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BS 8644-1:2022 provides recommendations and guidance on the digital management of fire safety information.
BSI 8644-1:2022 is designed to complement and support other fire safety standards in the UK by providing a framework for the digital management of fire safety information. It aligns with the principles of the golden thread of information cited in the Building Safety Act, which contains the evidence base to demonstrate that higher-risk buildings comply with the functional requirements of the building regulations
The standard covers the entire lifecycle of built assets, including design, construction, handover, asset management, and emergency response.
It’s a code of practice, offering advice on managing, presenting, and exchanging fire safety information using digital processes. While it aligns with the BS EN ISO 19650 series for building information modelling (BIM), it also provides guidance for those who do not use BIM.
The standard aims to ensure that relevant, accurate, and accessible fire safety information is available to the right people at the right time, contributing to a safer built environment1. It’s targeted at various professionals involved in the built environment, such as architects, designers, facilities managers, fire and rescue personnel, contractors, local authorities, and building control bodies.
Notes:
- Information must be submitted via Edocuments platform only to ensure a full audit trail is maintained.
- All comments and reviews will be carried out on Springboard.
Accurate and validated as built information is required to accurately reflect the as built construction and to enable the end user to safely, economically and optimally operate and maintain the facility.
BS 8644-1 Item 4.4.1 Table 2 — IEPs aligned to plan of work stages
| IEP Stage | IEP Stage Name | Work Stage BS8536-2022 |
|---|---|---|
| IEP-A | Briefing |
Stage 0 - Strategy Stage 1 - Brief |
| IEP-B | Design |
Stage 2 - Concept Stage 3 - Definition Stage 4 - Design |
| IEP-C | Construction | Stage 5 - Build & Commission |
| IEP-D | Asset Handover | Stage 6 - Handover & Closeout |
| IEP-E | Asset In Use | Stage 7 - Operation & End of Life |
| IEP-F | Asset End of Life | Stage 7 - Operation & End of Life |
| IEP-G | Fire & Rescue Service Information | n/a |
All identified IEPs should form part of the fire safety information management framework.
Where Authorities require fire safety information to be provided for approval during any stage of the asset’s life cycle:
- the IEPs should be identified in the project plan as soon as is practicable; and
- tasks should be allocated to relevant participants so that they can generate, contribute to, coordinate and approve that information prior to its exchange with the Authority.
Any prescriptive fire safety information exchange templates required by Authorities should be identified and shared, and responsibilities allocated for providing the information.
The workflow shown below should be adopted to manage information relevant to fire safety within a structured FIREie.
Appointed parties should record the competence (skills, knowledge, experience and behaviour), including the methods of demonstration, of those working at every stage.
Templates for Fire Safety information
BS 8644-1:2022 November Edition Annex A, the template sets out a structure that can be used to define Fire Safety Information for an IEP or a given asset.
BS 8644-1:2022 November Edition Annex B, Table B.1 suggested fire safety properties for use in building information modelling.
