The document is long but necessary because of its serious subject matter. It includes case studies of fire incidents and a history and description of fire safety regulations. The glossary contains definitions that are extremely helpful for anyone who works in the industry.
Many, especially multi-occupancy residential building owners, have been anxiously awaiting PAS 99880 to find out if their external walls pose a low to tolerable risk or if they will need to be remedied.
The standard is not intended to demonstrate compliance of external walls with Building Regulations, other legislation, and standards. The standard does not replace EWS1 forms, as many may have believed when it was published. Therefore, mortgage providers won’t request EWS1 forms for external walls that are deemed to pose acceptable or low risks using a PAS9980 Fire Risk Assessment.
These Are the Goals Of PAS9980?
To establish a consistent methodology for assessing the risk of fire spread in all assessments of external wall walls.
To make it easier for those receiving assessments to understand their findings and possible dangers.
The standard includes a fire risk assessment and assessment of external walls (FRAEW), which feeds into both the Fire Safety Order’s assessment and the eventual safety case for taller buildings. It is essential to be aware that the standard can be applied to any multi-occupancy residential building, not just those over 18m. You can apply it to smaller buildings like student accommodation or specialised housing. FR Consulting is a professional who is always ready to help you out.
What Is PAS 9980’s Definition Of Risk?
PAS9980 defines risk as an interaction of the possibility of external fire spread, secondary fires, and tenable escape circumstances, as well as effective intervention by the fire service. The risk categories will be classified into medium, high, and low. Even though a moderate risk is considered acceptable, taking additional measures or remediating the situation may still be necessary. Further analysis is required for high-risk buildings. This will likely include a fire engineering assessment, which could lead to the need for external wall remediation.
What Types Of Buildings Are Covered By PAS 99880?
We must first consider which types of buildings PAS 9980 covers to answer the question, “What is a PAS 9980 Fire Risk Assessment?” PAS 9980 not only covers multi-storey blocks but also includes a variety of other building types. This is subject to the condition that the buildings are comparable to a purposely built block of flats from the standpoint of general fire strategy or means of escape design. PAS can also include student accommodation, sheltered or other specialised housing, and any buildings converted into flats.
Wall Building Ups – Pas9980
PAS 9980 addresses the danger of the fire spreading over exterior walls of multi-story blocks, regardless of the building’s height. PAS can be used when one wall type or more are used. PAS also addresses buildings that are partially or entirely clad in combustible material.
Walls built up within PAS can include external walls with rain-screen cladding, regardless of whether there is insulation in any cavity. It also includes external thermal insulation composites systems (ETICS), particularly those with rendered insulation. In PAS, walls are built with insulated core panels and glazed facades that include infill/spread and curtain walling.
Who Is PAS9980 Intended For? What Is the PAS 9980 Fire Risk Assessment?
The PAS9980 fire risk assessment is primarily for fire engineers and other professionals in the building industry who need to assess the fire risk from external wall construction on existing blocks of flats.
However, the FRAEWs can also be used by other building professionals, such as the appraisers or those making decisions based on the results. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Building Surveyors
- Architecture
- Facade Consultants
- Cladding Contractors
- Managers Of Projects
- Landlords/Owners Of Buildings
- Local Housing Authorities
- Managers Of Facility Or Agents
- Fire And Rescue Authorities
