Technical FAQs

What are the various types of Fire Safety Certificate Applications (FSCA):

Since October 1st 2009 The Department of Environment (DOE) fundamentally changed the Fire Safety Regulations, with major implications for to FSCA’s & Fire Projects in general going forward.

Fire Safety Certificate Applications now fall into one of the following four categories:-

i. FIRE SAFETY CERT APPLICATION (FSCA) –

  • as before, pre 01/10/09
  • application being made at project design stage
  • application fee to Local Authority based on €2.90m2

ii. REVISED FSCA –

  • where material alternations have been applied to project design
  • after the original Planning / FSCA has been granted
  • before works have commenced on site
  • application fee to Local Authority based on €2.90m2

iii. 7-DAY NOTICE CERT –

  • to allow works commence on site 7-days from submission of application
  • application fee to Local Authority double to €5.80m2
  • all drawings must be certified
  • overall project costs increase

iv. REGULARISATION CERT - 

  • where work has commenced / completed on site in advance of an application being made or granted
  • application fee to Local Authority increased four-fold to €11.60m2
  • all drawings must be certified
  • application must be accompanied by a Statutory Declaration Form (signed by a Commissioner of Oaths)
  • overall project costs increase

What is a Disability Access Certificate?

Since October 1st last the Department of the Environment made changes to the Building Regulations – ‘Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2009’. Under these regulation changes there will be the implementation of the Disability Access Certificate (DAC), mandatory for all public premises from Jan 1st, 2010.

For more information, please read our blog on DAC.

When would I need a Smoke / Fire Model?

Fire Safety Engineering falls into three broad categories:

  • The general approach . . .involves implementing Technical Guidance Document B and the BS 5588 suite of codes.
  • The advanced approach . . . employs the most current code of practice; BS 9999 2008. This is a code structured to a risk based design. There are many benefits to the use of this new code of practice.
  • The fire safety engineering design approach . . . which may be the only practical method available to large and complex buildings.

Such large & complex buildings can’t comply with the limitations of Technical Guidance Document B or BS 9999 2008 and this could be due to a multitude of reasons, such as:

  • excessive travel distances
  • compartment sizes too large
  • boundary conditions too restrictive, etc
  • restrictive fire brigade access routes

The Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of fire-driven fluid flow. It is used to demonstrate the accuracy of a Fire Safety Engineering Design for large & complex buildings.

The CFD models created by PRO-FIRE are based upon the safety of the escaping occupants within the building and for the protection of fire fighters entering the building. The protection of the property from the effects of the fire is secondary.

PRO-FIRE has successfully utilised CFD simulations to a number of projects, all of which were approved by the Local Fire Prevention Authority.