Fire safety legislation
The Building Regulations are a Statutory Instrument made under powers provided in the Building Act 1984. The current edition, ‘The Building Regulations 2000’ (as amended), applies in England and Wales to the majority of building projects. They are in place to ensure the health and safety of people in and around all types of buildings and set out the minimum performance requirements for both design and construction.
The Building Regulations are divided into fourteen sections, with fire safety covered by Approved Document B (AD B). This document has been split into two volumes, in order to provide specific guidance for various building uses i.e. Volume 1 (Dwelling houses) and Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwelling houses). Whilst the design and specification guidance provided by Approved Document B is not in itself mandatory, if followed, it will be ‘deemed to satisfy’ the Building Regulations. If other methods are used to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations, the applicant or designer must assume responsibility for proving compliance.
Much of the guidance given in Approved Document B relates to the fire performance of the products and materials to be used in the construction, primarily because they can have a significant bearing on the spread of fire and its growth. Any building work, which is subject to the requirements imposed by Schedule 1 of The Building Regulations (England and Wales) 2000, should, in accordance with Regulation 7, be carried out with adequate and proper materials,in a workmanlike manner. There are a number of ways in which the suitability of a material for use in a specific application may be assessed. The following may help establish this suitability:
- CE marks
- European Technical Approvals
- British or European Standard compliance
Rockwool insulation products intended for use in the UK construction industry are CE marked, subject to the applicability of this scheme.
Whether CE marked or otherwise:
- All un-faced (plain) Rockwool products are classified A1 in accordance with BS EN 13501-1 and are non-combustible as defined by the Building Regulations applicable to all parts of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
- All Rockwool products factory-faced with aluminium foil or glass tissue fleeces are classified A1 and non-combustible.
- Rockwool may supply products with other coverings such as chipboard, plasterboard or specialist facings such as open mesh scrim. Whilst these coverings may detract from the overall fire classification of any such composite product, the Rockwool insulation itself remains non-combustible.
