Fire safety rules in Germany: parts A, B and C under DIN 14096
The notice at the entrance, the rules for all employees and the tasks of fire wardens: the German fire safety rules bundle how fires are prevented and what to do in an emergency.
Last updated on 7 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- The fire safety rules (Brandschutzordnung) bring together rules on fire prevention and on what to do in a fire for a building or company. Their structure and design are defined in DIN 14096.
- They consist of three parts: part A as a notice for everyone, part B for employees and part C for people with special fire safety tasks.
- They are required, for example, by building law for special buildings, by conditions in the building permit or – where there is an increased fire risk – by the workplace rule ASR A2.2.
- The content is communicated through notices and instruction, and regularly reviewed and updated by a competent person.
What are fire safety rules?
The fire safety rules are the binding house rules for fire safety. They define how fires are prevented, how escape and rescue routes are kept clear and what to do in a fire. This adds clear rules of conduct to structural and technical fire protection.
The basis for structure and design is DIN 14096 “Fire safety rules – rules for drawing up and displaying”. It ensures that fire safety rules are structured similarly everywhere – so employees and visitors find their way around more quickly.
When are fire safety rules mandatory?
No single law imposes a uniform duty on all companies. In practice the duty arises from several sources:
- Building law of the federal states, such as rules for special buildings like retail and assembly venues or the guideline for industrial buildings
- Conditions in the building permit or the fire safety concept
- Workplace law: where there is an increased fire risk, ASR A2.2 requires the measures for everyone to be displayed in a suitable form – for example as fire safety rules under DIN 14096
- Recommendations of the accident insurance institutions, such as DGUV Information 205-001 “Company fire protection in practice”
Part A: the notice for everyone
Part A is aimed at everyone in the building – including visitors and contractors. It is a short notice in A4 format with a red border and safety signs. It is displayed clearly at central points, such as entrances, stairwells and next to the escape and rescue plans. It covers:
- Preventing fires – for example smoking bans and handling open flames
- Keep calm
- Report the fire – with the emergency number 112 and the fire alarms provided
- Get to safety – warn people at risk, take people needing help with you, do not use lifts
- Attempt to extinguish – only if this is possible without danger
Part B: rules for employees
Part B is aimed at all employees who have no special fire safety tasks. It includes part A and describes the company rules in more detail – tailored to the building and the activities. Typical content:
- Fire prevention: handling ignition sources, hot work, smoking bans, storage of flammable materials
- Preventing the spread of fire and smoke: do not wedge open or block fire doors
- Keep escape and rescue routes clear
- Alarm and extinguishing equipment: locations and operation
- What to do in a fire: alarm signals, evacuation and assembly point
- Special rules, for example for laboratories, storage areas or workshops
Part C: people with special fire safety tasks
Part C is aimed at people who take on special fire safety tasks – such as fire safety officers, fire and evacuation wardens, managers or an in-house firefighting team. It defines who does what in an emergency: who coordinates the evacuation, who checks that all areas have been cleared, who receives and briefs the fire brigade and who shuts down technical systems.
Drawing up fire safety rules in 5 steps
- 1
Gather the basics
Collect the risk assessment, fire safety concept, building permit, escape and rescue plans and details of alarm and extinguishing systems.
- 2
Define procedures
Clarify alerting, evacuation, assembly points, briefing the fire brigade and responsibilities – ideally with fire safety officers, the occupational safety specialist and, where appropriate, the local fire brigade.
- 3
Write parts A, B and C
Short, specific and tailored to the building – with the headings and safety signs that DIN 14096 provides for.
- 4
Communicate them
Display part A, hand out and explain part B to all employees, give part C to the people responsible and go through it with them.
- 5
Review and update
Regularly and after structural, organisational or personnel changes – by a competent person.
The content belongs in regular instruction: under Section 6 of the Workplace Ordinance, employees must also be instructed on fire prevention and what to do in a fire – before starting work and at least annually afterwards. Evacuation must be practised using the escape and rescue plan at appropriate intervals.
Checklist: fire safety rules
- Requirements for the building clarified
- Part A displayed at central points
- Part B handed out to all employees
- Part C with responsibilities for fire safety tasks
- Sufficient number of fire wardens appointed
- Fire safety instruction at least annually
- Evacuation drill planned and carried out
- Review and update scheduled
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, free – to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
How often do fire safety rules have to be updated?
DIN 14096 requires regular review and updating by a competent person. They must be adapted at the latest after structural changes, new uses or changed responsibilities. A fixed review date, for example every two years, has proven useful.
Who may draw up fire safety rules?
The operator or employer is responsible. They should be drawn up by a competent person, such as the fire safety officer or a specialist planner – in consultation with the occupational safety specialist and, where appropriate, the fire brigade.
Where does part A have to be displayed?
Clearly visible at central points, such as entrances, stairwells and next to the escape and rescue plans. It does not have to hang in every single room.
How do fire safety rules differ from an escape and rescue plan?
The escape and rescue plan shows graphically where escape routes, emergency exits and first aid and fire safety equipment are located. The fire safety rules describe how to prevent fires and what to do in a fire.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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