Independent Assessment of Fire Behaviour Under BS 476 Parts 6 & 7
BS 476 Parts 6 and 7 are long-established British Standards used to evaluate how building materials behave in the early stages of a fire. Rather than providing a single pass/fail outcome, these tests focus on two distinct aspects of fire behaviour: a material’s contribution to fire growth (Part 6) and the rate at which flame can spread across its surface (Part 7). Together, they offer a practical, comparative framework for understanding fire performance in real-world building scenarios.
Fire Cloak™ EV fire blankets have been assessed in accordance with both parts of BS 476, providing independently verified data on their behaviour when exposed to heat and flame. The resulting classifications demonstrate controlled fire propagation and limited surface flame spread, supporting the role of Fire Cloak™ as a reliable fire-containment solution in environments where early fire development must be carefully managed.
How Fire Cloak™ Aligns with BS 476 Parts 6 & 7
Fire Cloak™ EV fire blankets have been evaluated using the test methods set out in BS 476 Part 6 and Part 7, which examine material behaviour during the critical early stages of fire development. These assessments focus on measurable performance indicators rather than theoretical resistance, providing clear insight into how materials influence fire growth and flame movement under controlled conditions.
Testing under BS 476 Part 6 examines the extent to which a material contributes to fire propagation once exposed to heat and flame, expressed through a fire propagation index. BS 476 Part 7 complements this by measuring how rapidly flame spreads across the surface of a material, resulting in a surface spread of flame classification. Together, these results allow Fire Cloak™’s fire behaviour to be assessed from both an internal fire-growth and external flame-spread perspective.
The outcomes of these tests confirm that Fire Cloak™ blankets exhibit restrained fire propagation characteristics and limited surface flame spread when exposed to ignition sources. This measured, controlled response supports their use as a fire-containment measure in situations where managing the escalation and spread of an EV-related fire is essential.
BS 476 Parts 6 & 7 Test Reports
Fire Cloak™ EV fire blankets are supported by dedicated BS 476 Part 6 and Part 7 test reports issued by an accredited UK fire-testing laboratory. These reports document the formal assessment of the blanket material under the specific test methods defined within each part of the BS 476 standard.
The Part 6 report records the measured fire propagation index and associated sub-indices, providing a comparative indication of the material’s contribution to early fire growth. The Part 7 report documents the surface spread of flame testing and resulting classification, based on the distance and rate of flame travel across the material surface.
Both reports include full traceability, identifying the product tested, specimen construction, conditioning procedures, test dates, laboratory accreditation and direct references to the relevant clauses of BS 476 Parts 6 and 7.
For clarity and transparency, the complete BS 476 Part 6 and Part 7 test reports for Fire Cloak™ are provided below for download.
Fire Cloak™ EV Fire Limitation Blanket (8 x 6m)
| Time (mins) t | Specimen Temperature (°C) Ts | Calibration Temperature (°C) Tc | Ts−Tc/10t | Sub Index of Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 | 22 | 16 | 1.20 | |
| 1.00 | 31 | 21 | 1.00 | |
| 1.50 | 37 | 26 | 0.73 | |
| 2.00 | 42 | 31 | 0.55 | |
| 2.50 | 47 | 35 | 0.48 | |
| 3.00 | 51 | 39 | 0.40 | 4.36 |
| 4.00 | 80 | 71 | 0.23 | |
| 5.00 | 122 | 110 | 0.24 | |
| 6.00 | 150 | 138 | 0.20 | |
| 7.00 | 172 | 158 | 0.20 | |
| 8.00 | 191 | 178 | 0.16 | |
| 9.00 | 205 | 193 | 0.13 | |
| 10.00 | 214 | 204 | 0.10 | 1.26 |
| 12.00 | 230 | 223 | 0.06 | |
| 14.00 | 243 | 235 | 0.06 | |
| 16.00 | 251 | 247 | 0.03 | |
| 18.00 | 258 | 253 | 0.03 | |
| 20.00 | 264 | 259 | 0.03 | 0.19 |
| Total Index of Performance S | 5.82 | |||
| Time (mins) t | Specimen Temperature (°C) Ts | Calibration Temperature (°C) Tc | Ts−Tc/10t | Sub Index of Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 | 19 | 14 | 1.00 | |
| 1.00 | 27 | 21 | 0.60 | |
| 1.50 | 33 | 26 | 0.47 | |
| 2.00 | 36 | 32 | 0.20 | |
| 2.50 | 41 | 36 | 0.20 | |
| 3.00 | 46 | 39 | 0.23 | 2.70 |
| 4.00 | 81 | 72 | 0.23 | |
| 5.00 | 120 | 107 | 0.26 | |
| 6.00 | 147 | 135 | 0.20 | |
| 7.00 | 169 | 157 | 0.17 | |
| 8.00 | 184 | 173 | 0.14 | |
| 9.00 | 197 | 188 | 0.10 | |
| 10.00 | 209 | 199 | 0.10 | 1.19 |
| 12.00 | 223 | 215 | 0.07 | |
| 14.00 | 234 | 227 | 0.05 | |
| 16.00 | 243 | 234 | 0.06 | |
| 18.00 | 250 | 241 | 0.05 | |
| 20.00 | 257 | 249 | 0.04 | 0.26 |
| Total Index of Performance S | 4.16 | |||
| Time (mins) t | Specimen Temperature (°C) Ts | Calibration Temperature (°C) Tc | Ts−Tc/10t | Sub Index of Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 | 18 | 14 | 0.80 | |
| 1.00 | 26 | 21 | 0.50 | |
| 1.50 | 31 | 27 | 0.27 | |
| 2.00 | 37 | 32 | 0.25 | |
| 2.50 | 41 | 36 | 0.20 | |
| 3.00 | 45 | 39 | 0.20 | 2.22 |
| 4.00 | 78 | 76 | 0.05 | |
| 5.00 | 119 | 110 | 0.18 | |
| 6.00 | 151 | 143 | 0.13 | |
| 7.00 | 170 | 166 | 0.06 | |
| 8.00 | 186 | 183 | 0.04 | |
| 9.00 | 200 | 197 | 0.03 | |
| 10.00 | 211 | 205 | 0.06 | 0.55 |
| 12.00 | 227 | 224 | 0.03 | |
| 14.00 | 238 | 237 | 0.01 | |
| 16.00 | 247 | 244 | 0.02 | |
| 18.00 | 253 | 251 | 0.01 | |
| 20.00 | 257 | 257 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| Total Index of Performance S | 2.83 | |||
| Specimen No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum distance travelled at 1.5 minutes (mm) | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 |
| Distance (mm) | Time to travel to indicated distance (minutes : seconds) | |||||
| 75 | ||||||
| 165 | ||||||
| 190 | ||||||
| 215 | ||||||
| 240 | ||||||
| 265 | ||||||
| 290 | ||||||
| 375 | ||||||
| 455 | ||||||
| 500 | ||||||
| 525 | ||||||
| 600 | ||||||
| 675 | ||||||
| 710 | ||||||
| 750 | ||||||
| 785 | ||||||
| 825 | ||||||
| Time to reach maximum distance travelled | 1:00 | 1:00 | 1:00 | 1:00 | 1:00 | 1:00 |
| Maximum distance travelled in 10 minutes (mm) | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 | < 50 |
What This Means in Practice
Assessment under BS 476 Parts 6 and 7 provides practical, decision-ready information about how Fire Cloak™ behaves when exposed to fire in controlled test conditions. Rather than focusing on broad reaction-to-fire classifications, these standards give insight into fire growth contribution and surface flame spread — two factors that directly influence how quickly an incident may escalate.
Below is a sector-specific view of how these outcomes translate into real-world operational value.
Certified Proof & Next Steps
Fire Cloak™ performance under BS 476 Parts 6 and 7 is supported by formal test reports issued by an accredited UK fire-testing laboratory. Each assessment was carried out in accordance with the relevant clauses of the standard, examining fire propagation behaviour and surface flame spread under controlled laboratory conditions.
Testing confirms that the Fire Cloak™ blanket material demonstrates a low contribution to early fire growth under BS 476 Part 6, alongside a Class 1 surface spread of flame classification under BS 476 Part 7. Together, these results show that the material responds in a measured and restrained manner when exposed to heat and flame, without promoting rapid fire development or surface flame travel.
This independently verified evidence provides a clear technical basis for inclusion in risk assessments, safety documentation and operational planning where BS 476 performance data remains relevant.
The complete BS 476 Part 6 and Part 7 test reports are available for download below.
About BS 476 – Parts 6 & 7
This section provides a clear, non-technical overview of the standard.
