Fire Safety Rules for Namibian Buildings: SANS 10400 Breakdown

Fire safety is considered vitally important in Namibia. So much so that you cannot purchase a house without insurance for fire. Before it gets to that, here are Fire Safety regulations to consider in construction according to the SANS10400.

E1, E2 and E3 Occupancies

The roof assembly construction must be non-combustible (Page 29, 4.7.3).

Basements not naturally ventilated

The structural elements or components must comply with the requirements given in column 7 of Table 6 (Page 29, 4.7.4) of SANS10400T:2011.

General requirements

• No unprotected steel shall be permitted in the structure of any basement (Page 29, 4.7.5).
• For tenancy-separating elements, a fire resistance of not less than 30 minutes is required, except for E1, E2, E3, H1, H2, and H3 occupancies, which requires a fire resistance of not less than 60 minutes (Page 29, 4.8.1).
• For large occupancies, consideration should be given to key issues such as vulnerability for progressive collapse, passive and active protection, escape, and security (Page 75, NOTE 3).
• The framework for an engineering approach to fire safety should be applied in three main stages:

Stage 1: Qualitative Design Review

This stage involves a preliminary review of the design to identify potential fire safety issues and to determine whether the design is likely to meet the required fire safety standards.

Stage 2: Quantitative Design Review

This stage involves a more detailed analysis of the design to quantify the potential risks and to assess whether the design meets the required fire safety standards.

Stage 3: Assessment Against Criteria

This stage involves assessing the design against specific criteria to ensure that it meets the required fire safety standards. This may involve comparing the design with relevant standards, codes, and guidelines.

These three stages provide a structured approach to fire safety engineering, allowing designers to ensure that their designs meet the required fire safety standards and providing a basis for comparison and selection of alternative designs. (Page 75, SANS 10400-T:2011 Edition 3)