Fire Prevention

Hi.... I didn’t realize it’s importance until I faced a huge terrible day. I had a minor fire accident in kitchen and fortunately I had my husband at home and was able to douse the fire. I take all precautions to prevent fire accidents but drops of oil along the wrist area of the stove triggered the fire and set it on. The fire was doused before anything detrimental could happen but it created a fear within me. I feel that a fire alarm will help prevent such hazards in future. Can you suggest me some best dealers to get one installed. All comments invited. Thanks in advance.

I am about to buy a bungalow & have found a few things of concern. The biggest concern is the following: The kitchen extractor has been ducted through the kitchen/garage wall into the garage space across the wall & out through the soffit. This has been achieved by using a WC U bend upwards out of the kitchen wall, then connected to a Soil pipe U bend to turn it left, then connected to a length of soil pipe, another U Bend soil pipe upwards over eaves then using a plastic flexi hose out through the soffit. Does this comply with the fire regs? Is it safe? I realise there is an issue with the distance & bends causing back pressure to…

Hi All Please provide a view on the safety measures when a large residential home provides bathrooms with electric powered chairs for hoisting persons in and out the bath. They are a permanent fixture. Do you consider that in view of the introduced risk a SC Fire door should be fitted along with heat detection linked in to the main system. 5 yearly elec tests are conducted on fixed installations but acrylic bath do burn well and give off lots of smoke. Thanks

Hi all, Quick question if I may. We are looking at a building, two stories to house around 40 people, which has two escape routes at either end. It is of a pre-fabricated structure. We will have a server room on the ground floor close to one of the escapes off of a main corridor. The server room will house approximately 5 or 6 tall servers within the room, which is approximately 3m by 5m in size. I wondered if anyone could provide any thoughts on what should be considered from a fire safety aspect for server rooms. I am going to consult a fire safety advisor but just interested in the subject of fire safety in server rooms and your (non-le…

Hello, I have a small commercial property, approx 40 sq m, it comprises two ground floor storage units with two small offices above, the offices are accessed via a central fire protected stairwell, all doors are FD30, mains powered smoke detector ( with battery backup ) on landing. fire extinguishers & emergency lighting provided. We have recently had a security alarm fitted, there are spare zones and these have been allocated as fire zones, smoke detectors have been fitted to provide early warning of fire in the un-occupied storage units below the offices. The fire action plan states that anyone discovering a fire should shout FIRE to alert any other o…

Hi - I'm after some advice please... recently completed a FSRA in a small charity shop. 3 members of staff [some elderly volunteers who are hard of hearing]. Customers = max of 10 on a very busy day! 1) Absolutely no form of emergency escape lighting at present - not even a candle or a torch! :) Working hours are 10am to 4pm, but i'm just worried that certain times of the year will mean the rear part of the building [both internally and externally] would be in darkness if power was lost. I've suggested bulk head units at rear exit [internally and externally] - i'm not too worried about the front entrance / exit as it has street lighting all year round. But…

Hi, I currently live in a chapel which was converted in the mid 90s into 16 flats. I'm interested in opinions on the safety of the extraction system which is apparently interlinked (at least with my neighbour). When I cook, I have to switch on the bathroom light else the kitchen smells vent straight into there and my neighbour's kitchen extraction vents straight into my bathroom and often comes through to my kitchen. This seems to me to be a great way to spread a fire.

Hi Please could you advise if there is any Government legislation relating to cleaning kitchen extraction regularly to prevent fire hazard from the build up of grease? Kind regards Christina

Good morning, We decided to install smoke detector in stairway of our 7 storey building. We are private renter there and invested for the safety of all. We contacted a security company. I just would like to make sure about the location of smoke detector (1/stair). Please find attached picture of 1 level. All are similars. Let me know if all isn't clear. Thank you for you help. Tom

I am seeking advice re roof insulation and wiring, we are living in a rented property and have just had an extra 200mm of loft insulation laid, however this insulation has been laid over existing wiring and also a wiring junction box that powers the light and an aerial splitter/receiver so i am just seeking advice as to wether or not this is safe?if it were my property I would install safety boxes and lay wiring on top of joists as a precaution but as I mentioned this is a rented property. Please advise Kind Regards Simon

We have a couple of hard wired (inoperable) smoke detectors. Can we just replace these? I think these are around 30 years old. Also, do new houses in have to have hard wired smoke detectors? Just curious.

Hi All, Can anyone shed any light on how I would go about determining whether a paint spraying shed is classed as a 'Explosive atmosphere'. I am not sure how you measure this, and what the thresholds of this is. Also, if it turns out we do have a 'Explosive atmosphere' how do I go about ensuring that we install adequate ventilation systems (a highly regarded ventilation manufacturers stated that they couldn't give us that information, they just manufacture and install the systems), to ensure we make the atmosphere non explosive. I have done a little reading around on the subject, but I am getting a little lost in it. So any guidance would be great. …

I conduct fire safety training but i have clients asking about live fire safety training where by they get to put out live fires. I am trying to find out if there are any legal requirements for this such as specific training i have to undertake or health and safety measures etc. Any info would be off benefit.

I am a student from Germany, and in my master thesis I work on the topic: "Studies of the (preventive) structural and technical fire protection requirements for nursing care homes for elderly people in the International Comparison." I like to ask you, if you have fire statistics about fires in "nursing care homes for elderly people" or statistics about the effectiveness of automatic sprinkler systems in these types of buildings? Unfortunately I found nothing properly suitable. Are fires in these types of buildings recorded? Are there values for fire probability in nursing care homes for elderly people or in general in the UK. And are there values for the failu…

I lost my pet last week when I went out for shopping and now I am planning to get this hidden surveillance camera and smoke detectors installed in my house.Is it also necessary to install carbon monoxide along with smoke detectors?

Quite often a question will appear, do the regulations apply, and consequently it is important to understand what is meant by the regulations. The regulation’s which includes acts of parliament are legislation that requires you to submit to a line of action but does not necessarily how to fulfil your duty. It is the guides and British Standards that show you how the meet the required standard. The regulation will say, you need to install a fire alarm, if necessary, but it is BS 5839 that will show you how. The regulation is law but the guides and British Standards are recommendations but are also considered best practice. This is important if things go wrong and i…

I have been into our loft today and discovered there is a gap either side of the chimney that goes into next door's loft space. How can I protect our property should they have a fire?

I work in a office on 1st floor. Gas fired boiler is fitted at one end of the office. It is not on the way to an escape route, is this aceptable to be located there?

Hi ,I'm a tenant in a building of flats over 3 floors all bought to let .Building has a freeholder I recently changed a poorly fitting fire door for a front door with two double glazed panels .Freeholder told me to polut old one back I could see my mistake as I'm basement floor small hall niebour opposite door basement. But I knew he had not been doing door checkd as if he was he would have failed my fire door .No other doors in the rest of the building are fire doors ,he said as they were there they can stay .My shoddy landlord also told me to put old fire door back as the freeholder was giving them grief .I now have to buy a new fire door as don't have keys for ill fitt…

Hi, One of the tenants on an industrial estate we manage has erected a smoking shelter immediately outside their fire exit door, this door exits onto the fire escape route for the terrace of units. By way of explanation, they are the tennant on the end. This doesn't sit right with me - please can you let me know if this is allowed and if not under which specific regualtions/guidance? Many Thanks, Paul.

I have a small chalet park in Scotland and am about to replace curtains. The chalets are single story and sleep between 4-6 people in 2-3 bedrooms. Do the curtains need to be FR treated?

I work for a resedential home for elderly and have been informed that notice boards are not allowed to be fixed above radiators now. These boards are fitted to wall and at least 18 inches above radiator. I have not been given or seen any regulations on this, just been told fire risk. Can anyone tell me what fire risk or regulation to look up as i think there is minimal risk if any.

I live in a communal flat which comprises of a block of four flats, two up and two down. The residents received a letter last week that informed the residents not to store wheelie bins in the porch entrance (see pic) due to it being a fire hazard and obstruction in the event of a fire. This was no problem except for one tenant, who decided that this should include everything in the porch way, like brooms, garden tools etc and took it upon himself to throw out all of the other tenants implements out of the porch way. Because there is no other place to put these implements it is causing a problem for other tenants. The problem has been reported to the landlord who is look…

What fire detection/safety measures do I need to implement in an open plan office (approx. 500sq feet) with one person working in it. There is a door leading to outside at either end of the building. At present there various types of fire extinguishers and a smoke alarm. Thanks

is there a specific distance/fire separation between lower and upper floor external windows ? This is in regards to a fire breaking out of a flat window on a lower floor licking" up into window of flat above?