In brief
Art. 96 of the Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings makes an automatic sprinkler system mandatory in non-residential buildings with a construction height over 30.50 m, enclosed car parks larger than 600 m², hotels and dormitories of a certain size, multi-storey shops over 2000 m² and buildings over 1000 m² containing readily flammable substances; Art. 165 sets separate thresholds for existing buildings. Head layout in warehouse racking is determined according to TS EN 12845; the system undergoes periodic inspection at least once a year.
Where does the sprinkler requirement come from?
The sprinkler requirement comes not from OHS legislation but from fire legislation. The Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings calls the sprinkler an "automatic sprinkler system" and lists in Art. 96 the buildings where its installation is mandatory. OHS legislation connects to this system in two places: Annex 1 of the Workplace Buildings and Annexes Regulation requires special fire-related arrangements to comply with this regulation and fire-fighting equipment to be kept ready for use at all times; the Work Equipment Regulation makes the system subject to periodic inspection.
According to the regulation, the purpose of the sprinkler system is to respond early to a fire and to control or extinguish it by discharging a certain amount of water onto the design area within a certain time. The system consists of heads, pipes, control valves, alarm bells, flow indicators, pumps and an emergency power supply; components must comply with TS EN 12259 and the design with TS EN 12845 (Art. 96/1 and 96/5).
The answer to the question of which buildings need sprinklers depends on whether the building is new or existing. The regulation treats buildings whose projects annexed to the building permit application were approved before 19 December 2007 as "existing buildings" (Art. 138/4).
Which buildings need sprinklers? New buildings
Under Art. 96/2, the places where installation of an automatic sprinkler system is mandatory are:
| Building or section | Threshold | Sub-para. |
|---|---|---|
| All non-residential buildings | Construction height over 30.50 m | a |
| Residential buildings | Construction height exceeding 51.50 m | b |
| Enclosed car parks | Total area greater than 600 m², or where more than 10 vehicles are taken in by lift | c |
| Hotels, dormitories, guesthouses, hostels | In a multi-storey building, more than 100 bedrooms or more than 200 beds; also all accommodation facilities with a construction height over 21.50 m | ç |
| Multi-storey shops, shopping, commercial and entertainment venues | Total area over 2000 m² | d |
| Buildings where readily flammable and combustible substances are produced or kept | Total area over 1000 m² | e |
There are two different measurements in the height thresholds. Construction height is the total height of all floors of the building, including basements, mezzanines and the loft. Building height is the distance from the point at which the building's level is taken to the eaves level. In industrial buildings, sub-paragraph e is often the decisive one: if there are readily flammable and combustible substances in production or storage and the total area exceeds 1000 m², sprinklers are required even if the building is low.
The regulation exempts some places (Art. 96/3): wet areas containing no combustible materials, fire stair enclosures separated by fire-resistant elements, lift shafts and rooms protected by another automatic extinguishing system using gas, dry powder or water spray. Sprinkler systems are not installed in rooms containing substances that may expand or react with water and make the fire worse (Art. 96/4); a suitable alternative extinguishing system is chosen for these areas.
Sprinklers in existing buildings
For existing buildings, Art. 165 sets separate and generally higher thresholds:
- All buildings other than residential and office buildings with a building height over 30.50 m,
- Office buildings with a construction height exceeding 51.50 m,
- Enclosed car parks with a total area over 1000 m² and enclosed car parks where more than 10 vehicles are taken in by lift,
- Hotels, guesthouses and hostels with more than 200 beds in a building of more than two storeys,
- Multi-storey shops, shopping and entertainment venues and congress and meeting halls with a total construction area over 3000 m²,
- Unless otherwise stated, warehouses in multi-storey buildings where readily flammable substances are kept and whose total enclosed area exceeds 2000 m² in basements or 4000 m² on other floors.
Warehouse sprinklers: the special case of racking systems
The regulation does not set a separate threshold for in-rack heads; it requires the design to be carried out according to TS EN 12845 and the heads to be positioned according to the hazard class of the area of use (Art. 96/5). In high-bay warehouses, water from ceiling heads may not reach a fire growing inside the racking in time. The standard may therefore require heads to be placed within the racking according to storage height and the type of product and packaging. This decision is made by the engineer who prepares the fire installation design; the business's task is not to undermine the conditions on which the design is based.
The problems we see most often on site with warehouse sprinkler systems are:
- Increased stacking height: When the storage height specified in the design is exceeded, or the clearance under the ceiling heads is blocked, the system design may become invalid.
- Change of product: A switch from cardboard packaging to foam or plastic packaging, or starting to store aerosols and flammable liquids, raises the hazard class. Consult the designer when the product range changes; for flammable liquids, see our article on storing flammable liquids.
- Impact on in-rack heads: In-rack heads hit by forklift forks are protected with guards; a damaged head is replaced immediately.
- Blocked flue spaces: The vertical spaces between racks are part of the design for water and heat to spread; they are not blocked with pallets or boxes.
- Closed valve: If a valve closed for maintenance is not reopened, the system will not work.
For the safety of the racking itself, see our article on industrial racking safety. For the risk of freezing in unheated warehouses, the regulation also defines a dry pipe sprinkler system whose pipes are kept filled with compressed air or inert gas.
Maintaining the sprinkler system in operation
After the system has been installed, the business's obligations continue:
- Valves always open: Measures are taken to ensure that valves on pipelines, zone control valves and all valves between the water supply and the system remain open (Art. 96/9). Lock the valves or connect their position to the fire alarm panel.
- Spare heads: Depending on the size of the system, no fewer than 6 spare heads and a head replacement spanner are kept (Art. 96/8).
- Routine checks: TS EN 12845 defines regular checks to be carried out by the business; pump running, pressure and valve checks are the main ones. Record the results.
- Keeping the area in front of heads clear: Boards, tarpaulins or stacked materials hung or placed in front of heads obstruct water distribution.
Sprinkler periodic inspection
Annex III of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment lists the sprinkler system, fire water tank, pump room and pump performance tests, fixed pipework, fire hose cabinets and the hydrant system under the heading of fire-fighting systems: unless the standards specify a shorter period, periodic inspection is carried out at least once a year. The inspection is carried out by the authorised persons listed in Annex III item 2.3.3, such as mechanical engineers and mechanical technicians registered on EKİPNET (the Ministry's register of authorised inspection personnel); the contract is set up on ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) at least 1 day before the inspection.
If the inspection report gives a "non-compliant" or conditionally compliant result, the rectification of the deficiencies should be documented separately. We explain how to read the report in our article on how to read a periodic inspection report. Enter the inspection dates in the OHS calendar. The number of portable extinguishers is a separate calculation; for this, see our article on how many fire extinguishers a workplace should have.
At warehouses and production facilities in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we plan sprinkler, hydrant and fire hose cabinet inspections with authorised persons as part of our periodic inspection service. For other risks specific to storage facilities, see our logistics and warehousing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which buildings need sprinklers?
In new buildings, under Art. 96/2, they are mandatory in non-residential buildings with a construction height over 30.50 m, enclosed car parks larger than 600 m², hotels and dormitories of a certain size, multi-storey shops and entertainment venues over 2000 m² and buildings over 1000 m² containing readily flammable substances. For existing buildings, the thresholds in Art. 165 apply.
Are sprinklers mandatory in a large single-storey warehouse?
In a new warehouse, if the height threshold is not exceeded, Art. 96/2-e is decisive: if readily flammable and combustible substances are kept and the total area exceeds 1000 m², sprinklers are mandatory. Assess with the design engineer whether the products you store fall within this scope.
If we increase rack height, will the sprinkler system still be adequate?
It may not be. The design is based on the storage height and product class in the design documents. Get the installation designer's assessment before changing rack height, stacking method or product type.
Who carries out the periodic inspection of a sprinkler system?
Under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation, it is carried out by mechanical, metallurgical and materials, mechatronics or manufacturing engineers, technical teachers who are graduates of mechanical and metal education departments, and mechanical technicians or senior technicians registered on EKİPNET. Unless the standards specify a shorter period, the inspection is repeated at least once a year and the installation design is requested during the inspection.
Equipment inventory and an inspection calendar under the new Annex III, with inspections carried out through our solution partners, plus report and defect follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.