Key Updates in TGD-B 2024 – What You Need to Know

As Ireland’s largest fire safety consultancy, ORS is committed to keeping industry professionals informed of critical regulatory changes. The latest revision of Technical Guidance Document B (TGD-B) 2024, coming into effect on May 1, 2025, introduces several significant updates that will impact fire safety requirements across various building types. 

These changes, which range from updated definitions to new sprinkler mandates and fire compartment measures, are designed to enhance fire safety standards in Ireland. Below, Des Fortune, Associate Director at ORS, outlines the most significant provisions of the updated TGD-B 2024. 

• Introduction of a more defined scope; 

• Change in definition of car parks; 

• Mandatory installation of sprinkler systems in multi-storey residential care facilities; 

• Reduction in the maximum allowable compartment size for sprinklered shops from 4,000 m² to 2,000 m²; 

• Reclassification of risk level from ‘high’ to ‘normal’ for high-risk storage areas protected by sprinklers (i.e. from 2,000 m² to 14,000 m²); 

• Requirement for sprinkler systems in buildings containing flats or student accommodation where the topmost floor exceeds 15 meters in height; 

• Mandatory provision of either a sprinkler system, a 0.9-meter fire-resistant zone, a 0.5-meter fire-resistant projection, or a fire-resistant compartment floor at the junction with an external wall in buildings with a topmost floor height exceeding 15 meters; 

• Installation of a fire-resistant flanking wall at the intersection of a compartment wall and an external wall. This requirement is waived in buildings equipped with a sprinkler system, except for care facilities; 

• Elimination of Diagram 17 as an option for new buildings or extensions (i.e. with respect to cavity barriers); 

• Updates to the fire performance standards for external walls to limit the spread of fire; 

• Introduction of new requirements for elements attached to the building but located outside the thermal envelope; 

• Implementation of enhanced internal firefighter access provisions for buildings with a topmost floor height greater than 11 meters but less than 20 meters; 

• Classification of high-rack storage exceeding 7 meters in height as ‘High Hazard’; 

• Revision of regulations concerning the ventilation of protected escape stairways; 

• Introduction of additional requirements for materials used on the external walls of existing buildings; 

• New provision mandating insulated doors or shutters in cases where a door or shutter constitutes more than 25% of a compartment wall.

The revised TGD-B 2024 represents a significant step toward improving fire safety regulations in Ireland. These updates will have major implications for developers, designers, and building owners, requiring careful planning and compliance. 

At ORS, our team of expert fire safety consultants are on hand to help clients navigate these changes. If you need assistance in understanding how these updates impact your project, get in touch with our fire safety team at info@ors.ie or +353 1524 2060.