Page 15 of 27
In this section we detail typical applications for Automist, how it should be specified, and present some
additional points of comparison with conventional sprinklers.
•
Providing separation from risk areas
The guidance in Approved Document B recommends for studio flats that the kitchen should be
‘remote’ from the entrance door and escape route. Although it is preferable if the cooking facilities
are away from the flat entrance the lack of clearly defined guidance on the meaning of ‘remote’ can
lead to inconsistency. Looking at the UK national fire statistics and also reference such as BS 5839
Part 6 it is clear that kitchens are the location of over half of all dwelling fires, with cooking being
the cause of ignition. In contrast approximately 15% of all fire deaths result from fires that originate
in kitchens, suggesting that kitchen fires tend to occur whilst the occupants are awake and therefore
able to respond at an early stage.
Where differences in interpretation occur Automist can be used to help address concerns over this
issue by reducing the risks associated with the cooking facilities. In this application Automist covers
all occupant types and the suppression will control the fire at an early stage, minimising heat and
smoke generation and providing cooling to improve the potential for escape.
•
Providing a protected route out from the loft rooms to a final exit at the ground floor
after a loft conversion or when creating an open plan arrangement
Approved Document B, Volume 1 proposes sprinklers as a means of protecting the open plan area at
ground level. Given Automist’s effective suppression performance discussed in Appendix A and the
satisfactory installation standards discussed in Section 10 it is proposed that Automist can be used
as an alternative to sprinkler protection to the open-plan area.
In 2010 the NHBC Foundation released a research paper prepared by the BRE on open plan
apartment layouts considering the application of residential sprinklers and LD1 standard fire alarm
and detection systems as reasonable measures for enabling open plan apartment layouts (providing
the apartments were with defined limits). These proposals have more recently been adopted in
the draft British Standard BS9991 (the proposed replacement for BS5588 Part 1), amongst a wider
recognition of the potential application of water mist systems in residential design.
Where open plan layouts are proposed, especially conversion projects where retro fitting entire
residential sprinkler systems would be prohibitive, Automist provides a viable and effective
alternative.
9
Use of Automist