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Thanks for that info Steve. I have found a very good presentation given in Abu Dhabi in 2012 below, by Dr Sarah Colwell, principal consultant to BRE (Building Research Establishment, former quango privatised)

http://www.sesam-uae.com/safetyauh/presentations/Sarah.pdf

She shows the testing facility at BRE and explains the testing procedure (pg.19-35)

BS 8414-1:2002 being cladding systems on masonry structures, BS 8414-2:2005 on a lightweight steel frame

The test facility at BRE for BS 8414 has been there since 2004

http://www.bre.co.uk/news/Fire-testing-external-cladding-206.html


She then gives a summary, on page 39, of the UK regulations for buildings above 18 metres, which clears some confusion up for us:

- External Surfaces should conform to diagram 40 - which means the rainscreen cladding must meet class 0 (national class) or Class B-s3, d2 or better (European class)

- All insulation and filler materials should be A2-s3, d2 or better (EN13501-1)

OR

- Test the complete system to BS 8414 and classify in accordance with BR135

And

- All cavity barriers and fire stopping guidance needs to be followed


So Reynobond PE meets Class 0 for BS 476: Part 6 (fire propagation) and meets Class 1 for BS 476: Part 7 (surface spread of flame). It also meets the European Class B-s2, d0 (s being smoke, d droplets, lower number better). So it's use was according to current regulations. Class 1 of Part 7 is overridden by Class 0 of Part 6, as explained by a Probyn Miers journal article last December:

http://www.probyn-miers.com/perspective/2016/02/fire-risks-from-external-cladding-panels-perspective-from-the-uk/


"Class 0 is not a classification identified in any BS test. Class 0 is achieved if a material or the surface of a composite product is either:

composed throughout of materials of ‘limited combustibility’, when tested to BS 476-11 or classified as Class A2-s3, d2 in accordance with EN 13501-1; or

a Class 1 material which has a fire propagation index (I) of not more than 12 and sub-index (i1) of not more than 6 when tested to BS 476-6: I is overall performance and i1 is performance after 3 minutes."

I recommend reading both the Probyn Miers article and Sarah Colwell's presentation wholeway through. It does appear the current regulations are not sufficient to protect high rise occupants from fire, and the concept of Approved Documents of the Building Regulations apparently only being informative advice rather than legal mandatory requirements (stated under 'Revisions to UAE Fire Code regarding Exterior Cladding') seems another flaw in protections for the public.