FP200 Gold Fire Resistant Cable: UK Installation Guide

• BS 7629-1:2014 compliance — the standard specifies cable construction, testing methods, and performance criteria. Cables are tested at 930°C flame temperature whilst subjected to simultaneous water spray (simulating fire suppression) and mechanical shock.
• 30-minute minimum integrity — the cable must maintain circuit continuity for at least 30 minutes under the BS 7629-1 fire test conditions. FP200 Gold is tested to maintain integrity beyond this minimum.
• Voltage rating — FP200 Gold is rated at 300/500V, suitable for mains voltage fire alarm power supplies and low-voltage detection circuits.
• CPR classification — BS 7671 Reg 527.1.3 (A4:2026) requires that cables satisfy CPR reaction-to-fire requirements in addition to their electrical requirements. FP200 Gold carries a Cca-s1b,d1,a1 classification under the Construction Products Regulation (EU 305/2011 as retained in UK law). Specifiers should note that BS 7671 Reg 253.0 (Note) confirms that in the UK, MHCLG has not exercised CPR powers to set mandatory minimum reaction-to-fire performance levels for cables in specific applications — so the Cca-s1b,d1,a1 rating is a specification and CPR labelling requirement rather than a BS 7671 mandatory minimum. Project specifications and procurement documents should call up the required CPR class explicitly.

Reg 560.8.1 — Four Permitted Wiring Systems for Safety Services

• (a) Mineral insulated cable — complying with BS EN 60702-1 and BS EN 60702-2, also tested to BS EN 60332-1-2. This is MICC/Pyrotenax cable.
• (b) Fire-resistant cables complying with IEC 60331-1, -2 or -3 — the IEC circuit-integrity test series, also tested to BS EN 60332-1-2.
• (c) Fire-resistant cables complying with BS EN 50200, BS 8434 or BS 8491 — these are the test standards that BS 7629-1 cables such as FP200 Gold are assessed against. FP200 Gold satisfies this route.
• (d) A wiring system maintaining the necessary fire and mechanical protection — for example, cables in concrete embedment or a fully fire-protected enclosure system.

• BS 5839-1:2017 (Fire Alarm Systems) — requires that all cables in a fire alarm system either comply with BS 7629-1 (enhanced fire protection cables such as FP200 Gold) or are mineral insulated copper sheathed (MICC) cables. This requirement applies to detector circuits, sounder circuits, power supplies, panel interconnects, and all associated wiring. Cables routed through areas of high fire risk must be especially carefully considered.
• BS 5266-1:2016 (Emergency Lighting) — requires that cables serving escape route luminaires and open area emergency lighting be fire-resistant in buildings where the loss of the circuit in a fire could compromise safe evacuation. FP200 Gold satisfying BS 7629-1 meets this requirement. The standard also requires that cable routes are designed to minimise fire exposure and that multiple circuits are segregated.
• Building Regulations Approved Document B — references both BS 5839-1 and BS 5266-1 as part of fire safety requirements for new and significantly altered buildings. Compliance with these standards is required for Building Regulations sign-off on commercial, institutional, and multi-occupancy residential buildings.

• Fire-resistant fixings — use metal cable clips, steel saddles, or approved fire-resistant cable cleats. Standard white plastic cable clips melt at temperatures well below those in a building fire, releasing the cable. This is one of the most common installation errors found on fire alarm audits.
• Support spacing — BS 5839-1 recommends support spacing in accordance with the cable manufacturer's data. For FP200 Gold, typical support spacing is 250mm horizontal and 400mm vertical on surface runs.
• Route segregation — mandatory requirement — OSG Reg 7.4.1 requires that fire alarm and emergency lighting circuits are separated from other cables and from each other. Compliance with BS 5839-1 is required for fire alarm circuit segregation, and compliance with BS 5266-1 for emergency lighting circuit segregation. This is a compliance requirement, not a best-practice recommendation. Failure to segregate is a notifiable defect on inspection.
• Fire stopping — all penetrations through fire-rated walls, floors, and ceilings must be fire stopped with an approved intumescent system. FP200 Gold must not be routed through penetrations that have not been properly fire stopped.
• Minimum bend radius — the minimum bend radius for FP200 Gold is 6× the overall cable diameter for fixed wiring (8× during installation). Overbending can damage the mica tape layer and compromise fire performance.
• Fire-rated glands and termination accessories are essential — fire performance depends on the complete cable system, not the cable alone. Glands at panel entries, junction box entries, and conduit entries must be fire-rated products specified by the manufacturer. Using standard cable glands at these points is one of the most common installation failures on fire alarm audits — it voids the circuit-integrity rating of the cable at the point of termination. Manufacturer-approved fire-rated termination assemblies must be used throughout.

• FP200 Gold — easier installation — stripped with conventional tools, terminated in standard screw terminals, jointed in standard junction boxes. Lower installation labour cost. No specialist equipment required. Better suited to most fire alarm and emergency lighting installations.
• MICC — greater fire resistance — mineral insulated cable can withstand significantly higher temperatures and longer fire exposure times than FP200 Gold. MICC is preferred for high-risk environments, power circuits in extreme conditions, and installations requiring 90-minute or greater circuit integrity.
• Cost comparison — FP200 Gold is significantly cheaper per metre than MICC cable. MICC termination kits are expensive and require specialist tools. For standard fire alarm and emergency lighting circuits, FP200 Gold is the cost-effective choice. MICC is reserved for applications where its superior performance is genuinely required.
• Flexibility — FP200 Gold is more flexible than MICC cable and easier to route in congested ceiling voids and riser ducts. MICC is stiffer and requires a bending former for larger sizes.

• Horizontal runs — clip at maximum 250mm centres for 1.5mm² and 2.5mm² cable. Larger cables may allow slightly greater spacing — refer to the Prysmian FP200 Gold installation guide.
• Vertical runs — clip at maximum 400mm centres. Gravity loading on a vertical run during a fire is greater than on a horizontal run, so vertical clips must grip the cable firmly.
• Approved clip types — Prysmian's own FP200 Gold metal clips (red and white) are specifically tested and rated for use with FP200 Gold. Third-party metal clips and steel saddles are acceptable provided they are rated for the fire conditions.
• Not acceptable — standard oval or round white PVC cable clips, nylon cable ties used as the sole fixing, and self-adhesive cable clips are all unacceptable for FP200 Gold and will fail in a fire.

Testing: BS 7671 IR test regime does not fully apply to fire alarm circuits

BS 7671 Reg 643.3.2 Note states that more specific testing requirements apply to fire detection and alarm system wiring — see BS 5839-1. The standard 500 V DC insulation resistance test regime in Table 64 is not a substitute for the commissioning tests required by BS 5839-1. Where stationary secondary batteries form part of the installation (e.g., emergency lighting battery packs or fire alarm panel batteries), Reg 560.11 requires that Chapter 57 (Stationary Secondary Batteries) is also complied with, and certificates should reference this compliance.