Colour coding of manual activation points

[Guest SeanOMa]

I'm trying to find the standard for the colour coding of manual activation points for fixed installations i.e. fire alarm call points are red and fixed installations are yellow but based on what standard. Could your site indicate this?

Thanks, Sean

[green-foam]

Hi, you may want to look at EN54-11 It also says that a Manual Call Point must be red.

[Tom Sutton]

What type of fixed installations are we talking about?

[Guest seanom]

Thanks, Tom, should have been more explicit, I was enquiring about the British or EN standards for colour codes for manual break glass points for a fixed water mist/sprinkler system.

Sean

[Tom Sutton]

Check out http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/water_mist.pdf and you will see that there is no British standard for water mist fixed insulation, there is a European standard, EN 14972, also there is an ISO standard but that is only for water mist nozzles. I do not have access to the EN standard which may indicate colour coding but I am not able to help.

If you look at the gaseous fire protection systems, such manual devices should conform to BS12094 - 3. This sets out colour requirements and technical specifications. It is important that they are different in colour to the normal fire alarm system - you would not want to operate the gas suppression system by mistake, thinking you had operated the fire alarm.

BS7273-1 makes this point in connection with gaseous fire protection systems saying they should be "visually different". BS 10294 - 3 says manual triggering controls should be yellow and electrical stop controls should be blue.

4 Requirements

4.1 Electrical triggering and stop devices

4.1.1 Electrical triggering devices

Electrical triggering devices (with the exception stated under 4.1.3) shall comply with the technical requirements of EN 54-11:2001, type B (excluding 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7.2.3 of EN 54-11:2001) with clear indication of the function. This means that the component shall be permanently marked, in the format of 4.7.3.2.1 of EN 54-11:2001, on the front face with “MANUAL RELEASE - Gas extinguishing system" (or in the national language(s) acceptable in the country of use). The colour of the component shall be yellow

4.1.2 Electrical stop devices

NOTEA suitable yellow colour is specified in ISO 3864. 2)

Electrical stop devices (with the exception stated under 4.1.3) shall comply with EN 54-11:2001, type B (excluding 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7.2.3 of EN 54-11:2001) except they shall be self-resetting, with clear indication of the function. This means that the component shall be permanently marked, in the format of 4.7.3.2.1 of EN 54-11:2001, on the front face with “EMERGENCY STOP - Gas extinguishing system”, (or in the national language(s) acceptable in the country of use). The colour of the component shall be blue

The component shall function correctly when tested in accordance with 5.3.

NOTE a suitable blue colour is specified in ISO 3864.

Link to Euro standards http://www.xact.org.uk/fire_safety/information/information-standards.html

[Rouhollah Cheraghi]

On 9/30/2013 at 6:15 PM, Tom Sutton said:

Check out http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/water_mist.pdf and you will see that there is no British standard for water mist fixed insulation, there is a European standard, EN 14972, also there is an ISO standard but that is only for water mist nozzles. I do not have access to the EN standard which may indicate colour coding but I am not able to help.

 

If you look at the gaseous fire protection systems, such manual devices should conform to BS12094 - 3. This sets out colour requirements and technical specifications. It is important that they are different in colour to the normal fire alarm system - you would not want to operate the gas suppression system by mistake, thinking you had operated the fire alarm.

 

BS7273-1 makes this point in connection with gaseous fire protection systems saying they should be "visually different". BS 10294 - 3 says manual triggering controls should be yellow and electrical stop controls should be blue.

 

4 Requirements

4.1 Electrical triggering and stop devices

4.1.1 Electrical triggering devices

Electrical triggering devices (with the exception stated under 4.1.3) shall comply with the technical requirements of EN 54-11:2001, type B (excluding 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7.2.3 of EN 54-11:2001) with clear indication of the function. This means that the component shall be permanently marked, in the format of 4.7.3.2.1 of EN 54-11:2001, on the front face with “MANUAL RELEASE - Gas extinguishing system" (or in the national language(s) acceptable in the country of use). The colour of the component shall be yellow

 

4.1.2 Electrical stop devices

NOTEA suitable yellow colour is specified in ISO 3864. 2)

Electrical stop devices (with the exception stated under 4.1.3) shall comply with EN 54-11:2001, type B (excluding 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7.2.3 of EN 54-11:2001) except they shall be self-resetting, with clear indication of the function. This means that the component shall be permanently marked, in the format of 4.7.3.2.1 of EN 54-11:2001, on the front face with “EMERGENCY STOP - Gas extinguishing system”, (or in the national language(s) acceptable in the country of use). The colour of the component shall be blue

 

The component shall function correctly when tested in accordance with 5.3.

 

NOTE a suitable blue colour is specified in ISO 3864.

 

Link to Euro standards http://www.xact.org.uk/fire_safety/information/information-standards.html

Hi Tom, Thanks for your answer , It was really useful. I am working in a project and we have an EPC contractor. that they are insisting to use the Red Manual Release with Label on it since they have purchased it already. Unfortunately in the F&G  specification of the project, the  standard "BS 10294 - 3" has not been mentioned and I could not find any other standard about the manual release color . Any suggestion ?

[Tom Sutton]

As I said there is no UK standard for water mist and BS 12094-3 is for gaseous systems so I can see why it has not been mentioned you could try to get EN 14972 to see if that is helpful. I far as I can see you have to apply risk assessment, is the colour that important providing the label is clear, not complicated, no chance of misunderstanding and cannot be mixed up with any other operating handles.   

http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/water_mist.pdf