Approves the technical fire-prevention standards, introducing a performance-based, flexible approach (horizontal technical rule) to fire-safety design. It defines strategies, measures and performance levels. Conceived in 2015 as an alternative to the traditional technical rules, since 20 October 2019 it is no longer one: for activities without a traditional vertical rule, the Code is the only route.
It applies to the activities subject to fire-prevention controls listed in Annex I of D.P.R. 151/2011. For activities without a traditional vertical technical rule, the Code has been the sole reference since 20 October 2019, by effect of the Ministerial Decree of 12 April 2019 which removed the so-called 'double track'. Where a traditional technical rule still exists, the relationship between the two texts is set by their respective transitional provisions: it must be checked activity by activity.
Ministerial Decree of 3 August 2015 marked the most important shift in recent Italian fire-prevention history: moving from a system of dozens of separate technical rules, each with its own language, to a single, coherent body. It is not a mere formal reorganisation — it changes the very way fire safety is designed.
The traditional model was prescriptive: the rule imposed precise solutions (distances, sizes, materials) and the designer applied them to the letter. The Code adds a performance-based approach (fire safety engineering): safety objectives are set and one demonstrates, with engineering methods, that the chosen solution meets them. It is the same performance logic that governs the Eurocodes in the structural field.
The Code is organised into a Horizontal Technical Rule (RTO) — the general part valid for all civil activities — and Vertical Technical Rules (RTV) that adapt the principles to specific types. Fire safety is broken down into measures, each graded on increasing performance levels.
| Measure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Reaction to fire | limit the materials' contribution to fire growth |
| Fire resistance | ensure load-bearing capacity and compartmentation over time |
| Compartmentation | confine the fire within bounded volumes |
| Evacuation | ensure safe escape of occupants |
| Detection and alarm | detect the fire early and warn |
| Smoke and heat control | keep escape routes usable and aid rescue |
Where this rule shows up in past architect qualification exams — study the rule, not just the theme.
No. The Code lets the designer choose: conforming (prescriptive) solutions predefined by the Code, or alternative solutions proven equivalent via performance methods. The performance route is an option, not an obligation.
The RTO (Horizontal Technical Rule) is the general part, valid for all civil activities. RTVs (Vertical Technical Rules) adapt those principles to specific building types (car parks, healthcare, hotels, schools, residential buildings, etc.).
It applies to the activities subject to fire-prevention controls listed in Annex I of D.P.R. 151/2011, not to all buildings. Mind one point that many sources still report as it stood in 2015, though: for activities without a traditional vertical technical rule the Code is no longer optional. The Ministerial Decree of 12 April 2019 removed the 'double track', and since 20 October 2019 those activities are designed under the Code alone. Where a traditional rule still exists, the relationship between the two texts is set by their respective transitional provisions.
Into sections: G (general: terms, design methodology, risk profiles), S (fire-safety strategy: the prevention and protection measures with their performance levels) and V (vertical technical rules for specific activities).