Best Fire-Protection Standards for Archive Storage

Fire is the greatest single threat to stored documents. A fire in a poorly protected facility can destroy decades of business records in minutes — and unlike digital data, paper records cannot be restored from a backup. Understanding fire protection standards helps you assess whether your storage provider (or your own on-site archive) is genuinely protecting your documents or just protecting the building.

The Fundamental Problem with Water

Most buildings use water-based fire suppression — sprinkler systems that activate when heat is detected. For general buildings, sprinklers are highly effective at controlling fires and saving lives. But for document storage, they create a paradox: the system that saves the building destroys its contents.

When a sprinkler head activates, it releases approximately 60-100 litres of water per minute over the affected area. Paper absorbs water rapidly, becoming pulp. Documents that were not directly damaged by fire are destroyed by the water used to fight it. In many archive fires, water damage is more extensive than fire damage.

This is why fire protection for document archives requires a fundamentally different approach from fire protection for general buildings.

Gas-Based Fire Suppression

Gas-based systems are the gold standard for document archive protection. They work by reducing the oxygen concentration in the protected space below the level required for combustion (typically below 15%) — extinguishing the fire without water, chemicals or residue. Documents remain completely dry and undamaged.

Inert Gas Systems

These use naturally occurring gases — typically a blend of nitrogen and argon (Argonite or Inergen) — to displace oxygen. They are:

• Non-toxic at design concentrations — safe for occupied spaces with proper warning systems
• Electrically non-conductive — safe around electronic equipment
• Zero Ozone Depletion Potential and zero Global Warming Potential
• No residue — nothing to clean up after discharge
• Stored as compressed gas in cylinder banks — reliable and long-lasting

Inert gas systems are the most widely used for archive storage in the UK. Discharge typically takes 60-120 seconds to achieve the required concentration, and the gas must be held for at least 10 minutes (often longer) to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.

Clean Agent Systems

Clean agents like FM-200 (HFC-227ea) and Novec 1230 work differently — they absorb heat from the fire rather than displacing oxygen. They achieve suppression faster (typically within 10 seconds) and at lower concentrations, meaning smaller cylinder banks and less floor space needed for equipment.

• FM-200: Widely used and proven. Has a Global Warming Potential of 3220, so environmental regulations are gradually restricting new installations, but existing systems remain in service
• Novec 1230: The newer alternative with a GWP of just 1 and an atmospheric lifetime of 5 days. It is increasingly the default choice for new installations

Detection Systems

Fire suppression is only effective if fires are detected early — ideally at the smouldering stage before flames develop. Standard heat detectors are too slow for archive protection. Best practice is:

• VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus): Aspirating detection systems that continuously sample air from the protected space. They can detect smoke particles at concentrations far below what conventional detectors register, providing warnings minutes or hours before a conventional detector would activate
• Multi-zone detection: Detection zones that correspond to suppression zones, so only the affected compartment is flooded with gas rather than the entire facility
• Double-knock activation: Two detectors must confirm the alarm before gas is released, preventing false discharges that waste gas and disrupt operations

Compartmentalisation

Effective gas suppression requires sealed compartments — the gas needs to be contained at the required concentration for long enough to extinguish the fire. Good archive facilities divide their storage into separate compartments, each independently protected.

Compartmentalisation also limits the extent of any fire. If a fire occurs in one compartment, the rest of the archive is unaffected. The smaller the compartments, the better the protection — but the higher the installation cost. Most facilities balance this with compartments holding several thousand boxes each.

Relevant Standards and Regulations

• BS 5839-1: Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings — the design, installation and maintenance standard
• BS EN 15004: Fixed gaseous firefighting systems — covers design, installation and maintenance of gas suppression
• BS 7273: Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures — covers the interface between detection and suppression
• LPS 1230: Requirements for fire sprinkler installers (where sprinklers are used for building protection alongside gas for archive protection)
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: The legal framework requiring fire risk assessments for all non-domestic premises

What to Ask Your Provider

• What fire suppression system do you use? (Expect a specific answer — Argonite, Inergen, Novec 1230, or FM-200)
• What detection system is installed? (VESDA or aspirating detection is ideal)
• Is the archive compartmentalised? How many compartments?
• How long is the gas held after discharge? (Minimum 10 minutes, ideally 20+)
• When was the system last serviced? By whom? (Should be annually by a certified engineer)
• Do you hold a current Fire Risk Assessment? Can I see it?

Get a Free Quote

Every business is different, so the best way to understand your options is to get in touch with our team. We provide clear, no-obligation advice — usually within the same day.

Call us on 01691 650355 or use the form below.