DESIGNING FOR FIRE SAFETY - Uniform Building By-Laws 2012 and Malaysian Standards MS 1183:2015 - Ar Chong Lee Siong

Q: What is the difference between the UBBL (2012) and MS 1183:2015 codes mentioned in the material?

UBBL (2012) is presented as a “prescriptive” building code with predetermined rules and absolute limits. MS 1183:2015 is presented as a “descriptive” code of practice that provides informative descriptions, establishes normative practices, and describes performance criteria.

Q: Which four fire-safety concepts are used to structure the document?

The document organizes fire safety into four concepts: (1) evacuation, (2) passive containment, (3) active intervention, and (4) access for fire fighting and rescue.

Q: How are ASET and RSET used to assess evacuation safety?

The material defines Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) and Required Safe Egress Time (RSET), then applies a factor of safety criterion: RSET must be less than 0.75 ASET. It also references untenable conditions related to fire development stages.

Oct 24, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Designing for Fire Safety presents a framework linking the Selangor Uniform Building (Amendment) (No.2) By-Laws 2012 and Malaysian Standards MS 1183:2015. It contrasts a prescriptive building code with a descriptive code of practice, then structures fire-safety concepts around evacuation, passive containment, active intervention, and access for fire fighting and rescue. Evacuation fundamentals cover detection, alarm, exits, travel distance, components, and exit capacity. It further introduces fire nature, flashover, untenable conditions, and time-based safety evaluation using ASET and RSET with a safety criterion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages189

Reading Time7 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

Concepts of Fire Safety

Evacuation

Passive Containment

Active Intervention

Access for Fire Fighting and Rescue

Purpose Group and Occupancy Characteristics

UBBL (2012)

MS 1183:2015

Evacuation Elements and Assumptions

Detection and Alarm

Exits and Travel Distance

Capacity of Exits

Nature of Fire and Time-Based Criteria

Stages of Fire Development

ASET vs RSET

Factor of Safety

Exit Types

Final Exit

Alternative Exits

Storey Exit

Horizontal Exit

Exit Route

DESIGNING FOR FIRE SAFETY Selangor Uniform Building (amendment)(no2) By-Laws 2012 and Malaysian Standards MS 1183:2015 Ar Chong Lee Siong APAM MIFireE MMIArbs PAM CPD SEMINAR The Uniform Building By-Laws is a “PRESCRIPTIVE” BUILDING CODE •Compliance with this code is a requirement by law •Sets rules and regulations on the application of the code •Provides pre-determined prescriptions The prescriptions are absolute : no smaller than…….. no bigger than…….. no shorter than…… no longer than…… or no less than and no more than. The MS 1183:2015 is a “Descriptive” code of practice • Provides informative descriptions • Establishes normative practices • Describes performance criteria CONCEPTS OF FIRE SAFETY 1 EVACUATION 2 PASSIVE CONTAINMENT 3 ACTIVE INTERVENTION 4 ACCESS FOR FIRE FIGHTING AND RESCUE PURPOSE GROUP UBBL (2012) I : Small Residential II : Institutional III : Other Residential V : Shop VII : Place of Assembly IV : Office VI : Factory VIII : Storage and general MS 1183:2015 : Occupancy characteristics | | | FAMILIAR | UNFAMILIAR

| | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | AWAKE | Office
Warehouse School
Factory | | Cinema Shop
Shopping Complex | Carpark
Bus station
Hospital outpatient | | ASLEEP Long term Short term
Medical | Private house
Condominium | | Hotel
Hospital inpatient | | • EVACUATION • Detection • Alarm • Exits • Travel distance • Components • Capacity of exits Accepted assumption in designing for safe evacuation: “Only one fire at one location at a time” NATURE OF FIRE Flashover Temperature / size Untenable condition Time Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Ignition & growth development Full fire Decay Temperature / size Available Safe Egress Time ASET detection alarm movement Total evacuation Time ignition Required Safe Egress Time RSET Factor of safety: RSET < 0.75 ASET Untenab le condition exit • Final exit • ‘Alternative exits’ • Storey exit • Horizontal exit • Exit route

FAQs

What is the difference between the UBBL (2012) and MS 1183:2015 codes mentioned in the material?

UBBL (2012) is presented as a “prescriptive” building code with predetermined rules and absolute limits. MS 1183:2015 is presented as a “descriptive” code of practice that provides informative descriptions, establishes normative practices, and describes performance criteria.

Which four fire-safety concepts are used to structure the document?

The document organizes fire safety into four concepts: (1) evacuation, (2) passive containment, (3) active intervention, and (4) access for fire fighting and rescue.

How are ASET and RSET used to assess evacuation safety?

The material defines Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) and Required Safe Egress Time (RSET), then applies a factor of safety criterion: RSET must be less than 0.75 ASET. It also references untenable conditions related to fire development stages.

Oct 24, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana