prEN 12101-9: Smoke Control Panels (Draft European Standard)
prEN 12101-9 is the draft European standard for smoke control panels. It is currently in development and not yet a published BS EN. Smoke control panels in the UK can be specified against BS 7346-8 as an interim compliance route.
prEN 12101-9 is the draft part of the EN 12101 family covering smoke control panels: the central controllers that monitor inputs (fire alarm signals, position feedback, environmental conditions) and operate outputs (fans, dampers, vents) to deliver the smoke control function in an emergency.
Part of the BS EN 12101 standard family.
The “prEN” prefix means provisional European Norm: the standard is still in CEN’s development process and has not yet been published as a harmonised standard. Products therefore cannot currently carry a CE or UKCA mark “against EN 12101-9.”
The draft is aligned with ISO 21927-9, which deals with the same subject internationally. The two are separate standards: prEN 12101-9 is not an ISO standard.
What a compliant smoke control panel does
Regardless of the standard route, a smoke control panel must:
- Receive inputs from the fire alarm system, manual call points, and product feedback (position switches, current sensors)
- Operate outputs in line with a documented cause-and-effect strategy
- Monitor system integrity (faults, power supply status, communication loss)
- Provide manual override capability for fire and rescue service use
- Be powered by a compliant power supply (see BS EN 12101-10)
- Operate within its specified environmental class (temperature, humidity, IP rating)
Interim compliance in the UK
Until prEN 12101-9 is published as a harmonised BS EN, smoke control panels in the UK can be specified against:
- BS 7346-8: Components for smoke and heat control systems: code of practice for planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilators
- ISO 21927-9: the international parallel standard
Many manufacturers also align panel design with the published parts of the EN 12101 family that govern connected components.
Related standards
- BS EN 12101-10: Power supplies for smoke control systems
- BS 7346-8: UK code of practice (current interim compliance route)
- ISO 21927-9: International parallel standard for smoke control panels
How Vent Trade can help
Vent Trade supplies smoke control panels designed in line with BS 7346-8 and aligned with prEN 12101-9 / ISO 21927-9. Our O Range Smoke Control System provides multi-zone control with fully documented cause-and-effect logic.