People, animals and property are to be protected by preventive fire protection measures by avoiding fires, limiting the spread of fire and fighting fires effectively. In Germany, for example, various fire protection regulations apply to building operators and employers, which result in a high degree of complexity. We answer the most frequently asked questions.
Which fire protection regulations are in place?
In Germany, there are many different fire protection regulations for buildings of all kinds - whether hotels, kindergartens, offices, medical practices or workshops.
One legal basis is the model building code. It is the basis for the building regulations of the federal states as well as the minimum requirements for preventive fire protection. The specifications there are in turn concretised in various guidelines, standards, technical regulations or ordinances. These include DIN standards, VDE and VdS specifications, DGUV and the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health.
In addition, the Workplace Ordinance (or the Technical Rules for Workplaces) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act require various fire protection measures. In addition, there are often further requirements of the property insurers for the fire protection facilities in a building. The multitude of fire protection regulations leads to a high degree of complexity in order to achieve the protection goals.
Who is responsible for implementing the fire safety regulations?
In principle, compliance with fire safety regulations is to be regarded as an operator's duty. Consequently, the operators of a building and/or the employer are responsible for implementing the required measures.
The control of the implementation of fire protection regulations lies with the responsible building authority or the fire protection service.
What does this mean in practice?
The Building Code, the Workplace Ordinance and the Occupational Health and Safety Act basically apply to every workplace or industry.
In addition, however, further fire protection regulations may apply, e.g. for kindergartens, hotels, workshops or other special buildings. For example, in some federal states, day-care centres for children are considered special buildings with special regulations. At the same time, depending on the federal state, there are regulations for hotels and restaurants, for example, according to the Ordinance on Places of Assembly and Places of Accommodation.
CWS is happy to support you!
CWS Fire Safety is your expert in preventive fire protection and is active throughout Germany. Our experts with many years of professional experience are very familiar with the (regional) fire protection regulations.
We will be happy to advise you on the fire protection regulations that apply to you and implement the required measures in your building. This includes not only planning and installation, but also regular maintenance and servicing of the systems to ensure continuous functionality.