A common sense approach to sprinklers

He highlights how the installation of sprinklers should not only improve fire safety, but has also contributed to a number of wider design elements which should enhance the patient, staff, and visitor experience.

 The provision of automatic sprinkler systems to UK healthcare buildings has historically been a relatively unusual occurrence. They have not been required by the NHS Firecode design guidance documents, and preconceptions about costs, infection risks (both from accessing the systems and from long-term stored water in the pipework), and water damage, have discouraged their use in the past. This, however, is changing, with increasing numbers of new healthcare schemes being provided with sprinkler systems. While the benefits of providing suppression systems to these important buildings are manifold, the detailed implementation of sprinklers into the design needs to be carefully addressed. The sprinkler codes do not address the specific needs of healthcare buildings well, which can potentially lead to conflicts and contradictions with the healthcare guidance documents. A pragmatic, common sense approach is essential to ensure that an effective design solution is reached. Currently on site in South Wales are two new hospitals. Both Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr (YYF) and Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan (YAB) have been provided with automatic sprinkler protection systems, although this is not a requirement of Firecode in Wales to meet Building Regulations. The decision to provide sprinklers was taken after a period of discussion and investigation. The sprinklers’ implementation into the two hospitals’ design also raised some interesting issues, highlighting areas of the NHS Firecode guidance which struggle with the provision of sprinklers, perhaps reflecting that, historically, most healthcare premises have not been provided with this level of protection. Welsh Health Estates published a useful Guidance Note “Sprinkler systems in healthcare premises” in February last year. This uses the YAB scheme as a case study for a cost evaluation of the sprinkler installation, detailing the related design benefits that are possible with the provision of sprinklers. A key issue with both the Welsh projects is that the sprinkler systems have been designed with variations from the design standard BSEN12845. This degree of flexibility, or “common sense approach”, has been essential to the effective implementation of sprinklers.

A matter of choice