BRITISH STANDARD BS 4422-2:

1990

Glossary of

Terms associated with

fire —
Part 2: Structural fire protection

UDC 001.4:614.84:699.81
BS 4422-2:1990

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Fire Standards
Policy Committee (FSM/-) to Technical Committee FSM/9, upon which the
following bodies were represented:

Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers’ Association

Department of the Environment (Building Research Establishment, Fire
Research Station)
Department of the Environment (Housing and Construction Industries)
Department of Transport (Marine Directorate)
Home Office
Institution of Fire Engineers
London Fire and Civil Defence Authority
Loss Prevention Council
Royal Institute of British Architects

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Fire Standards
Policy Committee, was
published under the authority
of the Board of BSI and comes
into effect on
29 June 1990

© BSI 03-1999 Amendments issued since publication

First published, July 1971
Second edition June 1990
Amd. No. Date of issue Comments

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference FSM/9
Draft for comment 87/40472 DC

ISBN 0 580 18226 6

 BS 4422-2:1990

Contents

Page
Committee responsible Inside front cover
Foreword ii
2.1 Accommodation stairway 1
2.2 Automatic device or system 1
2.3 Bund 1
2.4 Catchpit 1
2.5 Cavity barrier 1
2.6 Ceiling screen 1
2.7 Compartment floor 1
2.8 Compartment wall 1
2.9 Damper 1
2.10 Enclosed stairway 1
2.11 Escape stairway 1
2.12 Evaluation lift 1
2.13 Exposure hazard 1
2.14 External escape stairway 1
2.15 Final exit 1
2.16 Fire compartment 1
2.17 Fire damper 1
2.18 Fire door 1
2.19 Firefighting access 1
2.20 Firefighting lift 1
2.21 Firefighting lift switch 1
2.22 Firefighting lobby 2
2.23 Firefighting shaft 2
2.24 Firefighting stairway 3
2.25 Fire protecting suspended ceiling 2
2.26 Fire resistance 2
2.27 Fire retardant 2
2.28 Fire stop 2
2.29 Lobby approach stairway 2
2.30 Open stairway 2
2.31 Protected enclosure 2
2.32 Protected lobby 2
2.33 Protected stairway 2
2.34 Safety curtain 2
2.35 Separating wall 2
2.36 Smoke damper 2
3.37 Smoke shaft 2
2.38 Smoke vent 2
2.39 Structural fire protection 2
2.40 Thermal radiation screen 2

© BSI 03-1999 i
BS 4422-2:1990

Foreword

This Part of BS 4422 has been prepared under the direction of the Fire Standards
Policy Committee. It supersedes BS 4422-2:1971 which is withdrawn. In the
preparation of this Part of BS 4422, consideration has been given to ISO 8421
“Fire protection — Vocabulary” — Part 2 “Structural fire protection”, published by
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Other Parts of BS 4422 either published or in course of preparation are as follows.
— Part 1: General terms and phenomena of fire (Identical to ISO 8421/1);
— Part 3: Fire detection and alarm (Identical to ISO 8421/3);
— Part 4: Fire protection equipment;
— Part 5: Smoke control (Identical to ISO 8421/5);
— Part 6: Evacuation and means of escape (Identical to ISO 8421/6);
— Part 7: Explosion detection and suppression means
(Identical to ISO 8421/7);
— Part 9: Marine terms.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 and 2 and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.

ii © BSI 03-1999
 BS 4422-2:1990

NOTE Each term has a number containing the prefix “2” to denote the Part number of BS 4422.

No. Term Definition

2.1 accommodation stairway A stairway additional to that or those required for escape
purposes,provided for the convenience of occupants.
2.2 automatic device or system A device or system providing an emergency function without the
necessity for human intervention and designed to actuate as a
result of the presence of specified conditions.
2.3 bund An enclosure around a tank that contains liquid (usually
flammable) formed by the erection of walls or banks above ground
level to contain safely any leakage or spillage.
2.4 catchpit Sump or well below ground level, sited immediately beneath a
tank or tanks that contain liquid (usually flammable) to contain
safely any leakage or spillage.
2.5 cavity barrier A construction provided to close a concealed space against
penetration of smoke or flame, or provided to restrict the
movement of smoke or flame within such a space.
2.6 ceiling screen Vertical subdivision fitted internally to the roof (or ceiling) to
create an obstacle to lateral flow of smoke and combustion gases.
2.7 compartment floor A fire-resisting floor used in the separation of one fire
compartment from another.
2.8 compartment wall A fire-resisting wall used in the separation of one fire
compartment from another.
2.9 damper A device to regulate, direct or stop the flow of fluids (liquids or
gases) through an opening or duct.
NOTE See also smoke damper.
2.10 enclosed stairway A stairway physically separated, e.g. by walls, partitions, screens
internal enclosed stairway etc., from the accommodation through which it passes, but not
necessarily a protected stairway.
2.11 escape stairway A stairway designated as a means of escape in case of fire.
2.12 evacuation lift A lift that may be used for the evacuation of disabled people in a
fire.
2.13 exposure hazard The risk of damage to any building, part of a building, other
property, or persons directly resulting from nearby fire.
2.14 external escape stairway Stairway in the open air, separated from the building by a
fire-resisting structure.
2.15 final exit Transient point between an escape route and a place of safety.
2.16 fire compartment A building or part of a building, comprising one or more rooms,
spaces or storeys, constructed to prevent the spread of fire to or
from another part of the same building, or an adjoining building.
2.17 fire damper Damper which is designed to prevent the passage of fire.
NOTE See also smoke damper.
2.18 fire door A door or shutter, provided for the passage of persons, air or
objects,which, together with its frame and furniture as installed
in a building, is intended when closed to resist the passage of fire
and/or gaseous products of combustion, and is capable of meeting
specified performance criteria to those ends.
2.19 firefighting access Approach facilities provided to enable the fire service personnel
and equipment to gain access to, or within, the premises.
2.20 firefighting lift A lift designed to have additional protection against fire, with
fire lift controls that enable it to be used under the direction control of the
fire brigade in fighting a fire.

© BSI 03-1999 1
BS 4422-2:1990
No. Term
2.21 firefighting lift switch
2.22 firefighting lobby
2.23 firefighting shaft
2.24 firefighting stairway
2.25 fire protecting suspended
ceiling
2.26 fire resistance
2.27 fire retardant
2.28 fire stop
2.29 lobby approach stairway
2.30 open stairway
2.31 protected enclosure
2.32 protected lobby
2.33 protected stairway
2.34 safety curtain
fire curtain
2.35 separating wall
2.36 smoke damper
2.37 smoke shaft
2.38 smoke vent
2.39 structural fire protection
2.40 thermal radiation screen
2 © BSI 03-1999
Definition
Switch provided to bring a firefighting lift under the immediate
control of the fire brigade.
A protected lobby for providing access from a firefighting stairway
to the accommodation area and to any associated firefighting lift.
A protected shaft containing a firefighting stairway, firefighting
lobbies and, if provided, a firefighting lift.
Protected stairway communicating with the accommodation area
only through a firefighting lobby.
A ceiling assembly capable of contributing for a stated period of
time to the overall fire resistance of the floor or structure above
and/or its supporting members.
Ability of an element of building construction, component or
structure to fulfil, for a stated period of time, the required
stability, fire integrity and/or thermal insulation and /or other
expected duty in a standard fire resistance test.
NOTE The designation “fire resistant” given to an element implies that this
element fulfils the requirements of the relevant standard fire test.
A substance or treatment applied to a material to improve its
inherent performance when exposed to fire.
NOTE Fire retardant is also used as an adjective.
A seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance
between elements or components, to restrict or prevent the
passage of fire and smoke.
A protected stairway separated from the accommodation space in
a building by protected lobbies.
A stairway not separated in any way from the accommodation
through which it passes.
Any enclosure separated from adjoining accommodation spaces by
fire-resisting construction, and having all communicating
openings closed by fire doors, fire dampers or similar closures.
A lobby which is adequately protected from fire in adjoining
accommodation by fire-resisting construction.
An enclosed stairway which is adequately protected from fire in
the accommodation through which it passes by fire-resisting
construction, and discharges through a final exit to a place of
safety.
A fixed or moveable screen, installed to close an opening, to divide
an area within a building, or otherwise to prevent or restrict the
spread of fire or smoke.
A compartment wall which separates adjoining buildings.
Moveable device for smoke control, open or closed in its normal
position,which is automatically or manually actuated.
Shaft provided to remove smoke in the event of fire.
Opening in the enclosing walls or roof of a building, intended to
release heat and smoke in the event of fire, automatically or
manually opened.
Those features in layout and/or construction which are intended
to reduce the effects of a fire.
A wall, screen or other barrier intended to reduce or avoid the
risk or hazard from radiated heat from a fire to any building, part
of a building, other property or person.
blank
BS 4422-2:
1990
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