Approvals

FM 5560 Approval Standard for Water Mist Systems encompasses the design and performance requirements for water mist systems for use as fire control and/or extinguishing systems designed and installed per FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets. The standard is intended to verify that the product described will meet stated conditions of performance, safety and quality useful to the ends of property conservation.

Since water mist is an evolving technology, FM Approvals has determined that water mist systems shall be FM Approved for the protection of specific applications and specific protected area volumes.

Each AquaMist water mist solution carries FM Approval for specific applications.

FM Approvals is a unit of FM Global which sets standards and certifies products and services for companies worldwide. Products carrying the FM APPROVED mark meet the organization’s high property loss prevention product testing and certification standards.

UL 2167, the Standard for Safety of Water Mist Nozzles for Fire-Protection Service, together with IMO Regulations and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) installation standard on water mist: NFPA 750 set out UL requirements for the installation and use of these water mist products.

UL is a global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security, and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection, and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth.

Performance Based Design (PBD) is an engineering approach to fire protection system design that goes beyond the traditional prescriptive rules found in standards such as NFPA 750. Prescriptive codes usually reference “equivalency” or “alternate materials and methods” (AMM) clauses that permit designers to utilize alternative approaches to those specifically recognized by the code.

By using engineering tools and considering specific performance objectives, PBD aims to provide an equivalent level of safety and dependability as the prescriptive approach while tailoring the system to the unique characteristics and operations of a given application. This flexible method allows for better alignment with the needs of building owners, Authorities Having Jurisdiction, and insurers.

Johnson Controls regularly assists clients in implementing Performance Based Design utilizing AquaMist systems. Our expert team can consult on applications to advise on the best suppression system and design to help protect an application.

The European Norm EN14972 Part 1 Fixed firefighting systems – Water Mist Systems - Design and Installation" provides requirements and guidance for the design, installation, and testing of fixed land-based water mist systems for specific hazards.

The document does not address Water Mist Systems on ships, aircraft, vehicles, mobile fire appliances, or below ground systems in the mining industry. It also does not include explosion protection aspects of water mist, and extrapolation is not included. For full system acceptance, qualified testing laboratories must conduct full-scale fire tests and evaluate system components.

The fire test protocols for the various hazard groups and applications including their setup and pass-fail criterion are defined within the EN 14972 Parts 2-17. Relevant fire test reports, component test reports, and manufacturer's manuals must be issued by the accredited test laboratory. To achieve full compliance with EN 14972 norm series Water Mist Systems need to be planned, installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with EN14972 Part 1 and the manufacturer’s Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance handbook (DIOM), and have been passed the application’s relevant full-scale fire test protocol EN 14972 Part 2-17.

The VdS Guidelines for Water Mist Systems provide requirements and recommendations for planning, installing, and maintaining fixed water mist systems with a system pressure in buildings and industrial plants. These guidelines also apply to any modifications or repairs to existing systems. They establish basic requirements for system usage, testing, and upkeep, as well as requirements for buildings and separations to ensure proper system functioning. For systems above 16 bar the guideline VdS 3188 and for systems below 16 bars the guidelines VdS CEA4001 and VdS 2109 shall be applied.

To achieve a VdS approval for Water Mist systems all guidelines require to follow their guidelines, to execute full scale fire tests in accordance to VdS 3883 testing protocols and to provide a design, installation, operation and maintenance handbook (DIOM).

IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. IMO FSS Code, International code for fire safety systems, Resolution A.800 (19)

IMO Resolution A.800 gives requirements for components and system design, in addition to system tests for particular shipboard fire hazards, i.e. cabin, corridor, luxury cabin, public spaces, shopping and storage, machinery spaces.