Equipment in lofts

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Electrical equipment in lofts – consideration of fire protection

This article, which is the first of two on the fire risks associated with mounting electrically powered equipment in the loft space of domestic premises, looks at the reasons why this particular space is becoming the selected location to mount certain items of equipment; it identifies risks (fire and accessibility) from such practice, and why an early warning of fire in accordance with BS 5839-6 (the British Standard for fire detection and fire alarm in domestic premises) should be considered (where appropriate) for this typically infrequently accessed location.

The need for using the loft space

New domestic premises in recent decades have been subject to a decreasing living space as, amongst other things, housing developers manage the increasing costs of land and construction with providing property at an affordable price.

Also, organisations or property owners ‘materially changing the use of a building’, such as changing a building into individual flats for domestic use or carrying out ‘material alterations’ to domestic premises, such as erecting an extension, are looking to maximise the return on their investment; this may well involve using void spaces to mount equipment, minimising impact on the living space.

To maximise the space available, developers, organisations and property owners are opting to mount in the loft space equipment that requires infrequent handling or visual monitoring, including: • central heating boilers • inverters for solar photovoltaic systems • television signal boosters • water pumps • in-line extractor fans • recessed lighting for the rooms directly underneath. Fire risks associated with equipment in the loft

A feature of electrical equipment which carries current or uses current is the presence of heat, which if restricted from being transferred from the equipment to the surrounding air, may lead to overheating and subsequent fi re. This may occur, for example, where the ambient temperature is greater than the temperature the equipment is designed to operate in, or where equipment is covered with thermal insulation.

Furthermore, electrical equipment mounted in any location can, in the event of a fault or incorrect installation, become a source of ignition and a loft by its nature may provide a ready source of fuel, enabling a fi re to become rapidly established. This is because a loft : • is a space having a ceiling below and a roof above typically constructed from timber, • may have a roof covering with a degree of fl ammability, such as thatch or felt, • is a location in which to store seldom used items (which may be combustible), • may contain cardboard boxes to house stored items, and • due to infrequent use, are potentially dust accumulating locations.

It should be noted that a loft can be subjected to a wide range of temperatures, for example, below freezing in the winter months and, say, 35 ºC in the summer months. Therefore, to ensure operation of the equipment does not present a fi re risk, as for any installed equipment, the manufacturer’s instructions should be taken into account, (Regulation 134.1.1 of BS 7671 refers).

Risks to persons associated with equipment in the loft

Where electrical equipment is mounted in the loft , it must be accessible to, for example, carry out maintenance and repair (Regulation 132.12 of BS 7671 refers). To avoid hazards to competent persons entering the loft when carrying out work, such as replacing an item of equipment, there must be safe access, a working platform (for example, fl oorboards) and adequate lighting (Regulation 15 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 refers).

Furthermore, without a safe permanent means of access and lighting to the equipment, occupants may be put at risk when, for example, they decide to investigate why a particular piece of equipment in the loft which provides function for the living space has malfunctioned.

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Fig 1 A fire detector mounted in a loft space due

to the enhanced fire risk from an inverter

The guidance given in BS 5839-6

Clause 11 (Location and siting of fi re detectors) comments that, in cases where certain electrical equipment is mounted in the loft a Category LD2 system might incorporate a smoke detector within the loft space.

Clause A.6 of Annex A (Consideration of ignition sources) acknowledges that electrical appliances and wiring are the second most common source of ignition of accidental fi res in dwellings. The clause also recognises that electrical equipment mounted in loft s contribute to the fi re statistics and, where the loft is selected for mounting such equipment, there might be justifi cation for a fi re detector* .

Fire detectors in single-family domestic premises are generally mounted in kitchens, hallways, landings and lounges to form a Grade D Category LD2 fi re detection and fi re alarm system for protection of life (Table 1 refers).

However, although Table 1 provides examples of suitable Grade and Category of system for typical premises, they are generic and design of a system should ideally be based on a fi re risk assessment. Such an assessment may identify any additional risk factors which may warrant, for example, a fi re detector in the loft (clause 4.2 refers).

Should a fi re detector be selected for the loft , it must, amongst other things, be accessible for maintenance and have accessible means of being silenced in the event of a false alarm (clauses 11.2(n) and 12.2 (a) refer respectively).

* To avoid unwanted alarms, the smoke detector would typically be an ionisation chamber smoke alarm, unless the use of a multi-sensor detector is likely to minimise unwanted alarms as a result of dust ingress Fire risk assessment

To assess whether fi re detectors are required in any particular location of a dwelling, including a loft space, a fi re risk assessment should take into account (amongst other things): • the probability of fi re occurring in the location • the probability of early detection and warning to occupants before signifi cant fi re spread occurs.

With the increase in the use of electrical equipment in the loft space and the likelihood of no one becoming aware that a fi re exists until it is established, it is likely that any fi re risk assessment will highlight the need for mounting an automatic fi re detector in the loft space. More importantly providing a fi re detector in the loft as part of a fi re detection and fi re alarm system, may provide an early warning signal and vital time for occupants to safely evacuate the premises and summon the Fire and Rescue Service before they are endangered and the property suff ers major damage.

Due consideration should be given to the specifi c requirements and recommendations that may exist in the various constituent parts of the U.K.

Summary

It is widely recognised that the risks to persons and damage to property from the eff ects of fi re can be reduced by the installation of an appropriate fi re detection and fi re alarm system. Therefore, where a contractor plans to install electrical equipment in the loft of domestic premises, consideration should be given to the type of equipment and its operational characteristics and the probability of fi re occurring, which may warrant a fi re detector being mounted in the loft as part of a fi re detection and fi re alarm system.