Fire safety

Office phone booth fire safety: what applies in Germany and the EU

Short answer: a freestanding phone booth is in most cases treated as movable furniture, not as a structure. Local building rules and your building's fire safety concept still decide. The booth must keep escape routes clear and must not leave a blind spot for sprinklers or smoke detectors.

QAkustik booths use materials classified under EN 13501-1: MDF B-s2,d0, fabric and mineral wool A2-s1,d0, plus laminated safety glass. The fire class documentation ships with each unit. This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm every point with your building's fire safety officer.

Last reviewed: October 31, 2026

MDF panels: B-s2,d0
Fabric & mineral wool: A2-s1,d0
Glass: Laminated safety glass
Documents: CE, EMC, LVD, RoHS, EN 13501-1

Request a quote Technical specifications

Checklist before you order

Ask the supplier for the EN 13501-1 class of each material, in writing.
Ask for the CE, EMC, LVD and RoHS documents for the electrics.
Mark the position on the floor plan. Check escape route widths with the booth door open.
Keep exits, fire extinguishers, call points and escape signs visible and reachable.
Ask your sprinkler or fire alarm provider whether the space under the closed roof needs its own detector or sprinkler.
Place the booth near a socket so no cable crosses a walkway.
Get written approval from your fire safety officer and, if you rent, from the landlord.
Ask whether the escape and rescue plan needs an update.

What the EN 13501-1 classes mean

EN 13501-1 is the European system for classifying how building products react to fire. The main classes run from A1 and A2 (non-combustible) through B, C, D and E to F. Two add-ons describe side effects: s1 to s3 for smoke (s1 is the lowest) and d0 to d2 for burning droplets (d0 means none).

Materials of QAkustik office booths
Material	Class	In plain words
MDF panels	B-s2,d0	Combustible, very limited contribution to fire, medium smoke, no burning droplets
Fabric and mineral wool	A2-s1,d0	Non-combustible class, low smoke, no burning droplets
Door and glass	Laminated safety glass	Glass layers held together by a film, so it stays in one piece when broken

Source: QAkustik technical specifications. The classes apply to the materials, not to the booth as a whole.

German building law uses its own terms, such as "nichtbrennbar" and "schwerentflammbar", and maps them to the European classes. Which class a given area needs is a question for your fire safety officer.

Do you need a permit?

In Germany, the state building codes (based on the Musterbauordnung) regulate structures. A booth that stands on the existing floor, plugs into a socket and can be taken apart is in most cases treated as movable furniture.

Your building's fire safety concept can still limit what stands where, for example in corridors that serve as escape routes. Check it before you pick a position. In other EU countries, national building and workplace rules apply in the same way.

Escape routes

German workplace rule ASR A2.3 sets minimum clear widths for main escape routes: 0.90 m for up to 5 people, 1.00 m for up to 20 and 1.20 m for up to 200. Plan the booth so these widths stay free, also when its door is open.

Do not place a booth in front of emergency exits, extinguishers or escape signs. Every QAkustik model is 220 cm high, so check that it does not hide signs on the wall above.

Sprinklers and smoke detectors

A booth has a closed roof. If the room has sprinklers or automatic smoke detectors, the roof can shield the space inside the booth from them.

Whether a booth needs its own detector or sprinkler head depends on your system and your fire safety concept. Ask the company that maintains it before installation. Measure the distance from the booth roof to the nearest sprinkler heads too. The dimensions overview lists the size of every model.

Who checks what

Fire safety officer (Brandschutzbeauftragter): advises the employer on fire safety. Tasks and training are described in DGUV Information 205-003.
Employer: responsible for safe workplaces, including clear escape routes.
Building owner or landlord: owns the fire safety concept and often has to approve fit-outs.
Sprinkler or fire alarm provider: confirms coverage inside the booth.
Occupational safety specialist: covers the booth in the risk assessment, including ventilation.

Frequently asked questions

Is the whole booth fire-rated?

EN 13501-1 classifies materials, not a complete booth. Our documentation lists the class of each material: MDF B-s2,d0, fabric and mineral wool A2-s1,d0, plus laminated safety glass.

Does a phone booth need its own sprinkler?

It depends on your building. If the room has sprinklers or smoke detectors, ask your system provider and fire safety officer whether the space under the booth roof must be covered. They decide, not the booth maker.

Can a booth stand in a corridor?

Only if the fire safety concept allows it and the escape route keeps its minimum width, also with the door open. In Germany, ASR A2.3 sets the widths. Ask your fire safety officer first.

Can we see the fire class documents before ordering?

The fire class documentation ships with each unit. If your fire safety officer needs it for the approval, mention it in your quote request.

Need booths your fire safety officer can approve?

Send us the city, the number of booths and the target month. You get a written quote within 24 hours. Tell us if you need the fire class documents for your approval.