Fire class Bfl-s1 in stair renovation: what it means and when it is required

A staircase is more than a connection between floors: in a fire, it is the building's escape route. That is why public buildings impose requirements on the fire behaviour of floor and stair finishes. Omnistair EverStep Solid carries fire class Bfl-s1, tested in accordance with the European standard EN 13501-1. In this article we explain what those letters and figures mean, why the smoke class in particular matters and why this classification deliberately applies only to EverStep Solid and GripStep Pro; in this article we focus on the application with EverStep Solid.

EN 13501-1: the European yardstick for fire behaviour

The standard EN 13501-1 classifies building materials by their behaviour in fire. For floor and stair finishes, the suffix "fl" (floor) is used, with classes from A1fl (does not contribute to fire) to Ffl (no performance determined). Class Bfl means: a very limited contribution to fire. The classification does not mean a finish is incombustible — it describes precisely measured fire behaviour. The classification is established by a recognised European certification body on the basis of standardised fire tests.

Why smoke class s1 is at least as important

In fires, most casualties are caused not by flames but by smoke. The suffix s1 stands for the lowest smoke class: limited smoke development. On a staircase — the route by which people leave the building and emergency services enter — that is no paper detail. Limited smoke development is an essential property on an escape route — which is why Omnistair always states the classification in full. Bfl-s1, then, never just "fire-safe".

Why this class is product-specific

The fire class of EverStep Solid is achieved through the SolidLux UV coating system, which has been tested as a system in accordance with EN 13501-1. The classification therefore belongs to that specific build-up of profile and coating. The same SolidLux finish — and therefore the same classification — applies to GripStep Pro. We do not claim this fire class for the other Omnistair systems — not because those products are unsafe, but because a classification only applies to the configuration in which it was tested. Claiming a fire class brand-wide does not inform clients honestly. More about the coating system can be found in the article on the SolidLux UV coating system.

At home: what do you notice?

For a home, Bfl-s1 is rarely a legal requirement, but it is reassurance: the staircase — often the only route to children sleeping upstairs — is finished with a system with a documented favourable fire class: a very limited contribution to fire and limited smoke development. It is the same idea as a smoke detector: you hope never to need it, but you want it in place.

Projects: from requirements programme to delivery

For schools, care institutions, apartment stairwells and commercial buildings, the fire behaviour of finishes is part of the requirements programme. A documented Bfl-s1 classification can be included directly in the building file; whether that satisfies the full requirements programme is assessed by the responsible advisor per project. The underlying classification documentation is available on request for professional parties. All Omnistair claims and their sources can be found in the overview what the Omnistair claims are based on.

Fire safety on the staircase is not a sales argument but a responsibility — for those who manage a building and for those who live in it. Would you like to see the classification documentation or discuss what Bfl-s1 means for your project? Contact us via our contact page.