Fire in buildings: New ISO Standard for Oxygen Reduction Systems

One of the most effective ways of preventing fires in buildings is to reduce the level of oxygen in the air. The world’s first International Standard for oxygen reduction systems has just been published.

Prevention is always better than cure, and there are few better examples than with fires. If fires can only survive when there is oxygen to fuel them, removing it from the air is an effective way to ensure that the environment remains fire-free. Oxygen reduction systems (ORS) do that by creating atmospheres where there is not enough oxygen for a fire to break out, but enough for humans to breathe easily.

However, installing such systems can be a complex business, and requires in-depth knowledge of the space being protected, how it is used and by whom.

Currently, there are various national standards and technical guidelines in place, mainly in Europe, but what has been missing is an internationally agreed set of requirements for quality, safety and performance that everyone can use.

ISO 20338, Oxygen reduction systems for fire prevention — Design, installation, planning and maintenance, specifies minimum requirements and defines the specifications for the design, installation and maintenance of fixed oxygen reduction systems. It applies to those systems that use nitrogen-enriched air used for fire prevention in buildings and industrial production plants, and can be used for new systems as well as for the extension and modification of existing systems.

See more here.