What is BS 8644-1- Digital management of fire safety information about?
This new national standard comes from a recommendation in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety Accordingly, BS 8644-1:2022 enables a common industry approach to the management of digital asset information in the built environment, particularly fire safety information.
Who is BS 8644-1-Digital management of fire safety information for?
It’s intended for use by individuals and organizations that contribute to and influence the definition of design, construction, use, maintenance and end of life of a built asset. It applies primarily to new built assets but its principles can also be applied to existing assets. Users will include:
- Architects
- Designers
- Facilities managers
- Fire and rescue personnel
- Contractors
- Local authorities
- Building control bodies
What does BS 8644-1- Digital management of fire safety information cover?
It gives recommendations for the management, presentation and exchange of fire safety information using digital information management processes.
It covers the following stages in the lifecycle of assets in all parts of the built environment, including infrastructure:
- Briefing stage
- Design stage
- Construction stage (including on-site fire safety information)
- Asset handover
- Asset in operation
- Fire and rescue service intervention
NOTE: BS 8644-1:2022 is intended to be read in conjunction with the BS EN ISO 19650 series for managing information over the whole life cycle of a built asset using building information modelling (BIM). Using BS 8644-1 in conjunction with the BS EN ISO 19650 series is intended to enable a common industry approach to the management of digital asset information, in particular the management of fire safety information. That said, while BS 8644-1:2022 provides guidance and mechanisms to manage fire safety information using BIM, it also provides guidance to users who do not.
Why should you use BS 8644-1-Digital management of fire safety information?
It enables relevant, accurate and accessible fire safety information to be made available to the right people at the right time, leading to:
- The clear identification of fire safety hazards; persons, assets and environments at risk; and measures put in place to mitigate those risks
- The clear identification of tasks and trigger events throughout the asset lifecycle
- A clear allocation of responsibility for fire safety throughout the asset lifecycle
- A consistent naming convention and information production for use by all parties sharing responsibilities for fire safety in the built environment so they “speak the same language”
- Better dissemination of fire safety knowledge, experience and lessons learnt
- A safer built environment that is appropriate for the intended end users
- Reduced disruption to business operations and property loss from fire
- Increased confidence in built assets
- Better risk management
BS 8644-1:2022 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on building resilient infrastructure.
Annex A of BS 8644-1:2022 sets out a template structure that can be used to define fire safety information for a particular information exchange point (IEP) of a given asset. An electronic, editable version of the template, with indications of fire safety information that can be required, is available here.
To explore BS 8644-1 2022 further, you can now download BS 8644-1:2022 Executive Briefing.
