Fire Safety Instructions under DIN 14096: Parts A, B and C

A Brandschutzordnung tells people in a building how to prevent fires and what to do when one occurs. DIN 14096 structures this information for three audiences: everyone on the premises, regular occupants and people with assigned fire safety duties. A generic template can miss the alarm system, escape routes and responsibilities of the actual site. The document should grow from the building’s fire safety concept, risk assessment and operating procedures.

DIN 14096 is a standard for drafting and posting fire safety instructions; it does not by itself impose a blanket legal duty on every business to produce all three parts. A building permit, fire safety concept, authority condition, special-building rule or insurer requirement may call for one. Under ASR A2.2 and A2.3, the employer must organise suitable fire protection and emergency measures based on the risk assessment. Complex layouts or particular hazards can make additional instructions necessary. The applicable scope should therefore be checked for each site.

These parts serve different readers, so copying the same paragraph three times does not help. Part A must be readable at a glance. Parts B and C explain the procedures people need to know before an incident.

The Part A notice uses short instructions and recognised safety signs so that staff and visitors can understand the immediate steps: avoid ignition sources, report a fire, warn others and reach safety. It belongs at suitable, clearly visible locations. The local emergency number, alarm method and basic evacuation message must match the building. A notice that points to a non-existent manual alarm call point creates confusion at the worst time.

Part B turns the short notice into usable workplace rules. Depending on the site, it describes handling of combustible materials, smoking or hot work restrictions, keeping exits and fire doors clear, alarm signals, assembly point, assistance for people needing help and the limits of initial firefighting. Instructions for contractors and visitors may need their own communication route.
Part C assigns special tasks to the people who actually hold them. It can cover who activates the internal response, checks areas, coordinates evacuation, shuts down specific systems where planned, meets the fire brigade and records an incident. Tasks should match training and availability across shifts. A role title without a named deputy or accessible contact route is weak in practice.

1. Gather the permit, fire safety concept, existing escape plans, risk assessment and site contacts.
2. Walk the building and verify alarms, routes, assembly points, firefighting equipment and any special hazards.
3. Draft Part A for rapid recognition, Part B for regular occupants and Part C for people with assigned duties.
4. Reconcile the text with the actual equipment and responsibility matrix; agree the final version with the relevant competent people.
5. Post, distribute and explain the relevant parts, then record versions and the next review date.

DIN 14096 calls for a competent review at least every two years. Changes to use, layout, alarms, escape routes or responsibilities can require an earlier revision. A downloaded Brandschutzordnung Muster is useful as a layout prompt, but every instruction must be checked against the actual site.

A written rule is only as useful as the equipment and routes it describes. If a fire door fails to close, an alarm point is inaccessible or signage changes, those defects need operational follow-up and may affect the instructions. Wowworks can coordinate suitable contractors for fire protection and related building work across commercial sites in Germany, with work orders and documentation visible centrally. The employer and competent fire safety personnel remain responsible for the content, approval and communication of the Brandschutzordnung.

Wowworks coordinates suitable contractors for fire protection and related building work at commercial sites in Germany. When a site review identifies a defective fire door, inaccessible equipment or outdated signage, a facility team can organise the corrective work and track orders and documentation centrally. This helps keep the building aligned with its fire safety instructions across several premises. The employer and competent fire safety personnel remain responsible for the content, approval and communication of those instructions.