ICS 13.220.40  
 
Reference number  
DRS 186 -3: 2023 
© RSB 2023  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
186-3  
 
Third  edition  
2023-mm-dd 
 
Fire safety for buildings — Code of 
practice  — 
Part 3 : Fire safety in public buildings  
   
DRS 186 -3: 2023 
©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2023  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 186 -3: 2023 
iii                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 Contents                                                                                                  Page  
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Aspects of fire safety  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
5 Accessibility to the public building and evacuation  ................................ ................................ . 2 
6 Management responsibility  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
6.2 Classification by fire resistance  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
7 Containment of smoke/fire  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
7.1 Restriction on spread of fire/smoke  ................................ ................................ ...........................  4 
7.2 Boiler and boiler rooms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
8 Means of egress  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  5 
8.2 Illustration of exits and emergency power  ................................ ................................ ................  5 
9 Fire safety/fighting equipment  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 6 
Annex  A (normative)  Written policy for fire safety  ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
 DRS 186 -3: 2023 
©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 186-3 was prepared  by Technical Committee RSB/TC 28, Fire safety . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
IS 1641:1988; Code of practice for Fire Safety of Buildings (General): General Principles of Fire Grading and 
Classification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (RS  186-3: 2018), Clause 1 and Clause 7 which have 
been technically revised.  
DRS 186 consists of the following parts, under the general title Fire safety for buildings ― Code of practice : 
⎯ Part 1: General principles of fire grading and classification  
⎯ Part 2: Details of Construction  
⎯ Part 3: Fire safety in p ublic buildings  
⎯ Part 4: Selection, installation and maintenance of automatic fire detection and alarm system  
⎯ Part 5: Exit requirements and personal hazard  
⎯ Committee membership  
The following organizations were repres ented on the Technical Committee on Fire safety  (RSB/TC 28) in the 
preparation of this standard.  
Bank of Kigali (BK)  
City of Kigali  
CrossTech  
Institution  of Engineers Rwanda (IER)  DRS 186 -3: 2023 
v                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA)  
PRIME Insurance  Ltd 
Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)  
Rwanda Energy Group (REG)  
Rwand a Environment Management Authority (REMA) 
Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA)  
Rwanda National Police (RNP)  
Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB)  
Sanlam  
Société Rwandaise d’Assurance (SONARWA)  
University of Rwanda - College of Science and Technology  (UR - CST)  
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  
 DRS 186 -3: 2023 
1                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 Fire safety of buildings — Code of practice — Part 3:  Fire safety in public 
buildings  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda Standard covers the fire safety requirements in public buildings. Taking into account that 
absolute fire safety is not attainable in practice, it specifies measures which to be taken to reduce loss of lives 
and damage properties . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document 
(including any amendments) applies.  
DRS 186 -1, Fire Safety for buildings — Code of practice — Part 1: General principles of fire grading and 
classification  
DRS 186 -2, Fire Safety for buildings — Code of practice — Part 2: Details of construction  
DRS 186 -4, Fire Safety for buildings — Code of practice — Part 4: Selection, installation and maintenance of 
automatic fire detection and alarm system  
DRS 186 -5, Fire Safety for buildings — Code of practice — Part 5: Exit requirements and personal hazard  
RS ISO 11602 -1, Fire protection — portable and wheeled fire extinguishers — Part 1: Selection and installation  
RS ISO 11602 -2, Fire protection — portable and wheeled fire extinguishers — Part 2: Inspection and 
maintenance  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in DRS 186 -1 apply . 
4 Aspects of f ire safety  
Fire safety should be achieved by considering the following aspects:  
a) management responsibility;  
b) containment of smoke or fire;  
c) provision of safety escape routes;    
©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved                  2 
 d) fire safety and detection, and alarm system ; 
e) emergency power and lighting; and  
f) provision of fi re safety or fighting equipment  
5 Accessibility to the public building and evacuation  
5.1 The requirements of width and hardness of approach roads to provide access to fire engines, open 
spaces, parking distance from roads shall be in accordance with the relevant provisions of road construction 
codes or Rwanda standards.   
5.2 The exit and doors requirements for accessibility should be done in compliance with requirements of RS 
186-5.  
5.3 The evacuation planning requirements including evacuation/escape routes, location of evacuation plans 
and signs should be in compliance with relevant national building codes.  
6 Management responsibility  
6.1.1  Building Management shall ensure compliance of fire safety requirements according to relevant national 
fire codes.  
6.1.2 Building Management shall issue a written statement of its policy regarding fire safety and fire loss 
control to its employees as well as its guests (see Annex A).  
6.1.3 Building Management shall provide communication means for portraying information of various fire 
precautions including but not limited to:  
a) use of gas mask;  
b) location of fire escape routes; and  
c) assembly points evacuation plan, to the occupants at regular intervals.  
6.1.4 For buildings, with number of occupants exceeds 100, Building management shall appoint a permanent 
fire warden officer in charge of, on behalf of the building management ensuring compliance to this standard.  
6.1.5 A fire control room shall be established on ground floor near the main entrance in accordance with RS 
186-4. 
6.1.6 All users should be trained on fire fighting and use firefighting equipment.  
6.1.7 For hotel permanently posted instructions shall be mounted in guest rooms at the inner side of entrance 
door, or any other prominent location. The instructions shall contain floor map showing the location of the room 
in question, escape routes to staircases and clea r instructions what the guests should do in an emergency.  DRS 186 -3: 2023 
3                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 6.1.8 Fire safety instructions shall be updated following any modifications in the premises to ensure 
compliance with relevant standards.  
6.1.9 Management shall ensure that escape routes are not blocked, fire doors are kept in closed position and 
rags are kept away from flammable products.  
6.1.10 Management shall ensure preventive inspection, testing and maintenance of all fire protection and 
firefighting systems, machinery and equipment at least every six months.  
6.1.11 Management shall keep certificates of maintenance for Fire protection and firefighting system.  
6.1.12 There shall be instituted a “Hot Work” permit system and “Work” permit system for outside contractors 
to work inside the building. Such permits shall be requested by the building management on behalf of the 
contractor and issued in accordance with relevan t standards.  
6.1.13 Management shall ensure that furnishing and decoration materials used on escape routes shall have 
Class I flame spread rating and shall not generate toxic and asphyxiating gases on burning furniture, furnishings 
and decoration on escape routes shall not b e attached or erected so as to:  
a) obstruct access to an exit from any room;  
b) obstruct the use of an escape route;  
c) render invisible or inaccessible notices, signs, communication equipment or extinguishing equipment;  
d) obstruct the movement of the door;  
e) mirrors/reflecting surfaces or hangings shall not be used on any escape route, which may create 
confusion in the minds of people;  
f) floor and stair coverings, where used shall be firmly fastened so that slipping, tripping or falling of 
escaping people is avoided; and  
g) floor surface occupancy of the room/office shall at least leave 30 % for free movement.  
NOTE  stores are not covered  
 Classification by fire resistance  
Buildings and structures erected or to be erected, altered or extended in height or area shall be classified in one 
of the five construction types provided below:  
a) Types I and II: Types of construction in which the building elements are of noncombustible  materials. In 
this type of construction,  the building elements are of noncombustible materials such as concrete and steel. 
The roof is also of noncombustible material such as concrete or steel.   
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 b) Type III: type of construction in which the exterior walls are of noncombustible materials and the interior 
building elements are of any material. It has masonry bearing walls but the floors, structural framework and 
roof are made of wood or other combusti ble material.  
c) Type IV: Heavy Timber (HT),  is that type of construction in which the exterior walls are of noncombustible 
materials and the interior building elements are of solid or laminated wood without concealed spaces.  
d) Type V: Type V - Wood -frame construction is the most combustible of the five building types. The interior 
framing and exterior walls may be wood. A wood frame building is the only one of the five types of 
construction that has combustible exterior walls.  
7 Containment  of smoke/ fire 
 Restriction  on spread of fire/smoke  
7.1.1  Containment of smoke/fire shall be achieved by fire resistive construction and compartmentation.  
7.1.2  Wall panels, draperies, furniture and décor shall be such that the flame spread rating shall conform to 
Class I according to relevant standards  
7.1.3  List and enclosure, inspection doors, windows, basements and vertical shafts/ducts for installing 
drainage pipes, plumbing, wiring and cabling shall comply with DRS 186 -2 
7.1.4  Kitchen rooms, laundry, linen stores, furniture storage rooms shall be of fire resisting construction, and 
shall be provide d with one -hour fire resisting self -closing doors.  
7.1.5  Transformer bays High Voltage Transformer (HV) and Low Voltage Transformer (L.V .) supply rooms, 
air-conditioning plant systems and boiler rooms shall be in separate fire resisting rooms and shall conform to 
RS 186 -2  
7.1.6  Special hazards due to Liquid Petroleum Gas shall be in accordance with the provisions of RS 135 -2. 
7.1.7  Air conditioning system shall conform to DRS 186 -2 and it shall be further linked with the fire detection 
system to automatically cut off, the respective floor air handling unit in case of a fire. Also there shall be adequate 
arrangements of smoke/fire venting and enclosure of service ducts  
7.1.8  Air-conditioning system, if not properly designed may spread fire and smoke very rapidly throughout 
the floors, and vertically from floor to floor. As far as possible ‘Direct Expansion’ system shall not be used.  
7.1.9  Particular attention shall be given to cross -link the A.C. system with smoke detection system 
conforming to DRS 186 -4 and sprinkler systems, to switch off the system when either smoke detector or 
sprinklers operate.  
7.1.10  Fire dampers play positive role in stopping spread of smoke and fire, and shall be installed conforming 
to DRS 186 -2. 
7.1.11  All electrical equipment including cables, light fittings, gauges, etc shall be in conformity with relevant 
Rwanda Standards.  DRS 186 -3: 2023 
5                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 
 Boiler and boiler rooms  
Only approved boiler conforming to National, regional or International Standards and meeting the provision of 
relevant national law shall be installed.  
8  Means of egress  
8.1 Staircases  
8.1.1  A means of egress is a continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in the building 
to a public way, and consists of three separate and distinct points as given below:  
a) exit access,  
b) exit, and  
c) exit discharge.  
8.1.2  A means of egress comprises the vertical and horizontal travel, and shall include intervening rooms, 
space doorways, hallways, corridors, passageways, balconies, ramps, stairs, enclosures, lobbies horizontal 
exits, courts and yards.  
8.1.3  Exit requirements in buildings shall fully comply with the provisions laid down in RS 186 -5. However, 
width of corridors and passageways, leading to exit stairways shall not be less than 2 m. Floors on which dance 
halls, banquet halls, are located, the wi dth of corridors leading to exit from such area shall not be less than 2.5 
m for banquets or dance hall having occupants of more than 50 persons, and 2.2 m for such halls 
accommodating less than 50 persons.  
8.1.4  Basements shall not be used for banquet halls or dance halls, unless one entire side of such basement 
opens up directly to the open and also such halls including entire basement is fully sprinkled.  
All provisions of DRS 186 -5 shall be followed in deciding the number and location of staircases in a building.  
 Illustration of exits and emergency p ower  
8.2.1  Illumination of exits shall be provided by means of emergency power supply derived from self -
contained emergency light or diesel generator  
8.2.2  The floors of exits shall be illuminated at all points including turning points, intersection of corridors and 
passage ways, staircases, landings, and discharges exit at ground level. The intensity of lighting throughout 
shall not be less than 10 lux meas ured at floor level.  
8.2.3  Lights recessed in the walls and floors shall be fixed at 30 cm from the floor level.  
8.2.4  Illumination lights shall be installed such that failure of bulb or connections will not leave any area in 
total darkness.   
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 8.2.5  A stand -by power supply shall be provided in a building to cater for emergency in the event of failure 
of normal power supply such stand -by power supply shall be independent and through a generator/generators 
of adequate capacity to meet the following min imum requirements:  
a) emergency illumination of all corridors, staircases, basements and exist signage, etc;  
b) fire lifts;  
c) mechanical ventilation for basements or in case of centrally air conditioned building;  
d) fire water pump (however, if a stand -by diesel pump is provided, this may be exempted); and  
e) other emergency automatic systems for firefighting.  
9 Fire safety/ fighting equipment  
All buildings irrespective of height shall have fire detection and suppression systems as given below:  
a) internal hydrant system/hydrant and sprinkler system in accordance with relevant standard;  
b) automatic detection -cum-alarm system in accordance with RS 186 -4; 
c) automatic emulsifier/ halon system;  
d) portable fire extinguisher in accordance with RS ISO 11602 -1 and RS ISO 11602 -2; 
e) efficient public address system to couple with fire alarm or independent of fire alarm system; and  
f) in kitchen hoods and ducts, for fire protection automatic and manual CO2/Dry powder extinguisher shall be 
installed and maintained in accordance with RS ISO 11602 -1. 
NOTE  Condition for application of sprinkler system may be determined according to Rwanda Building code  DRS 186 -3: 2023 
7                ©RSB 2023  - All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Written policy for fire safety  
Fire safety policy  
We recognize that a major fire could have a devastating effect on our business, Team Members and 
guests. Fire Safety is, therefore, of paramount importance and, as a minimum, we aim to comply with 
legislative requirements and relevant Rwanda  Standards relating to Fire Safety.  
We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to protect our Team Members, guests, visitors and 
those in the vicinity of our premises from the effects of fire. In doing so we will concentrate on fire 
prevention measures designed to eliminate or reduce fi re hazards in our premises, thereby reducing 
the likelihood of a fire occurring.  
The likelihood of fire can, however, never be totally removed. We will, therefore, also ensure that we 
have suitable fire protection measures in place, to afford the occupants of our buildings sufficient time 
to safely evacuate the premises in the event of  a fire.  
We will take all practical steps to ensure that our Management Teams are provided with the necessary 
support to effectively manage Fire Safety in the premises under their control. We will also provide the 
assistance and training necessary for all Team Memb ers to competently fulfil their Fire Safety duties 
and responsibilities.  
By means of the above measures, we will endeavour  to ensure the fire hazards in our premises are 
no greater than would normally be expected and that the risks to life from fire are reduced to a tolerable 
level.  
In return we expect all Team Members to contribute and comply with our Fire Safety procedures. You 
must ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that you take care of your own safety, your colleagues’ 
safety and that of anyone affected by what you do or f ail to do at work. In addition, you must not 
interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of Fire Safety.  
The responsibility for implementing the Fire Safety Policy lies with all Directors, Managers and Team 
Members. We expect them to plan and organize safe systems of work, maintain records and regularly 
review Fire Safety performance. These actions will enabl e us to reduce the likelihood of a fire 
occurring and minimize the effects in the event that one does.  
 
 
 DRS 186-3: 2023 
 
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©RSB 2023  - All right s reserved