What fire ratings do I need to know?

Before purchasing your materials, it is important to understand what fire ratings mean and how much protection a product will provide. There are two overlapping test systems, The British Standard (BS 476) and The European Standard (EN 13501).

British Standard (BS 476)

The British Standard (BS 476) categorises products by numbers 0 to 4 (0 being the least flammable and 4 the most).

European Standard (EN 13501)

The European Standard (EN 13501) categorises products by letters A to F (A being the least flammable and in theory F being the most). Products with a European rating often have lower case letters and numbers following the category rating. For example: C-s2,d0.

• C is the resistance to fire (category letter)
• s2 is the amount of smoke generated, 1 would be best, 3 the worst
• d0 is the relative amount of flaming particles falling , 0 is best, 2 the worst

Either system is acceptable for Building Regulations. The chart below shows how the systems overlap:

Note: Always refer to datasheets to check specific product fire ratings.