( Reaffirmed 1998 )
IS:12456-1988
Indian Standard
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
FIRE PROTECTION OF ELECTRONIC
DATA PROCESSING INSTALLATION
0. FOREW
0.1This Indian Standard was adopted by the
Bureau of Indian Standards on 3d June -1988,
after the draft finalized by the Fire Safety
Sectional Committee had been approved by the
Civil Engineering Division Council.
0.2 Electronic data processing (EDP) equipment
is a machine or a group of machines that uses
electronic circuitry to perform arithmetic or
logical operations automatically by means of an
internally, or externally stored programme of
machine. The development and the use of EDP
system is a direct result of the technological
breakthrough. With increased complexity of
modern industry, business and research work, it
has become a vital tool in recent years and
obviously warrants proper protection. As the
equipment is used for processing large amount of
statistical, problematical and experimental infor-
mation, its malfunctioning can put the whole
programming operation in jeopardy. This speaks
for the importance of its safeguarding against any
fire hazard since a rise in temperature of the
surroundings of the system exceeding 45°C will
cause its malfunctioning and a sustained ambient
temperature above 50°C may cause irreversible
failures.
0.3 The electronic data processing area should be
deemed to include the following areas:
a) Central Processing Area - Where the central
processing unit and its associated equipment
are installed.
1.SCOPE
1.1This standard lays down the minimum
requirements for the protection of electronic
computer/data processing equipment from damage
by fire covering the structural environment and its
protection.
NOTE- This code is not intended to apply to micro-
processors, desk type units or to EDP equipment limited
in value. However users may decide to apply whole of
a part of the recommendations given in this code to such priate standard of fire resistance.
equipment, depending on the importance of the system,
the information recorded and the consequences of any
loss of use.
1
ORD
Data Handling Area - Where the data is
processed through the computer media, for
example, punched cards, punched paper tape,
magnetic tape or disk, etc.
C>Media Stores- Ready use paper store and
magnetic media library.
d) Output Printing Area - Where the printing
of output data is carried out.
e>communication
Communication Area -Where the EDP tele-
system is installed.
0.4 The tackling of. fire with speed and effective-__
-_
ness assumes great Importance. ‘I he security staff
and the other staff should be trained in the use of
fire fighting equipment.
0.5 The provisions relating to all safety aspects
including the fire safety aspect have been included
and the aspects other than fire will be deleted
when these are covered separately.
0.6 For the purpose of deciding whether a
particular requirement of this standard is complied
with, the final value, observed or calculated,
expressing the result of a test or analysis, shall be
rounded off in accordance with IS:2-1960”. The
number of significant places retained in the
rounded off value should be the same as that of
the specified value in this standard.
*Rules for rounding off numerical values ( revised )
2. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
2.1 The electronic computer/data processing
system should be housed in fire resistance building
of Type I Construction ( see IS : 1642-1987* ).
2.2 The EDP installation should be housed in a
separate building or in a separated part of the
building.
2.2.1 If the communication is essential, the
opening should be protected to retain the appro-
*Code of practice for fire safety of buildings ( general ):
Details of construction (first revision ).
IS : 12456 - 1988

2.3 The floor of any storey immediately above the 3. AIR CONDITIONING
EDP areas should be made waterproof and 3.1 The air conditioning plant and ducting should
precaution should be taken to prevent water be designed so as to avoid the spread of fire and
entering the EDP area.
smoke by incorporating the following features :
2.4 All ventilation or service ducts serving other
parts of the building should not pass through a) A separate air handling plant exclusively for
the EDP area ( see 3.2);
the EDP area.
2.4.1 Where because of the planning difficulty, it b) Maintaining a positive air pressure within the
EDP area;
is required that ventilation or service ducts pass
through an EDP area, the same should be fire 4 Good house keeping in the plant rooms
resistant shafts with fire resistance as for the fire specially if the plant rooms form part of the
separating walls and the floors. air circuit;
2.4.2 The sections of ducting serving the EDP 4 The avoidance of combustible materials for
area and external to it should also be treated as ducting;
the fire resistant shafts. e) Automatic control to stop the AC blowers in
2.5 The EDP area should be so located that it is the event of fire alarm inside the EDP area,
not exposed to fire, water, corrosive fumes and in addition to manual centre;
smoke from adjoining areas directly or indirectly. f, Provision of a facility for extracting smoke
2.6 ?he computer room, training area and the from the EDP area, and provision of a
peripheral equipment rooms should be segregated suitable and effective means of ventilating the
from the rest of the area by 2 h fire resisting walls EDP area after the discharge of the fire
(see IS : 1642-1988” ). The walls should be cons- extinguishing media;
tructed up to the structural ceiling. All openings 8) Manual controls for facilities referred to in
should be protected by 1 h fire resisting automatic (e) and ( f) to be located outside the EDP
closing doors. area; and
2.7 The treatment of the walls, partitions, etc, h> Where ducting passes through separating
should be non-combustible and have flame spread walls or floors, automatic fire dampers should
rating of Class 1 ( see IS : 1642-1988* ). be provided (see 3.5) with facilities for
manual operation within the EDP area.
2.7.1 The raised floor panels may be covered
with tiles having flame spread of Class 1. These 3.2 Plant Room
panels should screw down to the structural frame 3.2.1 The plant room should be fire separated
and should be so constructed that any panel could from the EDP area by the construction of a
be removed with speed for putting down fire that minimum fire resistance of 1 h. Combustible
may break out under the raised floor. The material, oil and other fire hazards should be
structural floor beneath the raised floor should be excluded for the plant room.
given a slope for draining out water and also
checking entry of any pests. 3.2.2 Automatic fire dampers should be fitted in
the ducting where it penetrates the plant room
2.7.2 False Flooring - The false floor material wall and:
should be antistatic. Provision of facing on
underside of panels with GI sheet/non-combustible a>conditions
controlled
in the plant room cannot be
as above,
material is preferable.
2.7.3 Wall Pane&g - Timber frame work b> the plant room is common to areas outside
the EDP area, and
coated with fire retardent paint may be used.
2.8 All cable openings should be sealed ( see Cl there is no facility within the EDP area for
emergency control of the fans or recirculation.
IS : 12459-19887 ).
3.3 Ducting - Where insulation is used, non-
2.9 All office furniture should be of metal cons- combustible material may be applied to the inside
truction or any other non-combustible material. or the outside of the ducting.
2.10 Paper and other combustible materials
should be kept in totally closed metal cabinets or 3.4 Fire Dampers
receptacles. 3.4.1 Dampers of 1 h rating should close auto-
matically under emergency conditions. They
2.11 The magnetic tape, job assembly, supervisor should be held in the open position by means of
and maintenance rooms should be located on the an electromagnetic device operated by a smoke
periphery of the computer room. detector.

*Code of practice for fire safety of buildings (general): 3.5 Air conditioning units for installation within
Materials and details of construction (first revision ). the EDP area units which embody the following
tCode of practice of fire protection of cable runs. design features are likely to have the least inherent

2

risk of fire or smoke and are recommended:
a) Non-combustible thermal insulation and filters
wherein the combustion properties have been
considered; and
b) Thermal cut outs which operate if components
overheat, that is, in the event of fan failure.
4. ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
4.1 The source of supply should be an independent
circuit (feeder). There should be provision for
emergency supply of power in case of failure.
4.2 All electrical wirings and lighting
should conform to IS: 1646-1982*.
4.3 The number of junction boxes in underfloor
areas should be kept to a minimum. If they are
to be used, they should be of metal, completely
enclosed, easily accessible, properly grounded and
in accordance with the requirements of the
relevant electrical code. No connection should be
made in the underfloor area except within junction
boxes, or approved type receptacles, or the
connector.
4.4 The iliumination should not be less than
500 lux.
5. FIRE DETECTION AND EXTINCTION
AND EQUIPMENT
5.1 Automatic Fire Detection System
5.1.1 The EDP area and EDP installation
should be protected by an automatic fire alarm
system using smoke detectors to detect fire at an
early stage (see IS : 2189-1988~ ).
5.1.2 In addition to the requirement given in
IS : 2189-1988t, the following provisions should
also be adhered to:
a) One disconnection switch should be provided
at the exit of the area except the light. The
switch should also simultaneously stop air
conditioning system and operate the fire
damper. There should be some similar
parallel switch in the control room. The
switch when operated, should have an
indicating light and should also give an
audible firm alarm.
b> The fire damper should be provided in the air
conditioned air ducts and the return passage
at the point of entry, and should automati-
cally close in the event of fire alarm or power
disconnecting switch operations.
C>Both types of smoke detectors should be used
alternately and the spacing as given in
IS: 2189-19887 be followed with the modifica-
tion that the coverage per detector should not
be more than 30 sq m.
*Code of practice for fire safety of buildings ( general ):
Electrical installations (first revision ).
tCode of practice for selection,.installation and main-
tenance of automatic fire detectlon and alarm system
( second revision ).
IS : 12456 - 1988
4 Where the operation of a system is intended
to effect fire suppresion in addition to action
giving alarm, the system should operate when
two separate signals derived from independent
zones have been received at the controls. The
system should give caution alarm when
detector in any one zone goes into alarm
condition.
NOTE- The object of this requirement is to reduce
the possibility of an unwanted operation as a result of:
1) Accidental or malicious triggering of a detector,
or,
surges
2) Electrical accidents such as short circuits.
e) The automatic fire detection system should, in
an unattended situation, stop fans and close
dampers in the air conditioning system and
cut-off all power supplies to the EDP area.
f) Where the EDP area is attended and the
automatic cut-off of the power supplies to the
EDP installation by the system referred to in
(e) would result in serious damage, arrange-
ments should be made for immediate manual
shut down in a pre-determined manner as
soon as a fire is indicated by a fire detection
system.
5.2 Fire Fighting Equipment
5.2.1 Portable fire extinguishers of Halon type
conforming to relevant Indian Standard should be
provided in the EDP area near the EDP installa-
tion and the associated equipment.
5.2.2 In addition, to the portable fire extingui-
shers, hose-reels conforming to relevant Indian
Standard should be provided near the equipment
handling large quantities of paper outside the
computer rooms.
5.2.3 Suitable heat resisting gloves or clothes
should be provided to facilitate the removal of
heated components when cabinets are of necessity
opened in the event of fire.
5.2.4 Where modular false floors are installed,
appropriate lifters should be provided.
5.3 Automatic Fire Extinction
5.3.1 Where an installation is attended not at
all times during the operation periods, the need
for an automatic fire extinguishing system should
be considered throughout the EDP area and the
airconditioning installation.
5.3.2 The automatic operation of a total
flooding system in any part of an EDP area should
have provision to be prevented by a suitable lock
off system. Provision should be made for manual
operation of the system by controls located out-
side the area and should be identifiable. The lock
off should be an effective system ensuring that
the compressed gas cannot escape from its primary
storage vessels under forseeable fault conditions.
3
IS : 12456- 1988
5.3.3 If the fire extinguishing system is made
inoperative, for example, because maintenance is
being undertaken, a continuously sounding audible
or visual alarm should be brought into operation
automatically.
5.3.4 Prior to and during the discharge of the
extinguishing medium, whether by automatic or
manual means, an audible warning should sound
inside and outside the protected area. This
warning should be distinguishable from any other
warning devices in the area.
5.3.5 In addition to the audible warning, an
indicating panel should be provided outside each
door to the protected area. The panel should
indicate the action to be taken and by labelled
visual signals display:
a) Red - Do not enter-system has operated.
b) YeZlow-Do not enter-system on automatic
controls.
c) Green -Entry permitted -automatic system
locked off.
5.3.6 Gas extinguishing installations with single
supply for spaces that may be occupied by people,
should incorporate an automatic stop valve (which
could be a distribution valve) in the line between
the gas storage and the protected space. This is
to prevent gas being discharged into the space as
a result of accidental release from the storage
vessel(s).
The automatic stop valve should be moni-
tored so as to raise an audible warning whenever
it is not in the fully closed positions.
6. PRECAUTION
6.1 Smoking should be prohibited.
6.2 Waste paper or rubbish should not allowed to
accumulate in the EDP area but should be
removed daily. It is equally important that the
plant room is cleaned regularly and should not be
used as a store for rubbish, wastes, etc. Floors
and ceiling voids should be inspected at frequent
intervals to avoid accumulation of the combustible
materials.
6.3 The building should be provided with a
lightning conductor whose efficiency should be
periodically checked on.
6.4 The area around the building should be kept
away from weeds and the wild growth of vegeta-
tion. The space heater with exposed conductor
element or hot surface should not be used.
6.5 No combustible material, equipment or opera-
tion which constitute a hazard and which are not
directly associated with the computer system,
should be permitted in a computer room.
6.6 Personnel working in the installation should
be trained in safe use of all available fire fighting
equipment.
6.7 Notices should be provided to work personnel,
of the hazard associated with the gaseous fire
extinguishing system and warning plates indica-
ting of an automatic fire extinguishing system
should be fixed to all doors.