ASTM_E_1776_-_13.pdf

Designation:E177613An American National StandardStandard Guide forDevelopment of Fire-Risk-Assessment Standards1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1776;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year 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-risk-assessment standards.1.2 This guide is directed toward development of standardsthat will provide procedures for assessing fire risks harmful topeople,property,or the environment.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 safety 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:2E176 Terminology of Fire StandardsE1546 Guide for Development of Fire-Hazard-AssessmentStandards2.2 Other Documents:SFPE Engineering Guide to Performance-Based FireProtection,Society of Fire Protection Engineers andNFPA,Quincy,MA,20003ISO 13943 Fire Safety Vocabulary43.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsSee E176,Terminology of Fire Standardsand ISO 13943,Fire Safety Vocabulary.In case of conflict,the definitions in Terminology E176 shall prevailE176.4.Significance and Use4.1 This guide is intended for use by those undertaking thedevelopment of fire-risk-assessment standards.Such standardsare expected to be useful to manufacturers,architects,specifi-cation writers,and authorities having jurisdiction.4.2 As a guide,this document provides information on anapproach to the development of a fire-risk-assessment stan-dard;fixed procedures are not established.Limitations of data,available tests and models,and scientific knowledge canconstitute significant constraints on the fire-risk-assessmentprocedure and associated standard.4.3 While the focus of this guide is on developing fire-risk-assessment standards for products,the general concepts pre-sented also can be applied to processes,activities,occupancies,and buildings.5.Key Elements5.1 This guide uses as its key elements the following:5.1.1 The purpose of a fire-risk-assessment standard is toprovide a standardized procedure for assembling a compilationof information relevant to the fire risk of a product underspecific conditions of use.5.1.2 The information assembled shall be relevant to thepurpose of assessing the fire risk of the specific designatedproduct within the range of all relevant fire scenarios.5.1.3 The information assembled shall be explicit and quan-titative.It shall provide a sufficiently thorough examination ofthe products fire risk under the conditions defined by the scopeof the specific standard so as to permit valid choices anddecisions with respect to the fire risk of that product.5.1.4 A persuasive scientific case must be made in thedocumentation of a specific fire-risk-assessment standard thatthe procedures,data,and risk measures specified by thestandard will address questions about a products fire risk withsufficient accuracy and validity that a more thorough assess-ment procedure would not materially alter any decisions thatare to be made based on the standard.If such a case cannot bemade for all products to be addressed,then the risk assessmentshall specify those conditions under which a more thoroughfire-risk-assessment procedure is to be used.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-risk-assessment proceduredoes not,by itself,provide a sufficient justification for the useof a data source,test method,or calculation procedure of lesserscope or unproven validity.It is recognized that fire-risk1This 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 1,2013.Published April 2013.Originallypublished in 1996.Last previous edition approved in 2007 as E177607.DOI:10.1520/E1776-13.2For 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 Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from NFPA,1 Batterymarch Park,Quincy,MA 021697471.4Available from International Organization for Standardization(ISO),1 rue deVaremb,Case postale 56,CH-1211,Geneva 20,Switzerland,http:/www.iso.ch.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 assessments of such products may need to be performed in anyevent,using relevant nonstandardized procedures.When suchnonstan