Listed below are the system design categories according to BS5839: 1 - 2002

Property Protection

These types of systems are purely for the protection of property and fall into two classifications, P1 and P2.

The objective of a category P is to provide the earliest warning of a fire to minimise the time taken from ignition of a fire to detection and the subsequent attendance by the fire services, minimising loss to the property.

•  Manual call point units are not essential.

•  There are no escape routes - only corridors.

•  Heat detectors may be acceptable (in certain circumstances)

P1   protects the whole building.

P2   in installed in defined parts of the building only.

Life Protection

Life protection systems can be divided into various categories, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 and M. All categories of life protection will have a type M system installed.

M   requires manual call point units to be provided on all exits as well as corridors. People should not expect to walk more than 45m to operate a call point unit.

L1   provides for Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) to be installed into all areas of a building.

L2    provides Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) as defined in L3 as well as high risk or hazardous areas. Examples of this could be Kitchens, boiler rooms, sleeping risk, storerooms if not fire resistant or if smoke could affect escape routes.

L3    Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) with smoke detection should be installed on escape routes with detection in rooms opening onto escape routes.

L4    provides Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) within escape routes only.

L5   is installed in building with a specific risk that has been identified. An example of this would be if there was an area of high risk that requires detection the category would be L5/M .