In almost every premises, cables and wires are run throughout the building, often hidden out of sight. It is important that these cables are fixed in place with suitable fire-resistant supports.
In the event of a fire, if cables do not have fire resistant supports and fail, the cables and wires will hang down. This is very dangerous for fire crews who could potentially become entrapped via their Breathing Apparatus becoming entangled. In the past, this has cost firefighters their lives.
To prevent risk of cables and containment dropping prematurely in event of fire, all fixed wiring systems installed after 1 January 2019 must be secured by fire-rated supports, having melting points more than 1,084ºC.
Fire-rated supports must have certificates of conformity that validate 1,084ºC+ melting point and be able to secure cables for a duration of two hours in fire conditions.
Regulation 521.10.202 of the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations requires all cables to be adequately supported using non-combustible fixings to prevent premature collapse in the event of a fire. This is part of the British Standard BS7671.