Pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration of 7 June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other construction facilities, and areas (Dz.U. 2010 nr 109 poz. 719) signaling and alarm devices are part of fire protection systems whose purpose is to prevent, detect, and combat fires or to limit their consequences. The use of certified fire detection and alarm devices ensures that the given facility is provided with adequate protection."
Requirements for fire protection devices
Fire is one of the most dangerous hazards that can occur in an enclosed space (a building structure). That is why the installation of fire protection devices should be preceded by appropriate measures. The Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration cited at the beginning includes the following provision:
3.1. Fire protection devices in a building should be installed in accordance with a design approved by a fire protection expert. A condition for their commissioning is the performance of tests and trials appropriate for the given device, confirming its proper functioning.
Before placing a product on the market, the manufacturer of the construction product is obliged to carry out an assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP). Two procedures are possible:
European system
In cases where a harmonized technical specification (standard) is available for the product, the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP) is carried out by an accredited body. Upon completion, the relevant documents are issued: a certificate of constancy of performance (in accordance with the harmonized standard) and an approval certificate (in accordance with the annex to the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration). The manufacturer then, under their sole responsibility, issues a declaration of performance and affixes the CE marking to the product.
National system
In cases where a national standard is available for the product or a national technical assessment has been issued, the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP) is carried out by an accredited body. Upon completion, the relevant documents are issued: a national certificate of constancy of performance (in accordance with the national technical assessment) and an approval certificate (in accordance with the annex to the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration). The manufacturer then, under their sole responsibility, issues a national declaration of performance and marks the product with the B construction mark.
The documents required for specific groups of construction products can be quickly checked in the standard CNBOP-PIB-0001:2022 Introduction to the marketing and use of products used in fire protection (the current edition at the time of writing – 7, 2022)
The list of harmonized standards related to the given regulation can be found on the website of the Polish Committee for Standardization (PKN): https://pkn.pl/polskie-normy/normy-zharmonizowane/wykazy-norm-zharmonizowanych.
Requirements for fire alarm devices
Fire alarm devices are covered by harmonized standards under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 laying down harmonized conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC (OJ L 88, 4.4.2011):
- EN 54-3:2001+A1:2002+A2:2006 – Fire detection and fire alarm systems – Part 3: Fire alarm devices – Sounders (Polish version PN-EN 54-3:2003/A2:2007)
- EN 54-23:2010 – Fire detection and fire alarm systems – Part 23: Fire alarm devices – Visual alarm devices (Polish version PN-EN 54-23:2010)
Accordingly, for fire alarm devices, the appropriate system to obtain the required documents is the European system for assessment and verification of constancy of performance (System 1). In accordance with the provisions of the CPR Regulation 305/2011, after successful laboratory testing specified in the harmonized standards, the manufacturer receives a certificate of constancy of performance from a notified body. The manufacturer then prepares a declaration of performance and affixes the CE marking to the product.
Another requirement is obtaining the so-called approval for use. For fire detectors, this process includes conformity testing with the relevant clause of the annex to the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration dated 27 April 2010, amending the regulation on the list of products ensuring public safety or the protection of health, life, and property, as well as the rules for issuing approvals for the use of these products (Dz.U. 2010 nr 85 poz. 553):
11.4.1. Sounders shall comply with the requirements of the PN-EN 54-3 standard. Compliance with the requirements should be confirmed by an appropriate document.
11.4.2. Sounder should have markings and labels in the Polish language.
- Visual alarm devices - 11.5
11.5.1. Visual alarm devices shall meet the requirements of the technical approval or the relevant Polish product standard. Compliance with these requirements should be confirmed by an appropriate document.
11.5.2.1. The VADs housing and light color should be red. The word 'POŻAR' in white color should be displayed on the visible surface of the device.
11.5.2.2. VAD should have markings and labels in the Polish language.
Compliance with the above requirements is confirmed by the issuance of an approval certificate, which allows the product to be used on the Polish market. It is important to be aware that not all product groups are subject to the obligation to obtain an approval certificate. To verify this, one should check the mentioned annex to the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration or the CNBOP-PIB-0001:2022 standard. The list of current approval certificates can be found on the CNBOP website: https://cnbop.pl/oferta/certyfikacja-i-dopuszczenia/dopuszczenie-wyrobow-do-stosowania-w-ochronie-przeciwpozarowej/wykaz-wydanych-dokumentow/
Changes on the horizon, or a few words about "CPR2"
On January 7, 2025, came into force Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 on establishing harmonized rules for the marketing of construction products and repealing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011The current regulation will be fully repealed on January 8, 2040. In the near term, starting from January 8, 2026, it will be necessary to declare the effects of climate change (Annex II, items a to d).
A few selected aspects that will change:
- changes and introduction of new definitions, including key parts of the product, used product (over 60 in total – currently 28),
- replacement of the declaration of performance by a declaration of performance and conformity, including, among other things, the environmental sustainability of the product,
- definition of requirements for placing used products on the market and their CE marking,
- introduction of a digital product passport,
- introduction of the 3+ assessment and verification system,
- addition of regulations concerning online sales and other distance selling,
- possibility of using voluntary harmonized standards,
- clarification of the rules for affixing the CE marking on the product.
Certainly, the introduction of the new regulation will pose a significant challenge for manufacturers. In many cases, it will be necessary to carry out new AVCP processes due to the emergence of new harmonized standards, as well as to prepare new declarations of performance and conformity.
More information about Regulation 2024/3110:
Summary
The design and installation process of fire alarm systems should take into account the specific characteristics of the given building as well as the properties of the devices intended for installation within it. Selecting the appropriate solution ensures a high level of safety, such as detecting a fire at an early stage of its development, which allows for appropriate actions to be taken according to the situation.
Ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of every fire alarm system is crucial. To this end, each device must be accompanied by up-to-date documentation, such as a certificate, a permit to use, a declaration of performance, or a declaration of conformity.
