaced holes extends from the aspirating panel and
installed at high level in the areas to be protected. Air is then drawn in through the holes and
back along the pipes to the panel where it is analysed for the presence of smoke particles.
Due to the high sensitivity of the sensor and the potential for blockage of the fan drawing the
air through the pipework, aspirating smoke detection systems are not suitable for areas with
high levels of dust or other fine airborne particles.

D.1.10 Linear heat detection

Linear heat detection comprises a sensor cable which is either mounted at high level (similar
to point heat detectors) or fixed to specific equipment that is likely to overheat. There are
three main types of linear heat detection; the first is digital heat detection. Digital linear heat
detection uses a cable with two cores separated by insulation. When the cable reaches a
designated temperature the insulation melts and an electrical contact is made signalling the
alarm (this requires replacement of the affected section of cable following any activation).
Although the location of the activation can be determined, the activation temperature is fixed
by the properties of the insulation and there is no opportunity for monitoring the temperature.
The second method of linear heat detection uses fibre-optic cable. Laser light is transmitted
along the cable and a localised increase in temperature changes the properties of the fibre
causing the light to be reflected back to the sensor (back-scatter). Analysis of the
frequencies of the reflected light determines the localised temperature and location of the hot
spot. The third method of linear heat detection utilises miniature addressable electronic heat
sensors distributed at regular intervals within the cable. The cable includes flexible filler that
conducts heat to the sensors. Each sensor can measure the temperature to within 0.1C.

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Appendix E - Fire Training and Information

E.1 Fire Safety Training Checklist

Have you told your staff about the emergency plan?

Have you informed guests and visitors about what to do in an emergency?
Have you identified people you have nominated to do a particular task?
Have you given staff information about any dangerous substances?
Do you have arrangements for informing temporary or agency staff?
Do you have arrangements for informing other employers whose staff are guest workers
in your premises, such as maintenance contractors and cleaners?
Have you co-ordinated your fire safety arrangements with other responsible people and
with any contractors in the building?
Have you recorded details of any information or instructions you have given and the
details of any arrangements for co-operation and co-ordination with others?
The evacuation procedures for everyone to reach an assembly point at a place of total
safety;
The location and, when appropriate, the use of fire protection equipment;
The location of escape routes, especially those not in regular use;
How to open all emergency exit doors;
The importance of keeping fire doors closed to prevent the spread of fire, heat and
smoke;
The reason for not using lifts (except those specifically installed or nominated, following a
suitable fire risk assessment;
The safe use of and risks from storing or working with highly flammable and explosive
substances; and
The importance of general fire safety, which includes good housekeeping.

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