NEN-EN 12845, VdS or FM: which sprinkler standard applies to your project?
6 min read
In the Netherlands, you come across three families of standards for sprinkler installations. The standard decides the design of the installation, and also which clamps and hangers you may use. Below you read what the difference is, when each standard is usual and which Fischer products fit which standard.
NEN-EN 12845
The European standard for automatic sprinkler installations, published in the Netherlands as NEN-EN 12845:2015+A2:2026. For most non-residential buildings, this is the standard. It covers design, installation and maintenance, including the requirements for pipework and its supports.
VdS CEA 4001
A guideline from the insurance sector, drawn up by VdS Schadenverhütung in Germany. In content it is close to NEN-EN 12845, with differences in the details. VdS approved products carry the VdS approval mark. Industrial clients and their insurers often ask for it.
FM Global
FM Global publishes Data Sheets with requirements for sprinkler installations. Data Sheet 2-0 is the starting point. The requirements follow the American NFPA 13. International clients and insurers often require FM, for example for logistics centres and data centres.
The big difference: in an FM system, where an FM approval exists for a component, you use that FM Approved component, installed to the manufacturer's instructions. So you cannot use a clamp that is only VdS approved there.
What we see in practice
The standard follows from the project, not from a table. In the end, the client and the insurer decide which standard applies. This is what we see in practice.
| Type of project | Usual standard | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Office, shop, school | NEN-EN 12845 | Design and certification body |
| Residential building with a sprinkler obligation | NEN-EN 12845 | Bbl (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, the Dutch building regulations) and design |
| Industry | NEN-EN 12845 or VdS | Often the insurer |
| Logistics centre | FM or NEN-EN 12845 | Client or insurer |
| Data centre or international project | FM or NFPA 13 | Client or insurer |
Not sure which standard applies? Ask the client or the insurer before you order material.
What does the standard mean for your material?
NEN-EN 12845 and VdS
The standard sets requirements for the material, such as strength and protection against corrosion, but has no mandatory approval mark on clamps. In practice, installers use VdS or FM approved clamps, because these make it easy to show that they comply. For anchors, the ETA is the proof.
FM
Here the rule is simple: without the FM Approved mark, it is not allowed. This applies to clamps, beam clamps and all other load-bearing components.
Approval marks per product
The approval marks below come from the product data in our webshop. A dash means that the approval mark is not listed there.
| Fischer product | FM | VdS | UL | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRSP sprinkler loop hanger | yes | – | yes | Hanger on threaded rod, ½" to 8" |
| FRLH sprinkler loop hanger | yes | yes | – | Height-adjustable hanger |
| FCHS sprinkler loop hanger | yes | – | yes | Fixed, non-insulated pipes |
| FRSMN heavy duty pipe clamp | yes | yes | – | Heavy pipes, 15 to 521 mm |
| RCWR riser clamp | – | – | yes | Vertical pipes |
| TKL beam clamp | yes (M10, M12) | yes | yes (M10, M12) | Steel beams |
| TKLS Steel Bite beam clamp | yes | yes | yes | Steel beams |
| TKLG swivel beam clamp | yes | yes | – | Sloping steel beams |
| TZ profile hanger | – | yes | – | Trapezoidal sheet |
| KDS spring toggle | KDS 10 only | yes | – | Trapezoidal roof deck |
On an FM project, check the FM certificate of the specific size you use. Not every size within a product family always has the same approval marks.
You know which standard applies, but not which product you need? Describe your situation in the Product finder.
This article is general information, not design advice. The text was checked on 21 October 2026 against the sources below. The design of your installation and the certifying body decide what applies in your project.
Sources
- NEN-EN 12845:2015+A2:2026, the standard for sprinkler installations (NEN)
- FM Global Data Sheet 2-0, Installation Guidelines for Automatic Sprinklers
- fischer product page beam clamp TKL M12: approvals and permitted load per size (in German)
- fischer product page beam clamp TKLS Steel Bite (in German)
- fischer product page profile hanger TZ M8 (in German)
- fischer product page spring toggle KDS (in German)
- Product data and approvals per product: the Certification property in our webshop
Order approved sprinkler clamps
For every product in the webshop, you see under Certification which approval marks it has.
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