Fire Strategy for Warehouses and Distribution Centres

What a fire strategy for a warehouse or distribution centre needs to cover

Warehouses and distribution centres present a specific set of fire safety engineering challenges that are quite different from occupied commercial or residential buildings. The primary risk is fire spread through a large volume of stored goods — often including combustible packaging, racking, and high-bay storage — within a single open-plan structure. The fire strategy must address how fire is detected and suppressed early enough to prevent a catastrophic spread, how the building is compartmentalised or subdivided to limit fire area, and how the relatively small number of workers can escape rapidly from a large floor plate.

Fire strategy reports for warehouses are required in several circumstances. Planning applications for large new warehouses or distribution centres increasingly require a fire safety statement, particularly where the building is located close to residential areas, transport infrastructure, or where the proposed use involves the storage of high-risk goods. Building control requires a fire strategy as part of the building regulations submission under Approved Document B for any new-build warehouse or significant change of use. Insurers — particularly for large logistics facilities and those handling high-value or hazardous goods — frequently require a fire engineering assessment or fire strategy as a condition of cover or as part of the risk assessment process.

The primary standard for warehouse buildings is Approved Document B, which must be read alongside BS 9999 (fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings) and, where sprinklers are proposed or required, the relevant Loss Prevention Standards published by the Fire Protection Association and the insurer's own engineering requirements. For warehouses storing hazardous materials, additional requirements may apply under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH). The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to any warehouse where people work, placing obligations on the responsible person for fire risk assessment and ongoing fire safety management.