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  1. Today
  2. Andy62
    I have come across a premises that has a W/C and a kitchen which is technically an inner inner room. The MofE is through a store room then a shop. the kitchen is obviously an inner inner room but is there any guidance which allows W/Cs to be located off inner rooms?
  3. Landlord Licensing Defence Landlord Licensing Defence joined the community
  4. Mirek2020
    Hello all, Please help me understand how best to reconcile the exisitng boiler room arrangments we have and the current fire safety standards: - it is a large private estate with arround 320 flats, upto 8 floors - boiler room is large approx. 200m3, at lower ground level, with two doors - original doors with large free area over 1m2 (wire mesh type) at either end of the room. - each door leads into lower ground, roofless lobby and from the lobby one can enter a service stairwell - this would be the escape route from the boiler room; at present the door between the lobby and the stairwell is not fire rated. Question: - can we maintain the original wire mesh doors for the boiler room but upgrade the lobby/stairwell doors to FD60S type? - or do we have to upgrade the boiler room doors to FD60S type also? This would affect air flow requirements for the gas boilers by the way. - the boiler room has also two lantern roof structures along one wall, each around 10m long and 2 m wide with louvered walls. We are pressured by our fire safety inspector into upgrading all the doors to FD60 type but I believe we are entitled to some concessions due to the age of the building. Please share your thoughts on the limitations and necessities concerning the above, Thank you very much for your time, MO
  5. Yesterday
  6. Mirek2020 started following Tom Sutton
  7. Mirek2020 Mirek2020 joined the community
  8. Tom Sutton started following Redirect an external fire escape staircase
  9. Tom Sutton
    It doesn't necessarily have to be a straight run you need to surf the web and contact a steel fire escape manufacturer who I am sure will be able to advise you.
  10. Tom Sutton
    The guides say that windows can be considered as a means of escape and one door is acceptable for most premises but also recommend that the kitchen should be located as far from the exit door as possible, if not then other arrangements are usually required. Because of your situation then it needs to be considered more closely and I would suggest you contact your local fire and rescue service and ask them for an audit. Check out https://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/.
  11. Last week
  12. Jainson Locks Jainson Locks joined the community
  13. Guest
    Does the gap between the frame and substrate require sealant if there is an architrave already installed. this is when the internal door has already been installed.
  14. DVR started following Means of escape in a small block of flats
  15. DVR
    I am working on a renovation of a Victorian house which is split into two flats (sketch attached). There is a small entrance lobby shared by the Ground Floor (GF) and First Floor (1F) flats. Both doors to the flats are fire rated with smoke seals. The 1F flat is under 4.5m above ground level and it doesn't have a loft. The GF flat is open plan and each room has a direct escape to the outside via a window. As part of the renovation, the approved inspector is asking us to introduce an internal protected hallway in the GF flat by putting a door is the corridor. Why is this necessary if we already have a protected lobby between the two flats? I had an identical project signed off in January 2020 without the additional door. Have the regulations changed since then? Where in document B1 is this explained?
  16. DVR DVR joined the community
  17. ZEH004 started following Min size for a kitchen fire door in a HMO
  18. ZEH004
    Morning Does anyone know what the min size measurements a kitchen fire door should be in a HMO? Many thanks in advance
  19. ZEH004 ZEH004 joined the community
  20. Lee
    A person with severe learning disabilities refuses to move when the fire alarm actuates so staff close the bedroom door and leave the person there due to the fire resistance of the door, is this acceptable in a real fire situation? This is what the support workers have been instructed to do by management. Advise appreciated
  21. Guest
    Hi, I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on fire safety when upholstering furnture - I've scoured the regulations for what feels like hours to no avail! I'm re-upholstering the seat of an ottoman (Lloyd Loom style) which I will be looking to sell once complete. I have purchased replacement foam which complies with all UK fire safety regulations. I will be using a schedule 3 interliner as the fabric I'll be using is 100% cotton. Because of this I'm aware that the cotton fabric doesn't need to be match resistant but does it need to be cigarette resistant as it looks like I'll need to include this on the permanent fire safety label that I attach? I've contacted the seller to ask if it is match/cigarette resistant fabric and all they were able to tell me is that the fabric is natural cotton with print on it. Thanks in advance
  22. NOI Technology NOI Technology joined the community
  23. Lee
    Very helpful, cheers guys
  24. Guest
    Hi, I am in the process of buying a house which has a metal, external fire escape staircase down from an attic floor. Currently this is a single, straight run of steps which terminates pretty close to another wall/door for the garage. (The space is perfectly sufficient for people to get away in real terms but I would be surprised if it would be acceptable for a commercial premises, for example). My irritation is that it prevents effective use of the garage door as you have to sort of slink past the staircase. So, my question is - is there likely to be anything wrong with having a half way landing installed, enabling the staircase to reverse direction and exit in to free space while simultaneously making the garage door useful by creating a passageway underneath the mid height landing? My second question would be - what trade would I need to get involved to do this? Is it a building job, a metalwork job or something else? many thanks, and apologies for a lack of illustrative photos - I don’t actually own the property yet so I can’t take any.
  25. Guest

    Is one entry and exit door enough

    Guest replied to a topic in Fire Exits

    I live in a cul de sac of bungalows for elderly and disabled. we are all worried as we only have 1 door at the side of our properties... our kitchens are right next to this door and if there was a bad kitchen fire we would all struggle to get out ... a lot of my neighbours are in wheelchairs or walk with frames/sticks. we have enquired about this and been told one door is enough as we are on ground floor! I'm sure they expect us to get out of our windows? ?? is this true? this can't be safe can it?
  26. Neil ashdown
    The contractor doing the remedial work to the fire doors does not have to possess any particular certification or qualifications BUT they must be COMPETENT. Refer to Article 17 and article 18 of the fire safety order. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/17/made http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/18/made
  27. Neil ashdown
    👍
  28. Pacman
    Thank you Neil. That's incredibly helpful and sincerely appreciated.
  29. Guest
    I work in an office that spans over 3 floors with one exit stairwell. All the fire doors that run off the fire exit have gaps in excess of 4mm on each side, which exceeds the maximum fire door guidelines. The landlord is proposing we have lipping and new intumescent strips added to these fire doors by a non certified fire door carpenter, would we be in breach of fire regulations?
  30. Neil ashdown
    Yes! When inspecting the self-closing function of a fire door, the inspector should check that the door self-closes from any opening angle.......fully-open to only-just-open. Suitable self-closing devices will have adjustment for latching action as well as closing speed. Any binding of the door on the floor covering, door frame, seals or latch strike plate etc. should be resolved before adjusting the controls of the self-closing device. For the self-closing device to function correctly it is necessary to install the closer-body at the correct position in relation to the door leaf for the required power-size (minimum size 3 for a fire resisting door) and install the closing-arm assembly in the correct location and arm configuration. This might be useful from 'Code of Pactice: Hardware for Fire & escape Doors' at http://www.firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf
  31. Neil ashdown
    Hi Adam, A drop seal will not be a substitute for a hardwood door lipping, in most cases. If you are installing a new fire door the installation instructions will state the maximum gap allowed at the threshold. This is usually somewhere between 6mm and 10mm from the bottom edge (the timber edge not the seal) of the door to the floor surface or threshold plate. It is necessary to comply to maintain the door's fire rating. Most fire doors are also required to provide smoke protection (at ambient temperature), in which case the maximum threshold gap is 3mm. If 3mm cannot be achieved due to floor conditions, then a static threshold seal or drop-seal will be required to close the gap, but the gap between the door bottom edge and the floor surface must still not exceed the door manufacturers requirements (eg. 6mm to 10mm). If the door is not new and the specific gap requirement unknown, work on a maximum gap of 10mm for a timber-based fire door and 3mm where smoke protection is required. If the gap is more than 10mm use a floor mounted threshold plate or suitably lip the door bottom edge with hardwood to reduce the gap accordingly. Then add a suitable threshold seal to provide smoke protection where necessary. See image below...............
  32. AnthonyB
    Lipping/rebating doors predates modern methods of sealing fire doors - it used to be common because it was the only way to get some form of flame, heat & smoke seal. Whilst it had some effect compared to a door without the rebate the performance is nowhere near the same as a door with intumescent seals and cold smoke brushes. The acceptability of an 'older' method of fire safety joinery will depend on the situation and the performance requirements of the door-set in question - in some situations such as heritage premises and certain existing premises (based on other factors taken into account) it may be acceptable, but not if current standards are a requirement.
  33. AnthonyB
    https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2017/01/perception-of-doors/ https://www.property118.com/dispute-certification-fire-doors-going-court/
  34. AnthonyB
    Many manufacturers give a recommended shelf life of 5 years, although this is more of a 'best before' than a 'use by' in most cases as long as the powder remains sealed, free from moisture and still free flowing. Performance wouldn't be guaranteed by the manufacturer after their recommended age.
  35. green-foam started following Can external escape routes go past windows?
  36. green-foam
    Why not ask your council and ask them?
  37. Pacman
    BS 1154 states that a self-closing device "shall be capable of closing the test door from any angle to which it may be opened". Does this literally mean the door should self-close when released with the leaf resting on the latch or is there an assumption that in practice, doors are more typically released from a wider angle i.e. after someone or something has passed through them? This obviously makes a difference given the momentum of the door leaf is an important factor during the closing cycle. Particularly interested to hear a fire door inspector's view on this. Thanks to all responders in advance.
  38. Guest
    is there a benefit to lipping a fire door opposed to adding a drop down seal?
  39. medicalcovid medicalcovid joined the community
  40. Neil ashdown
    Hi Andrey, Is this similar to the layout for your flat? But with just two bedrooms, one living room and one kitchen?
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