In recent years, building regulations have made increasing reference to the use of sprinklers.
In the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales, fire sprinkler provision is mandatory in many circumstances. In comparison, England and Northern Ireland lag behind as poorer relations with regards to legislation for fire sprinkler protection. (It is noted that post-Grenfell responses to ADB for England have widened the requirement for fire sprinkler protection but this still remains scant compared with Scotland or Wales.)
BS 9999 also makes provision for their use.
Across the Union, the following documents prescribe methods of designing buildings to safeguard life in buildings in the event of fire which allow for the use of fire sprinklers in buildings:
Approved Document B for England (where fire sprinklers are required for apartment blocks with a top storey of 11m or higher since 2020, and potentially from 2024 following consultation fire sprinklers may be mandatory in new care homes).
Approved Document B for Wales (where fire sprinklers are required for ALL new dwellings and residential buildings including care homes, hotels, and hostels).
Scottish Technical Handbook 2 (where fire sprinklers are required for ALL new care homes, sheltered accommodation, HMOs, social housing and apartments 5 storeys and over).
Technical Booklet E in Northern Ireland