Their basis
They derive from a 1979 act on the prevention of fires and explosions, implemented by a royal decree of 1994 setting the minimum conditions for the design, construction and fitting out of buildings. That dating explains the structure of the scheme.
Competence is federal, making this one of the few bodies of technical rules identical across the three regions, as the article on federal competences recalls.
The three objectives
They structure the whole scheme and allow requirements to be understood rather than merely endured. Each annex applies them to one category of building.
Preventing the outbreak, development and spread of fire, and of its smoke, including to neighbouring buildings.
Ensuring the safety of persons, through evacuation or rescue.
Enabling the fire services to intervene in safe conditions.
Every requirement attaches to one of those three objectives. That is useful when an alternative solution must be discussed, since it is the objective that counts, not the means.
The structure
The scheme is organised in annexes, each covering a defined field. The applicable annex follows from the height of the building.
Separate annexes address buildings by height, low, medium and high, and a specific annex covers industrial buildings. Others address cross-cutting subjects such as terminology and classification methods.
The annexes by height address the same headings, notably siting and access routes, compartmentation and evacuation, with requirements graduated by category. The requirements increase with height.
That organisation explains the first question to ask on a project: which category the building falls into, covered in the article on low, medium and high buildings.
| Annex | Field covered | Basis of classification |
|---|---|---|
| Low buildings | Siting, compartmentation, evacuation, equipment | Conventional height |
| Medium buildings | Same headings, tighter requirements | Conventional height |
| High buildings | Same headings, strictest requirements | Conventional height |
| Industrial buildings | Own scheme, not derived from the others | Activity carried on |
| Cross-cutting annexes | Terminology and classification methods | Not applicable |
What recent amendments changed
The last substantive amendment dates from May 2022, published in June and in force from 1 July 2022. The applicable version is checked against the permit date.
Three observations.
Most changes are relaxations or clarifications. They provide additional possibilities and clarify existing rules without tightening them.
Certain provisions were nonetheless tightened, notably on protection of façades, car parks, boiler rooms and lifts.
Transitional provisions accompany the tightenings. For permit applications submitted before entry into force, the earlier, less strict rules continue to apply.
Since 2022 the administration has also published interpretative notes, on notions such as halls, temporary buildings, premises with night-time occupancy and collective kitchens, some of them recent. Those notes do not amend the text but clarify its reading, which makes them worth consulting.
The principle of equivalent solutions
A central and often overlooked mechanism, which makes the scheme less rigid than it appears. It rests on presumed conformity.
The text provides that a building is deemed to satisfy certain technical specifications if it meets equivalent specifications, regardless of whether the specification represents a relaxation or a tightening. The reference solution is then applied as written.
In other words, the objective prevails over the means. A solution achieving the same level of safety may be accepted, subject to demonstration.
A derogation mechanism also exists where it is impossible to satisfy one or more specifications, whose conditions must be checked with the competent authority. It is requested and reasoned rather than assumed.
The articles in this branch
The article on low, medium and high buildings covers the classification and what it triggers. The measurement convention is explained there.
The article on what basic standards exclude covers the exclusions, notably existing buildings. The reference dates are given there.
The article on sector rules by region covers the second level of requirements. The regional layers are compared there.
The article on reading a fire resistance requirement gives the method for reading notations. The notation is decoded there letter by letter.
This article reflects the position of the rules at the date of checking and serves professional orientation. It does not constitute legal advice and does not replace consulting the applicable texts.