1、Designation: E 1546 09aAn American National StandardStandard Guide forDevelopment of Fire-Hazard-Assessment Standards1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1546; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the y
2、ear of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This guide covers the development of fire-hazard-assessment standards.1.2 This guide is directed toward develop
3、ment of standardsthat will provide procedures for assessing fire hazards harmfulto people, animals, or property.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate saf
4、ety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.1.4 This fire standard cannot be used to provide quantitativemeasures.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E 176 Terminology of Fire StandardsE 603 Guide for Room Fire Experiments2.2 Other ASTM Doc
5、ument:Form and Style for ASTM Standards32.3 ISO Standards:ISO 13943 Fire Safety Vocabulary3. Terminology3.1 DefinitionsSee Terminology E 176 and ISO 13943.Incase of conflict the definitions in Terminology E 176 shallprevail. Terms used for developing this standard are shown inAppendix X1. When revis
6、ions are finalized in TerminologyE 176, the revised terms will be included in this guide.4. Significance and Use4.1 This guide is intended for use by those undertaking thedevelopment of fire-hazard-assessment standards. Such stan-dards are expected to be useful to manufacturers, architects,specifica
7、tion writers, and authorities having jurisdiction.4.2 As a guide, this document provides information on anapproach to the development of a fire hazard standard; fixedprocedures are not established. Limitations of data, availabletests and models, and scientific knowledge may constitutesignificant con
8、straints on the fire-hazard-assessment procedure.4.3 While the focus of this guide is on developingfirehazard-assessment standards for products, the general con-cepts presented also may apply to processes, activities, occu-pancies, and buildings.5. Key Elements5.1 This guide uses as its key elements
9、 the following:5.1.1 The purpose of a fire-hazard-assessment standard is toprovide a standardized procedure for assembling a compilationof information relevant to the fire hazard of a product underspecific conditions of use.5.1.2 The information assembled should be relevant to thepurpose of assessin
10、g the fire hazard of the specific designatedproduct within the range of designated fire scenarios.5.1.3 The information assembled should be explicit andquantitative and should provide a sufficiently thorough exami-nation of the products fire hazard under the conditions definedby the scope of the spe
11、cific standard, so as to permit validchoices and decisions with respect to the fire hazard of thatproduct.5.1.4 A persuasive scientific case must be made in thedocumentation of a specific fire-hazard-assessment standardthat the procedures, data, and hazard measures specified by thestandard will addr
12、ess questions about a products fire hazardwith sufficient accuracy and validity that a more thoroughassessment procedure would not materially alter any decisionsthat might be made based on the standard. If such a case cannotbe made for all products to be addressed, then the hazardassessment should s
13、pecify those conditions under which amore thorough fire-hazard-assessment procedure should beused.5.1.5 The absence of a data source, test method, or calcu-lation procedure of sufficient scope and proven validity tosupport the needs of a particular fire-hazard-assessment proce-dure may not be a suff
14、icient reason to use a data source, testmethod, or calculation procedure of lesser scope or unproven1This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E05 on Fire Standardsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.33 on Fire Safety Engineering.Current edition approved April 1, 2009. P
15、ublished May 2009. Originallyapproved in 1993. Last previous edition approved in 2009 as E 154609a.2For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Doc
16、ument Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700,West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.1Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.validity. It is recognized that fire-hazard
17、 assessments of suchproducts may need to be performed in any event, using relevantnonstandardized procedures. When procedures that have notbeen previously standardized and validated are used, the detailsshall be included to such an extent that the procedures becomestandardized for use within the spe
18、cified hazard assessmentmethod through final publication of the hazard-assessmentdocument. Such procedures do not become validated solely bysuch incorporated standardization.5.1.6 Among the significant outcomes of a fire-hazardassessment would be the revelation that a product produceseither an incre
19、ase, no increase, or a decrease in fire hazard onsome or all hazard measures and for all or part of the scenariosspecified by the standard, relative to another product or relativeto baseline hazard values for those measures and scenarios.These baseline values may or may not be derived fromfire-hazar
20、d assessments of products already in use. However,when the product is proposed for an existing use, it should becompared to an existing product having the same use. Forexample, if a products hazard is uniformly rated greater thanthe reference values on all comparisons specified by thestandard, then
21、the overall fire-hazard assessment of the productwill be greater than the fire hazard of the baseline (or productin use).5.1.7 If the assessment shows that the product is notuniformly rated higher than, equivalent to, or less than theother product(s) or the baseline for all hazard measures and allsc
22、enarios specified by the standard, then decision rules areneeded. Decision rules for combining hazard measures neednot be simple weighted sums of the component measures. Amathematical model that predicts overall fire hazard as afunction of the component hazard measures is an example of apossibly non
23、linear decision rule for combining hazard mea-sures. Decision rules for combining scenarios are normallysimple weighted sums, giving appropriate weighting to eachscenario. Note that the scenario may affect not only the valueof individual hazard measures but also the decision rules forcombining hazar
24、d measures.6. Relationship Between Fire Hazard and Fire Risk6.1 It is important to differentiate between the terms fire-hazard-assessment standard and fire-risk-assessment standard.The relationship is discussed further in Appendix X2.7. Fire-Hazard-Assessment Standards7.1 Fire-hazard-assessment stan
25、dards shall conform in styleand content to the ASTM Form and Style Manual.7.2 Fire-hazard-assessment standards shall include sectionslabeled: Scope, Significance and Use, Terminology, and De-tailed Procedure; the sections should be numbered and ar-ranged in that order.7.2.1 Scopethe Scope statement
26、should clearly state:7.2.1.1 The product or class of products of interest,7.2.1.2 The fire scenario(s) included in the standard,7.2.1.3 The assumptions used in the standard,7.2.1.4 The structure of the fire-hazard-assessment proce-dure, including test methods, models, other calculation proce-dures,
27、data sources, hazard measures, and evaluation criteria orprocedures used, and7.2.1.5 Any limitations on the application of the standard,such as the manner, form, or orientation in which the productis incorporated within an assembly, geometric restrictionsessential to use of the product, the quantity
28、 of product in use,the end use of the product, and the type of occupancy to whichthe standard is applicable.7.2.2 Significance and Use:7.2.2.1 The major uses and any limitations of the standardfire-hazard-assessment procedure should be clearly described.7.2.2.2 The significance of the assessment to
29、users shouldbe clearly stated.7.2.3 TerminologyTerms unique to the fire-hazard-assessment standard should be clearly defined. Standard termsas defined in Terminology E 176 shall be used. Terms stillunder development for Terminology E 176 are contained inAppendix X1 of this guide.7.2.4 Detailed Proce
30、dure:7.2.4.1 This section should include detailed descriptions ofthe fire-hazard-assessment procedure and its component parts,including: test methods, calculation procedures, scenario de-scription, data sources, and evaluation criteria or procedures.7.2.4.2 If the calculation procedures include mode
31、ls, theversions used should be carefully identified and referenced andmajor assumptions and limitations of the models noted. Vali-dation information, or lack thereof, should also be noted.7.2.4.3 If calculation procedures are used, sample calcula-tions should be included.7.2.4.4 Standard test method
32、s should be carefully identifiedand referenced. If a test method not yet adopted as a nationalstandard is used, its descriptions should provide all the infor-mation that would be included if it were being submittedseparately for consideration as a standard test method. Data onreproducibility and val
33、idation of nonstandardized methodsshould be included. If a standard test method has been modifiedfor the standard, all details of the modification and evidence ofthe effects of the modification on results should be included.These guidelines also apply to any large-scale test protocols.7.2.4.5 If sou
34、rces for data on fire experience or expertjudgment are cited, the procedures for assembling the data andthe accuracy, precision, and reliability of the data should bedocumented. The data should be accessible to personnelconducting or reviewing the fire-hazard assessment.8. Fire-Hazard-Assessment Pro
35、cedures8.1 Overview of Elements of Fire HazardHarm to peopleor animals may result from toxic (narcotic or irritant) sub-stances produced by a fire, thermal insults (heat stress andburns) due to convected and radiant flux, obscuration of visionby smoke (which may interfere with the ability to escape)
36、,oxygen depletion, or structural damage. Harm to property mayresult directly from heat, corrosive smoke, soot or firefighting,or indirectly as a consequence of business interruption or otheradverse effects on the ability of the property to be used for itsdesigned purposes. The fire hazard of a produ
37、ct depends on itsproperties, how it is used, and the environment in which it isused, including the number and type of people involved and thevalue and fragility of property to be exposed to a fire involvingE 1546 09a2it. Therefore, a fire-hazard-assessment procedure for a particu-lar product must de
38、scribe the product, how it is used, and itsenvironment.8.2 Development of a Fire-Hazard-Assessment StandardThe seven basic steps to follow in developing a fire-hazard-assessment standard are the following:8.2.1 Define the scope (for example, the product(s) orproduct class of interest, where and how
39、the products are used),8.2.2 Identify the measure of harm to be assessed (forexample, deaths, injuries, business loss, property loss),8.2.3 Identify and describe the scenarios of concern (forexample, product properties, geometry, ventilation and othercharacteristics of scene, heat source considerati
40、ons, occupantdetails),8.2.4 Identify the test methods or calculation proceduresneeded to produce the measures of fire hazard,8.2.5 Use the scenarios to define key parameters of the testmethods or calculation procedures,8.2.6 Identify the types and sources of data required tosupport the selected test
41、 methods and calculation procedures,and8.2.7 Identify the criteria or procedures for evaluating thefire hazard measures relative to the degree of harm.8.3 Defining the Scope and ContextThe first step involvesdefining the products or class of products to which thefire-hazard-assessment standard is to
42、 apply (that is, scope) anddefining the general and specific environments in which theproducts will be used (that is, context), including implicationsof those environments for fire ignition, development, andimpact. This may be accomplished by answering the followingquestions:8.3.1 Product or ClassWh
43、at is the product or productclass to be covered? Is the definition clear enough that one canalways determine whether a product is covered by the stan-dard? Is the definition broad enough that all products capableof substituting for covered products are also included? Is thedefinition sufficiently sp
44、ecific that it does not invite invalidcomparisons, such as comparisons of products that have verydissimilar uses and do not satisfy all the assumptions of thestandard?8.3.2 Product Involvement in FireWhen and how does theproduct tend to become involved in fire? Is there a particularrole in fire that
45、 tends to be the only point of concern for thisproduct class in a specific use (for example, initial heat source,initial fuel source, principal or largest fuel source, high severityper unit of product, major avenue of fire spread, major part ofvalue at risk)? Based on this information, is there a su
46、bset ofthe following fire-test-response and other characteristics thatcan validly be isolated as the only ones providing significantvariation in fire hazard for this product class? Consider thefollowing:8.3.2.1 Ignitability,8.3.2.2 Flame-spread rate,8.3.2.3 Heat releasepeak rate, rate of rise in rat
47、e (firegrowth rate), total heat released,8.3.2.4 Mass loss or smoke-generation rate,8.3.2.5 Opacity of smoke produced,8.3.2.6 Corrosivity of smoke produced,8.3.2.7 Profile of toxic (irritant and asphyxiant) speciesproducedrate, total, toxic potency,8.3.2.8 Thermal-decomposition rates,8.3.2.9 Enduran
48、ce under fire conditionsstructural integ-rity, thermal conductivity, mechanical response (for example,melting, collapsing),8.3.2.10 Ease of extinguishment, and8.3.2.11 Quantity of product in use relative to size and typeof occupancy.8.3.3 Environment:8.3.3.1 What are the general environments in whic
49、h theproduct will be used? General-environment characteristics ofinterest include those that define the manner of use of theproduct and those that define nearby heat sources and other fuelitems, nearby occupants and their characteristics or behaviors,and the dimensions and characteristics of the spaces in whichfire can develop. In practical terms, the general-environmentcharacteristics of interest will be those that can be translatedinto fire test specifications or variables in calculations. Typi-cally, most or all of these general-environment characteristicscan be in
