Wood information sheet

The WIS focuses on two systems of testing – British and European. Both are acceptable in the UK. However, the British system is not accepted in other European countries, while the European system is accepted in all European countries. 

The four phases of fire development are ignition, fire growth, the fully developed fire and decay. The behaviour of a product in the first and second phases is its ‘reaction to fire’, which measures how easy it is to ignite that product and also how that product contributes to the fire development and spread. This is important during the early stages of a fire when evacuation is crucial. 

The requirements for reaction to fire performance depend upon whether the product is used externally or internally, or whether it is to be used in a location requiring a specific performance such as an escape route. Approved Document B (England and Wales) uses the term ‘areas of enhanced performance’. 

In the UK a reaction to fire performance is currently determined by using recognised British or European test Standards. Products can have very different levels of reaction to fire performance. Products that do not easily combust will not produce measurable results in a test designed to measure the performance of a product that ignites and burns easily. For this reason a range of different test Standards are used to achieve a National class or European classification for wall and ceiling linings.