ASTM E1776-96
(Guide)Standard Guide for Development of Fire-Risk-Assessment Standards
Standard Guide for Development of Fire-Risk-Assessment Standards
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the development of fire-risk-assessment standards.
1.2 This guide is directed toward development of standards that will provide procedures for assessing fire risks harmful to people, property, or the environment.
General Information
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Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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Designation: E 1776 – 96 An American National Standard
Standard Guide for
Development of Fire-Risk-Assessment Standards
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1776; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope dard; fixed procedures are not established. Limitations of data,
available tests and models, and scientific knowledge may
1.1 This guide covers the development of fire-risk-
constitute significant constraints on the fire-risk-assessment
assessment standards.
procedure and associated standard.
1.2 This guide is directed toward development of standards
4.3 While the focus of this guide is on developing fire-risk-
that will provide procedures for assessing fire risks harmful to
assessment standards for products, the general concepts pre-
people, property, or the environment.
sented also may apply to processes, activities, occupancies, and
2. Referenced Documents buildings.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5. Key Elements
E 176 Terminology of Fire Standards
2 5.1 This guide uses as its key elements the following:
E 603 Guide for Room Fire Experiments
5.1.1 The purpose of a fire-risk-assessment standard is to
E 1546 Guide for Development of Fire-Hazard-Assessment
provide a standardized procedure for assembling a compilation
Standards
of information relevant to the fire risk of a product under
2.2 Other ASTM Documents:
specific conditions of use.
Form and Style for ASTM Standards
5.1.2 The information assembled should be relevant to the
3. Terminology purpose of assessing the fire risk of the specific designated
product within the range of all relevant fire scenarios.
3.1 Definitions—See Terminology E 176.
5.1.3 The information assembled should be explicit and
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
quantitative. It should provide a sufficiently thorough exami-
3.2.1 fire-test-response-characteristic index, n—a single
nation of the product’s fire risk under the conditions defined by
quantitative measure that combines two or more fire-test-
the scope of the specific standard so as to permit valid choices
response characteristics for a material, product, or assembly, all
and decisions with respect to the fire risk of that product.
developed under test conditions compatible with a common fire
5.1.4 A persuasive scientific case must be made in the
scenario, addressing collectively the corresponding threat. See
documentation of a specific fire-risk-assessment standard that
also fire-test-response-characteristic profile, fire hazard, fire
the procedures, data, and risk measures specified by the
risk, fire-test-response characteristic.
standard will address questions about a product’s fire risk with
3.2.2 fire-test-response-characteristic profile, n—array of
sufficient accuracy and validity that a more thorough assess-
fire-test-response characteristics for a material, product, or
ment procedure would not materially alter any decisions that
assembly, all developed under test conditions compatible with
might be made based on the standard. If such a case cannot be
a common fire scenario, addressing collectively the corre-
made for all products to be addressed, then the risk assessment
sponding threat. See also fire hazard, fire risk, fire-test-
should specify those conditions under which a more thorough
response characteristic.
fire-risk-assessment procedure should be used.
4. Significance and Use
5.1.5 The absence of a data source, test method, or calcu-
lation procedure of sufficient scope and proven validity to
4.1 This guide is intended for use by those undertaking the
support the needs of a particular fire-risk-assessment procedure
development of fire-risk-assessment standards. Such standards
may not be a sufficient reason to use a data source, test method,
are expected to be useful to manufacturers, architects, specifi-
or calculation procedure of lesser scope or unproven validity. It
cation writers, and authorities having jurisdiction.
is recognized that fire-risk assessments of such products may
4.2 As a guide, this document provides information on an
need to be performed in any event, using relevant nonstand-
approach to the development of a fire-risk-assessment stan-
ardized procedures. When such nonstandardized or unvalidated
procedures are used, the details shall be included to such an
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-5 on Fire Standards
extent that the procedures become standardized only for use
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.33 on Fire Safety Engineering.
Current edition approved Feb. 10, 1996. Published April 1996.
within the specified fire-risk-assessment procedure through
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.07.
final publication of the fire-risk-assessment standard document.
Available from ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
E 1776
5.1.6 Among the significant outcomes of a fire-risk assess-
where:
ment would be the revelation that a product produces either an
H = hazard for representative scenario of scenario class i,
i
increase, no increase, or a decrease in fire risk on some or all
i = 1, ., n and
risk measures and for all or some of the scenarios specified by P = probability of scenario class i, i = 1, ., n.
i
the standard relative to another product or relative to baseline
6.1.4 For a fire-risk-assessment standard, this formula
risk values for those measures and scenarios. These baseline
shows that a fire-risk-assessment procedure may be constructed
values may or may not be derived from fire-risk assessment of
from a fire-hazard-assessment procedure, a valid structure of
products already in use. However, when the product is pro-
fire scenario class and representative fire scenarios by class,
posed for an existing use, it should be compared to an existing
and valid sources for fire scenario class probability data.
product having the same use. For example, if a product’s risk
is uniformly rated greater than the reference values on all
7. Fire Risk-Assessment Standards
comparisons specified by the standard, then the overall fire-risk
7.1 Fire-risk-assessment standards shall conform in style
assessment of the product will be greater than the fire risk of
and content to the ASTM Form and Style Manual.
the baseline (or product in use).
7.2 Fire-risk-assessment standards shall include sections
5.1.7 If the assessment shows that the product is not
entitled: Scope, Significance and Use, Terminology, and Pro-
uniformly rated higher than, equivalent to, or less than the
cedure. The sections should be numbered and arranged in that
other product(s) or the baseline for all risk measures, and
order.
reflecting all scenarios specified by the standard, then decision
7.2.1 Scope—The statement in the Scope should clearly
rules may be needed. Such rules would determine the overall
state:
risk, giving appropriate weighting to each risk measure.
7.2.1.1 The product or class of products of interest,
7.2.1.2 The fire scenario(s) included in the standard,
6. Relationship Between Fire Hazard and Fire Risk
7.2.1.3 The assumptions used in the standard,
6.1 It is important to differentiate between fire hazard and
7.2.1.4 The structure of the fire-risk-assessment procedure,
fire risk. The relationship is as follows:
including test methods, models, other calculation procedures,
6.1.1 A fire-hazard measure addresses the expected perfor-
data sources, fire hazard measures, fire risk measures, and any
mance of a product for a particular fire scenario, including
other evaluation criteria or procedures used, and
designated conditions of use. A fire-risk measure incorporates
7.2.1.5 Any limitations on the application of the standard,
fire-hazard measures but also incorporates the probability of
such as the manner, form, or orientation in which the product
occurrence of each fire scenario and addresses all relevant fire
is incorporated within an assembly, geometric restrictions
scenarios.
essential to use of the product, the quantity of product in use,
6.1.2 Because the number of distinguishable relevant fire
the end use of the product, and the type of occupancy to which
scenarios in any fire-risk assessment is usually unmanageably
the standard is applicable.
large, it will normally be necessary for fire scenarios to be
7.2.2 Significance and Use:
grouped into classes for purposes of analysis. This may make
7.2.2.1 The major uses and any limitations of the standard
the fire-risk assessment less product-specific or less specific to
fire-risk-assessment procedure should be clearly described,
specific conditions of use than would be true of a fire-hazard
including an explicit description of the extent to which the
assessment.
included fire scenarios, in 7.2.1.2, constitute all the relevant fire
6.1.3 Some existing fire-risk-assessment models and calcu-
scenarios for the product (class) and occupancy type addressed
lation procedures define fire risk as the sum over all fire
by the standard.
scenario classes of the probability-weighted fire hazard for that
7.2.2.2 The significance of the assessment to users should
fire scenario class. In such an approach:
be clearly stated.
6.1.3.1 The fire scenarios in each fire scenario class shall be
7.2.3 Terminology—Terms unique to the fire-risk-
very similar with respect to those characteristics that determine
assessment standard should be clearly defined. Standard terms
fire hazard.
as defined in Terminology E 176 shall be used.
6.1.3.2 Each fire scenario class will have a probability (P )
i
7.2.4 Procedure:
that represents the likelihood of a fire corresponding to a
7.2.4.1 This section should include detailed descriptions of
scenario in that class.
the fire-risk-assessment procedure and its component parts,
6.1.3.3 For each fire scenario class, a specific fire scenario
including test methods, calculation procedures, scenario de-
shall be chosen as representative of the class, so that the fire
scription, data sources, and evaluation criteria or procedures.
hazard for that specific fire scenario can be used as a valid
7.2.4.2 Where sources for data on fire experience or expert
estimate of H , the fire hazard of the fire scenario class. This is
i
judgment are cited, the procedures for assembling the data and
defined as the probability-weighted mean fire hazard for all the
the accuracy, precision, and reliability of the data should be
specific fire scenarios in the fire scenario class, a quantity that
documented. The data should be accessible to personnel
cannot be directly calculated.
conducting or reviewing the fire-risk assessment.
6.1.3.4 If this structure is adopted, then the relationship
7.2.4.3 If calculation procedures include models, the ver-
between fire risk measure and fire hazard measure is given by
sions used should be carefully identified and referenced, and
the following formula:
major assumptions and limitations of the models noted. Vali-
Risk 5 ( ~P 3 H ! (1) dation information, or lack thereof, should also be noted.
i i i
E 1776
7.2.4.4 If calculation procedures are used, sample calcula- 8.2.6 Identify the necessary data sources to support the
tions should be included. procedures and measures identified in 8.2.2-8.2.5, including
7.2.4.5 Standard test methods should be carefully identified calculation of probabilities, and
and referenced. If a test method not yet adopted as a national
8.2.7 Identify the necessary safety factors, sensitivity analy-
standard is used, its descriptions should provide all the infor-
ses, or other elements required to permit valid interpretation of
mation that would be included if it were being submitted
the fire-risk estimates, in light of the uncertainties and biases of
separately for consideration as a standard test method. Data on
data or calculation methods, which shall have been previously
reproducibility and validation of nonstandardized methods
documented in 8.2.2-8.2.6.
should be included. If a standard test method has been modified
8.3 Define the Scope—The first step involves defining the
for the standard, all details of the modification and evidence of
products or class of products to which the fire-risk-assessment
the effects of the modification on results should be included.
standard is to apply (that is, scope) and examining the points of
These guidelines also apply to any large-scale test protocols.
variability and commonality in the product or product class and
in product usage that define parameters of the fire-risk-
8. Fire-Risk-Assessment Procedure
assessment procedure.
8.1 Overview of Elements of Fire Risk:
8.4 Identify the Measure of Fire Effect—There are several
8.1.1 Harm to people may result, directly or indirectly, from
measures that may be used to calculate fire risk, each with
toxic (narcotic or irritant) substances produced by a fire,
advantages and disadvantages.
thermal insults (heat stress and burns) due to convected and
8.4.1 Measures of End Outcomes, such as deaths, injuries,
radiant flux, obscuration of vision by smoke (which may
or property damage, are the most directly related to the
interfere with the ability to escape), oxygen depletion, or
ultimate concerns of fire impact on people, property, or the
structural damage leading to traumatic injury.
environment. However, these measures require more extensive
8.1.2 Harm to property may result directly from heat,
and elaborate estimation procedures than do some other
corrosive smoke, soot or firefighting, or indirectly as a conse-
measures, which may not require so much information on the
quence of business interruption or other adverse effects on the
entire building or occupancy or on its occupants. As the
ability of the property to be used for its designed purposes.
analysis goes beyond the product’s immediate environment, it
8.1.3 Harm to the environment includes direct harm to
may become more difficult to isolate differences between
animals or plant life located outside the property of origin, and
products, but this effect is real.
indirect harm to people, animals, plant life, or property as a
8.4.2 Measures of Physical Fire Effects, such as extent of
result of contamination of air, water, or adjacent land.
flame or smoke damage or whether flashover occurs, are less
8.1.4 The fire risk of a product depends on its properties,
directly and reliably related to the ultimate concerns of fire
how it is used, and the environment in which it is used,
impact on people, property, or the environment. However, most
including the number and characteristics of people potentially
of these measures can
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