With the publication of BS EN 14972, can Automist be used to meet building regulations?

Yes. Automist can be used to meet building regulations even after the withdrawal of BS 8458:2015, because the underlying fire safety principles it addresses remain unchanged.

The withdrawal of BS 8458 was procedural: once BS EN 14972-17:2025 was published, BSI was obliged to withdraw the overlapping British Standard. This does not mean that systems designed to BS 8458 are invalid or non-compliant.

Automist has been rigorously evaluated under BS 7974 fire engineering principles. Independent research, including the Ashton Fire Engineering Report, demonstrates that Automist performs comparably to sprinklers and passive fire protection in domestic settings.

As the BSI Water Mist Systems committee manager has confirmed:

“It should not be inferred simply from the withdrawal of BS 8458:2015 that products manufactured to the standard or certification schemes developed to the standard can no longer be used or recognised.”

In practice, while guidance documents evolve, the fundamental life safety and property protection principles do not. Automist continues to provide effective fire suppression and can be accepted as part of a compliant building design. Looking ahead, Plumis is proactively preparing tests to BS EN 14972-17:2025 to maintain alignment with the latest standards.