So Many Standards, So Little Time

1. Look Up

We are so busy looking down at our screens these days that few of us ever look up. Asides from working some neck muscles that have probably long deteriorated, you might be able to see a sprinkler system in the building you are currently in. If you can't, it could be worthwhile making a discreet exit, fire happens to its own schedule, not yours.

While sprinklers are robust in operation, how they are installed in a specific environment has a far greater impact on their effectiveness. This is where standards come in, along with ample amounts of confusion in the industry.

2. What Standards Do

In short, standards contain all the information needed to install a fixed fire protection system in a building based on what needs to be protected. Variables like storage racks, height of storage, size of building, and building materials are all covered, and it becomes quite technical the more you delve into a standard.

Most people are not aware of the different standards available to install a sprinkler system. In South Africa, a system can be installed to any of the following:

SABS 0287, also referred to as SANS 10287 Edition 1
SANS 10287 Edition 2, published in late 2025
Factory Mutual (FM Global)
NFPA, the American Standard
BS EN 12845, the British/European Standard
The Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Edition Rules, developed by ASIB

3. Why So Many Standards?

ASIB will inspect to the prescribed standard that any given system was designed for. The reason there are several "ASIB" standards is that SABS 0287 was not updated for more than 25 years. SANS 10287 Edition 2 was finally published in late 2025, but its development journey, and the resulting document, raise important questions for the industry.

SABS 0287 was based on BS 5306 Part II, issued in 1990, but took the SABS many years to publish, eventually achieved in March 2000. Anyone familiar with the document will confirm that there is not a single installation in South Africa that complies with and is certified to this standard.

There is also the NFPA, which is an American standard generally considered to be sound. However, as it is linked to the American building code, it can be inadequate for South Africa, we build differently due to the availability of materials, climate, and differing building regulation requirements.

It is important to note that no regulatory body has managed to successfully update standards for the country, despite many attempts. The process usually gets bogged down by bureaucracy, and people attempting to rewrite standards based on vested interest without having any in-depth experience in the specific industry.

4. The ASIB Rule Books

Using any of the standards described so far is permitted, but it is not necessarily an intelligent decision. As time went on and best practices in fixed fire protection continued to improve globally, South African standards were left behind.

ASIB decided to provide their knowledge in the form of Rule Books reflecting international best practice combined with our building environment. A further function of ASIB is to continually update the rules in line with internationally accepted practices, ensuring that the end user remains globally insurable, particularly when it comes to evolving risks and new technology. It is important to note that the ASIB Rule Books over the past fifty-six years are internationally accepted, grounded in BS EN 12845, relevant LPC Technical Bulletin updates, and established loss-case experience.

In an effort to streamline a national fire sprinkler standard and accelerate the process, ASIB provided the SABS with a copy of the Eleventh Edition Rules. Permission was given for all references to ASIB to be removed, allowing the Eleventh Edition Rules to be adopted as the base document. The committee voted to adopt these rules in 2009, after which a working group was established to address the technical content and public comments.

The most recent edition, the Twelfth Edition Rule Book, is generally considered to be the best standard available in the country today. While it may require more effort and understanding to implement, it is because it remains significantly ahead of both the original SABS 0287 and the newly published SANS 10287 Edition 2. The latest edition is available on request from the ASIB website.

5. SANS 10287 Edition 2, A Long-Awaited but Incomplete Standard

ASIB's involvement in the SANS 10287 working group was undertaken in good faith, with the expectation that the final published document would reflect both internationally accepted fire-engineering principles and the operational realities of fixed fire protection systems in South Africa.

Whilst ASIB actively participated in working group discussions and submitted detailed technical input, a growing divergence emerged within the deliberations. Proposals by committee members with deep-seated self-interests were advanced to incorporate SANAS and SANS 10400-T, despite these frameworks having no direct technical relevance to sprinkler system design or performance. Further deliberations erroneously sought to remove requirements relating to listed and approved equipment. These matters shifted focus away from technical integrity and system performance, which remain fundamental to effective fixed fire protection.

This distraction contributed to a protracted development process, resulting in SANS 10287 Edition 2 being stalled for an extended period. The document underwent extensive reworking to streamline references but without substantive technical advancement over a development period exceeding fifteen years. When measured against the 2017 base document and its eventual publication in late 2025, the current SANS 10287 Edition 2 is effectively almost ten years out of date at the point of publication.

6. Critical Technical Gaps in SANS 10287 Edition 2

The following are examples of missing critical technical updates absent from SANS 10287 Edition 2 when measured against worldwide accepted standards and updates.

Lithium-ion Battery Storage: Requirements for lithium-ion battery storage are not mentioned in SANS 10287 Edition 2. This addresses a primary emerging fire risk, especially when considering the energy crisis experienced in South Africa. Key requirements that should be included are risk classification based on Ah rating, storage temperature requirements, drenchable packaging requirements, maximum stored energy limits, separate storage tables for free-standing and block storage, and a maximum roof height of 12.0 metres for lithium battery storage areas.

Excessive Clearance Requirements: SANS 10287 Edition 2 lacks clear and unambiguous guidance on excessive clearance conditions, including defined parameters and technical limitations. Of particular concern is a critical technical error permitting excessive clearance conditions to be applied to Ordinary Hazard sprinkler protection. This fault substantially increases the likelihood of system failure under a fire condition and exposes all parties, designers, installers, owners, occupiers, brokers, and insurers, to the risk of catastrophic failure of the sprinkler installation or unacceptable excessive losses.

Additional shortfalls include, but are not limited to: sprinkler deflector positioning relative to roof slopes, storage mezzanine protection parameters, bulk storage mezzanine protection criteria, shelf storage protection requirements, beam pallet storage protection criteria, mobile racking storage parameters, gondola storage, carpet rack storage, bund and drainage requirements for flammable liquids, stored water capacities and calculation parameters, and updated technically aligned definitions.

These omissions will have a significant cumulative impact when assessing storage configurations and occupancy risks. When considering identified technical errors and a failure to incorporate current developments in a timely manner, the standard will materially increase liability exposure for all parties involved.

7. Once Installed, Always Inspected to That Standard

Once a system has been installed to a certain standard, it will always be inspected to that standard, which is an often-overlooked aspect in risk management today. A system designed according to the Tenth Edition Rules will always be evaluated in accordance with the Tenth Edition. Every single time, every single inspection, always to the Tenth Edition.

If this weren't the case, logically the entire country's sprinkler systems would all be invalid and no buildings would be compliant with any standard. This principle provides stability and certainty for building owners and insurers alike.

A word of caution: While the design standard remains fixed, the same cannot be said for product categorisation and classifications. As materials, commodities, and storage practices evolve, so too does the understanding of the risks they present. The latest knowledge must always be applied when determining how a product is categorised and classified for fire protection purposes. A commodity that was previously considered as CAT II at the time of installation may, in light of current data and fire testing, warrant a higher product categorisation, e.g. CAT III. Failing to apply up-to-date categorisation can potentially increase the fire loading and render an otherwise compliant system inadequate for the actual risk it is expected to protect against.

8. Making Standards Accessible

Part of the challenge in regulations historically was that they were designed in such a way that it was hard for an end user to navigate the information. There was constant cross-referencing required, and much like financial information in a bygone age, there was a certain aura that you had to know more than what was required to use them effectively.

ASIB has, over time, managed to write Rule Books in such a way that they are easily navigated and the structure is well thought out, applying considered layout and user experience to what is primarily a technical reference document. The latest edition is available on request from the ASIB website, and ASIB is available to advise on any standard currently in use.

ASIB Position

ASIB inspects to whichever standard a system was designed for, but not all standards are equal. While SANS 10287 Edition 2 is a long overdue improvement on SABS 0287, it contains substantial technical gaps that require urgent attention. It is difficult for ASIB to endorse this as a current and authoritative standard, based on the constraints and challenges South Africa will face as a direct consequence if it relies on an already outdated and incomplete document.

The ASIB Twelfth Edition Rule Book remains the most comprehensive standard available in the country today, reflecting current international best practice adapted for the South African building environment, and is the recommended design authority for new installations.

The Automatic Sprinkler Inspection Bureau (Pty) Limited

N van Loggerenberg

Managing Director

So Many Standards, So Little Time

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